Friedman is the President and CEO of Carpenter and Company Inc., a hospitality and luxury

residential real estate development firm based in Cambridge, MA. He is known for his creative

approach to hotel developments, the reuse of historic structures, and transformative mixed-use

projects.

Friedman is the visionary behind the famed transformation of the former Charles Street Jail, a

historic landmark on the National Register of Historic Places, into the beloved Liberty Hotel in

Boston, MA; the Charles Square Mixed-Use development, a vibrant destination that includes The

Charles Hotel in Cambridge, MA; and New England’s tallest residential building, Four Seasons

Private Residences One Dalton Street, Boston, which The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban

Habitat recently recognized as a best tall building worldwide. Carpenter also developed Iceland’s

first five-star hotel, The Reykjavik EDITION, as well as St. Regis San Francisco, and various

other Four Seasons, Hyatt, and Marriot hotels. As a former long-term member of the Board of

Directors of Four Seasons, Friedman was actively involved in the company’s global expansion

and design quality. His firm is currently developing Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences

Dallas, Turtle Creek.

Friedman’s contributions to the public realm have been recognized with a variety of awards,

including Man of the Year from Boston Preservation Alliance; the Icon Award from Boston

University School of Hospitality; Developer of Year from Americas Lodging Investment

Summit; and Man of the Year from Rogerson Communities.

Beyond real estate, Friedman is known for his long-standing dedication to civic service,

philanthropy, and education. During the Clinton Administration, he served as Chairman of the

National Capital Planning Commission, the federal government’s central planning agency for the

National Capital Region. President Barack Obama appointed Friedman to the President’s Export

Council, where he served as Vice Chairman of the sub-committee advising on U.S. travel and

tourism policy and he is also the founder of the Interagency Security Task Force.

Friedman’s board participation spans across various organizations and nonprofits, such as the

Steppingstone Foundation, an organization that named him Man of the Year; Bridge Fund; John

F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum; PNC Bank – New England; Johnny Rockets, Inc.;

GateHouse Media, Inc.; and the Dartmouth College Real Estate Committee. He is a recipient of a

Certificate of Appreciation Award from Harvard Business School and has been recognized by the

Boston Minuteman Council of the Boy Scouts of America with a Good Scout Award.

Friedman is a graduate of Dartmouth College. He is an avid skier and served as the Harvard Ski

Team Head Coach from 1965-1971.

John Barros is a husband, father of four young children, community development leader, small business owner, Boston’s first Chief of Economic Development, and a former mayoral candidate for the City of Boston. A lifelong resident of Boston, John’s parents emigrated from Cabo Verde to Boston, where he attended both public and Catholic schools. At age 14, John became a community organizer with the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI), the Roxbury and Dorchester-based community land trust; later, John became the Executive Director of DSNI, where he worked alongside community leaders to build schools, community centers, affordable housing and parks. As Chief of Economic Development, John brought 140,000 new jobs to Boston, while also investing millions of dollars in job training for local residents. As part of Boston's response to the COVID-19 crisis, John co-convened the City’s Health Inequities Task Force, which guided the city in addressing inequities in data analysis, testing sites, and healthcare services for Bostonians who are Asian, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and immigrants. More information can be found at: https://www.barrosformayor.com/