Social media and AI are rewiring work, relationships, and society. Fast Forward 2026 was a reminder of why family business is as human as it is important. We gathered (in person!) to have real conversations and to make real connections. Yes, AI is here, but so is family business. And in a digital-1st world, families win by playing to their strengths: authenticity, humanity, and family-first.
Let’s recap the day with a few things worth carrying forward.
Hugh O’Donnell brought the hard math on venture
If you’re putting capital to work in venture, you need a top-quartile (ideally top-decile) fund to beat equity markets after fees. Anything less is a story the fund’s leadership is telling you.
Philanthropy with intent
Alicia McGowan (Holman), Britny Francis (NFI), Brittany Green Daniels (Green Family Foundation), and Michelle Sparrow (Little Brown Bird Bakery) showed what generational giving looks like when it’s a discipline, not another check to write. They reminded us to be intentional, flexible, and to give to organizations that align with your own pillars.
The mock board put theory to workDebbie Hays, Jim Carll, Caleb White, and Carl Ortell walked us through a live family-business case. The takeaways? Look around the corner to assess risk, plan across generations (not quarters), and have the hard conversations early. And the line we won’t forget: sometimes the right family decision is also the best business decision.
The family office, demystified
Mike Ouellette, Sean Kelleher, and Erich Hickey gave the room a ground-level look at what a family office actually is — and what it costs. Not just capital costs, but the human ones: managing risk across generations, aligning on values, protecting against cyber threats, and making decisions that hold up over time. The throughline: a family office is only as good as the team running it. The right team aligned to founder intent can be the difference between continuity and chaos.
The excellence formula
Stephen Pina, Hazel Clark, Ashley Howard, and Deb Kessler closed the day with something deceptively straightforward:
Excellence = Talent + Hard Work – Distractions.
The hard part isn’t knowing it — it’s actually doing it. And if you happen to have the legendary educator Joe Clark as your dad, you might just turn a lemon into a grapefruit – IYKYK.
Thank You!
A massive thank you to our partners at Archer & Greiner and Starboard Advisors, to all of our talented and informative speakers, and to every family in the room. You’re the reason Fast Forward exists.
What’s the one thing you’re taking back to your business? Drop us a line. We’re already thinking about 2027.
Travis Coley: tcoley@whitepenny.com
Debbie Hays: dhays@archerlaw.com
Bart Weisenfluh: bart@starboardadvisorsllc.com
