1. Lessons Learned From the
Frontlines:
Navigating the Challenging Waters
Where Academia Meets Business.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
© 2012

2. Our panel
• Ted Clark – Center For Family Business at
Northeastern University
• Shauna Feth – Alberta Business Family
Institute at the University of Alberta
• Deb Houden – The Family Business Center at
the University of Wisconsin
• Daniel Van Der Vliet - The Family Business
Initiative at the University of Vermont
© 2012

3. Three parts
1. The founding and developmental stages of
the FBA.
2. Examine the various centers and relative
strength of the various family business center
models.
3. Discussion on ways to more fully leverage the
strength of this network and tap into the
collective voice of family businesses and their
critical needs.
© 2012

4. The Family Business Alliance
The Family Business Alliance is an association of
directors from university affiliated family
business centers in the United States and
Canada. Through its roughly 50 centers, works
with over 2500 family business owners and
leaders. This discussion will highlight
collaborative efforts and new initiatives.
© 2012

5. History
• 2003: Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, USA
• 2004: Kennesaw State, Georgia, USA
• 2005: Cal State Fullerton, California, USA
• 2006: University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, USA
• 2007: University of Vermont, Vermont, USA
• 2008: Stetson University, Florida, USA
• 2009: University of Illinois – Chicago, Illinois, USA
• 2010: Cal State Fullerton, California, USA
• 2011: UNC – Ashville, North Carolina, USA
• 2012: Tulane University, Louisiana, USA
• 2013: University of Alberta, Alberta, CANADA!
© 2012

6. Who is the FBA?
• Approximately 50 centers
• Canada and the United States
• No established governance
• Various models of “membership”
• Up to 2500 member businesses
• University based as well as independent
© 2012

7. Already accomplished
• Created the annual meeting
• Listserv of 150+
• Webinar series - 2010
• Family Business Wiki Master Class – 2011
• Compile survey data
© 2012

8. Questions?
• Are there advantages to formalizing?
• How will we make decisions?
• Is the future of the membership model
sustainable?
© 2012

9. “…unless endowed with significant resources of ability, time,
and money, difficult choices of focus will have to be made to
enjoy sustainable growth into the future.”
Sharma, et. al., (2007)
© 2012

10. Family Business Center Directors survey
n=28
© 2012

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16. Qualitative responses
Collected from a sample of center directors,
university faculty and key stakeholders.
1. In your opinion, what is the overall state of
family business centers right now?
2. What do you feel is unique or compelling about
your center?
3. How do you envision the future of the Family
Business Alliance?
© 2012

17. In your opinion, what is the overall state of family
business centers right now?
“If there are about 40 centers alive, compared to
100+ in years past, this is an indication of the
failure rate that could continue. If there's more
than 40, where are they? And why are they not
responding to requests that they confirm their
existence?
- Ira Bryck
© 2012

18. In your opinion, what is the overall state of family
business centers right now?
“(The successful centers) are tireless in
contacting and getting to know members
and prospects. They focus more on
keeping members happy than face time
with sponsors.”
- Joe Astrachan
© 2012

19. In your opinion, what is the overall state of family
business centers right now?
“I am encouraged by my recent experience, which was the
successful transfer of the center at which I am the director from
the sponsoring and founding university to another regional
university. When the membership learned that the options were
to close the center or look for a new home, they overwhelming
agreed to and shepherded the process. They obviously found
significant value in the program to dedicate themselves to the
continuation and hopefully enhancement of the center.”
- Patrice Persico
© 2012

20. What do you feel is unique or compelling
about your center?
“I would say that our integration into the
University via the creation of the Holistic Model,
the emphasis on the next generation, the first
major in the field, and an innovative and
intimate national outreach program.”
- Greg McCann
© 2012

21. What do you feel is unique or compelling
about your center?
“We have the opportunity to offer them
strategic programming not only for business
training but personal growth within families and
organizations. We offer presenters, educators,
mentors and peers that have training and have
researched these business issues as one and as
combined force.“
- Donna Herilhy
© 2012

22. What do you feel is unique or compelling
about your center?
“…we are financially independent of state
funding through the University. Therefore we
are not managed to weather continual budget
challenges.”
- Debbe Skutch
© 2012

23. How do you envision the future of the FBA?
“Will hopefully continue with more of the best
stuff; making sure discussion is on the edge;
challenging assumptions, a healthy mix of
content and process, not just a place to find the
conventional wisdom or good enough speakers,
not trying to prove to anyone else that we are a
mini me of some other type of group; avoid
foreign entanglements.”
- Ira Bryck
© 2012

24. Your Turn!
As outreach centers how can more
fully integrate the emergent issues
from the research into the "on the
ground" programs and resources we
provide?
© 2012

25. Your Turn!
As outreach centers what would
make us more relevant to the
teaching and research priorities
of the university?
© 2012

26. Your Turn!
As outreach centers how can we
more successfully integrate and
utilize the academic resources
both from a teaching perspective
and a research perspective?
© 2012

27. Your Turn!
As outreach centers how can we
collectively leverage the positive
relationships we have with nearly
3000 successful businesses?
© 2012