Obediah Ayton built the region's leading family office summit from scratch, creating a platform where multi-million dollar deals get done and emerging fund managers raise capital – all while running a growing accounting practice across the UK and UAE.
This week on the
Open Equity
show, we’re discussing his framework for building authentic networks through giving rather than taking, why he moderates every panel personally to protect speaker privacy, and the specific mistakes that kill most fundraising approaches to family offices.
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
02:00 Building around family values and the roots of family offices
11:05 Common mistakes people make when approaching family businesses
13:57 Why long-term commitment is critical to doing business in the Gulf
16:38 Emotional weight of family legacy in Middle Eastern business deals
19:35 Moving from UK to US to Dubai and starting from zero
22:31 Launching a VAT business in the UAE without a clear roadmap
25:28 Pivoting from deal brokering to community building through events
28:33 Giving vs chasing short-term wins
34:46 Starting from zero and trusting the process
37:52 Tactical tips for launching meaningful, high-quality events
43:46 Managing speakers, structure and momentum at scale
49:50 Choosing long-term brand value over short-term ticket sales
52:53 Moderating your own panels to protect flow and trust
55:51 Thinking ahead to investment and small-scale private equity
01:01:47 Why the Middle East is a tough but motivating place to grow
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