June 22 | 12PM – 7PM

The Pool, New York

99 East 52nd Street, New York City

This year’s DLN Business Forum took place on June 22 at The Pool, an elegant Midtown Manhattan space that was formerly home to the iconic Four Seasons restaurant. From the 1960s through the 2000s, the Four Seasons was famous for hosting titans of business, culture, and government who negotiated world-shaping deals over a “power lunch” similar to the one enjoyed by Business Forum attendees.

The day-long series of discussions opened with a panel featuring David Sutherland, founder of Sutherland & Perennials; Rosemary Hallgarten, owner of her eponymous textile and rug brand; and Vince Tyer, president and CEO of Taconic Builders, a construction firm with offices in New York, California, London, and South Florida. In conversation with Peter Sallick, founder of the DLN and CEO of Waterworks, panelists described current challenges from cybersecurity and inflation to staffing and scaling. Passion, relationships, and creativity were key themes within the discussion. “I’m lucky enough to still feel passionate about what I do, both from the creative side and business side,” Rosemary said. “I think it’s like falling in love and staying in love: you can’t necessarily control it.” Following the executive panel, Dan Lohrmann of Presidio continued the topic of cybersecurity, emphasizing that solutions require technology to defend against a ransomware attack, processes to effectively prevent and respond to hackers, and trained staff who can implement processes in an emergency.

After lunch, attendees gathered for a preview of the DLN’s upcoming Rome Summit with Alessia Antinori, Vice President of Marchesi Antinori, an Italian winemaking company that can trace its history back to 1385 — through 26 generations of the Antinori family. Sudeep Suman of AlixPartners recommended that businesses work transparently with consumers to develop creative solutions for navigating supply chain issues. Following Sudeep’s presentation, Edward Klaris of KlarisIP and Klaris Law explained new threats and opportunities with intellectual property relating to trademark, copyright, and licensing.

Renowned designers Elizabeth Graziolo of Yellow House Architects, Alfredo Paredes of Alfredo Paredes Studio, and Christine Gachot of Gachot convened on stage with DLN executive director and COO Michael Diaz-Griffith to explore their perspectives on the design industry today. Both Elizabeth and Alfredo launched their studios immediately prior to the pandemic, resulting in unique challenges: Alfredo developed his studio’s first furniture collection with EJ Victor on Zoom, and Elizabeth built out her team virtually, before finally moving into her own office. In response to a question about how brands can simplify processes for designers, all three panelists recognized the value of relationships and suggested that brands should be brought onto a project as early as possible.

Guests celebrated the day of panels and keynotes with cocktails in The Pool Lounge. Wine and martini glasses in hand, Partners reconnected, discussing the topics of the day and opening up new avenues for future collaborations. “That’s one of the biggest values of the DLN,” says Michael Diaz-Griffith. “So many of our Members and Partners work together on projects. We are thrilled whenever we hear about new friendships, collaborations, and instances of cross-pollination within our community. One recent project included seven Members and Partners!”