Samerian Foundation

Samerian Foundation

The Samerian Foundation in Carmel, Indiana, began deploying capital in 2003 when Cindy Simon Skjodt and Paul Skjodt formalized their giving. Cindy is the daughter of Melvin Simon, the late co-founder of Simon Property Group, the largest US mall operator, and the foundation's capital base reflects that real estate lineage. Paul Skjodt, a former professional hockey player in the WHA and IHL, is also a real estate developer whose projects include the Britton Park Development, a 1,100-acre master-planned community in Fishers, Indiana. The foundation blends conventional grantmaking with direct ownership of operating assets. Its grant categories include education, youth sports, poverty prevention, and community medical care. On the asset side, the foundation owns the 92-acre multi-use sports complex at I-465 and Michigan Road in Indianapolis, as well as Britton Park Development. The Skjodts additionally held the Indiana Ice, a junior hockey franchise in the United States Hockey League, which the foundation controlled before the team suspended operations in 2014. The Skjodts operate with a lean structure, with Cindy serving as Chairman and Paul as President. Paul is a member of the Indiana chapter of YPO, while Cindy has held board seats with the 500 Festival and Human Rights First. President Obama appointed Cindy to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. Beyond foundation activities, the Skjodts have participated in direct investments such as the technology startup ClearScholar, alongside Stephen Simon, a relative and co-investor. The foundation's architecture differs from most family-office foundations because its asset base includes both income-producing operating businesses and traditional grant-funded programs — a hybrid model that creates a structural reliance on the performance of real estate and, historically, sports entertainment, managed in parallel with its charitable distribution schedule.