Signature Event: Complex Neural Connections
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
3:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus
Alumni, Community, Faculty, Staff
Fostering Harmony with Communication
Family conversations are like neural connections—carrying
messages of aspirations, care, and tough truths. These bonds aren’t
always smooth; they can spark, misfire, or fall silent. Dr. Kimberly
Eddleston will guide our discussion into why intergenerational
conversations can be tough and offer key insights into its role in
family business conflict. In this session, we’ll learn strategies to
overcome communication roadblocks and improve family harmony by
addressing taboo topics and starting difficult conversations.
Speaker: Dr. Kimberly Eddleston, Schulze Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship Northeastern University, FamilyBusiness.org Editor, Family Business Fellow Cornell University
Kimberly A. Eddleston is the Schulze Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and Montoni Research Fellow at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University. She is also an Academic Scholar at Cornell University’s Smith Family Business Initiative. Professor Eddleston is the Founding Editor of FamilyBusiness.org and a Senior Editor of the Entrepreneur & Innovation Exchange (eix.org). In addition, she has had various levels of involvement with several of her family’s businesses. She has won more than 60 awards, and her research has accumulated over 19,000 citations to date, leading her to be ranked among the world's top 2% of scientists by Stanford University. She is also recognized as one of the top 25 family business academics by Family Capital.
Panelist: Yue Xi, Managing Director, Brightstar
Prior to joining Brightstar, Yue was a Vice President at Calera Capital, focusing on investment opportunities across a range of industries including industrial services and business services. Prior to Calera, Yue was an Associate in the LBO Group at H.I.G. Capital. Yue began his career as a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions Group at Citi. Yue holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Conversations That Shape Family Business
Before we explore the psychology behind tough family business conversations with Dr. Kimberly Eddleston, Yue Xi, Managing Director at Brightstar Capital Partners and Michigan-native will set the stage by discussing what can trigger those conversations—succession planning, next-gen leadership, and exit strategy. Using insights from Brightstar's proprietary Pulse of Family Business research and real-world investment stories, we’ll highlight the opportunities and challenges facing family businesses.
Location Information
L.V. Eberhard Center
Grand Valley State University
301 Fulton
St W, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Contact Information
Family Business Alliance
616-771-0575
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This event was added to the calendar by Valerie Palmer (palmerv@gvsu.edu) on Monday, March 31, 2025 and was last updated on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 8:21 a.m.