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.
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