Harris Rosen

Rosen had a humble start in life, growing up in the Bowery neighborhood of New York when it was a tough place to live. He graduated from Cornell University and then worked at the Waldorf Astoria in New York and at Walt Disney World. He founded Rosen Hotels in 1974 after buying a former Quality Inn on International Drive, now the Rosen Inn International. Rosen owns nine local hotels, all purchased or built with cash, and has put his name on UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, after making an $18 million donation for the school. He still works hard as the leader of his company and swims 1.5 miles every weekday. He said he wants to continue working as long as possible. The result eventually was the Harris Rosen Foundation and other projects that have donated millions. The Tangelo Park community in Orlando became a major focus of Rosen’s attention, with initiatives to reduce crime, provide scholarships and bolster education from preschool through high school. He has provided low-cost health care plans to employees for about 25 years, opening a larger clinic for employees and their families at the Rosen International in 2012. Rosen has four children from his former marriage.