Comparison · 7 material differences
Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University vs Family Business Alliance
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Family-business organization
Verified September 2026 Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University
Family business owners and leaders in Georgia and the surrounding region, plus students from family businesses through the centre's next-generation programming
Family-business organization
Family Business Alliance
Family-owned businesses in West Michigan: owners and family leaders running the business, next-generation family members preparing to lead, and the non-family executives who work…
What the records say
- Geographic restriction: Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University: Programming is delivered at Kennesaw State University in metropolitan Atlanta, which in practice limits membership to Georgia and the surrounding region; Family Business Alliance: West Michigan, centred on Grand Rapids.
- Annual dues: Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University: $1,000 a year; Family Business Alliance: $625 a year.
Side by side
| Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University | Family Business Alliance | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Family-business organization | Family-business organization |
| Founded | 1987 (The centre's about page states it was founded in 1987 by Dr Craig Aronoff within the Coles College of Business. It is commonly described as the oldest university-based family business centre; its own landing page says it has operated for over 40 years, which does not reconcile exactly with a 1987 founding.) | 2006 (The Alliance's about page states it was "Founded in 2006 by family business leaders who saw the need to establish a supportive community for family business professionals" and marks 2026 as its 20th year. Secondary sources describe the launch as being spearheaded by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce and the Family Owned Business Institute at Grand Valley State University's Seidman College of Business.) |
| Headquarters | Kennesaw, United States | Grand Rapids, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Georgia and the south-eastern United States, based at Kennesaw State University near Atlanta | West Michigan, based in Grand Rapids |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed | 200as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | A single university-based centre with no chapters. | A single-market organisation with no chapters. |
| Primary audience | Family business owners and leaders in Georgia and the surrounding region, plus students from family businesses through the centre's next-generation programming | Family-owned businesses in West Michigan: owners and family leaders running the business, next-generation family members preparing to lead, and the non-family executives who work alongside them |
| Typical member | Members are family businesses rather than individuals, at a range of sizes and stages; the centre notes that membership is expected to move between tiers as a business changes. The next-generation side reaches Kennesaw State students from family businesses through a student group and a talent exchange with member companies. | Members are family-owned companies in the Grand Rapids region across a wide size range. The dues scale runs from a Small Business tier restricted to firms under $3 million in annual revenue up to a $10,000 Community tier, so both very small family firms and substantial regional employers sit in the same organisation. Peer groups also admit non-family key executives. |
| Qualification | ||
| Geographic restriction | Programming is delivered at Kennesaw State University in metropolitan Atlanta, which in practice limits membership to Georgia and the surrounding regionSome programming is delivered as webinars.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | West Michigan, centred on Grand Rapidsverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Prospective members are invited to schedule a conversation with the centre team by email to discuss which tier fits their goals, then join at the published price. No vetting, sponsorship or committee process is described. | Companies join by selecting one of the five published membership tiers. Peer group entry is separate: applicants complete an FBA Peer Group Application or contact the Director of Membership, who advises which of the three streams fits, and are then placed into a group of eight to ten peers at a comparable career stage. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed: membership appears open to family businesses at the published rates. | Not publicly disclosed: membership appears open to family-owned businesses in West Michigan at the published rates. Peer group placement is curated by staff rather than open. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $1,000 a yearCore membership, per business: workshops, webinars, speaker series, resource library, educational discounts, open house tours, three office-hours sessions and hosting opportunities.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $625 a yearSmall Business tier, for businesses earning less than $3 million annually: 2 signature event tickets, 1 peer group slot, leadership programme and partner workshop access.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | No initiation fee is published.verified September 2026 | No membership initiation fee is published.verified September 2026 |
| Programme fee | Not publicly disclosed: the centre does not publish separate prices for the Family Business Forum, peer groups, the Family Business Roadmap or Family Business Boost; these are bundled into Signature membership or quoted on enquiry.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $625 one-timeOne-time placement fee for the NextGen Peer Group. Placement fees for the NowGen and KeyGroup streams are not published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual | Annual |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Peer groups meet monthly; the Family Business Forum runs twice a year; workshops, webinars, a speaker series and open house tours run through the year | Peer groups meet monthly for half-day sessions; the Alliance holds more than 16 events a year alongside its succession, leadership and governance programmes |
| Peer forums | Confidential facilitated peer groups meeting monthly, available to Signature members. Group size and facilitator credentials are not published. The twice-yearly Family Business Forum is a larger gathering rather than a standing group. | Peer groups of eight to ten members with a seasoned outside professional as moderator, in three streams: NowGen (family members currently running the business), NextGen (younger family members not yet leading) and KeyGroup (non-family key executives) |
| Confidentiality | The centre describes its peer groups as confidential; no written confidentiality policy is published. | The Alliance describes its peer groups as confidential spaces built on a circle of trust, and states that networking primarily for lead generation is not a programme goal. No written confidentiality policy is published. |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Peer group members commit to a monthly half-day meeting |
| Organized as | Forum-based, Event-focused, Virtual | Forum-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | Partial | No |
| Online community | Partial | Partial |
| Member directory | Not documented | Partial |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | Not documented | Not documented |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | Yes | Yes |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | Not documented |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | Yes |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | Medium | Medium |
| Social emphasis | Low | Medium |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University · Family Business Alliance