Craig Culver, of the restaurant franchise that bears his last name, will headline the University of Northern Iowa Family Business Conference, presented by BrownWinick Law Firm, on Nov. 11. Hosted at Economy Forms Corporation (EFCO) in Des Moines, this one-day event will tackle the inner workings of family businesses with multiple breakout sessions and keynote addresses from industry experts. UNI Family Business Program members receive two complimentary tickets with a fee of $75 per each additional attendee. Non-member tickets are $175 per attendee.

“I’m thrilled to be sharing the Culver’s story,” said Culver, co-founder and chairman of the board at Culver’s. “I’ve always believed family is the key to our success. Over 35 years ago, we started Culver’s as a family business and from day one we’ve always put people first by hiring good people and treating them like they are our family.”

While the conference is the first of its kind in Iowa, Tom Hubler, president of Hubler for Family Businesses, Inc., has been a family business industry leader for decades. His morning keynote address will center around building emotional and company equity and how to make a successful transition from one generation to the next. He was a pioneer in the family business field and has counseled more than 500 private family businesses in his career.

"In a family-owned business, you have to talk about two of the most difficult things to talk about in our culture,” said Hubler. “You have to talk about money, which is difficult for most families to talk about, and, implicitly, you have to talk about the death of the senior generation."

Hubler is a founding member and fellow of the Family Firm Institute in Boston; was a professional in-residence and taught family business management at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota; and is a published author of more than fifty articles and scholarly papers.

Breakout sessions will dive into next generation topics, succession planning and bringing on advisory board members, with a break featuring Culver’s frozen custard and an afternoon cocktail hour sponsored by Doll Distributing, LLC.

The full schedule and registration are available at advanceiowa.com/family-business-events. For information about UNI Family Business Program membership, visit advanceiowa.com/family-business-membership.

The UNI Family Business Program has recently branched off of Advance Iowa, and is developing its mission to create a community of family businesses that will have the ability to learn about business governance, continuity, strategic planning, leadership transition and growth together. With in-person and virtual peer groups, events, one-on-one consulting and more, the Family Business Program is serving Iowa’s family businesses in every corner of the state. It is located in the University of Northern Iowa Business and Community Services building. For more information, visit advanceiowa.com.