Jason Macari '90MBA, President and CEO of both Baby Delight, Inc. and Macari Properties, Inc., always had a natural curiosity about how things worked. Growing up in Smithfield, RI, he liked working with his hands, taking things apart and putting them back together again. As a kid he kept a collection of 20-30 junk bicycles that he would take apart and reassemble into different configurations.
But after graduating from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a BSME in mechanical engineering, he knew that he needed to round out his natural engineering proficiency with a broader perspective on how business worked if he wanted to fulfill his entrepreneurial aspirations. "Bryant just fit for me," he says, and he was able to earn his MBA while working full time and raising a family.
His career began at Hasbro, and then Davol Inc. But he found his true calling at Safety 1st, where he developed a passion for juvenile products, an industry he describes as an intersection of fun, care and safety.
In 2001, he acquired Summer Infant, an established brand with declining revenues, growing it from $1M to $250M in sales, and taking it public in 2007. When he left in 2014, he got involved in commercial real estate, mostly in the Rhode Island area.
"The key is having others' best interests at heart, and not just your own."
But juvenile products were never far from his heart, and in 2016, he acquired Baby Delight, a mom-centric baby products company focused, first and foremost, on safe products, but also beautiful and functional items people can be proud to have in their homes, he says.
As Baby Delight continues to grow and expand, Macari says his family and his faith have always given him the strength and character to run businesses and manage other people, he says. "It's a humbling experience. You're learning every day. On the one hand you have to lead, but you also must take your direction from others."
"The key is having others' best interests at heart, and not just your own."
This philosophy is never far from his mind as he continues to grow Baby Delight and Macari Properties, and as he explores new business opportunities in craft beer and farming.
It's also why his relationship with Bryant is focused on giving back where he can. For nearly a decade, he and his wife have funded the Jason P. '90MBA and Martha Anne Macari Partners in Scholarship Fund.
"I grew up quite modestly," he explains. "I don't know if I would have been able to get an advanced degree if it hadn't been for the help I got at the time."
"I appreciate being able to offer support, and feel good that I've hopefully helped even one more person be able to contribute at a higher level in life."
