Session Speakers

Pre-Conference Workshop

Your Evolving Family Enterprise: Practical Tools to Understand Your Purpose and Design Your Path

  • Rebecca guides family enterprises as they navigate the complexities of intergenerational ownership and planning for transitions. With the benefit of a systems perspective, she helps family enterprises address the need for evolving governance while enhancing leadership and collaboration skills among family members. This work enables families to embrace the gifts and talents of all family members to help ensure a sustainable enterprise.  A key part of her focus is preparing next generation family members to take on new roles.

    Prior to joining Relative Solutions, Rebecca spent over 15 years as a business leader working in and with family offices, advising families on governance, communication, and family learning. She also wrote a guidebook for social impact investors as part of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy at the University of Pennsylvania.

    Rebecca enjoys contributing to industry publications and speaking at conferences. Her focus is exploring practical approaches to helping enterprising families address the challenges that arise from sharing financial resources.

    Rebecca earned her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her MBA from the University of Maryland. She trained at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family in Washington, DC, is a 21/64 Certified Advisor, and a member of the Family Firm Institute (FFI).

  • Bryn Mars Monahan is thrilled to pair her knowledge of business operations, and the challenges of family enterprise, as a consultant with Relative Solutions. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Skidmore College, and her MBA from LSU-Shreveport. Coupling her education with her years of experience at Dignitas, a multi-family office, Bryn focuses on the intersection of enterprise and family, providing structure for governance, leadership, communication, and education. Though well versed in all of the challenges and opportunities facing families, Bryn is particularly focused on succession and the Rising Generation.

    In addition to her work, Bryn is an active member of the Board of Directors of Foster Holdings Inc., and FAM Legacy Solutions, an MFO Consulting Service. Previously, she served as Chair of 5/4ths, a 4th Generation Family Investment Group.

    She is a thought leader in the family office space, and has been featured as a speaker at countless organizations, including Campden, Family Firm Institute (FFI), Family Office Exchange (FOX), SEFOF, and more. She is also on the advisory board for numerous organizations, including Chair of the Southeastern Family Office Forum (SEFOF) 2020-2022.

Family Office Foundations

  • Scott Calhoun is managing director for the Family Office division and senior partner of Ronald Blue Trust.

    As managing director, Scott oversees the growth and expansion of the Family Office division. In addition to his leadership role, Scott has over 25 years experience helping families intentionally design a multigenerational plan for transferring the social, spiritual, and financial capital necessary for the family to thrive. His biblical worldview and uncommon approach in the areas of financial, estate, trust, and investment planning emphasize a principle driven wealth transition that properly prepares and equips each generation.

    Prior to joining Ronald Blue Trust in 2013, Scott worked as the executive vice president of Glenmore Advisors LLC, regional director of Convergent Wealth Advisors, and with Synovus Family Asset Management as a director of the financial strategies unit. He has spoken frequently for the Family Office Exchange (FOX), Southeastern Family Office Forum (SEFOF) and other associations on several different topics including opportunities and challenges in the fixed income markets and cutting-edge developments in the family office arena. Scott is also a former United States Marine.

    Scott graduated from the University of Georgia with a master’s degree in accountancy (Tax) and a BBA in accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS), a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®), and a Certified Wealth Strategist® (CWS®).

    Active in his community, Scott is a member of the Administrative Council for Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church and previously served on the University of Georgia, Terry College of Business Alumni Board. He is a member of the Atlanta Estate Planning Council and is also an advisor for the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) Legacy. Scott and his wife, Tiffany, have two children and live in Marietta, Georgia.

  • As Sr. Director of the Cathy Family Office, Ryan is responsible for overseeing the financial and operating functions of the family office. The main functions include financial planning, tax planning, estate planning, property management, risk management, and philanthropy. Ryan also spends a considerable amount of time with Gen 3 discussing various topics, but mainly just walking through life with them as a friend and advisor. Ryan also has the opportunity to serve in functions that support strategic planning related to Chick-fil-A, Inc..

    Prior to joining Chick-fil-A, Inc. and the Cathy Family Office, Ryan spent over 6 years in public accounting. In that role, he spent over 4 years working in tax; focusing on large C and S Corporations and high-wealth individuals. His primary responsibility was compliance, but he also had the opportunity to assist with tax planning strategies and overall financial planning. In addition, he spent time working in audit. On the financial audit side, Ryan worked in the areas of R&D, manufacturing, and construction, and also assisted with 4 non-profit audits. Further, he spent two summers joining the ERISA compliance team in order to audit various 401k and profit sharing plans.

    Ryan is a graduate of Clemson University and holds a bachelors and master’s degree. He graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in 2004 and later earned his Masters of Professional Accountancy with an emphasis in Taxation in 2006, after spending 1 year in between interning in both industry and public accounting. He holds a CPA license in the state of Georgia.

    Ryan is blessed to be married to his best friend Shelley, and they have two wonderful sons, ages 13 and 11. Most of their time is spent either on the baseball field with their boys, where Ryan is head coach of their teams, or outdoors as the entire family enjoys being outside. Along with family time and baseball, Ryan enjoys Clemson football and hunting. They worship at Crossroads Church in Newnan and are also very passionate about the national ministry, FCA Outdoors. Additionally, Ryan serves on three Boards. Further, Ryan is honored to help lead two committees for a large local foundation – the Audit Committee (Chair) and the Investment Advisory Committee.

  • Since 2013, Tracy Ward has been the president and chief executive officer of Miramar Services, Inc., which provides the full spectrum of financial services to nearly 200 clients from a single high-net-worth family from coast to coast. In this role she leads a staff of more than 50 attorneys, CPAs, CFAs and other professionals to provide wealth management, estate planning, tax planning and preparation, and philanthropic and concierge services to members of the family’s fourth through seventh generations. She also orchestrates the company’s traditional business functions, such as strategic planning, human resources, information technology management and financial reporting. Her current position includes executive leadership of two multibillion entities, an investment partnership and a private trust company.

    Ms. Ward joined Miramar in 2006 as general counsel, where her accomplishments included launching the private trust company and overseeing the family’s stewardship of two family-controlled public companies. From 2011 until 2013, she was Miramar’s Chief Operating Officer, which prepared her to ascend to the CEO position shortly after the termination of a large family trust, the source of much of the family’s wealth.

    Prior to joining Miramar, she spent seven years as an attorney at the Cincinnati firm of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister. Ms. Ward received her law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1999, and her bachelor’s in English from the University of Cincinnati in 1995.

  • With over 30 years of experience working with high net-worth families and family offices, Diana Ledford is CEO of ForeFold Ventures in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, In this role, Diana works with a family enterprise on the development and implementation of their strategic plan for investments, trust and estate planning, philanthropy, tax and accounting, and next generation education. Diana joined ForeFold Ventures in 2016.

    Prior to this role, Diana was Senior Vice President at Northern Trust in Chicago responsible for client development for Northern’s Multi-Manager Solutions (OCIO) Group. In this role, Diana worked with family offices, ultra-high net worth individuals, foundations and endowments to develop custom advisory and discretionary investment solutions from single strategy mandates to total outsourcing programs. Diana served on the foundations and endowments investment committee at Northern Trust from 2013 – 2016.

    Previously, Diana was a Director at BlackRock in Chicago where she was responsible for business development and relationship management for BlackRock's Wealth Management Group focusing primarily on family offices. Earlier in her career, Diana was a private wealth advisor at Goldman Sachs in the San Francisco and New York offices and was Assistant Vice President and Director at SCI Capital Management in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

    Diana received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Northwestern University and a Masters in Business Administration degree in Finance and Marketing from Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University.

    Diana is currently the board chair of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. She is a trustee of Waypoint, and a member of the investment committee of Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids.


Family Office Speakers

  • Kim T. Kusilek is COO of HRK Group, Inc., a single-family office, and HRK Trust Company, a private trust company chartered for the Andersen Windows Family. HRK provides integrated financial services to fourth through sixth generation family members. Kim’s primary responsibilities are to organize and execute the Financial Services for each family member, which includes tax planning and compliance, financial reporting, investment accounting and reporting, and risk management. In addition, she acts as an advocate and trusted advisor for all her clients in their pursuit of financial prosperity.

    Kim worked in the Tax Department at Andersen Windows before joining HRK in 1996. She began her career at KPMG.

    Kim has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. Kim is married with two children and in her free time enjoys hiking, kayaking, sport activities, gardening, and reading.

  • Cassie Atteberry is an HR leader with over 20 years of experience making the people stuff easier.

    Cassie spent over 21 years in HR at Hallmarks Cards, Inc. where she specialized in helping leaders achieve their business strategy by getting the right structures, processes, cultures, people, and talent processes in place. As a member of the HR executive team, she influenced strategy, policy, and the employee experience; she also became a known as a champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion. A significant portion of her time was spent working with executive leadership teams and coaching employees at all levels. She was also the dedicated HR support for the family office established by Hallmark’s founders, which ushered her in to the family office industry.

    Cassie founded her own consultancy in 2020, Talent Outside the Lines, to help family offices maximize the value of their people portfolio. Her services include strategic HR consulting and organizational planning, coaching, building culture, and team and talent development.

    Cassie holds a master’s degree in human resources and industrial relations from the University of Minnesota, and a bachelor’s degree in communications from the College of St. Catherine. She is known as high-energy, a resourceful and thoughtful strategic partner, avid learner, trusted confidante and not taking herself too seriously. She enjoys time with her family and dogs and recently moved to the Boise, Idaho area to be near her parents.

  • Peggy is the Vice President of Operations & Human Resources for Gates Capital Management. In this role, she works closely with the family’s Education Committee, Housing Advisory Committee and coordinates the Gates Capital Management, LLC Annual Conference. In addition to these roles, she manages the operations of the office, manages the human resources functions and oversees the risk management and insurance program for all of the Gates Family operating entities. Peggy has been with Gates Capital Management since October 1996. Peggy lives in Colorado, is married, has four children and four grandchildren.

    Peggy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, graduating Suma Cum Laude from Regis University.

  • Tony Gebely, CEO of Annapurna Cybersecurity, has been immersed in the world of cybersecurity since 2003, when he discovered his passion for cryptography. With over two decades of experience in the information technology field, Tony has built a successful career leading custom software projects, building platforms in Drupal, and holding high-level positions such as Director of Digital Strategy and Director of Technology.

    Prior to founding Annapurna Cybersecurity, Tony’s most recent role as Chief Technology Officer for Family Office Exchange saw him serve as a subject matter expert on cybersecurity for the firm’s 500 members. Tony routinely advised families on cybersecurity best practices, published several papers on the topic, and ran the firm’s first Global Family Security Workshop.

    He also launched the organization’s Technology Operations and Data Security Network, which includes over 325 family office executives responsible for technology and cybersecurity.

  • Richard Douglas, CPP, is the founder and owner of LAH Consulting LLC and the former General Manager of Corporate Security and Fire protection for the United States Steel Corporation. LAH Consulting is a specialized security & risk consulting practice with full capabilities around the globe. In this capacity at United States Steel he was responsible for physical security and fire protection for the company’s international and domestic operations. United States Steel employs over 45,000 men and women across the globe. The company operates 13 facilities, 4 subsidiaries, 2 research facilities 6 joint ventures domestically, as well as major company facilities in the Slovak Republic, Brazil, Canada and two joint ventures in Mexico.

    Specific operations under his control were physical security, cyber security, uniformed guard services, ex-patriot protection, executive protection, travel security, emergency response, emergency medical services, intelligence, investigations, and international, federal, state and local asset protection compliance.

    As the leader of U.S. Steel’s integrated security and fire protection capabilities, Mr. Douglas has not only served as a global manager, he has developed a unique perspective from both hands-on experience and multi-discipline accreditation’s. Mr. Douglas has earned a reputation as a leader in building public/private partnerships. He served as a founding member and the first chairman of the Critical Manufacturing Sector Coordinating Council. He also served as Chairman of the Cross Sector Supply Chain Working Group. Under his leadership the group partnered with the National Security Staff in the issuance of the Presidents Strategy for Supply Chain Security. Mr. Douglas also served on the Overseas Security Advisory Council and served on a variety of boards in his home state of Indiana. Mr. Douglas holds degrees from Indiana University and is a board Certified Protection Professional.

  • Bryan’s practice focuses on assisting high net worth domestic and international clients on all aspects of estate and trust planning and management, with a particular emphasis on helping families and family offices administer complex family wealth structures.

    In addition to sophisticated tax planning for individuals, Bryan has extensive experience assisting wealthy families create and operate private trust companies and other governance structures in multiple jurisdictions.

    Throughout the representation of private trust companies, he has worked with state banking regulators and the Internal Revenue Service to help shape the complex rules regarding these fiduciaries. Further, Bryan’s practice includes the representation of multinational clients with cross-border tax and trust planning.

  • Jill Barber is President of CYMI Holdings, which provides wealth advisory services to each member of the Mathile Family. Jill joined CYMI in 1999 just prior to the sale of the Iams Company to Procter & Gamble.

    Jill is respected by her peers from Family Offices around the world and is often invited to share best practices on Business Continuity Planning, Risk Management, Strategic Planning, and Family Office Structuring. She began her career at Arthur Andersen in 1996 and advanced quickly to a tax manager position specializing in S Corporation and Partnership Tax. For more than two decades, Jill has been a trusted advisor to three generations of the Mathile family.

    Jill is a Certified Public Accountant (C.P.A.) and a Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA®). She graduated Magna Cum Laude with B.S.B. in Accounting and Finance from Wright State University in 1994.

  • Christine Franco is the President of Ingeborg where she oversees the Ingeborg team and is responsible for Ingeborg’s strategic direction and growth in concert with Ingeborg’s founder, Olivia Walton. Ingeborg consists of both Ingeborg Investments, a venture capital fund that invests in women, and Ingeborg Initiatives, Olivia’s philanthropy strategy.

    Christine draws from over 25 years of family office experience leading the Hall Family Office and the Duchossois Family Office. Prior to entering the family office industry, Christine worked at Ernst & Young in Chicago where she spent time in its Moscow, Russia office.

    Christine earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and her graduate degree from DePaul University. Christine lives in Bentonville, Arkansas with her husband, Carlos. They have three grown daughters.


  • Robin Satyshur joined the Cox Family Office (CFO) in July 2022, as Vice President, Finance & Accounting. She is responsible for the financial and accounting operations of CFO; providing fiduciary oversight for the family’s diverse financial interests; and implementing best practices to optimize CFO’s financial processes.

    Robin previously served as Principal in the Nashville office of Diversified Trust, where she was responsible for serving multi-generational families, including family offices and private family trust companies.

    In previous leadership roles, Robin served as founder, CEO, and director of Pendleton Square Trust Company, leading the company’s formation and expansion and as Treasurer and COO of The Family Office, LLC in Nashville, a legacy single-family office serving the founders of Dollar General, the Turner family.

    During her tenure at The Family Office, Robin led the formation, implementation, and operations of the family’s private family trust company, the first in Tennessee. Subsequently, she served as an independent director and committee chairperson for a second Tennessee-based private family trust company offering trust and fiduciary services to a multi-generational, private business-owning family.

    Robin is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Nashville and is a trustee for the League’s endowment. Her professional memberships include the American Institute of CPAs, the Tennessee Society of CPAs, the Nashville Estate Planning Council, and the Private Directors Association. Robin is a certified public accountant (inactive) and holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University.

  • Donny Thoresen has spent nearly the past two decades serving in various leadership roles within two Atlanta based family offices. Donny’s experience has primarily centered upon Trust & Estate, Investment Management & Finance.

    Most recently, Donny joined Fuqua Capital Corporation (the Fuqua Family Office) in early 2020 to form a private trust company for the Family (FFTC). During this time, Donny led the Company’s formation and implementation. He now oversees FFTC’s ongoing operations as President and works closely with each family member/beneficiary advising them on a variety of topics.

    Previously, Donny spent 16 years working at Robinson Weeks Partners, LLC. During his tenure, Donny served in several leadership capacities, with the majority of his time as COO of the Weeks Family Office. Donny holds an MBA from the University of Georgia.

Family Business Speakers

  • Amelia Renkert-Thomas is the founder of Renkert Thomas Consulting LLC, and the author of Engaged Ownership: A Guide for Owners of Family Businesses (Wiley, 2015).

    Renkert Thomas Consulting LLC is a U.S.-based consultancy focused on family enterprises—businesses, family offices, trusts, private trust companies, and foundations. RTC works with family enterprise owners on issues related to strategy, ownership, and governance. Amelia brings technical expertise, multi-disciplinary training, and extensive experience to governance design; business operations and strategy; law; and family systems and organizational development.

    Engaged Ownership, a division of Renkert Thomas Consulting, offers training and education to family members, directors, managers, and their advisors, to improve engagement and foster more effective stewardship of family enterprises of all shapes and sizes.

    A tax, trusts and estates attorney by training, Amelia co-founded Withers Consulting Group LLC in 2013, and prior to opening her consulting practice, was a Partner at the international law firm Withers Bergman LLP, where she co-chaired the firm’s Family Office Group. Amelia received her B.A. from Yale College, her J.D. from Harvard Law School, and her LL.M in Taxation from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

  • Jill Barber is President of CYMI Holdings, which provides wealth advisory services to each member of the Mathile Family. Jill joined CYMI in 1999 just prior to the sale of the Iams Company to Procter & Gamble.

    Jill is respected by her peers from Family Offices around the world and is often invited to share best practices on Business Continuity Planning, Risk Management, Strategic Planning, and Family Office Structuring. She began her career at Arthur Andersen in 19 96 and advanced quickly to a tax manager position specializing in S Corporation and Partnership Tax. For more than two decades, Jill has been a trusted advisor to three generations of the Mathile family.

    Jill is a Certified Public Accountant (C.P.A.) and a Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA®). She graduated Magna Cum Laude with B.S.B. in Accounting and Finance from Wright State University in 1994.

  • Kiki is a third-generation owner of Tauck, Inc., a 100-year old travel company based in Wilton, Ct. With her siblings she has helped develop, support and evolve the company’s governance and Board of Directors; has established multiple family and governance policies related to family ownership, and established a plan for ownership transfer to the 4th generation. In addition, she and her siblings have created a unique multi-generational Governance Structure to support effective decision making within their family and business system, as well as to support the family’s growing enterprise activities.

    Kiki serves on Tauck Inc’s Board of Directors as well as the Board of the Tauck Family Foundation. She currently Chairs the family’s Voting Owners’ Council and Voting Owners’ Assembly. In 2018 she completed the Kellogg School of Management Executive Program: Governing Family Enterprises.

    A resident of Rochester, NY, Kiki enjoys staying involved in her community and takes particular interest in Rochester’s underserved populations. She serves on the Board of Nativity Preparatory Academy and supports the homeless through her volunteer efforts.

  • Liz is a third-generation owner of Tauck, Inc, a 100-yr old, family-owned travel company based in Wilton, CT.

    She has served multiple roles across the Tauck family enterprise over the past 20 years, including: Managing Director, Treasurer, and Board President of the Tauck Family Foundation; Board Director and Voting Owner Council Member of Tauck Inc.; and Chair of the Tauck family office.

    Liz lives with her husband and three daughters near Seattle, WA, where she serves on the board of the Bainbridge Island

    Museum of Art and is actively involved in a local chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild.

    Liz received a B.A. in Government from Dartmouth College and an MBA from U.C. Berkeley.

  • Gardner Peck is a third generation owner of his family’s office, Coattails LLC. Gardner also is the Executive Vice President of the family’s operating business, Danville Metal Stamping Co., Inc., a sheet metal fabricator for the gas turbine industry.

    Gardner is in his 12th year with the business and has been identified as the successor CEO when his father retires. Gardner is also a member of the investment committee fo Coattails.

    Gardner graduated from Rose Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, IN with a degree in computer engineering, and completed his MBA at the University of Illinois in Champaign, IL. Gardner enjoys spending time with his wife and their two daughters.

  • Rob Lachenauer is Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Banyan. Throughout his career advising business-owning families, Rob has been fascinated by both the complexity and the wisdom of family owner groups. In client relationships, Rob listens, learns, and advises the owner group on how to wisely make difficult decisions together. Rob’s expertise is in Owner Strategy and Four-Room governance. He has personally worked with more than 25 family owner groups.

    Rob has co-authored two books, the Harvard Business Review Family Business Handbook and Hardball: Are You Playing to Play or Playing to Win? among many other articles published in Harvard Business Review, Trust & Estates Magazine, and Family Business Magazine. During Rob’s leadership tenure, STEP has named Banyan as the top family advisory firm in the world three times. Before Banyan, he attended Harvard Business School then joined Boston Consulting Group. Rob is a proud father of three wonderful daughters. He lives with his awesome wife, dog, and two cats in Boston, Massachusetts. He is allergic to cats, however.

  • Edouard Thijssen is a member from the Belgian family behind the Aliaxis Group, and co-founder and CEO of Trusted Family.

    • Aliaxis is a global leader in advanced fluid management solutions that enable access to water and energy.

    • Edouard sits on the advisory committee of Aliaxis Next, the corporate venture arm of the Aliaxis Group.

    • He was also part of the family committee that led the family vision 2035 project.

    • Trusted Family is an award-winning technology platform serving the world’s leading family businesses and offices. Trusted Family offers a single, secure and centralized governance platform, enabling directors, shareholders, family members and their close advisors to easily connect, communicate and collaborate from anywhere, at any time, on any device. The company is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, with offices in London and New York, and family office clients in 25 countries globally.

  • James Weiler is a 3rd generation owner of Weiler Abrasives Group, a global manufacturer of industrial abrasives for cutting, grinding, cleaning, and surface conditioning. At Weiler he worked in operations as a QA specialist based in China and as an ERP/IT analyst before leaving to pursue his passion for industrial design with MTS Design+Manufacture, a boutique product development firm in Allentown, PA, where he is a project manager. He served as a Weiler advisory board member for 27 years and now serves as a board observer and family governance advocate. James has also recently taught product design at Lehigh University and East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.

    James received his B.A. from Skidmore College, his Master of Industrial Design from Pratt Institute, studied Mandarin Chinese at National Taiwan University, and recently earned his Master of Engineering from Lehigh University. He is a father of two, enjoys making pottery and advising startups. He lives in Bethlehem, PA.

  • Robert Bunting Jr. is the 3rd generation President and CEO of Bunting®. Robert has been with Bunting for 16 years, serving in a variety of roles consisting of sales, product management, general manager, and now President and CEO. Robert was born in Newton, KS shortly after Bunting moved the main manufacturing and corporate offices. Robert earned his degree from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO.

    Bunting® is one of the world’s leading designers and manufacturers of magnetic separators, metal detectors, materials handling, magnetic printing cylinders, magnets, magnet assemblies, and magnetizing equipment. The company, headquartered in Newton, Kansas, has multiple locations including Elk Grove Village, IL; DuBois, PA; Berkhamsted and Redditch in the United Kingdom; and Ningbo, China.

    Founded in 1959 by Walter F. Bunting in Chicago, Illinois, the company has remained family-owned and family-operated ever since. Walter’s son, Bob Bunting, served as president of the company since 1993 and oversaw an international expansion of the company. Over the 29-years as president and CEO, Bob oversaw a three-fold increase in sales

Family Connection & Legacy Speakers

  • Cooper Biersach is the co-founder of the Family Enterprise Center at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. She teaches family business courses to undergraduates and MBA students, facilitates roundtable peer groups, and delivers educational programming to multi-generational families. Since 2009, Cooper has worked with over 1,000 next generation leaders and their families. Drawing on her experience as a non-family executive, Cooper provides leadership coaching, succession planning, governance, and communication consulting to privately-held businesses and family enterprises. She served as the Senior VP, Worldwide Human Resources and a member of the Executive Committee of a family-owned company, Jack Morton Worldwide, a global brand experience and communications agency. She is the founding director of the Carolinas Family Office Forum, a networking and educational peer group for top executives of family offices in North and South Carolina.

    Cooper received her BA in English at UNC-Chapel Hill, followed by her MBA and JD with honors. She holds an executive certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Learning and is an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation.

  • Tom is a recognized leader and pioneer in family governance and legacy planning. He had the privilege of meeting Jay Hughes over 30 years ago who inspired him to transform his practice from “Preparing the Money for the Family” to “Preparing the Family for the Money.” Using his Seven-Steps to Healthy Family Governance, Tom has worked with over 300 families facilitating family meetings focusing on: creating a legacy culture with an entrepreneurial mindset, philanthropic vision, legacy planning, succession development and endowing the process for the future, all to create a generational family.

    In 2017 Tom teamed up with his wife Cathy, a certified relationship coach, and started GenLeg Co., Inc. Together they provide guidance and education to families and their advisors, helping them transition significant capital, both financial (tangible) and human (intangible), from one generation to the next.

    Prior to starting a private family legacy consulting practice, Tom was with Wilmington Trust, bringing his family governance and legacy planning expertise as both a speaker and motivator to families, and to Wilmington’s client facing teams to help them integrate Family Governance into the fabric of the client relationship. Previously, Tom was Managing Director of Family Wealth Services for BNY Mellon, National Director of Estate Tax Planning with State Street Global Advisors, and Director of Financial and Estate Tax Planning with Coopers and Lybrand. He holds a bachelor’s in Economics from Ithaca College.

    Tom has spoken for The World Presidents Organization (now YPO Gold), Harvard University Business School, TIGER21, The Lincoln Center, Yale University, Dallas Theological Seminary, Vistage, Museum of Modern Art, The Nature Conservancy, New York Botanical Garden, The Dallas Foundation, The New York Community Trust, The Boston Foundation, Heckerling, The Catholic Foundation, numerous estate planning councils, as well as many other organizations.

  • Ella Chase Hyland is the co-founder of Wellth Works, which cultivates and develops authentic feminine leaders, showing women that they create success while integrating balance and fun. Ella is a dynamic and innovative speaker, facilitator, and mentor. She is a recognized authority on the psychology of leadership, negotiations, and organizational turnaround.

    Before launching Wellth Works, Ella spent a decade in sales consulting Fortune 200 companies and private enterprises on disaster recovery and business continuity strategy via emerging technology platforms (think about the “cloud” before it was commonplace), closing over $1 Billion in sales.

    Ella is a certified CTI professional coach, and is a Northeastern University alumnus, having graduated summa cum laude with dual bachelor’s degrees. You can find Ella traveling the globe, exploring new cultures and adventures, especially those that involve being in, or on, water.

  • Sophia Pacifico Griffini’s professional mission is to empower next-gens to get smart on money and investing skills with the goal of ensuring that they gain not only the knowledge, but also the confidence, to start owning their financial decisions.

    Inspired by her own experiences growing up with little to no guidance of how to manage personal finances, Sophia built Finance Talks to teach next-gens regardless of age or experience how to be in control of their finances.

    Previously, Sophia led a career in wealth management where she oversaw investment advice for high net worth and ultra-high net worth families, private foundations, not-for profits, and corporations.

    During her job in wealth management, she noticed a similar trend. Educating the next generation was not done in an engaging or interesting way. The Finance Talks courses are guided by 3 main principles: (1) Beginner Friendly (2) Customizable and (3) A good time.

    Sophia received a BA from University of Southern California. Originally from New York City, she now resides in San Francisco, but is an avid global traveler.

    Company Bio:

    Finance Talks was founded on the principal that as more next-gens take seats at the table, we need to equip them with the tools and knowledge to own their seat.

    We partner with select family offices to bring a highly customized approach to teaching the next generation investing and money skills.

    Through fun and engaging courses, we make investing fun, interesting and most importantly, relatable.

    All educational courses are rooted in what we call the 4 E’s:

    - Engage- Information only sticks if it is relatable and relevant. Through carefully curated questions we go beyond just "tell me about yourself" to customize the course.

    - Explain - There are 1 million+ ways to explain something. Our job? Find the explanation that works for YOU!

    - Explore - We give clients the safe space to connect the dots between what they learn and real-world examples.

    - Empower - Turn family meetings into discussions. Building on the concepts that clients learn, we give them the skills and confidence to have valuable and rewarding conversations about money and investing.

  • Melissa became the Executive Director of Adolph Coors Company LLC in 2015. Melissa leads the family Trust office and is responsible for trust administration, strategy, generational transition, and family communications. Prior to joining ACC LLC, Melissa spent 20 years working in the Coors beer business as it grew from Coors Brewing Company to Molson Coors Brewing Company. She worked in international sales, brand marketing, strategy and HR. Melissa earned her BSFS from Georgetown University and MBA from the University of Denver. Currently, Melissa serves on the board of the Adolph Coors Foundation.

    Melissa lives in Denver with her husband Mark and their three children. She enjoys the great Colorado outdoors, playing paddle sports, and spending time with her family.


  • Claiborne Haw is the family mission services advisor serving within the Family Office division of Ronald Blue Trust.

    Claiborne seeks to serve multi-generational families as they navigate the complexities of strategic communication, operational governance, philanthropy, and next-generation planning. With personal ties to her family’s 100-year-old business, she brings an insightful perspective to the intersection of family business and “the business” of the family. Combined with a biblical worldview, she helps clients see the opportunity of a wealth transfer, not just as a financial matter, but as a social and spiritual one too!

    Prior to joining Ronald Blue Trust, Claiborne worked for IBM in Washington, DC for almost 5 years. In 2020, she returned to her hometown of Richmond, VA to help her own family with business re-organization, project management, and communication. During this time, she was led by her passion for stewardship and fellowship to co-create Magnify, a group designed to gather and encourage the next generation within families of influence and excellence.

    Claiborne graduated from Clemson University with a BS in marketing. Her desire for spiritual and emotional growth led her to attend Jesus Culture's School of Leadership, a 2-year ministry program founded by the Sacramento-based church. She is active with Kore Venture, an organization creating community for next-gen leaders along their stewardship journey. Claiborne’s love of families has allowed her to speak about family dynamics and volunteer with the Southeastern Family Office Forum. Her heart is connected to the Richmond-based ministry, MAPS Global, an organization responsible for sending missionaries across the Middle East and Central Asia.

    Claiborne loves to spend time in the mountains of Virginia. She currently lives in Atlanta.

  • Minor leads his family's ranching and oil and gas enterprise in West Texas and stepped into the position at an early age due to an untimely death of his father.

    As president and co-manager, Minor is responsible for stewarding the family ranch properties that have been in his family for over 120 years. The Alexander ranch runs a cow calf operation totaling 1,400 head. Minor is a 5th generation rancher and takes great pride in honoring his family's ranching heritage and legacy. He knows the family would not be where they are today without faith, favor, and success in raising cattle over the years.

    The Alexander family also has a strong presence in the oil and gas industry. Minor manages minerals, royalties, and working interest investments that makes up the family's enterprise. Minor serves as a board member on a few oil and gas service companies. Minor has enjoyed the challenge and opportunity as an entrepreneur as he runs his own oilfield pipe supply company.

    Legacy, integrity, and character are what drives Minor as he leads his family and employees.

  • Danny Caruso is a 2nd Generation Rising Leader serving as a Sr. Analyst at Caruso Ventures. Caruso Ventures represents the Caruso family’s investment portfolio, family office, and not-for-profit activities. Danny works across all areas of the family office but spends most of his time on Caruso Tech Investments, the direct investments arm of the family office, which invests in High-Impact Scaleups, Seismic Trends and Next Generation Entrepreneurial Leaders in the Colorado ecosystem and Endeavor Global companies. Prior to working at Caruso Ventures, Danny held various sales positions.

    Danny is passionate about helping underserved youth. He is most active in Greenhouse Scholars, an organization supported by The Caruso Foundation.

    Danny holds his B.S. from Miami of Ohio. He grew up in Boulder, CO and currently resides in Denver. In his spare time, Danny enjoys playing hockey, golfing and traveling.

  • Frankie is the Principal Team Leader of Customer Throughput Film Study at Chick-fil-A, Inc. in Atlanta, GA. He serves Chick-fil-A Operators around the country by leveraging video, like a football or lacrosse coach, to determine opportunities for growth at busy peak times.

    Frankie attended the University of North Carolina, playing lacrosse for the Tar Heels and earning degrees in business and history in 2014. He earned his Master of Accounting from Kenan-Flagler Business School as well. After working in public accounting for two years and start-up consulting for three years, he is now contently an inactive CPA.

    Frankie was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a Gen 3 family member of the Kelly Family, owners and operators of Kelly Benefits in Hunt Valley, MD. He developed a passion for all things family business while a part of the UNC Family Enterprise Center, a passion he continued in Atlanta as a part of Kennesaw State University's mini-MBA in Next Gen Leadership.

    Frankie is married to Acacia, a fellow Tar Heel, and they live in Atlanta with their son, Quin. He's become an expert at answering the question "when are you planning to move back to Baltimore to join the family business?" - something he and Acacia prayerfully consider each year.

Next Gen

  • Christian Broyhill operates NextGen Journeys and seeks to bring important conversations regarding mental health and resiliency into family-owned businesses. She especially enjoys working with NextGen family members discerning their personal identity in light of their larger family success narrative. In addition to her work with families, Christian is a licensed professional counselor and maintains a private counseling practice where she serves adults navigating issues related to vocation, spirituality, and trauma.

    Christian is a graduate of Episcopal High School and Furman University. She possesses a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Denver Seminary. She has earned two advanced counseling certificates from The Allender Center, where she received training specifically related to group facilitation. Additionally, she has received a certificate from Kennesaw State University in Next Gen Family Enterprise Leadership. Christian has completed Moderator Training through the Young President’s Organization and has received accreditation to administer the iEQ9 integrative enneagram assessment.

    Christian has one daughter named Harbour. Her hobbies include singing with the Duke Evensong Singers at Duke Chapel and spending time outdoors.

  • Langdon has a decade of experience as a consultant to family offices and family business owners, where he helps to align legacy with actionable plans for the future. In his role at PwC, Langdon interfaces with businesses and families of all sizes, complexity and industry. He brings a passion for family engagement, next generation education and family communication, balanced by an understanding of the business and planning requirements of a complex family system. His specific areas of focus include: family continuity planning, business/family governance, family office setup-diagnostics-and operational analysis, technology, risk analysis and more.

    Langdon is a 6th generation member of a 165 year old family based in Seattle, WA. Having worked with his own family business on improving communication to the shareholders and with internal governance structures, he brings his direct experience to other families.

    Prior to his current role, Langdon was a Relationship manager for North and South America at Trusted Family, a digital security solution for ultra-high net worth families and family enterprises. He has also worked in his own family business, and currently is the Chair of his families’ Education Committee and is a member of the Family Council Committee.

  • Meredith is a member and consultant with Renkert Thomas Consulting. Renkert Thomas Consulting LLC works with family enterprise owners on issues related to strategy, ownership, and governance, with a particular focus on clarifying shared purpose to build engagement and alignment. In addition to work with clients, Meredith also supports RTC's undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs through the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School, the Society of Tax and Estate Practitioners, and Engaged Ownership, a branch of RTC dedicated to educating family business owners and their advisors on the distinctive features of family business governance.

    Meredith brings a background in organizational development and complex systems to the Renkert Thomas Consulting team. Much of her work focuses on the involvement, engagement, and education of rising generation family members with their family's operating businesses and family offices.

    Meredith lives with her husband, dog, and horse in Raleigh, North Carolina. She received a B.S. in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University in 2015.

  • Polina Rabinovich-Crotty is a collaborating consultant with The Lovins Group, a multi-disciplinary team of professionals who advise successful families on the challenges of living with legacy wealth. Polina’s contribution is providing personal coaching to family members as well as designing and facilitating empowering experiences for families seeking to thrive within the context of intergenerational wealth and family business dynamics. Polina leverages her nearly twenty-year career as a Certified Financial Planner™ and a fiduciary, having practiced and advocated for a client-centric, holistic approach to managing wealth and growing meaningful legacies.

    Polina's passion in supporting people discover what is true for them, and how they can express their authentic stand individually, as part of a family, and in the context of their community and culture is what led her to step more fully into working in the field of human growth and development. She applies this commitment to her coaching practice, guided by her training with Co-Active Professional Coaching Institute.

    Polina is a member of the Purposeful Planning Institute and Financial Therapy Association and enjoys learning from and collaborating with professionals across various disciplines and approaches. Polina received a BA degree in History from Wesleyan University, and since then has pursued diverse learning opportunities: from studies in advanced estate planning and philanthropic impact, to courses in environmental studies, theater, breathwork and meditation. Polina lives in North Granby, CT, with her husband and three children, and tries to share a sunrise or a sunset with them as often as possible.


  • Anthony Willoughby is an adventurer, cross-cultural ambassador and storyteller. He left England at the age of 22 with a one-way ticket on the Trans-Siberian Express in search of inspiration, adventure and opportunities and he is still on that journey. He has walked across the spine of Papua New Guinea, climbed high mountains, and recently rode with nomadic families and their herds through the mountains of western Mongolia in -30c.

    Based on the wisdom and insights Anthony learned from first-hand conversations with indigenous leaders he founded the Nomadic School of Business, providing individuals and organizations with the courage, clarity, and agility to survive and thrive in an ever-changing world.

  • Cody DuBuc is a fifth generation member of the historic media and journalism, Scripps Family. He serves on the boards of their single family office, private trust company, as well as their collective investment entity, where his responsibilities consist of overseeing compensation, operations, and performance of investments and strategies on behalf of his large extended family.

    Prior to his service, he studied English at both the University of Massachusetts-Boston and later Montana State University where he met his wife, Molly. They have made their home in the Boston area with their two sons where his wife is finishing her PhD in Developmental Psychology. They still spend time in Montana at their family home where they enjoy skiing, fly fishing, and the peaceful scenery.


  • Claire Moon, an adventurous and thoughtful leader, embraced a life intertwined with sport early in her career, leaving a lasting impact on her work style. With 20+ years of experience collaborating with CEOs and VPs, she has exceled in startup, family business, and nonprofit sectors, prioritizing results and organizational efficiency.

    In 2007, her father's passing unexpectedly resulted in family business ownership within a trust. Though her family enterprise path has not been easy, the experience taught valuable lessons. Choosing to step away from daily involvement, Claire remains closely connected to her family. Residing in Atlanta, GA, she continues to embark on a journey of self-discovery, constantly seeking growth and learning in pursuit of her purpose.

Women and Wealth Speakers

  • Ella Chase Hyland is the co-founder of Wellth Works, which cultivates and develops authentic feminine leaders, showing women that they create success while integrating balance and fun. Ella is a dynamic and innovative speaker, facilitator, and mentor. She is a recognized authority on the psychology of leadership, negotiations, and organizational turnaround.

    Before launching Wellth Works, Ella spent a decade in sales consulting Fortune 200 companies and private enterprises on disaster recovery and business continuity strategy via emerging technology platforms (think about the “cloud” before it was commonplace), closing over $1 Billion in sales.

    Ella is a certified CTI professional coach, and is a Northeastern University alumnus, having graduated summa cum laude with dual bachelor’s degrees. You can find Ella traveling the globe, exploring new cultures and adventures, especially those that involve being in, or on, water.

  • Coventry Edwards-Pitt, CFA, CFP®, is the Chief Creative Officer at Ballentine Partners, a firm that specializes in providing investment and wealth management advice to wealthy families and entrepreneurs. She is responsible for thought leadership for the firm. She began her career at Goldman Sachs after graduating from Harvard University.

    Covie is the author of the Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Collection, a three-book series that highlights success stories of how individuals have reconciled their financial abundance with the values and relationships that matter most in their lives. The first, Raised Healthy, Wealthy & Wise (2014), focuses on helping parents to raise grounded children amid wealth, the second, Aged Healthy, Wealthy & Wise (2017), centers on how to design a vibrant later life and legacy, and the third, Engaged Healthy, Wealthy & Wise (2023), offers a roadmap for inheritors and their significant others on how to navigate love and family wealth and forge their own joint path.

    Covie’s books live at the intersection of heart and wealth. She has spoken at over 150 events for wealth-owning families and their advisors and consults to individuals and families about how to implement the books’ strategies in their own families. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and daughter.

  • Michelle Langdon is the co-founder of Wellth Works - a leading provider of coaching and consulting supporting female leaders to grow their confidence, executive presence, and communication skills to help launch a world where women are equally represented.

    She is a trained professional coach, international economist, and a former advisor to governments around the world. She comes from a big, entrepreneurial family and is passionate about bridging the generational divide and empowering women in businesses.

    Michelle holds a Bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a Master’s in International Economics and Development from Johns Hopkins University. You can find Michelle teaching and practicing yoga, traveling, and stepping out of her comfort zone in her spare time.

Faith & Family Session Speakers

  • David is a native Texan and earned his bachelor's degree in finance from the University of North Texas. David served as a management consultant with the American Productivity & Quality Center and later as an executive for Hewlett Packard. In 2002, after sensing God's call to enter full-time vocational ministry, David enrolled at Dallas Theological Seminary to pursue a masters degree in biblical counseling as well as a doctorate in marriage and family ministry. Upon graduating from DTS, he received his call to pastor a church in northwest Houston for seven years before serving as a full-time marriage educator.

  • Terri was born in Ashland, Kentucky. She earned her bachelor's degree in Education from the University of North Texas. Upon graduating, Terri has been blessed with a 22 year teaching career as an English teacher.

    Terri is a leader in women's ministry and serves full-time alongside

    David in their combined marriage and family ministry.