Pacific Family Business Institute

What Pacific Family Business Institute does

Pacific Family Business Institute (PFBI) is a private consulting and education firm headquartered in Salem, Oregon, founded in 2010 to serve family-owned businesses in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The firm provides personalized advisory services covering succession planning, governance consulting and board search, conflict resolution, and ownership alignment, alongside educational programs that include workshops, seminars, and the Family Business Leadership Network peer-group affinity cohorts. PFBI complements these core offerings with the Family Business Legacy Series panel events and a strategic partnership with the University of Washington Foster School of Business, through which it teaches the Family Business Leadership & Strategy module of the UW Business Management Certificate.

The firm is led by Co-Directors Rich Simmonds and Mark T. Green, Ph.D., supported by Senior Advisor Robert Evert, Ph.D., with emeritus co-founder Ron Dohr, Ph.D., having retired in 2023. The team's combined credentials include faculty positions at Oregon State University, Minnesota State University Mankato, the University of Washington, and the University of Vermont, with Mark Green having authored Inside the Multi-Generational Family Business (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) and delivered over 400 keynote engagements. PFBI's revenue model is professional services: advisory engagements, paid educational programming, and subscription-style peer-group membership, while flagship events and an initial 30-minute consultation are offered free of charge to seed advisory pipelines. The firm operates without disclosed institutional investment, app, or software product, and does not hold patents, awards, or regulatory certifications in the source data.

Geographic scope is regional (Pacific Northwest USA), distribution is direct through advisory, events, and university co-delivery, and the only named case-study customer is The Papé Group (Diversified Distribution), featured in the November 2024 Family Business Legacy Series.

Name

Pacific Family Business Institute

Legal name

Pacific Family Business Institute

Website

https://pacificfamilybusiness.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Pacific Family Business Institute is a Salem, Oregon-based consulting and education firm, founded in 2010, that provides succession planning, governance, conflict resolution, and peer-group programming for family-owned businesses across the Pacific Northwest United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Family Business Consulting

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Business & Succession Advisory (FSAAADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Office Advisory (Single/Multi-Family) (FSAEAAAI), Next-Gen Education & Family Learning Programs (FSAAADAM)

Keywords

• Family business consulting
• Succession planning
• Governance advisory
• Generational transition coaching
• Family business education

Headquarters

HQ city

Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Advisory Services: Personalized consulting solutions for family businesses addressing succession planning, governance, conflict resolution, and ownership challenges.
2. Educational Programs: Workshops, seminars, and educational modules including the UW Business Management Certificate Family Business Leadership & Strategy module and Family Business Legacy Series events.
3. Peer Group Membership: Family Business Leadership Network affinity groups providing ongoing professional development, coaching, and peer support for family business leaders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pacific Family Business Institute provides personalized consulting and educational programs for family-owned businesses. Core services include succession planning, governance consulting and board search, conflict resolution, ownership alignment, and custom family education programs. Deliverables are delivered via one-on-one advisory engagements, workshops, seminars, peer groups, and panel events in the Pacific Northwest region.

Product overview

Pacific Family Business Institute offers a unified consulting and education platform for family-owned businesses. The core offerings consist of Advisory Services (succession planning, governance consulting, conflict resolution, ownership alignment) and Educational Programs (workshops, seminars, peer groups). These are complemented by specific sub-products including the UW Business Management Certificate - Family Business Module (in partnership with University of Washington), the Family Business Leadership Network peer groups, and the Family Business Legacy Series panel events. Together, these services provide comprehensive support for family enterprises navigating generational transitions and governance challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advisory Services Personalized consulting guidance for family businesses including succession planning, governance consulting and board search, conflict resolution, and ownership alignment, designed for multi-generational and emerging family enterprises.
• Educational Programs Workshops, seminars, and educational resources designed for family business leaders to enhance governance, management, communication, and ownership skills.
• UW Business Management Certificate - Family Business Module A certificate module co-delivered with the University of Washington Foster School of Business covering generational alignment, strategic visioning, governance, succession planning, and change management in family firms.
• Family Business Leadership Network (Peer Groups) Affinity groups for family business leaders to connect, collaborate, and share insights in a confidential environment with experienced facilitators, offering flexible in-person, online, and hybrid participation options.
• Family Business Legacy Series Panel discussion events featuring multi-generational family business leaders sharing insights on generational transitions, innovation, succession planning, and maintaining core family business values.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Washington Foster School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2025Collaboration to deliver the Family Business Leadership & Strategy module as part of the UW Business Management Certificate Program. PFBI team members teach and facilitate sessions covering generational alignment, strategic visioning, governance, succession planning, and change management in family firms.
• Gonzaga UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRich Simmonds is involved with family business initiatives at Gonzaga University as part of his professional engagement.
• Central Washington UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRich Simmonds serves on the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Board of Central Washington University and teaches/facilitates family business programs.
• Oregon State University Austin Family Business ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRich Simmonds previously served on the advisory board of the Austin Family Business Program at Oregon State University.
• Family Enterprise Research CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRich Simmonds serves on the board of this international nonprofit organization that conducts and promotes family business research.
• Davis Wright Tremaine LLPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw firm hosts Family Business Legacy Series events at their Seattle office, providing venue and sponsorship for educational programming.
• University of VermontminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMark T. Green currently teaches family business and conducts research for the University of Washington and University of Vermont.
• University of WashingtonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMark T. Green currently teaches family business and conducts research for the University of Washington.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD): Provides director education and board governance resources for family and closely-held boards. Adjacent to PFBI's governance consulting and board search work, with broader educational content delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Family Business Network (FBN): International membership organization for family business owners, providing peer learning, education, and intergenerational programming globally. Overlaps with PFBI's educational and peer group offerings but at much larger international scale.
• RHR International: Global leadership advisory firm with deep family business practice advising family enterprise leadership, succession, and board effectiveness — broader scope but overlapping client base of multi-generational enterprises.
• Laird Norton Center for Talent & Leadership: Connected to Laird Norton (which acquired Rich Simmonds' prior firm Tyee Asset Strategies), Laird Norton's family enterprise services include governance and next-gen development programming for family-owned enterprises — a broader, well-capitalized adjacent provider.

Direct peers

• Aspen Family Business Group: Family business consulting firm providing advisory on family dynamics, governance, and succession planning, with peer group programming — closely aligned to PFBI's combined advisory + peer group offering.
• E3 Advisors: Boutique consulting firm focused on family enterprise continuity, succession planning, and next-generation development — directly comparable service scope to PFBI's advisory practice.
• Coxe Global Consulting: A boutique family business advisory firm serving multi-generational family enterprises on strategy, governance, and succession. Comparable service model and target client (multi-generational family-owned businesses).
• The Family Business Consulting Group, Inc. The most direct competitor; a national, multi-partner consultancy specializing in family enterprise advisory across succession, governance, and next-gen development. Mark Green was previously a Principal here, making it a closely comparable service offering to PFBI but at national scale.

Others

• Austin Family Business Program (Oregon State University): University-based program providing education, research, and advisory for family businesses — an academic counterpart to PFBI's educational programs. Mark Green previously directed this program, making it a historically linked adjacent player.
• Family Enterprise Research Council: International nonprofit that conducts and promotes family business research (Rich Simmonds serves on its board). Provides research and content infrastructure that overlaps thematically with PFBI's academic/research orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacific-family-business-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pacific Family Business Institute