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Artificial Intelligence, Decisions, Family, Governance, Management, Research Findings
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Digital image of AI
Artificial Intelligence, Decisions, Family, Governance, Management, Research Findings

Is AI a Threat to Legacy, or a New Way to Coauthor It?

As Columbia Business School deepens its institutional commitment to AI through its AI in Business Initiative and the upcoming "MBA Transformed: AI and Beyond" teaching symposium on June 1, 2026, family enterprises face a parallel question: is AI a threat to legacy, or a new way to coauthor it? A recent study in the Journal of Product Innovation Management, "AI Adoption in Family Firms: A Mixed-Methods Study on the Paradoxical Roles of Passive and Active Family Involvement," suggests AI adoption is as much a relationship and governance challenge as a technological one. Drawing on 125 interviews and survey data from 1,444 German firms, the authors find that passive family ownership may slow adoption, while active family management can accelerate it, particularly when paired with strong external ties to suppliers, customers, and even competitors. For enterprising families, the deeper insight is that legacy is not static; it is interpreted and renewed across generations. AI may become a voice of the next generation, offering younger family members a concrete way to contribute to continuity, if families are willing to turn legacy into a living conversation. Read the full article, Is AI a Threat to Legacy, or a New Way to Coauthor It?
Decisions, Entrepreneurial Leadership & Strategy, Family, Governance, Leadership, Management, Ownership, Research Findings, Strategy
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blue green ripple water
Decisions, Entrepreneurial Leadership & Strategy, Family, Governance, Leadership, Management, Ownership, Research Findings, Strategy

What Our Giving Says About Us Beyond "How Much": What Family Giving Really Signals

A global survey of 525 family firm decision-makers across 21 countries finds that founder identity, whether Missionary or Darwinian, shapes philanthropic behavior across generations. Missionary founders, driven by social purpose, produce giving that grows stronger over time as their legacy is idealized and absorbed into family identity. Darwinian founders, motivated by competitive logic, engage in more reputational giving that can shift with other priorities. Transgenerational control intentions further complicate the picture: families focused on succession may quietly redirect philanthropic energy inward. For advisors, the implication is clear: identity, not just structure, determines whether family giving becomes a lasting legacy or a secondary priority. Read the full article, What Our Giving Says About Us, and explore the Richards & Kammerlander study in Family Business Review.
Family, Family Voices, Governance, Ownership
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Students on Spring break trip
Family, Family Voices, Governance, Ownership

Global Immersion Program: CAFE in Italy — Spring Break 2026

What does it truly take to advise a family enterprise? This spring break, 19 second-year MBA students set out to find the answer firsthand. Through Columbia Business School's Consulting and Advising Family Enterprises (CAFE) program, developed in partnership with the Jerome A. Chazen Institute for Global Business, students traveled across five cities and visited ten organizations, moving through Milan, Parma, Rimini, Ravenna, and Florence to meet the families and leaders behind Vibram, Barilla, Ferragamo, Nuova Energia Holding, Castello di Monsanto, Famiglia Cecchi, and Bocconi University, among others. Candid conversations on governance, succession, and legacy unfolded naturally within Italy's culture of trust and authenticity, proving once again to be the perfect classroom for this kind of relational learning.

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Family, Family Voices, Governance, Ownership
Date
Students on Spring break trip
Family, Family Voices, Governance, Ownership

Global Immersion Program: CAFE in Italy — Spring Break 2026

What does it truly take to advise a family enterprise? This spring break, 19 second-year MBA students set out to find the answer firsthand. Through Columbia Business School's Consulting and Advising Family Enterprises (CAFE) program, developed in partnership with the Jerome A. Chazen Institute for Global Business, students traveled across five cities and visited ten organizations, moving through Milan, Parma, Rimini, Ravenna, and Florence to meet the families and leaders behind Vibram, Barilla, Ferragamo, Nuova Energia Holding, Castello di Monsanto, Famiglia Cecchi, and Bocconi University, among others. Candid conversations on governance, succession, and legacy unfolded naturally within Italy's culture of trust and authenticity, proving once again to be the perfect classroom for this kind of relational learning.
Family Voices
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image of Dan Lifton guest lecturing during class
Family Voices

Alumni Spotlight: Dan Lifton ’02: On Joining the Business, and the Family

When Dan Lifton ’02, President of Maypro Ventures, returned to CBS to speak in Gaia Marchisio’s Family Business Management class this spring, it brought together several meaningful threads in his life: the impact of Columbia Business School, his experience working in a family business as a son-in-law, and his commitment to giving back to students forging their own paths. We sat down with Dan recently to discuss what this really means to him. 
Consulting, Family, Family Voices, Governance, Ownership
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students pointing at a three circle model in Florence
Consulting, Family, Family Voices, Governance, Ownership

Global Immersion: Consulting & Advising Family Enterprises (CAFE in Italy) 2025 Student Reflections

Seven days, five Italian cities, six company visits, and more than a dozen engaging sessions—the “CAFE in Italy” Global Immersion course took 16 graduate students on a deep dive into the heart of Italian family enterprises. Led by Professor Gaia Marchisio, participants met with owners, next‐generation leaders, and seasoned advisors. Stops included Barilla, Petrolifera Italo Rumena (PIR), Ascoli Bottoni, Acetaia Giusti, Ferragamo, and Frescobaldi, as well as discussions with DeAgostini, Bocconi University, Association of Italian Family Businesses, and Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo. Students gained behind‐the‐scenes insight on succession, brand evolution, governance, and family values. The result was a vivid illustration of how tradition and innovation can combine to keep family legacies thriving across centuries.
Family, Family Voices, Governance, Ownership
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a collage of photos from 2024 owners featuring speakers and audience members
Family, Family Voices, Governance, Ownership

2024 Owners' Day: A New Era for the Global Family Enterprise Program

On October 1st, the Global Family Enterprise Program held its inaugural Owners' Day, a milestone event that brought together family enterprise leaders, students, alumni, and experts to explore the evolving role of ownership in today’s world. The event showcased the potential for family enterprises to not only drive economic success but to lead with values and create sustainable, positive change across industries, communities, and generations.
Family Voices
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CBS Photo Image
Family Voices

Created with Purpose: Dilmah Tea & Resplendent Ceylon with Dilhan and Malik Fernando

On this episode of the BRITE Ideas Podcast from the Center on Global Brand Leadership at Columbia Business School, Professor J.P. Kuehlwein and Director Matthew Quint speak with Dilhan Fernando (CEO, Dilmah Tea) and Malik Fernando (Managing Director, Resplendent Ceylon) about the creation and growth of the first owned and operated tea company in Sri Lanka, Dilmah Tea. 
Family, Family Voices
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conference attendees
Family, Family Voices

2022 Conference Recap: Keynote Fireside Chat with Jon Sebastiani ’12

Jon Sebastiani ’12 took the audience through his journey joining his family’s businesses and expounded on some of the successes and challenges he faced. He shared practical relational advice for those thinking of joining their family’s business and what to look out for, as well as some career advice from his experience launching his own private equity fund after his family sold their business and he graduated from CBS.