Tulane Family Business Center

Family businesses face issues and challenges unique to their composition. This is evidenced by the startling facts that only 30% of family businesses today succeed to the second generation and only 10% succeed into the third generation.

To improve these odds, the Freeman School formed the Tulane University Family Business Center in 1992. The Family Business Center (FBC) focuses on the issues and challenges that family businesses must overcome to grow and prosper from one generation to the next.

Upcoming Family Business Forums

One of the main activities of the Family Business Center is hosting Family Business Forums, which are held up to five times a year. These events feature a speaker who will address the unique challenges of family-owned businesses and provide the opportunity to network with other members.

Programming for upcoming Family Business Forums will be announced at a later date. Please check back here for further updates.

Hear from our members:

Michele Vignes

"As a second generation owner and manager of a family business, I recommend the Tulane Family Business Center to any family owned or closely held company. The Wink family companies, UP Professional Solutions, llc and Wink Engineering joined the FBC, in 1998. Myself, along with six other family members, and both family companies have benefited tremendously from our affiliation with the Center over the last sixteen years. The Center has not only taught us the best practices of successful succession strategy but, it has also provided a support group for us to share the unique challenges and experiences of the family business model with others. As family businesses, we are in a class of our own and it is a great comfort to be able to be a part of a community, through the Family Business Center, that understands those things that make us unique business enterprises. Although Wink Engineering was sold in 2009, UP continues to maintain an active membership in the Center"


George Wilson

"Our active participation in the Tulane Family Business Center has greatly benefited us over the years as we sought to set entry criteria for the members of our fourth generation, continue to build and maintain an outside Board of Directors, and prepare for the future of our business. We are confident that the tools, education, and networking opportunities that the Family Business Center offers will give our next generation of owners the best opportunity to succeed and continue our family's mission for many years to come."


Jasminne Navarre

"The Tulane Family Business Center has provided us an opportunity to grow as a family and a business. By attending the seminars we are transported from our bubble of business/ family, to an environment that consistently opens our eyes to the work that must be done to maintain the gift we were blessed with by our founders."


facebook logo Twitter Logo

Back to top of page