New England Family Business Conference 2016

Held for the first time this year at Boston’s historic Omni Parker House hotel, the New England Family Business Conference brought together family business owners from across the region to learn, network and celebrate their unique stories.

Keynote speaker Mahmud Jafri, CEO and founder of Dover Rug & Home, spoke about his family’s journey both from the perspective of an owner and an immigrant. Dover Rug & Home began in a small Dover, Massachusetts storefront in 1989 and has since then provided responsive and individualized service to some of the area’s most discerning clientele. The company now has three locations in the state – and has diversified with the addition of squash courts to the Natick location. Jafri is a devotee and supporter of the sport.

Breakout sessions during the day on June 8 featured experts from a variety of industries and fields. From fiduciary duties to succession planning, from marketing to financing, the sessions and featured panelists had information for everyone.

Kicking off the conference on the morning of June 7 was the second annual Outstanding Women of Family Business awards. Featuring keynote speaker Nora Yousif, a third-generation financial advisor, the event celebrates the unique contributions women bring to their family businesses. Representing a variety of industries, these 14 women are not only family members and colleagues, they’re also respected members of the business community. Some have been leading their companies for decades; others launched while still in college and have a bright future ahead of them. All of them are outstanding.

Produced by The Warren Group, publisher of this magazine, and the Family Business Association of Massachusetts, in partnership with Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Babson College and the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce, this year’s conference was a great event and a good time. Save the date for next year’s conference!