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Turn Your Family Business into a Business Family

Family Business Center

Success for Generations

The St. Thomas Family Business Center is a leading resource for family business education, connection, and support. Built by and for family businesses, our community has grown by 50% in just three years and now includes more than 100 member families.

Family businesses today are navigating complex challenges—generational transitions and succession planning, aligning ownership and leadership, balancing tradition with innovation and simply finding time to talk about the future. Our programming is designed to meet these needs head-on, helping families create clarity, strengthen relationships and move forward with confidence.

Whether you're local or out of state, an alum or new to St. Thomas, this community of family businesses is here to support your needs.

Contact

Jon Keimig

Executive Director, Family Business Center
Phone Number
(651) 962-4560

Family Business Center Offerings

  • Family Business Breakfast Series
  • Members-only Events
  • Peer Groups
  • Advisor Engagement
  • Family Business Courses
  • Find an Advisor
  • Community Engagement
  • Family Business Breakfast Series

    The Family Business Breakfast Series is our flagship program, averaging about 190 family members in attendance. This event is only open to members of family businesses and is a safe place to tackle unique issues, engage with other families and find your path forward. The Series meets Thursday mornings from 7:30-9:30 a.m. on the St. Paul campus on these dates:

    September 11, 2025: Leadership Communication that Connects
    October 23, 2025: Preparing Future Owners
    December 4, 2025: Live Case Study: Real-Time Decisions for a Family in Transition
    January 22, 2026: Integrating Outsiders into the Family Business
    February 26, 2026: Wearing All the Hats: Time and Role Management in Family & Business
    April 9, 2026: What Retired CEOs Wish They Knew Sooner
    May 7, 2026: Finding Common Ground in Family Business Disagreements

    A season membership remains at $1,750, granting access for all family members to all Breakfast Series events, a $300 discount per peer group, discounts to Executive Education and an Executive MBA, and invitations to the next generation event and a women's leadership event. You can register your family here.

    For families that are not members, the cost is $300 per family, per Breakfast Series event. First-time families are invited to join us at no cost.

    Thanks to the generosity of a donor, the center can provide financial assistance to smaller family businesses who may not be able to afford the full cost of a season membership. There's a short application to fill out.

    Questions? Contact Executive Director Jon Keimig, jon.keimig@stthomas.edu or 651-962-4560.

    Members-only Events

    Center members have access to these additional events, connecting family businesses with programming beyond the Breakfast Series, to create meaningful learning and relationships in a new way.

    • NextGen Gathering
      Fall 2025

    • Women's Legacy Event
      Spring 2026


    Peer Groups

    Join a group of peers who share similar family business roles to participate in confidential discussions about critical family and business issues, and help each other to navigate and overcome challenges. The center currently has six groups, including one for executives, two for women and three for next generation members. Groups meet 7-10 times a year, up to three hours each time. The annual cost is $950 per person for members, and $1250 for nonmembers. To ensure that you and your preferred peer group will be a good fit, you must submit an application. For details, please contact us at familybusiness@stthomas.edu.

    Submit Application

    Advisor Engagement

    The Advisor Engagement Luncheon allows family business advisors like bankers, accountants, financial planners, attorneys, psychologists and coaches to learn together about topics that will help them better serve their family business clients and build their professional networks. Advisors can attend individually at $60 each or firms can sponsor a table of eight for the season, to bring and engage with clients, colleagues and partners, at a cost of $4,000 for the year.

    Upcoming Luncheons:

    Interested in joining our group of table hosts? Email center director Jon Keimig at jon.keimig@stthomas.edu.

    Family Business Courses

    Generational Continuity & Family Alignment

    This course helps family businesses create their foundations to align their family, business and ownership for success. In three days over a four-month period, family businesses will learn to hold effective family meetings, make unified decisions, create strategies for ownership oversight and decision-making and more.

    This course next runs on October 3, October 31 and December 12 on our Minneapolis campus.

    Find an Advisor

    Whether your family is experiencing hardship in personal relationships, succession planning or has a general need for financial planning, an advisor can add value to your business family. Learn what to look for in an adviser and see a list of family business advisors.

    Find an Advisor

    Community Engagement

    The Family Business Center provides education and resources to family businesses across Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. Since 2021, the center has collaborated with local business support organizations to expand access to family business education, ensuring business owners across all communities have the tools to succeed. In 2023, it launched a three-year pilot program to support family businesses on St. Paul’s East Side, funded by a charitable gift from The McNeely Foundation.

    Family Business Breakfast Series

    The Family Business Breakfast Series is our flagship program, averaging about 190 family members in attendance. This event is only open to members of family businesses and is a safe place to tackle unique issues, engage with other families and find your path forward. The Series meets Thursday mornings from 7:30-9:30 a.m. on the St. Paul campus on these dates:

    September 11, 2025: Leadership Communication that Connects
    October 23, 2025: Preparing Future Owners
    December 4, 2025: Live Case Study: Real-Time Decisions for a Family in Transition
    January 22, 2026: Integrating Outsiders into the Family Business
    February 26, 2026: Wearing All the Hats: Time and Role Management in Family & Business
    April 9, 2026: What Retired CEOs Wish They Knew Sooner
    May 7, 2026: Finding Common Ground in Family Business Disagreements

    A season membership remains at $1,750, granting access for all family members to all Breakfast Series events, a $300 discount per peer group, discounts to Executive Education and an Executive MBA, and invitations to the next generation event and a women's leadership event. You can register your family here.

    For families that are not members, the cost is $300 per family, per Breakfast Series event. First-time families are invited to join us at no cost.

    Thanks to the generosity of a donor, the center can provide financial assistance to smaller family businesses who may not be able to afford the full cost of a season membership. There's a short application to fill out.

    Questions? Contact Executive Director Jon Keimig, jon.keimig@stthomas.edu or 651-962-4560.

    Members-only Events

    Center members have access to these additional events, connecting family businesses with programming beyond the Breakfast Series, to create meaningful learning and relationships in a new way.

    • NextGen Gathering
      Fall 2025

    • Women's Legacy Event
      Spring 2026


    Peer Groups

    Join a group of peers who share similar family business roles to participate in confidential discussions about critical family and business issues, and help each other to navigate and overcome challenges. The center currently has six groups, including one for executives, two for women and three for next generation members. Groups meet 7-10 times a year, up to three hours each time. The annual cost is $950 per person for members, and $1250 for nonmembers. To ensure that you and your preferred peer group will be a good fit, you must submit an application. For details, please contact us at familybusiness@stthomas.edu.

    Submit Application

    Advisor Engagement

    The Advisor Engagement Luncheon allows family business advisors like bankers, accountants, financial planners, attorneys, psychologists and coaches to learn together about topics that will help them better serve their family business clients and build their professional networks. Advisors can attend individually at $60 each or firms can sponsor a table of eight for the season, to bring and engage with clients, colleagues and partners, at a cost of $4,000 for the year.

    Upcoming Luncheons:

    Interested in joining our group of table hosts? Email center director Jon Keimig at jon.keimig@stthomas.edu.

    Family Business Courses

    Generational Continuity & Family Alignment

    This course helps family businesses create their foundations to align their family, business and ownership for success. In three days over a four-month period, family businesses will learn to hold effective family meetings, make unified decisions, create strategies for ownership oversight and decision-making and more.

    This course next runs on October 3, October 31 and December 12 on our Minneapolis campus.

    Find an Advisor

    Whether your family is experiencing hardship in personal relationships, succession planning or has a general need for financial planning, an advisor can add value to your business family. Learn what to look for in an adviser and see a list of family business advisors.

    Find an Advisor

    Community Engagement

    The Family Business Center provides education and resources to family businesses across Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. Since 2021, the center has collaborated with local business support organizations to expand access to family business education, ensuring business owners across all communities have the tools to succeed. In 2023, it launched a three-year pilot program to support family businesses on St. Paul’s East Side, funded by a charitable gift from The McNeely Foundation.

    Join the Family Business Center

    Are you interested in becoming a part of our community of family businesses?
    Contact us to learn how to join the Family Business Center, gain access to our events and classes, and get help connecting to an adviser.

    Contact us:

    familybusiness@stthomas.edu
    (651) 962-4560
    Schulze Hall 433, Minneapolis Campus