Robin Bienemann and Matt Carbray talk Family Business Programs
Robin Anne Bienemann, Founder and CEO of Crimson Rook and the creator of the Family Business Cooperative, and Matt Carbray, Founder of Ridgeline Financial Partners, talk about how important family owned businesses are and how important programs that support them can be to the economy – it starts at the college level. Take a listen and learn more about the programs that both Matt and Robin have been involved in and their thoughts on what colleges and universities can do to help support family owned businesses.
To say Robin is passionate about Family Businesses is an understatement. She’s owned them, lived them, supported them and is on a mission to ensure their survival. Robin is the Founder and CEO of Crimson Rook, a firm helping family businesses increase value and supporting them through the transition to new owners or generations. She is also the Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Connecticut (UConn) where she helped rebuild and relaunch their Family Business Program.
Robin brings extensive management experience to her work having served as an executive and entrepreneur for companies with revenues ranging from $1M to $20B in a wide variety of manufacturing and services industries. From her family roots in small town Vermont to Silicon Valley California at the peak of the .Com era – Robin has seen it all.
For the past dozen years (give or take a decade) Robin has been working with her brothers Dave & Chuck on their family owned businesses – Concursive Corp. and Core Value Research. Concursive software products are used to create mobile and online social-collaborative platforms. Core Value provides owners with a tool set designed to increase the value of the business. Let’s just say, family businesses are a family affair in Robin’s family!
Robin received her Bachelor’s degree from Springfield College and her Masters as a Sloan Fellow at MIT. She lives in Spokane, WA with her husband Tom. The couple has three children and eight grandchildren.
Matthew Carbray offers comprehensive financial planning advice to individuals, families, and small business owners. Partnering with clients to define their financial priorities, short-term goals, and long-term aspirations, Matthew designs comprehensive, customized, and flexible financial plans to help them achieve their desired financial futures.
Prior to founding Ridgeline Financial Partners, Matthew began his career as a financial planner with New England Financial in 2002 and co-founded Carbray Staunton Financial Planners, LLC, in 2006. Matthew earned a BS in financial services with a dual minor concentration in law and taxation from Bryant College in 2002 and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Chartered Financial Consultant® and Chartered Life Underwriter® designation.
Matthew has earned numerous awards and accolades throughout his career. New England Financial selected Matthew as its Best New Agent in 2002, and in 2006 awarded him an Outstanding Achievement Award and the title of Advisor of the Year. In addition, Matthew was named a Five Star Wealth Manager for overall customer satisfaction in 2012-2018* by Connecticut Magazine and a winner of best Financial Advisor in the Best of Hartford Magazine 2016, 2017 and 2018. In 2013, Matthew was selected by Hartford Business Journal for inclusion in the 40 Under Forty, an honor bestowed on outstanding business leaders in the community. Matt is highly sought after for his expertise in the media and has been featured in notable publications such as: The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, Consumer Reports and Money.
Outside of the professional sphere, Matthew stays actively involved in his community through a number of leadership and mentorship positions. He serves as a member of the board or trustee for several organizations, including the Greater Hartford Boys and Girls Club, St. Thomas More School, and the Kevin Ollie/21st Century Tolland Fund, which raises money and awareness for athletes with disabilities. Matthew coached for the city of Hartford’s Saturday Hoopsters basketball program, founded Hartford High School’s High Hopes College Ladder program, and was a participant in Leadership Greater Hartford’s Quest program. He also has served as the secretary of the West End Civic Association and was co-chairman of the Hartford St. Patrick’s Day Parade. In addition, Matthew is a past president of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick, a member of the Knights of Columbus, and a member of the Irish American Home in Glastonbury, CT.