During spring break 2026 (March 28– April 4), the Smith Family Business Initiative will be leading a student trek to Italy to explore numerous significant family businesses, Italian history, and culture.

Join them on November 18th for an informational meeting to learn more. This trek is open to ALL Cornell University graduate and PhD students.

Why Family Business?
Family-owned businesses dominate the economic landscape in the United States, are critically important drivers of the economy and, by most estimates, make up 70-90% of all businesses globally. These organizations span the economic spectrum from start-up to the largest and often oldest businesses in the world. Given the statistics, regardless of your background or career trajectory, it’s not a question of if you will work with a family enterprise but when and in what capacity. Educating our students about the unique advantages and challenges faced by family firms provides a fundamental knowledge base and is one of the many distinctive ways Cornell prepares graduates for successful futures.

Why Italy?
In Italy there are estimated to be around 784,000 family businesses – more than 85% of the total number of businesses – constituting around 70% of all employment. Italian family businesses are also set apart by their longevity: of the world’s 100 oldest businesses, 15 are Italian and, of these, 5 – Fonderie Pontificie Marinelli (founded in 1000), Barone Ricasoli (1141), Barovier & Toso (1295), Torrini (1369) and Marchesi Antinori (1385) – are among the top ten oldest family businesses still active today. Source: http://www.aidaf.it/en/aidaf-3/1650-2/

We look forward to seeing you on November 18th!

Register Here to Attend 

Campus Groups posting

**Please note that once you register, you will receive the Zoom link**