Programs & Peer Groups
Stride Family Business Alliance runs a connected set of programs for multigenerational family businesses in New York’s Capital Region: confidential peer groups organized by generation and role, monthly learning sessions, an annual retreat, and one-on-one advisory. Every program rests on the same rule — what is shared in Stride stays in Stride.
Steward Generation Peer Group
The Steward Generation Peer Group is for the senior generation and current owners: the leaders carrying the weight of legacy, ownership, and the decisions that shape what they pass on. Co-chaired by Jonathan Phillips of Phillips Hardware, the group meets in person as part of Stride’s peer-group calendar — the Steward Cohort gathered at Haase Family Advisors in Albany in May 2026 — and works through ownership transitions, governance, and succession with peers who are facing the same decisions.
Rising Gen (Next Generation) Peer Group
Rising Gen is Stride’s peer group for next-generation family members who work in their family business and are on the path toward ownership and leadership. Meetings are hosted at member companies, pairing a tour and the host family’s story with a facilitated, confidential conversation. It is co-chaired by Christopher Walrath of Walrath Recruiting and Rosie DeFilippo of Albany Management. Read more on the Rising Gen page.
Non-Family Executive Peer Group
Stride’s newest peer group is for non-family executives who hold leadership roles inside family businesses, where the demands of the job differ from those anywhere else. The group meets in a confidential setting to compare notes on working with owning families, navigating succession from the inside, and leading without a seat at the family table. The next gathering is the Non-Family Executive Breakfast on November 5, 2026, at Launchbox Flexible Warehouse Suites in Latham, New York.
Women in Family Business
Stride’s Women in Family Business programming brings together women who lead, own, or are growing up in family enterprises for conversations shaped by their experience. Look for sessions on the Events page.
Affinity groups and the couples forum
Beyond the generational peer groups, members join affinity forums — Next Gen, Senior Gen, Couples, and more — inside Stride’s confidential, year-round digital community, so the conversation continues between meetings.
Monthly peer-group learning sessions
Every month Stride hosts a learning session, in person or remote, on a topic members ask for, led by a subject matter expert or a member who has lived it. Recent sessions include “Hiring a Non-Family CEO” at Harris Beach Murtha (April 2026), “The Generational Brand Model” (June 2026), and “How to Cultivate an Entrepreneurial Mindset for Lasting Family Success,” a live Zoom panel with Jahnel Group’s Darrin Jahnel, Arnaud De Coninck, Adam Holland, and Jason Packer, facilitated by Nick Di Loreto of BanyanGlobal (August 2026 — watch the highlights).
Company visits hosted by members
Many of Stride’s most valuable meetings happen inside a member’s business. In 2026 the community toured DeCrescente Distributing Company, met at Haase Family Advisors, and walked the car wash headquarters and manufacturing floor of the Hoffman family enterprise — each visit combining the host family’s history with a peer conversation.
STRIDE Mixers
Mixers are Stride’s open social gatherings — a relaxed evening for members, prospective members, and friends of the community. The July 2026 mixer was held at Ryan’s Wake in Troy, New York.
The annual Family Enterprise Retreat
Once a year the community leaves the office for three days together. The second annual Family Enterprise Retreat was held September 8–10, 2026, at The Prospect Berkshires in Egremont, Massachusetts, with a dozen speakers and sessions on succession, mentorship, EOS in the family business, and financially transitioning a company. See the Retreat page.
1:1 advisory and the LEP process
For families ready to do the deeper work, STRIDE Family Membership adds monthly one-on-one advisory sessions with founder Jason Packer and the full LEP process — ownership, governance, succession, estate, philanthropy, and strategy — supported by LEP Hub, an online workspace that keeps a family’s documents, meetings, and training in one place. See Membership.
You are an excellent communicator and facilitator.
Karen E. Laberge, President, Albany Management, Inc. — on Jason’s facilitation of the 2026 Family Enterprise Retreat
Succession Plan Health Test
The Succession Plan Health Test is a free online assessment that scores how ready a family business is for succession and surfaces patterns worth a conversation. Scores are AI-generated to prompt discussion, not a professional diagnosis. Take it at stridefba.com/tools/compass.
Insights newsletter and digital community
Members receive the monthly Insights newsletter with exclusive content and stay connected year-round in Stride’s private digital community platform.
How to take part
- Join as a member — Founding Membership ($500/year) or STRIDE Family Membership ($2,500/year), each with two member slots.
- Come to an event — mixers, learning sessions, and introductory breakfasts are open to prospective members by registration.
- Talk to Jason — 518-441-8406 or jpacker@stridefba.com.