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Soulful
Entrepreneurship

February 28 @ 12:00 PM - February 28 @ 1:30 PM

LOCATION: Redeemer Offices, 1166 Avenue of the Americas at 46th St., 16th Floor

Join David Kim and James Tufenkian, founder of Tufenkian Artisan Carpets and Tufenkian Heritage Hotels, for this event in our Soulful Work Lunch Series. Each month CFW will host dialogues with professionals from various industries, utilizing a practical theological framework to identify the inherent goodness of work, its outcomes, and the deeper questions it asks of us.

Lunch and a time of Q&A will be included.

This event is part of the Soulful Work Lunch Series.

ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR THIS EVENT.

James Tufenkian

Raised in a tight knit Armenian-American family in Oregon that emphasized the Christian imperative to use his time and talents in service to others, James Tufenkian set out in life to make money as an entrepreneur and to use those profits to make the world better. When the newly free Republic of Armenia was born from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, business and service were woven together into several successful enterprises and non-profits that have used economic development to improve the lives of communities and nations.

James initially intended to become a crusader for social justice by studying to become a Civil Rights Attorney. An interest in handmade rugs (and a desire to earn money towards tuition) led to a side business buying and selling rugs. After graduating law school in New York City, he did what many young men do before entering the workforce. He traveled. On a 1986 trip to Nepal he met master weaver Tsetan Gyurman, and a friendship and business partnership flourished. Both men believed they could modernize the traditional rug business and create high-end luxury carpets while revitalizing industry and creating opportunity in their native countries.

Spurred on by the commercial and social success of the Nepalese factory, James established a factory in post-Soviet Armenia. The land and its people gave back. Over 1,000 locals trained by Tibetan artisans hand craft modern and traditional patterns while the indigenous Caucasian Mountain sheep provide the fine wool that is still used.

Today Tufenkian Artisan Carpets has showrooms, dealers and clients around the world. James personally travels to Armenia and Nepal several times a year to oversee design and production. He designs much of the Tufenkian line himself, drawing inspiration from nature, fine art and traditional motifs.

While the rugs themselves were receiving world wide acclaim, James was reinvesting in the countries that produced them. Worker welfare programs were initiated in both factories, including a ban on child labor, and health and education programs for the workers and their families. James established The Tufenkian Foundation in 1999 – a non-profit umbrella organization for the many educational, social and environmental needs of the newly independent Armenia.

James’ businesses in Armenia also expanded. In 2001, he launched Tufenkian Heritage Hotels – a unique line of boutique hotels designed by Armenian architects featuring custom furniture and, of course, Tufenkian hand knotted rugs. The newest hotel in the nation’s capital of Yerevan opened in December 2012. His business ventures also include the award winning line of Harvest Song artisanal preserves, which are made from local fruits and canned on site.

Soulful Entrepreneurship

February 28 @ 12:00 PM - February 28 @ 1:30 PM

James Tufenkian

Soulful
Entrepreneurship