Wildlife Conservation Efforts of Brian Sheth and the Sheth Sangreal Foundation

Brian Sheth is a first-generation Indian–American businessman who became a self-made billionaire in 2015 before he was 40. Forbes listed his net worth at $2.2 billion in 2018 and ranked him as the 359th richest person in the United States in 2020. Sheth is also a dedicated philanthropist and established the Sheth Sangreal Foundation in 2011, along with his wife Adria. The primary purpose of the Sangreal Foundation is to manage Sheth’s philanthropic endeavors, which primarily focus on wildlife conservation. He also is the chair emeritus of Re:wild, which was formerly called Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC). Re:wild protects wildlife and ecosystems in over 50 countries.

Overview

The Sheth Sangreal Foundation has participated in 430 projects to date and formed 90 partnerships with conservation groups in over 80 countries. It has spent $60 million on these efforts, resulting in the preservation of 50,000 square miles of forest and saving 83 species from extinction. The Sheth Sangreal Foundation’s community projects have positively impacted the lives of over 120,000 children.

Approach

Sheth applies the same systems-driven strategies that brought him success in the financial sector to the conservation projects he supports. These strategies focus on maximizing operational performance, allowing the Sheth Sangreal Foundation to fulfill its purpose of supporting the well-being of all life on Earth. Sheth also believes in building strong partnerships with business leaders and communities to support projects. This strategy ensures the Foundation provides the resources needed to realize success in its conservation efforts.

Sheth’s approach to projects consists of the following phases:

• Research
• Resources
• Logistical support
• Collaboration

The Sheth Sangreal Foundation begins its search for worthy projects by prioritizing geographic areas and identifying the most urgent issues within those areas. The research phase also includes identifying the partners in the best position to solve those problems, assuming they have the necessary resources.

The next phase is to identify the resources those partners need to overcome the challenges that have limited their success so far. These resources typically include funding, subject expertise, labor, and support from communities and government agencies.

The Sheth Sangreal Foundation then provides logistics support behind the scenes to keep its partners’ operations running smoothly. This function allows the project to adhere to its organizers’ culture and principles while still achieving the desired results.

The Sheth Sangreal Foundation also shares resources with its partners, including lessons learned, best practices, and project leaders. This phase aims to use what works in its other projects, allowing the Foundation to provide benefits for its partners that go beyond funding.

Global Wildlife Conservation

The Sheth Sangreal Foundation participated in a donation challenge with the Re:wild in 2018, resulting in $15 million in donations from the Foundation and another $17 million from other donors. This $32-million fund allowed Re:wild to continue its mission of conserving Earth’s diversity of life, including projects in the following areas:

• Vietnam
• Redonda
• Bahamas
• Amazon
• Asia
• Nicaragua
• Australia
• New Zealand

Vietnam

Pu Mat National Park is one of Vietnam’s most important conservation sites. It’s located in the Annamite Mountains, which is home to a number of mammals in need of protection. These include the saola, which resembles an antelope, and the Annamite striped rabbit. The muntjac is another critically endangered antlered animal that inhabits this region.

Redonda

Redonda is an island in the Caribbean that previously barren due to overuse. Re:wild developed a plan for managing and protecting this area that restored it to its original lush state. This project involved a number of Re:wild partners, including the Sangreal Foundation.

Bahamas

Marine life around the Bahamas is threatened by a number of activities, including agricultural runoff, reef destruction, and unsustainable fishing. Re:wild’s partners in this project for protecting wildlife included the Discovery Channel, The Bahamas National Trust, and Shark Tank’s Daymond John.

Amazon

The Amazon is the largest tropical forest on Earth, which provides ecological benefits for the whole planet. Re:wild has engaged in a number of projects to create protected areas in this region that are both well-funded and managed. These areas use a variety of conservation mechanisms, including government protection, private protection, and community conservation.

Asia

The Javan and Sumatran rhinos in Asia are both on the brink of extinction, with both species having less than 100 living members. Re:wild is working with multiple partners to restore their populations by stopping poaching activities. Observers expect this project to be particularly challenging as the horn of the Javan rhino is worth about $30,000 per kilogram on the Asian black market.

Nicaragua

The Indio Maíz Biological Reserve in Nicaragua is one of the last habitats for a number of large endangered animals. These include the Baird’s tapir and jaguar, the largest cat native to the American continent. Re:wild is working with local communities to protect these and other species in this area.

Australia

Re:wild’s efforts in Australia include a project to reintroduce mammals that were once indigenous to forests in southeastern Australia. These species include the following:

• Brush-tailed bettong
• Eastern quoll
• Long-nosed potoroo
• Parma wallaby
• Rufous bettong
• Southern brown bandicoot
• Tasmanian devil

New Zealand

Re:wild has multiple conservation projects in New Zealand. These include the restoration of the black stilt in the wild. This rare wading bird is critically endangered. Another project involves the large-scale restoration of the kakapo to its former range. This flightless bird is the world’s largest parrot.

Coming from a humble background, Brian Sheth is now considered a true definition of success through his global achievements and ever-increasing fortunes. His investment portfolio of over 30 software industries and over 45,000 employees globally speaks for its self. Even amid the pandemic, his philanthropic presence still persists.  Brian Sheth is actively involved with fellow billionaires, scientists and other agencies to stop the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a man that many business people can look up to and learn from.