Rick Sharp was an innovative leader and dynamic businessman known for his many passions and ability to change industries. He was the CEO of Circuit City, the nation’s first big box electronics retailer. He was a founding investor and CEO of the shoe brand Crocs. In 1993, he disrupted the used car industry, founding mega-retailer CarMax.
Rick was also a devoted friend, father, and husband. He married his high school sweetheart, Sherry, and they remained married, best friends, and passionate in their pursuits until his death 46 years later in 2014. Rick’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in 2010 brought a passion for finding a cure for the deadly disease that would take his life four years later.
Upon his death, Sherry joined the board of the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund and together, with some of Rick’s business associates, friends, and fellow advocates, founded the Rick Sharp Alzheimer’s Foundation. The Foundation promotes its partners’ research and helps to raise funds to hasten this race to a cure. RSAF-supported CureAlz projects have empowered researchers to discover and explore new pathways for potential Alzheimer’s disease interventions.
In the video below, Dr. Rudy Tanzi, Chair of the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund Research Leadership Group, provides an update on the advancements made in Alzheimer’s disease research and how we can all improve the health of our brains.
