The largest family office and public fund gathering in Dallas convened US$11 trillion in global wealth, featuring a keynote by U.S. Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute® (SWFI®), the leading authority on sovereign wealth funds, public pensions, and real asset investors, brought together a prominent group of global investors, family offices, pension and public funds, endowments, ultra-high net worth individuals, and government representatives for its Family Office Round Table (FORT) North America 2023 in Dallas earlier this month. The gathering attracted over 400 guests estimated to represent a cumulative US$11 trillion in assets.
FORT North America, which is estimated to have been the largest gathering of its kind in the region, hosted an impressive line-up featuring 40 prominent speakers engaged in discussions spanning a diverse range of topics, including private equity trends and opportunities, family office deal flow, institutional co-investment, real estate investing, sustainability, impact investing, philanthropy, and AI in finance. Speakers included Anya Schiess, Co-Managing Partner, JP Morgan Private Capital; Lee Bratcher, President, Texas Blockchain Council; Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Presidential Candidate; Ranu Vohra, Avendus Capital; Anand Chandrasekaran, General Partner, General Catalyst; the Honorable James Rosebush, CEO, GrowthStrategy Inc.; and H.E. Udaya Indrarathna, Sri Lankan Ambassador to the UAE, among others.
Through the Global Order of Outstanding Disruptors (GOOD) Fellowships and Influencing Community Over Networking (ICON) awards, FORT North America 2023 recognized disruptors in the fields of entrepreneurship and finance that are having a significant impact on society. A few of this year’s winners include Jeff Hoffman, Founder & CEO, World Youth Horizons; Candice Beaumont, Chairperson, Salsano Group; Merin Rajadurai, Senior Advisor for Multilateral Affairs & Public-Private Partnership, U.S. State Department; and Dr. Maha Achour, Venture Partner, Chakra Fund.
One of the event's most anticipated elements was a candid fireside chat between the U.S. Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Natalie Brunell, Managing Editor for the Hard Money Show covering economic and social issues facing the United States.
The gathering also hosted five entrepreneurial pitches, showcasing Texas' vibrant entrepreneurial spirit and the potential for investment in the state’s burgeoning start-up ecosystem. Among the startups that received the opportunity to pitch to global investors and family offices were Fluree, Praetorian Global, Bandit Trucks, Ledger Funding, and ARBT Prefab.
Lakshmi Narayanan, Chairman, SWFI®, said, “We received an overwhelming response from investors around the world for FORT North America 2023, reflecting the strength of SWFI’s programming and the stature of this organization among the world’s top investors. This gathering was not just about financial transactions, it fostered discussions and debates that can help reshape the domestic and global investment landscape.”
FORT North America 2023 was a testament to the growing global recognition of Texas as one of the deepest asset pools on earth, and an opportunity for global investors to explore the vast potential of the Lone Star State.
About SWFI
The Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute® (SWFI®) has been hosting highly successful global forums to bring together the world’s largest investors, including sovereign wealth funds, pensions, foundations, endowments, large family offices, official institutions, and other asset owners, with top-level industry leaders for the purpose of deep knowledge sharing and preeminent deal-making. For the 15 plus years since its inception, SWFI has served as a critical industry liaison dedicated to assisting these institutions in the areas of investment, asset allocation, governance, policy, risk assessment and mitigation, and other relevant issues. By providing specialised data, events, and research, SWFI has become the world’s leading resource on global capital formation and flows.
About Patel Family Office
The Patel Family Office is an established hospitality family organization in the United States, with a 50-year legacy in developing, owning, and managing hotel properties across all segments. In addition to their extensive expertise in the hospitality industry, the Patel Family Office is actively engaged as an impact and responsible investor in various sectors, including housing, healthcare, technology, energy, and entrepreneurship. With a hotel management team that collectively holds over 250 years of experience, the Patel Family Office has developed over 50 properties, owned more than 400, and managed over 500 hotel properties primarily throughout the United States. Driven by their core values of family, integrity, and a strong work ethic, the Patel Family Office has raised and deployed over $5 billion in institutional and private capital, employing over 3,000 individuals and generating an annual revenue of $600 million in the hotel industry alone. Their portfolio of transactions represents a value of over $3.7 billion. Furthermore, the Patel Family Office is spearheading the establishment of America's first national housing company, which aims to provide 75,000 housing units across all 50 states. As a committed investor, they have also invested in over 200 entrepreneurial ventures with a vision to positively impact the lives of one billion people.
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