Members of the Center for Family Business listen to keynote speakers at the center’s conference in May 2024.
Center for Family Business
New Director Hired
Jacob Jones
The Center for Family Business (CFB) has a new director. Jacob Jones, a former business consultant at Gannon University’s Small Business Development Center, will lead the CFB.
Jones will work closely with Dr. Chris Harben, the academic director of the CFB and the Toudy Chair of Entrepreneurship and Family Business, to develop programming and services that support the center’s members with information and expertise in succession planning, estate planning, social media, management information, and other aspects critical to the success of family-owned businesses in northwestern Pennsylvania.
Events Draw Crowds
The Center for Family Business hosted its first conference, “The Entrepreneurship of Family Business,” in May 2024. Nearly 100 people attended the two-day event, which featured three keynote speakers and several breakout sessions, such as “Six Secrets to Surviving Succession” and “Board Creation, Development, and Governance.” The 2025 conference is scheduled for May 14-15.
In October 2024, CFB held a panel discussion, “Driving Growth Through Innovation: A Roadmap for Family Business,” featuring area business leaders who are building the next generation of innovation products, services, and processes. Additionally, quarterly roundtable discussions are now part of the center’s regular programming for its members.
Center for Financial Literacy
Grant Allows Expansion
The Center for Financial Literacy hosted a bootcamp in summer 2024 for high school teachers.
The Center for Financial Literacy (CFL) will expand its outreach efforts thanks to a $25,000 Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC) grant from Erie Insurance.
The funds will allow the center, which provides financial literacy resources to high school students, secondary school educators, and adults, to expand its offerings to high schools in Intermediate Unit 5 and Intermediate Unit 6, benefiting more than 3,000 students. The grant will also support students who participate in Junior Achievement’s BizTown simulation session, sponsored by CFL.
This event combines in-class learning with a day-long visit to a simulated town where students can operate banks, manage restaurants, write checks, and vote for mayor, allowing them to see how the skills they learn in school will be useful in the real world.
Teaching Teachers
The center held a Financial Literacy Bootcamp in August 2024 to help local high school educators prepare for state-mandated financial literacy teaching.
Topics included: Introduction to the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Academic Standards for Personal Finance; developing a financial plan with students; a roadmap for developing a personal financing course; the impact of financial literacy education; and potential careers for students interested in finance.
The bootcamp is made possible by grant funds provided by Barnes & Noble College, a Barnes & Noble Education company that operates the Penn State Bookstore.