Hello!
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Carl D. Report, the official blog of the newly launched Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation (CADF). We are very excited for the future of the Foundation and look forward to serving the community for years to come.
The CADF has four areas of interest and one special project. But you know that already because you’ve looked at our website. We’d like to take you behind the scenes and tell you why we’ve chose these areas.
Health & Nutrition
Our founder has had a lifelong interest in health and nutrition and has a great knack for understanding what people are looking for as they pursue a healthy life.
As a young store manager at Walgreen’s, Carl dreamt of having his own business and settled on the burgeoning field of vitamins. He started a mail order company out of his garage and it was a family affair with his small children packing orders to be shipped.
But Carl has always been the creative type, always challenging himself and others to do something different. So, he developed innovative vitamin blends—Vitamin C with rose hips for instance– that enabled his brand Sundown Vitamins to stand out. Sundown became Rexall Sundown, when Carl seized on the opportunity to buy the name of the once famous drug store brand thinking correctly that it would add further credibility to his brand.
That vision and boldness were just two of the traits that enabled Rexall Sundown to soar, growing into one of the world’s biggest vitamin companies. Rexall Sundown went public, became a Fortune 100 company before being sold to Royal Numico for $1.8 billion in 2000. The stories from the Rexall days are legendary. A group of people, led by a maverick visionary, taking on the world, and winning.
It’s an only in America story but it was just beginning. A few years later, still trying to help consumers with their health, Carl stumbled on a small beverage brand named Celsius operating out of a warehouse office in downtown Delray Beach. Celsius had a unique value proposition. The drink burned calories—a claim backed by clinical studies.
Carl was intrigued—maybe obsessed is a better word— and he got involved. Once Carl commits to something, he’s all in. And he was all in and then some for Celsius. Over the years— through the ups and downs, the triumphs, and losses–he remained a believer. That’s Carl. Once he “sees” something he goes for it. He saw something in Celsius—a beverage that could help people get fit, power through their busy lives, and provide consumers with a healthy alternative to sugary soft drinks. Today, almost a decade later, Celsius is a publicly traded (Nasdaq: CELH) international brand with a huge base of devoted fans.
In creating this foundation, we seek to help others who are invested in helping people live healthy lives and interested in ideas that will transform human health.
Civic Innovation
At CADF, we are deeply passionate about community building and seek to invest in the efforts of “civic entrepreneurs” making a difference in Palm Beach and Broward counties. Our founder is a long-time pillar in the South Florida business community and his team consists of people who are dedicated to our community. We knew we wanted to invest in programs and organizations that had the potential to move the needle in the communities where we live, work and play. Frankly, that is sometimes hard to quantify. But as the saying goes, we will know it when we see it. Send us your ideas, thoughts, hopes and dreams. We hope to be at the table so we can move our communities forward.
Faith Based Organizations
Carl is a man of deep and strong faith. We are too. We wanted this foundation to honor those values by investing in non-profits that have a faith-based component. We are not talking about “church planting” but rather organizations that reach out into the community and serve the needs of our neighbors. This is the essence of who Carl is as a person. Empathetic, loving, faithful, generous, and compassionate. A man of action. We want the CADF to be all those things and more.
And more, that’s something Carl says a lot.
‘What we can we do?’ is a question we are often asked and then challenged to think of …you guessed it…even more. So that’s our inspiration and our challenge.
Leadership & Entrepreneurship
We are passionate about investing in programs that will nurture the next generation of leaders who will transform our world. We are evangelists when it comes to leadership and entrepreneurship. These are the men and women who change our world, create jobs, build industries, and make magic happen. We aspire to be there alongside the next generation of game changers.
Africa
Our special project supports a worthwhile cause in South Africa, where our founder once owned a wildlife preserve and lodge. During Carl’s time in South Africa, he grew close to the community, and it is his wish to further their lives with strategic gifts that help people become self-sufficient.
We have all been entranced by Carl’s stories of South Africa’s beauty. It’s an honor and a privilege to “return” to South Africa through strategic partnerships that help the people Carl fell in love with.
We will update this blog from time to time. We hope that this is the beginning of a conversation. We’ll share more in future blog posts and give you a further peak inside the CADF. Meanwhile, we are excited about the future and committed to making a difference in our community and our world.
Thanks for taking the ride!
