DC Family Business Forum
About DC Family Business Forum
The mission of the DC Family Business Forum is to promote and foster the growth and ongoing success of family businesses through learning, sharing and creating effective solutions regarding the critical issues and challenges confronting family businesses in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. Presentations and seminars are supported entirely by multi-disciplinary sponsors who are involved in working with family businesses as part of their routine practice.
Attendance to lectures and presentations sponsored by the DC Family Business Forum is offered by invitation only to a limited number of family-owned businesses. Participation in activities is restricted to invitees and sponsors. An invitation is extended by sponsors to family businesses who have the ability to benefit from and participate in the lecture series. Invited businesses will generally have a family member with controlling interest in the business and at least one family member currently employed in the business.
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2023 Schedule
Family Office Mega-Trends with a Focus on Next- Gen
September 26, 2023 @ 7:30AM-10:00AM ET
Family Business Forum is excited to hold a breakfast discussion with Jaclyn Cohen, Jonathan Lerner of the Lerner Enterprises and hosted by Bobby Stover, Ernst & Young's family office & enterprise leader.
Developing and Implementing the Peterson Family’s Succession Plan;
Assessing the Implications of the Death of the Founder
Rick Peterson Jon Peterson Nancy McGrath& Jim Vecchiarelli
March 7, 2023 @ 7:30AM-9:00AM ET
Please join us: Rick Peterson, Jon Peterson, Nancy McGrath and Jim Vecchiarelli review the process by which they worked with Milt Peterson to develop the succession plan for The Peterson Companies and affiliates, the implication of the succession plan during the final years of Milt’s life, and the implications of Milt’s death on the succession plan.
2022 Schedule
Banking on the Family Business
Christi Coors Ficeli
May 19, 2022 @ 4:00PM ET
The D.C. Family Business Forum is proud to host a webinar featuring Christi Coors Ficeli, Owner of Goosecross Winery.
Christi Coors Ficeli comes by her spirit of entrepreneurship honestly: The great, great granddaughter of beverage industry pioneer, Adolph Coors, she was raised in a family that has always put a premium on realizing your dreams through vision, dedication and collaboration. Christi Coors Ficeli has made her own dream a reality and is now the owner and operator of Goosecross Winery. We invite you to learn more about Christi, her career path and what experiences led to her success today.
2020-2021 Schedule
Fourth generation family business "grows" from wine to cannabis
Rick Genderson Josh Genderson & Elyse Genderson
November 9, 2021 @ 10:00AM ET
The D.C. Family Business Forum is pleased to introduce the Genderson family, a multi-generational family business that has successfully expanded into the cannabis business. The Genderson’s own Schneider’s of Capitol Hill – a veritable wine shop in Washington, D.C.
Fourth generation cousins, Elyse and Josh Genderson, are now responsible for running two businesses side-by-side. Elyse continues her involvement in the wine business while her cousin, Josh, has developed and grown the cannabis business. Rick Genderson, Elyse’s uncle and Josh’s dad, oversees the financial dealings of both operations. The cannabis enterprise has proven extremely successful and has exceeded all expectations, and additionally provided meaningful diversification for the continued success of the family business.
The following topics will be addressed:
- History of the family business
- How and why they chose to diversify into cannabis
- Challenges of starting and maintaining a cannabis business in the face of multi-state regulations
- The future of the wine business
- How the family chose their roles and continues to work together
Designating Nonfamily Executives to Manage Your Family Business
Brett Hitt & Kim Roy
September 21, 2021 @ 11:00AM ET
The D.C. Family Business Forum is excited to host a webinar with Brett Hitt and Kim Roy of HITT Contracting Inc. on how to structure your business to successfully evolve to meet the needs of its various stakeholders.
Brett Hitt is a third-generation owner of HITT Contracting, Inc., and has been instrumental in guiding the company to become one of the largest and most respected general contractors in the country. Brett is a savant in structuring a business to evolve and successfully meet the needs of its various stakeholders. He will discuss his strategy and approach to succession planning, and specifically the decision to promote Kim Roy and her executive team to lead the company forward. Kim will share her career trajectory with HITT Contracting Inc, and her plans for the future growth of the organization.
Brett and Kim will share their collaborative approach to developing the business model, including structuring corporate governance for a successful company. They will share how they developed and implemented the governance committees, risk assessment process, delegations of authority, roles and responsibilities and reporting for transparency.
Wine and wisdom: lessons learned over three generations
Peter Mondavi, Jr.
April 1, 2021 @ 11:00AM ET
The D.C. Family Business Forum is excited to announce that Peter Mondavi, Jr., third generation owner of Charles Krug Winery in Napa Valley and adjunct professor at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, will present “Wine and wisdom: Lessons learned over three generations” on Tuesday, May 4. Discussion topics will include:
- Succession planning timeline
- Long-term business strategy
- Unique challenges faced regarding estate and succession planning in the wine business
- Lessons learned as a third generation business owner
Impactful women: tapping the power of the female vision
Michelle DiFebo Freeman & Jodie W. McLean
April 1, 2021 @ 11:00AM ET
In honor of International Women's Day 2021, The D.C. Family Business Forum is proud to host a webinar featuring Michelle Freeman, Owner and CEO of the Carl M. Freeman Companies and Jodie McLean, CEO of EDENS. Attendees will hear about their experiences, career paths and challenges faced along the way. Speakers will share:
- Inspirational stories and leadership philosophies
- Best practices and ways to support and advance other women
- How to progress into leadership or management roles (succession planning)
- Passions and thoughts on the importance of philanthropy
- Challenges faced throughout their careers
The Donohoe Companies – A company built on culture, excellence and successful leadership transitions makers
Chris Bruch & Bob Donohoe
January 27, 2021 @ 9:00AM ET
The Family Business Forum is pleased to present The Donohoe Companies’ Chris Bruch, President and CEO, and Bob Donohoe Jr., Chief Investment Officer, for a discussion on successful family owned businesses and the challenges of leadership transition. The Donohoe Companies are an iconic 137 year-old, multi-generational Washington real estate company with nearly $2 billion in real estate investments and active construction projects.
COVID-19 and the Real Estate Market: Survival Techniques to Help Your Tenants
Anthony Lanier & Philippe Lanier
October 13, 2020 @ 10:30AM ET
The Family Business Forum is pleased to invite you for a Zoom call to hear from Father and Son, Anthony Lanier, President and CEO and Philippe Lanier, Principal Vice President. Topics discussed will include the challenges of a family owned company during COVID-19; the challenges of property ownership in the District of Columbia and their philosophy around owner/developertenant relations; and rent deferment v. rent forgiveness. Finally, the Lanier's will discuss their views on a family owned business concerning active family owners and non-active family owners.
Anthony Lanier, president and CEO of EastBanc Inc., founded the multinational company in 1987. He is involved in all development decisions and the strategic direction of the firm. Over the course of his career, Anthony has co-developed over 4 million square feet of mixed-use commercial real estate in multiple countries.
Philippe Lanier is the principal vice president at EastBanc Inc. and is responsible for overseeing all company activities. Prior to joining EastBanc, he spent seven years as an equity research analyst at Lehman Brothers and Bank of America Securities, and also worked as an acquisitions manager at the European office of Prudential Real Estate Investors.
Raising an Entrepreneur: 10 Rules for Nurturing Risk Takers, Problem Solvers, and Change Makers -
Margot Bisnow & Mark Bisnow
November 10, 2020 @ 10:30AM ET
Inspired by Margot Machol Bisnow's book, Raising an Entrepreneur: 10 Rules for Nurturing Risk Takers, Problem Solvers, and Change Makers, this webinar will discuss strategies for raising entrepreneurial children filled with joy and purpose. Join us to learn insights gained from research interviews with 60 noted entrepreneurs from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Past Schedules
