Navigating an Uncertain World: Security Briefing with George Cherubini

Date: Thursday, July 3, 2025
Time: 8:00 AM PT / 11:00 AM ET
Format: Virtual
Confidentiality:  Spark Members Only
Register here

Essential Travel & Security Insights 

In recent weeks, rapidly escalating tensions across the Middle East—including the expanding conflict involving Israel, Iran, and regional powers—have created an increasingly complex security landscape that demands immediate attention. As global travel corridors shift and business operations face new uncertainties, families of significant wealth require real-time intelligence to navigate these evolving challenges safely and strategically.

In this exclusive Spark gathering, we are honored to welcome George J. Cherubini Ed.S MBA MPA, Senior Managing Director of Global Security Consulting at T&M USA, one of the nation's premier security firms serving high-net-worth individuals and family offices.

Register here

An Exclusive Roman Cultural Journey

​Join us for an extraordinary afternoon exploring Rome's artistic treasures, followed by dinner with panoramic city views.

Private Guided Tour | Capitoline Museums Begin with an exclusive 2-hour tour of the Musei Capitolini, one of Rome's most important cultural institutions. Founded in 1471 and located on Capitoline Hill, the museum houses an exceptional collection of Roman antiquities, Renaissance art, and historical artifacts. Highlights include the famous bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius, the Capitoline Wolf, and many masterpieces displayed in the grand halls originally designed by Michelangelo.

​Private Access | Galleria Colonna Experience rare after-hours access to one of Rome's most magnificent private palaces. Still home to the Colonna family, this Baroque treasure features a remarkable art collection including works by Bronzino, Guercino, and Carracci, displayed in a stunning architectural setting rarely open to the public at this hour.

​Evening - Aperitivo & Dinner| Divinity Restaurant Conclude our cultural immersion with cocktails and dinner at Divinity Restaurant, located within The Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel. The restaurant's spectacular terrace offers breathtaking panoramic views across Rome's rooftops, providing a truly memorable setting to end the day.

Full details and register here

Join us for our quarterly Real Estate Roundtable Discussion led by Spark members Tom Higgins and Yoel Mayerfeld. These sessions are a complement to the RE WhatsApp group and are designed to allow members to share their direct experiences and ask questions within a closed forum. Register here.

Reminder: Spark events are exclusively for Spark members.

Spark & Ward Center Leadership Roundtable Series
Session 2: Legacy Leadership

​We’re looking forward to seeing you at the Legacy Leadership session on Wednesday, June 4th from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PT. This is the second session in our Virtual Roundtable Series with the Ward Center, and we’re excited to continue the conversation.

​In the world of family business and family offices, “legacy” is often used as a catch-all term—but what does it actually mean? And how can it guide families not just in honoring the past, but also in shaping the future?

​In this interactive session, we’ll explore fresh research from the Ward Center and share practical tools to help families define, evolve, and lead with legacy. This won’t be a passive webinar—expect expert insight, confidential small-group conversations, and thoughtful peer discussion around what legacy really means for you and your family.

See full details and register here.

Annual Impact Symposium, Los Angeles

Our annual Spark Impact Symposium explores the intersection of capital and impact. This event upholds our commitment to helping our members intentionally and actively align their wealth, values and purpose. 

​This year, we’re spotlighting mental health—featuring special guests Emmanuel Acho, Dr. Jenn Mann, Dr. Matt Biel, Dr. Jonathan Leary, and Mark Grober. Speaker bios are below.

With limited spots available, register now to secure your seat at one of the most intimate and impactful convenings of the year.

​Optional pre-event at Remedy Place West Hollywood will be offered at a limited capacity. Registration is required.

Full details and register here.

Spark & Ward Center Leadership Roundtables

Weaving Academic Excellence into Family Office Leadership

Introducing an exclusive collaboration between Spark
and the John L. Ward Center for Family Enterprises at Kellogg School of Management

Spark and the John L. Ward Center for Family Enterprises at Kellogg School of Management have joined forces to bring you an extraordinary educational experience designed specifically for the Spark community.

This exclusive collaboration combines Spark's relationship-centered community approach with the Ward Center's world-class academic rigor, creating a powerful learning environment where research-backed strategies meet practical application and personal growth.

The Learning Journey

Led by Dr. Matt Allen, John L. Ward Clinical Professor and Executive Director of the Ward Center for Family Enterprises, and facilitated by Spark member and advisor Matt McCall, these intimate boardroom-style conversations provide a rare opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research while connecting with peers facing similar challenges.

Each session follows a thoughtful structure that balances academic expertise with interactive peer-to-peer learning, creating a space where vulnerability, intentional dialogue, and genuine human connection flourish.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Matt McCall for his instrumental role in making this partnership possible.

Click here to see full details and registration here.

Rise 'n shine with Spark!

​​Join Rochel Leah, Maggie Leigh, Anita Parikh and fellow Spark members for breakfast.

​You are cordially invited to this Breakfast Series where you will enjoy delicious food and hear from both members and guest speakers. 

​​We ask that you kindly RSVP by Friday, February 28th. Register here.

Join us for our quarterly Real Estate Roundtable Discussion led by Spark members Tom Higgins and Yoel Mayerfeld. These sessions are a complement to the RE WhatsApp group and are designed to allow members to share their direct experiences and ask questions within a closed forum. Register here.

Reminder: Spark events are exclusively for Spark members.

Join Spark Europe for an Evening of Dining & Conversation

​Start your new year with an engaging evening in London as we gather for dinner and thought-provoking conversation on January 16th.

​Guest Speaker

​Dex Hunter-Torricke will join us for an intimate discussion on how AI is reshaping the dynamics between companies, governments, and society at large — drawing from his unique perspective working with Silicon Valley's most prominent figures and organizations. (full bio below)

​This intimate dinner gathering offers the perfect setting to exchange ideas and forge new connections over an elegant meal.

​

Dex Hunter-Torricke has shaped communications for some of technology's most influential leaders over the past decade. As SpaceX's Head of Communications, Facebook's first Executive Communications lead, and Google's pioneering Executive Speechwriter, he has advised figures including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Eric Schmidt, while counseling organizations from Silicon Valley startups to the United Nations.

​Currently heading communications for Facebook's independent Oversight Board, Hunter-Torricke is a New York Times bestselling ghostwriter and frequent speaker on technology's societal impact. His work focuses on helping leaders and organizations navigate transformative change.

​

Feeling those festive vibes? Save the date for a holiday party to celebrate the season and share some good cheer!

More details to come.

​​The Great Give: May the Best Cause Win!

What happens when you mix holiday cheer with friendly competition and a dash of philanthropy? Spark Denver's most spirited event of the year!

Join us for "The Great Give" – where your favorite holiday party meets Shark Tank for good causes.

Have a favorite charity? Come ready to tell us why! Participation is optional, but encouraged – you never know if you'll be picked to champion your cause!

We'll randomly select three guests to take the spotlight to champion their chosen charities in a heart-warming (and slightly competitive) pitch session.

You'll laugh, you'll cheer, you'll vote, and most importantly – you'll make a difference. With a minimum $100 donation, every guest becomes part of our collective force for good.

Come ready to mingle, nosh, and maybe even make your case for a cause close to your heart. In this friendly face-off, everyone wins – but one lucky organization will walk away with the grand prize of Spark Denver's spotlight support.

Spouses and significant others are invited! Please RSVP here. Address will be shared with registered guests.

How to Participate

• Each Spark member contributes $100 to join in The Great Give

• Spark will transfer all collected funds to the winning charitable organization

• Spark Family Offices is a fiscally sponsored project of GVNG.org, an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 81-2446261). Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Making Your Donation

Interpersonal Communication Masterclass

Join us for this transformative masterclass, led by executive coach Lily Lapenna, to discover the keys to harmonious communication and effective conflict resolution.

Overview

In this intimate, experiential masterclass you’ll develop powerful techniques for navigating difficult conversations with integrity and skill and build the resilience to uphold your personal boundaries while fostering compassion for others.

You’ll walk away with a robust communication toolkit to address hot-button issues, prevent misunderstandings, and foster an atmosphere of trust and collaboration within your family.

About Our Coach
Lily Lapenna MBE is an executive coach, consultant and CEO. Lily supports professionals to achieve their goals by strengthening self-awareness, increasing resilience and unlocking their creative vitality. Lily uses entrepreneurial questioning; deep listening and positive psychology and works with individuals as well as teams. She is the Founder and Chair of MyBnk, a leading financial education provider in the UK. Lily and the MyBnk team created high impact financial education programs that reached over 200,000 young people in school, prisons, youth groups, homeless communities and supported housing environments. In 2017, Queen Elizabeth II honored Lily with an MBE in recognition of her work in financial services and entrepreneurship. The World Economic Forum appointed her as a Young Global Leader recognizing her system change leadership skills and Ashoka and Aspen made her a fellow in acknowledgement of her global social impact. Lily works as an adviser and coach for government, multinationals, and start-ups. She is a Visiting Social Innovator at the Harvard Kennedy School and an Industry Advisor at SAID Business School, University of Oxford, UK. She dabbles in angel investing and salsa dancing.

A calendar invitation has been sent to all members. If you have any questions, contact hello@sparkfamilyoffices.com

​We are thrilled to invite you to an exclusive evening exploring the vibrant intersection of art, science, and innovation at Pioneer Works in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Join us for an immersive experience that will challenge your perspectives and ignite your curiosity.

​​Why This Event Matters

​At Spark, we believe in the power of curiosity and innovative thinking to drive positive change. We've partnered with Pioneer Works because their mission resonates with our commitment to exploring new ideas:

​"Our programming explores alternative ways of facing societal challenges by leveraging the arts and sciences dynamically as both a lens and catalyst." — Pioneer Works

​This event offers a unique opportunity to experience firsthand how the intersection of arts and sciences can provide fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to societal issues. By engaging with Pioneer Works' multidisciplinary approach, we aim to inspire new ways of thinking that you can apply to your own fields and initiatives.

Full details and RSVP here.

Join your fellow Spark members for lunch on October 25 at Ocean Prime DTC.

We're delighted to announce a very special guest speaker, Santhosh Ramdoss, President & CEO of Gary Community Ventures.

This is a great opportunity to learn about the Foundation, the history of the Gary family, and how the foundation has evolved to become a leading and trailblazing supporter of, and investor in, critical social impact themes.

We ask that you kindly RSVP by Friday, October 18.

Santhosh Ramdoss | President & CEO

Santhosh Ramdoss is president & CEO of Gary Community Ventures. He also serves as the organization’s Chief Investment Officer. Previously, he served as Gary’s VP of Impact Investing, overseeing the organization’s endowment and helping deploy a larger pool of financial assets in service of its mission. Santhosh helped Gary establish partnerships with leading impact fund managers and companies while incubating capital vehicles like The Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth, which offers down payment assistance to Black homebuyers in Metro Denver.

Before Gary, Santhosh was part of the investment teams at the Skoll and Michael & Susan Dell foundations. He has also served as a community organizer, start-up entrepreneur and community banker.

Santhosh was raised by a single mother in a small Indian village, learned to speak English by watching television, and was 25 before he boarded an airplane. He takes pride in his identity as an immigrant and leverages these experiences to inform his commitment towards equity.

Virtual Real Estate Roundtable Discussion. Lead by Tom Higgins and Yoel Mayerfeld, these quarterly sessions are designed to allow members to share their direct experiences within a closed forum.

Registration coming soon.  

Rise 'n shine with Spark!

​Join Tom Higgins, Maggie Leigh, and fellow Spark members for breakfast.

​Every other month, you are cordially invited to this Breakfast Series where you will enjoy delicious food and hear from both members and guest speakers. 

​We ask that you kindly RSVP here by Friday, September 13th

Spark Denver: Member Spotlight

Join your fellow Spark members for a Spark Denver Member Spotlight Lunch on May 23. We're shining a light on Michael Silverman and Jeff Sussman.

Join us to hear from Michael and Jeff about their work, current projects, their investing interests, expertise, investment thesis, etc. ​This is a great opportunity to get to know what folks are up to, discover collaboration opportunities, share expertise, and strengthen our collective knowledge base.

​We ask that you kindly RSVP by Friday, May 17.