12/06/2024
In loving memory of our Founder: Robert Friedman 1950-2023
Robert Friedman led a vibrant life with many chapters. Born in New Jersey in 1950, as a young adult he moved to San Francisco, where he met Stacey Mattraw, his future co-founder at Sojourn Ventures. Both street artists at the time, the two connected at the crossroads of creativity, entrepreneurship, and adventure, leading the duo on a shared path in which the small businesses they created—from an avant-garde video rental store to a European antique and home goods boutique—had tremendous impacts on their local communities.
These shared values would pave the way for Sojourn Ventures when Rob and Stacey purchased Casa San Marco in Cortona, Italy, in 2002. Together, they transformed it into their cherished family home where they would raise their two sons for years to come. The same principles guided Rob when he journeyed to Bali decades ago, where he built Villa Paradiso and the Golden Buddha Resort, forging lifelong connections like his partnership and dear friendship with Wayan Menu. Over the past 20+ years, Rob's work has touched countless lives—not only in Italy and Bali but across the globe—through his unwavering dedication to non-profit fundraising and community enrichment. Rob’s gentle humor, open-mindedness, and deep generosity will be forever remembered.
Robert Friedman's life was a journey, and his legacy endures with his family, who, forever inspired despite his absence, continue to lovingly run and grow Sojourn Ventures. Rob is survived by his two sons, Jesse and Corey Friedman, and his wife, Divine Friedman.
