The Family Business Alliance gathered in Winston-Salem for its annual meeting from June 14 – 16. This year’s Alliance meeting was hosted by the Wake Forest University Center for Private Business. With 31 attendees representing 25 different programs, this year’s group represented programs from Hawaii to New Hampshire, and from Missouri to Alberta, Canada. The Alliance is a collaborative group of center directors and key staff that are dedicated to furthering family business education and advocacy. Key topics on the agenda this year included:
- Peer groups for family business leaders
- Courses and curriculum
- Member and alumni engagement
- New centers and directors
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion
“The Annual Alliance Conference is an important opportunity for directors and leaders of Family/Private Business Centers to spend time doing what we encourage our businesses to do- work ON the business, not just IN the business. Our team was grateful to introduce leaders from Family Business Centers across North America to Winston-Salem, NC, and engage in meaningful discussions about how we can further both our individual and collective impact to help private companies be more successful. We left this year’s conference feeling inspired and energized about refining our road map for the years ahead,” shared Lily Cochrane, Executive Director at Wake Forest Center for Private Business.
Notable this year was the inclusion of many new centers that are in the early stages of being formed, as well as many new directors of existing centers, representing a transition of leadership in many instances. New centers included:
- The Bailey Center for Family Enterprise at the University of Denver
- The Family Business Center at Southeast Missouri State University
- The Family Business Center at Gonzaga University
- The Texas Tech Center for Family Business & Entrepreneurship
Jon Keimig, Executive Director of the University of St. Thomas Family Business Center, has been to seven Alliance conferences, and he reflected on the value these gatherings serve for him, “They are without a doubt the most impactful days of the year for the St. Thomas Family Business Center. It’s where I first learned about creating peer groups, and now 60 family business members are part of them in our center. I’ve learned some great ideas for programming from around North America and adapted what others have done to fit the needs of our families. I’m constantly challenged with this group of smart, thoughtful, dedicated family business advocates, and my board is always anxious to hear what I’ve learned and how we can best use it to impact family businesses across Minnesota.”
The Family Business Alliance was formed in 2003 to bring together directors of university-based family business programs. While this remains an informal association of professionals, we welcome the participation of additional directors of family business programs in the academic space. There are approximately 50 centers dispersed throughout the United States and Canada that are affiliated with the Family Business Alliance. The 2024 Alliance meeting will be hosted by the University of Toledo Family Business Center. For more information on existing family business programs and a history of the Family Business Alliance, please click here.
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