Sharon Hite is a philanthropist whose areas of focus range from supporting opera and classical music to protecting endangered wildlife and empowering vulnerable children to live their dreams.

She is a board member of The Hite Foundation, which was established by her husband Lawrence D. Hite in 1987 with the mission of assisting various cultural and humanitarian causes. Sharon’s involvement in charitable organizations frequently goes far beyond financial contributions from The Hite Foundation. She is a board member of The New York Philharmonic, is the president of the board for the Little Orchestra Society, and is on the education committees of the 92nd Street Y and The New York Philharmonic. She is also actively involved with the Aspen Institute, the Aspen Music Festival, and the African Parks Foundation. In 2017, Sharon co-produced “Perfectly Normal for Me” a documentary film about an innovative performing arts program for children with cerebral palsy that will be screened in Aspen on July 8, 2018 and has been invited to be screened at the ReelAbilities Film Festival. 

Sharon was born and raised in Brooklyn, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brooklyn College. After working as a special education teacher in the New York City public school system, she built a very successful 30-year career as a real estate broker. Since retiring from real estate, Sharon has devoted the majority of her time to philanthropic pursuits with The Hite Foundation alongside her husband. 

THE ASPEN INSTITUTE

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute has campuses in Aspen, Colorado, and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also maintains offices in New York City and has an international network of partners. For more information on the Society of Fellows click here.

THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC

The New York Philharmonic plays a leading cultural role in New York City, the US, and the world. Each season the Philharmonic connects with up to 50 million music lovers. The Philharmonic has commissioned and/or premiered works by leading composers from every era since its founding in 1842. The oldest American symphony orchestra and one of the oldest in the world, the New York Philharmonic is a resource for its community and the world.

AFRICAN PARKS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA

African Parks is a non-profit conservation organization that takes on the complete responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks and protected areas on behalf of governments. With the largest counter-poaching force and the most amount of area under protection for any one NGO in Africa, African Parks manages 12 national parks and protected areas covering seven million hectares across eight countries.

THE LITTLE ORCHESTRA SOCIETY

The Little Orchestra Society (LOS) presents live music in ways that entertain, educate, and inspire audiences of all ages while creating a new model for a 21st century orchestra that emphasizes connections with the community. LOS is especially well known for its family programs, which help children from all socioeconomic backgrounds achieve their fullest potential through the arts, whether in the concert hall, classroom, or community.

THE ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SCHOOL

Founded in 1949, the Aspen Music Festival and School is regarded as one of the top classical music festivals in the United States, noted both for its concert programming and its musical training of mostly young-adult music students. The typical eight-week summer season includes more than 400 classical music events and brings in 100,000 audience members. In the winter, the AMFS presents small series of recitals and Metropolitan Opera Live in HD screenings.

92ND STREET Y

92nd Street Y is a world-class cultural and community center where people all over the world connect through culture, arts, entertainment and conversation. As a proudly Jewish organization, 92Y enthusiastically welcomes and reaches out to people of all ages, races, faiths and backgrounds while embracing Jewish values like learning and self-improvement, the importance of family, the joy of life, and giving back to our wonderfully diverse and growing community, both locally and around the world.

Most recently, Sharon produced the film Perfectly Normal for Me.