Family Business Retreat attendees pose for a group portrait.
For family-owned businesses, success is about more than profits; it is about preserving values, navigating change and building a legacy that lasts for generations. This summer, the University of West Georgia’s Stone Center for Family Business, Entrepreneurship and Innovation will once again bring together business owners, successors and leaders from across the region for the Richards College of Business’s annual Family Business Retreat.
Designed with family-owned enterprises in mind, the retreat provides a unique opportunity for participants to step away from daily operations and engage in meaningful conversations about leadership, succession, innovation, and long-term sustainability. Through expert-led sessions, peer networking and collaborative discussions, attendees gain practical strategies while connecting with others who understand the unique opportunities and challenges of running a family business.
At the center of these efforts is Raja Bhattacharya, director of the Stone Center. Under his leadership, the center continues to strengthen family-owned businesses through educational programs, peer learning opportunities, and resources designed to support both current and future generations of business leaders.
Leading up to the retreat, Bhattacharya discussed the importance of supporting family-owned businesses during an interview on Community Voice on WLBB Talk 1330. He highlighted the retreat’s role in bringing business owners together to learn from experts, exchange ideas and develop strategies for navigating succession, innovation and long-term growth, helping family businesses build not only successful companies but lasting legacies.
“As we head into our 2026 retreat, I look forward to our family businesses in the region establishing a deeper connection with each other and sharing with us future opportunities and challenges they face,” Bhattacharya said. “Family-owned enterprises are the bedrock of the U.S. economy, contributing between 50-60 percent of the U.S. GDP. Their success impacts every community.”
The retreat also reflects the vision of the Stone family, whose commitment to entrepreneurship and community impact inspired the creation of the Stone Center. Through the leadership and generosity of the late Bob Stone and his family, the center was established to support family-owned businesses and entrepreneurship across West Georgia by providing educational opportunities, practical resources and meaningful connections. Recognizing the vital role family businesses play in driving economic growth and strengthening communities, Stone envisioned a center where owners could learn from one another, prepare future generations for leadership and build sustainable organizations capable of thriving for decades.
Among this year’s featured speakers is Dr. Raju Venkataraman, founder of Akilum LLC, a Bethlehem-based startup focused on developing innovative solutions that improve business efficiency. With more than three decades of experience spanning research and development, operations, quality management and process improvement, Venkataraman has held leadership roles at organizations including Knoll, Motorola, Lucent, Bethlehem Steel, Trico Technologies and Inland Steel.
During his session, “Innovation is More than AI,” Venkataraman will challenge participants to think beyond emerging technologies and explore how innovation can be embedded throughout an organization. From improving internal processes to reimagining products and business models, attendees will learn how family businesses can evolve while maintaining the values and identity that define them.
The retreat will also feature W. Troy Vollenweider and Nema Etheridge from the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center. Together, they will present “Taming the Beast: How Family Business Owners Can Manage AI Before It Eats Them Alive.” Their session will focus on practical and responsible approaches to artificial intelligence, helping business owners establish guardrails, make informed decisions and leverage technology without sacrificing trust, culture or long-term stewardship.
Another featured presenter, A. Rebekah Teal, JD, MTS, brings extensive experience in law, entrepreneurship, education and business leadership. Her session, “Create Impact, Inspire Generations: Leading a Values-Driven Family Business,” will explore how family businesses can transform deeply held values into everyday leadership practices that strengthen organizational culture, align generations and create lasting community impact.
Past participants consistently describe the retreat as a transformative experience.
“The UWG business retreat was one of those rare experiences that actually makes you stop and think about how you lead day-to-day,” said Mark DeNyse, president of DeNyse Signage & Architectural Elements. “If you’re part of a family-owned business, I can’t recommend this retreat enough. It’s practical, honest and refreshing, and you leave re-energized with a clearer mindset and better tools to lead forward.”
For Dr. Allison Key, founder and CEO of 3:16 HealthCare, LLC, the retreat provided valuable insight into the realities of business ownership.
“Having the opportunity to spend two days surrounded by like-minded family business owners, sharing challenges and successes, and learning from experts in the field was not only refreshing, but transformative for the future of my company,” Key shared. “I look forward to returning every year as we build not just a business, but a legacy.”
Abigail Whorton, CEO of The Whorton Agency, Inc., emphasized the collaborative environment that makes the retreat unique.
“The joy of the Stone Center Family Business Retreat is in how it brings together entrepreneurs and multi-generational small businesses,” Whorton said. “There is something so special about learning from those walking the path that you are traveling down. I’ve found myself dreaming bigger, asking deeper questions, gaining insights to growth and scale, and so much more.”
By bringing together experienced business leaders, industry experts and family-owned companies from across the region, the Stone Center Family Business Retreat continues the vision established by Bob Stone and his family, supporting the businesses that serve as economic anchors, employers and community builders throughout West Georgia and beyond.
Registration is now open. Family business owners, family members, entrepreneurs and emerging leaders are invited to join the conversation, gain valuable insights and invest in the future of their business and the legacy they hope to build for generations to come.
