Family Office Initiative successfully hosted its inaugural Family Office Summit on May 13–14, 2025, at the David Rubenstein Forum on the University of Chicago campus. Centered on the theme “The Future of the Family Office,” the summit convened over 160 attendees representing 147 unique family offices from the United States, Canada, EMEA, and Latin America – demonstrating the FOI’s strong global reach and relevance.

The one-and-a-half-day event opened with a welcome dinner attended by more than 140 guests. The summit program featured remarks by Madhav Rajan, Dean of Chicago Booth and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Accounting, and Paul Alivisatos, AB ’81, President of the University of Chicago. The agenda also included a fireside chat exploring the summit’s central theme, accompanied by practitioner-led sessions addressing emerging trends and strategic challenges facing family offices.

One hallmark of the summit was its integration of Booth’s faculty and rigorous academic insight— a distinctive and intentional feature of the Family Office Initiative. Topics included research on the investment behavior and performance of family offices, what makes a successful CEO, and how to build stronger relationships through deeper, more meaningful conversations. These sessions were designed to encourage attendees to share their experiences, engage with colleagues and Booth faculty, and learn from other leaders of similar backgrounds in a media- and solicitation-free environment.

Booth students also played a meaningful role in the summit’s success. Through a dedicated student meet-and-greet with the Family Office Council, selected students from Booth and the College had the unique opportunity to engage directly with industry leaders and gain firsthand insights into the world of family offices. Additionally, student volunteers contributed to the event’s smooth execution while benefiting from behind-the-scenes exposure to the planning and thought leadership that defined the summit.

This milestone event marked a significant step forward for the Family Office Initiative, establishing a strong foundation for continued global engagement, collaborative learning, and research-driven thought leadership in the family office space.