Educational Programs

Alpine Coffee
Alpine Coffee
One of the FEC’s main approaches to helping family businesses is by offering educational programs. Since our founding in 1987, we have emphasized that family businesses should not be run like their non family-owned counterparts. This is largely due to the fact that family businesses have many unique qualities that, when properly leveraged, can lead to extraordinary performance. Consequently, our programs often are different than traditional business classes to emphasize the unique conditions inherent in family enterprise.

Educational programs are typically offered in a customized format for family businesses, professional advisors, associations, and scholars. When participating in programs with the FEC, you can expect:  

  • Holistic learning (learning that looks at all the family dimensions as well as the business)
  • Faculty with a personal and professional family business background and proven industry experience
  • Value-adding knowledge backed by scientific research

“Long-term family business success and family harmony hinge on curiosity, a lifelong learning orientation, and most importantly, on-going education. We cannot dream of becoming competent owners and stewards of our family legacy without making a dedicated effort to educate ourselves. In my experience, most family business owners lack the ability to handle complex or uncomfortable family business disagreements or challenges - it is not something we are trained to do. Without education, we lack the knowledge and tools needed productively move beyond our differences as a united family and shareholder group.”

-Joe Astrachan

 

Speaker Series

Throughout the year, the FEC will connect with the community through various business associations in Georgia to provide instruction by a noted speaker who will teach on various topics related to family business.  The dates are to be determined, so please connect with us below so that we can keep you informed about events in the area.

 

Kennesaw State University (KSU) Students

Do you want to have a career in business? If so, chances are high that you will eventually work in a family enterprise. As owners and operators of 80-90% of all business in America, entrepreneurial families are engines of economic activity. They employ close to 60% of the American workforce and create more than 50% of our GDP.

If you come from an enterprising family or are looking to one-day start a family business, the need for specialized family enterprise education is clear. But with 35% of Fortune 500 companies and 60% of public companies owned by enterprising families, it is likely that even those with no direct intentions will one-day work within a family organization.

The bottom line? You can’t afford not to learn about family businesses.

The Family Enterprise Center (FEC) offers both undergraduate and graduate courses in family business management and undergraduate classes in family business consulting.

Find them here:

ksu business student working on laptop
  • Fall Semester: MGT 4123 Family Business Management
  • Spring Semester MGT 7560 Family Business Management for MBA

If you are a member of the family business community and would like to make a presentation to students, we would love to hear from you. Contact us to start the conversation.

view our FEC Affiliated Faculty contact us