March 2015
Starting this past January, Ryan Elmer travels to Evanston from Texas two weekends a month, leaving behind his business, wife and young family, to be part of Kellogg's EMBA program. In February, he investigated what Kellogg's Center for Family Enterprises had to offer members of business-owning families. In March, the second generation family member and Director of Business Development for Parkway Construction and Associates, founded in 1981 by his father, gathered together a group of 20 fellow EMBA students to talk over lunch about family enterprise and enterprising families.

He invited to the session Professor John L Ward, Co-Director of Kellogg's Center for Family Enterprises and Amy Schuman, an EMBA alum a family business consultant and author. Together, they spoke about the "Family Capitalism Paradigm" - a framework comparing objectives, motivations and approach between family and non-family firms.

According to Ryan, "Their expertise and insightful attitudes created an environment of exploring and understanding." He continued, "Personally, the environment of being with other family business owners alongside Kellogg industry experts really hit home."