Blanka Rosenstiel

Blanka Aldona Rosenstiel (née Wdowiak; born 1931) is a Polish American philanthropist. She currently serves as the president, chairwoman, and chief executive of The American Institute of Polish Culture (AIPC) and president of the Chopin Foundation of the United States.

Early life Blanka Aldona Rosenstiel (née Wdowiak) was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1931 to Wacław Wdowiak, a postal worker, and Irena Wdowiak (née Karaszewka). She was born into a Catholic family. In 1944 during the Warsaw Uprising, her father was taken to Auschwitz concentration camp, and Rosenstiel, her mother, and one of her two brothers became slave laborers at the Frankfurt railroad station, laying bricks.

Rosenstiel has stated about the experience, “Those were difficult years, but somehow and against all odds, a few of us survived. Although my mother deplored the years we lost without schooling, she instilled in us optimism and positive thinking. She convinced us that the future would be better, brighter and successful".

Career and philanthropy In 1972, Rosenstiel founded The American Institute of Polish Culture (AIPC). She was inspired by her interest in the arts, dedication to helping young artists succeed, and her desire to promote both Polish history and heritage and Polish-American culture. In 1975, in collaboration with the University of Miami's School of Music, she presented the First National Chopin Piano Competition of the United States in Miami. The success of this competition inspired Rosenstiel to establish the Chopin Foundation of the United States in 1977. She currently serves the president of the foundation.

Following the death of her husband, Lewis S. Rosenstie l, in 1976, she gained control of the Rosenstiel Foundation, which funds her charitable work. She has donated millions to Brandeis University, Mount Sinai Medical Center, the Crippled Children's Society (now known as AbilityFirst), the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Washington National Opera. Each year the Institute awards scholarships in the field of journalism, communication, or public relations to talented students of Polish origin.

She currently serves as Honorary Consul for the Polish government in Miami, Florida, an honor which was awarded in 1998. She was the first Polish Consul in the history of Florida.

In 2013, Rosenstiel stated her plan to invest up to PLN200m in Polish companies by 2014. By September 2013, her investment vehicle Polish American Investment Fund (PAIF) had already spent over PLN7m on stakes in six firms in the Warsaw Stock Exchange's main market and the NewConnect platform, including the IdeaTFI fund. In December 2013, she was appointed to the supervisory board of Dom Maklerski IDMSA, a consulting firm. By February 2014, the PAIF also invested in Global Energy, Mostostal Export, and United, and about 10% of the promised PLN200m was spent.

She currently resides in Miami Beach, Florida during the winter and in Charlottesville, Virginia during the summer. She can speak Polish, English, French, German, and Spanish, and her hobbies include sculpting, painting, and swimming. Cavalier's Cross of Polonia Restituta Order, 1996 Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Kraków- Pope John Paul II Medal, 2012