Community Engagement

Bringing the Family Enterprise Community Together

The Olin Family Business Program engages the off-campus family business community by delving into topics that impact family businesses through special events, symposiums and seminars. Hundreds have attended these events, including the annual Olin Family Business Symposium hosted each spring at WashU Olin.

Our engagement with the community is a mix of larger audience symposiums for the broader community and smaller, more intimate audience engagements that target particular constituents. If you’re interested in learning more about either of these opportunities, please sign up for The Family Enterprise newsletter by the Koch Center, which will have information on these and related opportunities.

Upcoming Events

Previous Family Business Symposium Speakers

7th Annual Family Business Symposium (Fall '22)

Continental Grain Company & the Innovation of Food
Building and Evolving a Strategic Family Enterprise

Panel Speaker(s):
The Fribourg Family
Paul Fribourg, Chairman, and CEO & Jordana Fribourg, Chief Talent Officer of Conti

Conti Executive Team
Dave Peacock, Chief Operating Officer
Bob Golden, Chief Strategy Officer
Ari Gendason, Chief Investment Officer

Conti Ventures + Portfolio Company CEO
Chris Abbott, Co-Head, Conti Ventures
Jake Joraanstad, CEO of Bushel

Spring 2021: Culture and Family Business

KEYNOTES

• S. Ramadorai, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (Keynote) (6th gen)
• Lisanne Cape Dorian, Bacardi Ltd. (Keynote) (7th gen)
• William O. DeWitt III, St. Louis Cardinals (Keynote)
• Tom Stillman, St. Louis Blues (Keynote)
• Carolyn Kindle Betz, St. Louis CITY SC (Keynote)
• George H. Walker, Neuberger Berman LLC (Keynote) (employee owned)

PANELISTS

• Gina Hoagland, Collaborative Strategies
• Josh Hager, Hager Hinge Co. (7th gen)
• Chris Seyer, Seyer Industries, Inc. (2nd gen)
• Kevin Maher, St. Charles Automotive (3rd gen)
• Professor Peter Boumgarden, Olin School of Business
• David Eichhorn, NISA (employee owned)
• Michael Dierberg, First Bank (3rd gen)
• Professor Seth Carnahan, Olin School of Business

2020

• Mark Leeker, Harbour Group
• Jeff Glik, Glick Stores (4th gen)
• Butch Welsch, Welsch Heating and Cooling Contractors (3rd gen)
• Samson & Karen Liu, SohDental (1st gen)
• Kevin & Ryan Maher, St. Charles Automotive (3rd gen)
• Robert Deutsch, HWP Rigging, Inc. (2nd gen)
• Jeremy Deutsch, Standard Machine/DEMA Engineering (3rd gen)
• Jeff Cook, ARCO Construction Company (employee owned)
• Al Koller, Koller Enterprises/Scientific Lighting Products (3rd gen)
• Mike Becker, Becker Iron & Metal, Inc. (3rd gen)
• Ron Saslow, Hu-Friedy, LLC (2nd gen)
• Jeff Giles, Core & Main (PE owned)
• Ted Schnuck, Schnucks Markets (3rd gen)

2019

• Dean Fischer, West Monroe Partners (employee owned)
• Justin Woodard, Woodard Cleaning and Restoration (3rd gen)
  
• Mark Thom, MiTek Industries (Berkshire Hathaway)
• Melissa Markwort, Spartan Light Metal Products (3rd gen)
• Ted Samuels, Capital Guardian Trust Company (employee owned)
• Kevin Short, OPAA! Food Management (2nd gen)
• Paul Shaughnessey, BSI Constructors, Inc. (3rd gen)
• John Jennings, The St. Louis Trust Company
• Berto Garcia, Garcia Properties (1st gen)
• Seth Freiden, U.S. Toy (2nd gen)
• Jay Shekelton, H-J Family of Companies (2nd gen)
• Chris Towle, Towle & Co. (2nd gen)
• Tom Hillman, Lewis & Clark Ventures, Hillman Family Office

2018

• Clay Scharff, Sachs Electric (PE owned former family/employee owned business)
• Jim Souers, Marcone Appliances (2nd gen)
• Bruce Williams, US Tool (2nd to 3rd gen)
• John Kramer, Cambridge Engineering, Inc. (2nd gen)
• John Costello, CK Power (1st gen)
• Tim Swank, Swank Motion Pictures (2nd to 3rd gen)
• Ben Rassieur, Paulo Products (3rd to 4th gen)
• John Jennings, The St. Louis Trust Company
• Steve Harpole, Ernst & Young
• John Eilermann, McBride & Son Companies (employee owned)
• Matt Geekie, Graybar Electric (employee owned)
• David Whorton, The Tugboat Group
• John Stupp III, Stupp Bros. (6th to 7th gen)
• Steve Klein, Carriage Hill Advisors
• Giorgio Bucci, ARTECO (1st to 2nd gen)

Spring 2017: Family Enterprise in Capital Markets

• Bryon Trott, BDT Capital (Investment Banker)
• Chrissy Taylor, COO, Enterprise Holdings (3rd gen)
• John Kemper, President, Commerce Bank (6th gen)
• Todd Schnuck, President, Schnucks Markets (2nd gen)
• Mike DeCola, CEO, HBM Enterprises (3rd to 4th gen)
• Kyle Chapman, Principal, BW Capital (3rd gen)
• Tom Hillman, Chairman, Lewis & Clark Ventures (1st gen)
• Kristi Tacony, CEO, Tacony Corporation (2nd gen)
• Michael Amann, Partner, Oakland Capital Partners

Spring 2017: Third Annual Family Business Symposium

• Liz Uihlein, Uline Corporation (1st to 2nd gen)
• Joe Blomker, Maryville Technologies (1st to 2nd gen)
• Steve Desloge, Watlow Electric (3rd to 4th gen)
• Jim Forsyth, Motomart (4th gen)
• Michael & Jim Dierberg, First Bank (2nd to 3rd)
• Tim Oliver, Alter Trading (2nd to 3rd gen)
• Morgan Costello, DeLong’s Steel, Inc. (2nd to 3rd gen)
• Kelli Fabick & Jere Fabick, FabickCAT (3rd to 4th)
• Chuck Drury, Drury Inns (2nd to 3rd)
• Greg Twardowski, Whelan Security (2nd to 3rd)
• Beau Brauer, Hunter Engineering (2nd to 3rd)
• John Jennings, The St. Louis Trust Company

Spring 2016: Second Annual Family Business Symposium

• Jay Shields, Schaeffer Manufacturing (6th to 7th gen)
• Josh Hager, Hager Cos (6th gen)
• Mollie Carter, Sunflower Banks (3rd gen)
• Chris Herschend, Herschend Family Entertainment (2nd to 3rd gen)
• Sue McCullom, Major Brands (3rd gen)
• Kyle Chapman, Barry Wehmiller (2nd to 3rd gen)
• Lynn Wallis & Rachel Andreason, Wallis Cos. (1st to 2nd gen)
• John Stupp, Nora Coggins, John Stupp III, Stupp Bros. (6th gen)
• John Jennings, The St. Louis Trust Company
• John Eulich, Mark Andy (3rd gen) and Indeeco (3rd gen)
• John Ferring, Plaze Aerosciences (2nd gen)

Spring 2015: Inaugural Olin Family Business Symposium

• Todd Schnuck, Schnucks Markets (2nd to 3rd gen)
• Rusty Hager, Hager Cos. (6th gen)
• Rich and Ross Millman, Millman Lumber (2nd to 3rd gen)
• Jim Janning, Menasha Corporation (6th to 7th gen)
• Steve Maritz, Maritz Inc. (3rd gen)
• Mike DeCola, HBM Holdings (3rd to 4th gen)
• Ernie Patterson, Brown-Forman (4th gen and public)
• Matt Madsen, Lewis & Rice
• John Jennings, The St. Louis Trust Company