Family Business Program Upcoming Events
View our upcoming events that focus on equipping you to own, develop, and conduct your family business.
2025 Events
Next Generation Leadership Institute
This cohort-based program equips you for effective leadership as you develop stronger relationships with all your family business stakeholders.
Download Fisher's Next Generation Leadership Institute Brochure [pdf].
Looking Ahead
We have several events coming soon:
Become a Family Business Deemed "Great Place to Work"
April 2, 2025
8 - 11:30 a.m. (breakfast included)
DS + CO
1595 Moseley Road
Victor, NY 14564
Like every individual, every business has a unique personality. No business has more personality than a family business. This forum will help you create and discover your businesses personality and brand differentiators. Once everyone in the business understands your brand personality it makes marketing easier and much more effective.
Dixon Schwabl + CO. has been using this process for the last 25 years. It has helped create a culture that has earned annual recognition on the Great Place to Work List for 24 consecutive years – ranking #1 twice. You will hear from five of the family members who work in the business today.
The session will include a breakout session for families to workshop with a member of the Dixon Schwabl family. There will be time for Q&A.
Registration details coming soon.
Women in Family Business Cinco de Mayo
April 28, 2025
5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Join us at Old Pueblo Grill in Victor for an evening of Cinco de Mayo preparation and insight into the restaurant business. We’ll hear from family members about the experience of owning a restaurant while we learn how to make and enjoy the best margaritas and guacamole in town!
Coming in Spring 2025:
Webinar: Protecting Family Business Wealth in Today’s Legislative Environment
Join us for a lunch-and-learn webinar to hear about the latest developments in Washington, D.C. and their impact on family businesses. A panel of government relations professionals will unveil the results of the new Family Enterprise USA (FEUSA) 2024 Annual Family Business Survey and provide a legislative update on tax policy issues impacting successful families, family offices, and family businesses. This event will offer a Washington, D.C. insider's perspective, critical intelligence, and situational awareness of key tax policy issues. Local members of congress are also invited to share their perspectives.
Family Business Transition Strategies Conference
This conference will be dedicated to planning for transitions in your business from the ownership and leadership perspectives. Learn from Fisher faculty members, advisors, and hear live case studies to help take the next step into your future.
Webinar: The “Grey Divorce”
Join us for a lunch-and-learn webinar that explores the new trend of later life divorces and their impact on family firms.
Financial Acumen Institute
Accounting and finance are the language of business - the scorecards that measure success. In this program, you’ll discover a comprehensive approach to financial analysis to help you assess your organization’s financial decisions and understand business drivers. You’ll receive a foundation in basic managerial finance, including terms such as valuation, financing, diversification, and capital structure. In this interactive Institute, you will engage with other family business stakeholders using hands-on tools including a case analysis from a family business and simulations. You will also receive individual coaching from faculty and Fisher students will prepare robust industrial analysis to help provide context for your financial decision-making.
This custom program is designed for family members who are career professionals in business looking to improve their financial acumen and understanding of key finance and accounting practices. Experienced professionals and shareholders not working in the business will also find the program valuable, as the curriculum offers an opportunity to update skills, build confidence, and apply new knowledge.
To pre-register or seek more information, email Dr. Carol Wittmeyer at cwittmeyer@sjf.edu.
Family Governance Institute
Spring 2025
Business-owning families benefit from working on governance: how they make decisions together to support the creation and realization of a shared vision and set the stage for cohesive relationships that can endure the opportunities and challenges of being family and in business together for generations.
The Family Governance Institute offers exercises for families to work on capturing their history, defining and giving examples of shared values, their future vision and their mission - why they exist. Participating families will benefit from facilitated discussions on topics such as “who is family,” “family employment policies,” and “ownership policies,” as well as how to handle conflict. In addition, compile a constitution that includes your governance work.
Through hands-on workshops, families will:
- share among participants
- explore live case studies featuring families who have developed governance practices
- give and receive feedback
- articulate their shared vision in writing
The Institute also facilitates family discussions on how and when to modify and/or adapt governance processes and policies as the needs of the family change over time.
The program includes two on-campus group sessions and one individually scheduled session with an instructor at a location of the family’s convenience.
Email Dr. Carol Wittmeyer (cwittmeyer@sjf.edu) to discuss participating.