James Tufenkian Biography
Written by Rob Leahy
7/20/2010
After finishing law school at NYU, James Tufenkian took a sharp turn off of the usual career path. A 1986 trip to Nepal showed him his calling when he met Tsetan Gyurman, a master weaver who had been exiled from his homeland of Tibet. Tsetan had his own atelier that produced some of the finest carpets in Nepal and longed to produce his rugs on a larger scale. James believed a great opportunity lay in bringing the traditional rug business into the 21st century. He and Tsetan formed a partnership, and friendship, based on a shared commitment to growing a business, and making it a vehicle for advancing social justice in the places where they worked. Tufenkian Artisan Carpets, and indeed all Tufenkian activities, are dedicated to:
- Making beautiful things of enduring value
- Making a profit from selling them
- Using that profit and the employment provided to enrich the lives of workers and their communities
In the early 90’s, James visited his ancestral homeland of Armenia and was deeply moved by the devastation and depression he found there following the collapse of the Soviet Union. In response, he set to work reviving the ancient craft of carpet weaving nearly lost during Soviet rule, training and putting to work nearly 1,000 otherwise unemployed people. A few years later he became convinced that one of the greatest needs of the country was to develop a tourism infrastructure and set about creating Tufenkian Heritage Hotels, a chain of luxury boutique hotels in scenic villages throughout the neglected, but historic countryside. Concerned at the plight of farmers unable to sell the spectacular fruits for enough to survive on, he co-founded the Harvest Song Preserves brand to stimulate demand and raise produce prices while adding another premium product to the Tufenkian family of companies.
As a result of Tufenkian’s personal beliefs, and in keeping with his business model, the company has funded medical facilities and services, schools for workers and their families and communities in Nepal. The goal is to help the people become self-reliant, and to give them hope that through their work and the opportunities provided by the company, their children will grow into a bright future.
The Tufenkian Foundation was established in 1999 to fund programs and charitable endeavors, as well as provide business expertise to support local needs. James Tufenkian personally donates one million dollars annually to the Foundation and an additional $300,000 to be reinvested every year into maintaining worker welfare facilities in Nepal. He has given lectures at Columbia and Harvard on the subjects of entrepreneurship and applying social responsibility to business. James currently lives in Manhattan and remains active in all aspects of the Tufenkian Group of Companies, including creating original designs for Tufenkian Carpets.
A true visionary, James Tufenkian has brought his experience and ability to solve the challenges of operating a profitable business venture with a strong sense of social responsibility. His efforts have improved the lives of the 10,000 individuals he employs around the globe, while his businesses set the pace for quality standards in their respective industries.