Fall isn’t here quite yet, but its close. And along with it comes our second Iowa Family Business Conference, powered by the University of Northern Iowa Family Business Center. Our first try at this last fall was such a cool event—seeing families interact with each other, sharing stories and advice, hearing from some really cool family business owners, and—of course—some Culver’s custard to close it out!

In thinking about what we have planned this year, it will be building on much of that success and continuing to grow our community of and for Iowa's family-owned companies.

Without further ado, my top five reasons for attending this year:

5. Great speakers and partners providing their experiences and lessons learned on estate planning, succession, governance and a few other topics.           

4. Our amazing host family, the Kinseths, will be sharing their story and some of the approaches they have taken to grow into the third generation of leadership.

3. Opportunities to show your family that you aren’t alone, that others have tackled some of these issues, and give you a space to talk about it.

2. We are Kicking It Up a Notch! Tony Simmons, a fifth-generation leader of the famous Tabasco sauce parent company, McIlhenny Company, will be sharing his family's story and insights they have learned as a 155-year-old company!

1. Interacting with your peers! Get to know some of Iowa’s other family businesses and how they have navigated some of the same issues your family faces.

I hope you can join us Nov. 10! I look forward to seeing you there!

Dan Beenken

Director, UNI Family Business Center