When people ask me why I’m launching Stride Family Business Alliance, I often pause. The answer is deeply personal – it’s rooted not only in my own experience but in a multi-generational legacy of family entrepreneurship.
My journey begins with my great-grandmother Bertha, who started a family business in the early 1900s when women rarely ventured into entrepreneurship. It continues through my grandfather Harry, who acquired Hill & Markes, and my paternal grandfather Murray, who ran Packer Meats. This entrepreneurial spirit eventually led to my role as the third generation in our family’s 115-year-old distribution business.
The name “Stride” captures the essence of what I’ve learned over 13 years in our family enterprise. Success isn’t about racing ahead alone—it’s about finding a sustainable rhythm that allows families to move forward together across generations. The most resilient family businesses aren’t those sprinting toward growth at any cost, but those that find their collective cadence where business success and family harmony coexist.
I spent over 13 years at Hill & Markes, serving as CEO from 2018 to 2022. Under my leadership, our company earned recognition as a Best Place to Work multiple times and received awards for environmental leadership. We navigated tremendous growth, adapted through a pandemic, and implemented new technologies while maintaining the values that made us special.
Finding New Purpose in a Changing Landscape
In July 2022, everything changed when my family sold our business. I continued as CEO of Hill & Markes, now operating as a branch within Brady IFS. Later, when Brady IFS merged with Envoy Solutions to form Brady Plus, my role evolved to Branch General Manager of Sales for the Amsterdam, NY location.
Each organization had its rhythm, its pace. But something was missing—that natural stride that comes when family, values, and purpose are perfectly aligned. In the months that followed, I reflected on some important questions: How does my professional identity evolve? What new directions can I explore after dedicating so much of my life to our family business? What valuable perspective had I gained?
A Different Kind of Support Network
Having worked in corporate, government, and non-profit sectors throughout my career, I can state with conviction: family businesses have a distinctive culture. The pride in achievement, the commitment to community, the dedication to employees, and the entrepreneurial spirit create something special that deserves to be preserved and nurtured.
These questions aren’t unique to me. They’re asked by family business leaders and next-generation members across America every day. The emotional complexities of family business – the blurred lines between family dynamics and business decisions, the natural tensions between generations with different time horizons, the challenges of succession planning – affect countless families.
What makes Stride different from organizations like YPO, Vistage, or EO is our focus on the entire family business system. We recognize that every family member needs support – whether you work in the business or support someone who does, whether you’re the CEO or an in-law navigating complex dynamics.
Everyone in the family business orbit needs a place to vent, share, learn, gain confidence, celebrate successes, and discuss challenges that cannot be shared within the business or with family members. Everyone needs someone to say, “What you’re going through is normal—and we can help you find your stride again.”
My Core Beliefs
After deep reflection on my experiences and education, three core beliefs emerged that form the foundation of Stride Family Business Alliance:
- Family businesses matter profoundly. They create jobs, preserve values, and build communities. Their unique cultures deserve protection and advocates who understand their distinct challenges.
- Learning from peers is transformative. The most powerful insights come when family business members connect with others walking similar paths. These “me too” moments of recognition create the psychological safety needed for real growth.
- Every family member deserves support. Unlike traditional networks that focus solely on CEOs or executives, we believe in supporting the entire family business system – from active leaders to supportive spouses to next-generation members finding their voice.
- Sustainable success comes from finding your collective stride. When family members move at dramatically different paces or in opposing directions, both the business and relationships suffer. Finding and maintaining your family business stride requires intentional effort and regular recalibration.
Moving Forward Together
My education in family/marriage therapy, training through the Family Firm Institute, and experience as both a successful CEO and a next-generation leader who experienced the sale of a family legacy gives me a rare perspective on the challenges family businesses face.
I’ve felt the pride of continuing something meaningful and giving back to our community through board service and philanthropy. I’ve experienced the natural challenges of different generational perspectives. I’ve navigated significant organizational transitions. All of these experiences inform Stride’s approach.
The name “Stride” embodies our mission—we believe in helping family businesses move forward with purpose and in rhythm. Sometimes that means slowing down to bring everyone along. Other times it means picking up the pace to seize opportunities. But always, it means finding that sustainable cadence where business success and family harmony can coexist. In stride, families can navigate transitions, face challenges, and celebrate victories as a unified team rather than fragmented individuals.
That’s my “why.” What’s yours? And more importantly—is your family business in stride?
Jason Packer is the founder of Stride Family Business Alliance. He holds an MBA from American University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Family Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Superior. He is taking classes at the Family Firm Institute and is one class away from earning a diploma. His experience includes serving as CEO of Hill & Markes, a 115-year-old family business that earned numerous recognitions including: Family Business of the Year (Albany Business Review, 2019), Industry of the Year (Fulton Montgomery Chamber of Commerce, 2020), Digital Innovator Award (Modern Distribution Management, 2019), Top Places to Work (Albany Times Union, 2021), Healthiest Employer (Albany Business Review, 2020), Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Honoree (Albany Business Review, 2022), Autism Action Award (NY State Assembly, 2022), and the Rao Family Philanthropic Award (Montgomery County Office for the Aging, 2022). His peer group expertise includes former membership in Vistage Worldwide and leadership of a peer group for Network Services.
