Matt Widdows
As the founder and CEO of HomeSmart, the largest residential real estate company in Arizona (with more than 4,000 realtors), Widdows is not only a success in business but his name is attached to charitable causes for children through the state (like his company’s annual Halloween event at Phoenix Children’s Hospital) and the world (as a sponsor of children in Africa, for example). Widdows is dad to two young kids and husband to wife, Colleen.

What does “power” mean to you?
The ability to take the successes that I’ve been blessed with and use them to help the people around me. Power can be a double-edged sword and if you don’t handle it wisely, you won’t have it very long.

What impact do you strive to have on the Valley?
My biggest weakness is kids. Most of the charities that we focus on personally and as a company involve children in need, with illnesses, or kids that are disadvantaged in some way. Kids haven’t had a chance to experience things like adults, and I feel like we have to afford them extra attention and protection.

How do you balance kids, career and community?
It gets tough. I had a scare a few years ago, and I learned how important it was to take time with my family now because it goes by so quickly. Life is tenuous and you never know what tomorrow holds. Obviously, without my career, I’d never be able to provide for my family, so that is very important to me. It also provides for so many other families within HomeSmart and allows us to do things for our community to give back.

What are your future goals?
Watch my kids grow up, graduate and do whatever it is that makes them happy. Hopefully they don’t pay me back during the teenage years! Continue to build HomeSmart into the largest, friendliest, most innovative real estate company in the nation. Who knows, maybe in the world?

What superpower would you like to possess?
Invisibility. How cool would that be to be a fly on the wall wherever you go?