Ami Aronson shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Ami, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: When was the last time you felt true joy?
The last time I experienced genuine joy was while volunteering in person for the GOOD Project’s Back to School initiative. I worked closely alongside other volunteers, local vendors, and members of the community. That experience gave me a renewed sense of perspective by allowing me to directly connect with the people the organization serves. Looking into a stranger’s eyes, holding someone’s place in line, or supporting young entrepreneurs in D.C. reminded me that real impact comes not from writing checks, but from showing up and being present. True power lies in bringing your whole self, standing alongside others, and offering your presence where it’s most needed.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Educated across Jerusalem, Amsterdam, and California and shaped by her global work in public health, Ami brings a cross-cultural, deeply human lens to everything she does. Her early work with organizations like Save the Children and the Women’s Aid Network sharpened her commitment to equity, especially for women’s rights and voice. Inspired by her mother’s call to live consciously and serve at the highest level, Ami developed a personal philosophy she calls Spiritual Capital—the idea that each of us holds unique, energetic value that can be invested toward collective good.
Today, Ami is wrapping up her 18 years as Executive Director of the Bernstein Family Foundation, where she honored and evolved her grandfather Leo M. Bernstein’s legacy of philanthropic leadership. Through her proprietary Feminine Design Strategy, she guides the foundation —and the organizations it funds— to lead with intention, foster collaboration, and generate true systemic impact. She is now bringing this work to organizations and leaders looking to shift from extractive models to regenerative, soul-aligned ecosystems rooted in joy, truth, beauty, and belonging.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
As a little girl growing up in Northern California, I was fortunate to come of age in the 1970s—a time filled with freedom, imagination, and possibility. I remember afternoons at the pool, where I once had the extraordinary feeling that I could breathe underwater. I rushed to tell my mother, but when I tried again, the magic had vanished. Still, that fleeting moment instilled in me a powerful belief that anything was possible.
That spirit has stayed with me. Today, I take responsible risks and live audaciously, always inviting my inner child to wonder, to invent, and to play. I find joy in embracing a fantastical world of possibility, and I draw strength from the power I feel when I enter that state of openness and creativity.
I was also given the freedom to ride horses and explore nature. I vividly recall taking a gifted bridle up into the hills, venturing onto a neighbor’s land without adult supervision. With no one to tell me “no”—not even myself—I found the confidence to ride a horse across the landscape. In that shared experience with such a magnificent creature, I felt powerful, alive, and free.
I want to continue nurturing that wild, adventurous spirit—carrying it into my adult life and decisions. By welcoming my inner child, I bring imagination, confidence, and joy into the kindness I strive to share with the world.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
One of the greatest gifts cancer gave me was the opportunity to look at the totality of my life. For years, I had been living in a private state of pain— tolerating disrespect and broken trust, and navigating the difficult dynamics of blended families as both a stepmother and the mother of teenagers. Cancer forced me to face that pain directly. It pulled me out of fantasy and into reality, pushing me to confront the uncomfortable truths, to live out loud, and to speak honestly—without shame, judgment, or insecurity.
It is a heavy burden to present yourself publicly while silently carrying so much private pain. Yet, in order to step into my potential as a true leader, I had to walk through it. During COVID, I battled cancer, asked for and accepted help from family, trusted friends, and health professionals, and at the same time endured the loss of my father to Parkinson’s, the departure of my children for college, a divorce, and—for the first time in 25 years—living alone.
That period marked the beginning of my sovereignty. For the first time, I lived fully on my own terms. My power now lies in knowing that each day is a practice: transforming pain into purpose, living with gratitude, embracing vulnerability, and stepping fully into my whole self—into my real power.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
One of the most important values in my life is community—and leaving space for serendipity. I am blessed with enduring friendships, some lasting four and even five decades. I love bringing people together at just the right moment, creating gatherings that feel guided by timing and synchronicity. Even for those of us who are well connected, I believe it’s essential to leave empty chairs at the table so that inclusivity remains real and alive.
My heart is expansive, holding friendships that are global, national, and local. I believe there is always room to reinvent ourselves through sharing and welcoming others in. True friendship means showing up not when it’s easy or convenient, but when it’s hardest—when it takes effort, vulnerability, and courage. It means keeping your heart open to new people, and leading with kindness, compassion, curiosity, and humanity.
For me, community is rooted in shared values, playfulness, and genuine care. The world needs more unity and inclusion, and I believe we create it by choosing to stay open—even when life brings pain. Even in moments of loneliness, I have found that by keeping faith, allowing vulnerability, and by staying connected, we can find belonging, comfort, and a deeper sense of togetherness.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew I had only ten years left to live, the first thing I would stop doing is spending so much time online. As a sovereign woman in my fifties, I am building a life I love, and I know my deepest joy comes from real, human connection—not digital distraction. While I embrace the conveniences of the modern world, I would rather devote myself to experiences in real time, surrounded by people who elevate my energy and efficiency, so I can focus on what matters most: genuine encounters that remind me of our shared humanity and mortality.
I want to design a life centered on adventure and philanthropy, one that invites me into experiences that make me feel vividly alive. That means traveling to the most beautiful, gifted places in the world—not for luxury, but for true connection. It means creating deeper, more fulfilling ways to give, to engage, and to be present with others.
Ultimately, I want to live more of my life in real time rather than dreaming about it online. For me, that is the path to meaning: showing up fully, embracing the moment, and letting every experience be a reminder of what it means to truly live.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bffdc.org
- Instagram: AmiBeckerAronson
- Linkedin: Ami Becker Aronson
Image Credits
Brandi Nicole
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