2026 Program

After years of dedication and hard work, you’re ready to explore ways to unlock capital – but what’s the right move? Should your senior management team step in as investors, assuming they’re interested and financially positioned to do so? Should you seek strategic buyers outside your company? Or could private equity, search funds, or other financial entities provide the liquidity you need?

This expert panel will help you understand the key distinctions between different types of buyers based on your business’s size and industry. You’ll gain valuable insights into the pros and cons of various liquidity strategies, allowing you to make informed decisions about securing capital while preserving your business’s future.

Key Discussion Points:

• Strategic buyers – who they are and what they look for.
• Private equity – how it works and what it means for your business.
• Employee Owned Ownership
• Buying out partners – navigating ownership transitions.
• Management buyouts – structuring internal acquisition deals.
• Other recapitalization options – alternative strategies to generate liquidity.

Join us for an insightful discussion on how to take chips off the table while positioning your business for long-term success.

The best time to scale your business? Yesterday. The second best time? Now. In today’s fast-paced economy, understanding the best practices for expansion is essential.

How do you diversify your offerings strategically? What marketing tactics will fuel exponential growth? Should you expand locations, and if so, when? Is now the right moment to enter new markets—and how can you be sure?

Join a panel of accomplished entrepreneurs who have successfully scaled their businesses as they arm you with proven strategies for sustainable growth. They’ll help you navigate the challenges of expansion and provide immediately actionable insights, even amid economic uncertainties.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn battle-tested growth strategies that drive real-world success.
• Assess your readiness to scale – and determine the right timing for expansion.
• Understand essential business shifts needed for sustained growth.
• Identify common scaling pitfalls – and how to avoid them.
• Receive hands-on advice from industry leaders and financial experts who know what it takes to scale in today’s changing economy.

You’ll leave this discussion armed with practical strategies, confidence, and the tools needed to fuel your business’s next stage of growth.

Transitioning a family business to the next generation is more than a financial or operational shift—it’s an emotional and strategic journey. As a young family owner, how do you prepare to take the reins responsibly? As an exiting parent or family member, how do you transfer decades of experience while ensuring the next generation thrives on their own path?

For all involved, the goal is to create a business that is resilient and future-ready, while preserving its legacy. Building capacity in the next generation must start early, and sometimes, bringing in non-family executives is key to ensuring long-term success.

Key Discussion Points:

• Professionalizing your family-owned firm – what measures strengthen operations?
• Supporting leadership transitions – how to empower the next generation effectively.
• Establishing strong governance – ensuring structures are in place for lasting success.
• Insights from second-generation owners – real-world experiences in taking over the family business.

This session offers candid reflections from business owners who have successfully navigated succession planning, leadership handovers, and long-term sustainability.