Peer Leadership Forums

For those in family business, peer groups can be a highly effective means of vetting ideas, seeking confidentiality and bench-marking their business against others. A well-formed peer group is assembled with careful detail to ensure that all have something to contribute as well as take away from each meeting. While the advice an owner or business leader receives in a peer group is non-binding, the power of the peer relationship eventually calls for some level of action. Coming to the group month after month with the same persistent issue is rarely tolerated.

The Cornell SFBI Peer Leadership Forums combine the expertise of the SFBI team, access to Cornell faculty, and the Cornell global alumni network. Forums will be carefully curated and formed. Each forum will be unique to its constituent members, and areas of growth and exploration will be driven by the members.

Please read on to find out about our offerings.

Introducing the Cornell Family Business Young Alumni Forum (Cornell only)

The Cornell Family Business Young Alumni Forum is a peer group program designed for Cornell alumni who are within five years of graduation (undergraduate or graduate), as well as current students in their final semester. The forum offers a secure and trusted environment for participants to engage with peers around family business topics. Each forum consists of a small, curated group of up to 10 members and meets virtually six times a year (bimonthly) with an optional in-person retreat available at an additional cost. Forums are moderated by the SFBI team or a Cornell Family Business Fellow. To the best of our ability, we will ensure there are no competitive conflicts within each group.

Benefits include:

• Structured meetings, with facilitator managing group; 1-2 hour virtual meetings (unless members choose to meet in-person)
• Guest speakers as needed or requested
• One-on-one coaching with SFBI team or Fellow once a year
• Pair with mentor from our Mentorscape (optional)
• Access to additional university and family business resources

Cost: $500 per person per year (minimum one year commitment) 

About the SFBI Peer Leadership Forums

The SFBI Peer Leadership Forums offer members a professionally facilitated environment for growth and collaboration. Each group is led by a Peer Forum Facilitator, whose role includes leading meetings, monitoring discussion topics, and ensuring accountability among members. The facilitator will also secure outside content experts, such as Cornell Family Business Fellows or Mentors, coordinate meeting logistics, and provide ongoing leadership and coaching. Discussion topics are tailored to the needs of the group, ensuring relevance and impact.

Structure 

Peer forums will be based on multiple factors; including size and stage of business, role of individual within business, industry of participating businesses, and most importantly, the overall “fit” of the forum members. Forums meet in small groups of up to 10 members and will meet bimonthly, 6 times a year, in virtual sessions (unless otherwise decided upon by members), with an optional in-person retreat at an additional cost. Dates and times of meetings are agreed upon by group members. As a rule, family members and competitors are never grouped together. 

What does it mean to participate in a Peer Leadership Forum? 

Once the group membership is set, participants will be asked to make a minimum two-year commitment. This insures consistency of group membership, continuity of dialog, ample time to develop trust and opportunities to fully explore areas of individual development.  

Who is the Forum Facilitator and what is their role? 

The Peer Forum Facilitator is a professionally trained and certified facilitator. Their primary role is to lead forum meetings, monitor discussion topics and hold group members accountable to each other. Facilitators are also responsible for securing outside content experts as needed or requested – often Cornell Family Business Fellows or Mentors, coordinating meeting logistics, and providing leadership and coaching throughout. Lastly, participants meet one-on-one with the facilitator twice a year to discuss their group experience. 

MEET OUR FACILITATORS