Through July 4, The Post, in partnership with the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, is spotlighting Americans sharing what the American dream means to them in 2026, including Clear Chair and CEO Caryn Seidman Becker.
Becker says her family’s story began with her father’s parents, who emigrated from Eastern Europe with very little. Her grandfather arrived in the United States at 17 after spending weeks in the hold of a ship. He was aided by HIAS, the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society, and despite not speaking English, he eventually opened a hardware store — a step that transformed the future of the family.
Growing up in Potomac, Maryland, she recalls a home centered on discussion and ideas. Dinner conversations often focused on politics, the day’s front-page news or what Tom Brokaw had covered that evening on NBC. Money was tight, and travel was limited, so books became her window to the wider world. She describes her upbringing as grounded in education, self-improvement, religion and spirituality, influences she says helped shape her ambition.
She also grew up in a household where daughters were expected to do everything sons did. That meant she and her sister mowed the lawn, cleaned the gutters, raked leaves and helped clear up after dinner. Becker says that environment instilled resilience, toughness and a strong sense of drive.
Those qualities, she notes, proved especially valuable on Wall Street, along with what she describes as an obsessive sense of curiosity.
Becker attended the University of Michigan and initially imagined a career in sports reporting. She later considered law school, but ultimately chose a path on Wall Street instead.
[Now, with Clear,] a lot of people ask me if it’s difficult to be a public company. One of the great days for me in business was going public on the New York Stock Exchange because it is such a historic place and it is where capitalism comes to life …
I believe in the public markets. I think it creates great optionality for companies because you have cash and you have your stock, which can be currency appropriately valued. I love being the CEO of a public company and I appreciate shareholders — I think you can learn a lot from them.
The American Dream Video Project showcases real stories that illuminate pathways to opportunity. Featured at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD), this series is part of the Center’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. MCAAD is Washington, DC’s newest cultural institution, offering interactive exhibits and stories about achieving the American Dream. For more information, visit mcaad.org.
