Today we’d like to introduce you to Lesley Goldwasser.
Hi Lesley, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Growing up in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, art and music were my first languages, establishing my lifelong belief that creativity is foundational to how we connect and express ourselves.
After graduating from the University of Cape Town, I moved to the United States and built a career in global finance on Wall Street trading desks and in executive leadership at Credit Suisse First Boston, Bear Stearns, and GreensLedge / Raymond James. Finance taught me strategy and discipline, but my connection to the arts naturally evolved from practitioner to patron. And now, the most exciting thing of all, is that I can add curator to my long list of pursuits.
When my family and I took on co-ownership and creative leadership of The Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach, I found the venue to unify these worlds, treating a boutique hotel as a living cultural institution with nightly live jazz, public art projections, and writer residencies. That same philosophy guides my philanthropy; in 2007, I co-founded Zara’s Center in Bulawayo to provide meals, education, and mentorship to local youth. Childhood creativity taught me vision, finance taught me how to build, and today I use both to create spaces where arts, community, and purpose thrive together.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Real impact requires navigating friction, uncertainty, and constant adaptation.
In global finance, mastering complex markets under intense pressure required deep resilience and grit. Transitioning into boutique hospitality brought a different challenge: building a cultural institution driven by live music, literary residencies, and public art while balancing commercial realities with artistic integrity.
With Zara’s Center in Zimbabwe, the obstacles involve cross-border logistics, economic fluctuations, and regional shifts while ensuring continuous support for hundreds of vulnerable youth. Operating across finance, hospitality, and global non-profit work has taught me that challenges aren’t detours—they simply demand discipline, adaptability, and an unwavering long-term vision.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I co-own and operate The Betsy Hotel alongside my family, applying my background in global finance to running a successful luxury hotel in Miami Beach.
What comes first for me is using hospitality as a canvas for the arts and community. Located at the northern end of Ocean Drive, The Betsy operates as a living cultural landmark. My curatorial work integrates the arts directly into our footprint through rotating exhibitions of over 1,000 artworks, ambient musical programming featuring more than 15,000 unique pieces, live jazz, artist residencies, a Shona sculpture collection celebrating my Zimbabwean roots, and a community library.
I am most proud of creating a space where business sustainability and deep artistic patronage work hand in hand, bringing world-class artists and community members together while building a lasting legacy alongside my family.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
A career does not have to be a single, straight line. You can be deeply analytical and intensely creative, building a career in global finance while remaining a practitioner and patron of the arts. Never let early professional labels limit the scope of what you can build. Trust your unique background, embrace every chapter, and remember that passion and business discipline are strongest when they work together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebetsyhotel.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebetsyhotel/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebetsyhotel/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-betsy-hotel/posts/
