About Us

Forum Support Services provides professional facilitation and training for HBS Alumni Forums and similar peer advisory groups across California. We work in partnership with Alumni Forum Services, founded by Bob Halperin in 2010, to help business leaders build confidential peer groups that support both professional and personal growth.

Our Mission

Our mission is to help HBS alumni and other business leaders experience the value and power of forum in their lives. We believe that leaders thrive when they have trusted advisors to help them navigate complex decisions, and we provide the training, facilitation, and ongoing support that allows forum groups to develop the depth and psychological safety needed for transformational peer learning.

What We Do

• Launch and coordinate new forum groups for HBS alumni across California

• Provide moderator training based on proven YPO forum methodologies

• Offer ongoing facilitation support and group health assessments

• Conduct specialized workshops on conflict resolution, deep listening, and group dynamics

• Design and facilitate annual forum retreats

Forums meet monthly (10 times per year) in person or virtually for 2-4 hours in confidential, structured environments. Groups of 8-10 HBS alumni from diverse professional backgrounds serve as each other's personal board of directors, sharing experiences to help members work through business and personal challenges.

Our Team

Forum Support Services works with a range of experienced facilitators including Gary Antonick, who coordinates California forum activities, and Bob Halperin, founder of Alumni Forum Services. Gary is a member of an HBS Alumni Forum in Northern California and formerly wrote the Numberplay column for The New York Times. Bob previously served as Chief Education Officer of Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and co-authored a Harvard Business Review article on peer support groups.

History

The HBS Alumni Forum program began in 2009 under the auspices of local HBS clubs and has expanded to over 75 forums across the US, Canada, and Singapore. Forum Support Services was established to serve the growing California forum community.

Contact

For inquiries about joining or supporting a forum, contact us at [email protected].