Every business owner will eventually transition their company, whether through a sale, succession plan, employee ownership, family transfer, or simply stepping away from day-to-day operations.

The most successful transitions don’t begin when an owner is ready to leave. They begin years earlier by intentionally building a stronger, more valuable business.

The Business Value Builder Summit brings together nationally recognized experts, successful entrepreneurs, and business leaders to explore practical strategies for growing company value, preparing for transition, and creating lasting impact.

Whether you’re planning for the next five years or the next twenty, you’ll leave with actionable insights to strengthen your business, increase its value, and prepare for the future.

Why Attend?

Learn how top-performing business leaders:

Create systems that support sustainable growth
Increase the value of their business
Build companies that thrive beyond the founder
Prepare for succession long before it’s needed
Develop strong leadership teams
Align business success with personal purpose and legacy

If you’re building, growing, leading, or preparing to transition a business, the Business Value Builder Summit is for you.

This summit is designed for:

Small and mid-sized business owners
Family-owned businesses
Startup founders and entrepreneurs
CEOs and executive leadership teams
Next-generation business leaders
Owners preparing for succession, transition, or future growth

Featured Speakers

Brad D. Smith

Former CEO and Executive Chairman of Intuit | President of Marshall University

Fireside Chat: Trading a Profession for a Purpose

Join Marshall University President Brad D. Smith for a candid conversation on purpose-driven leadership, entrepreneurial thinking, and the journey from building a successful career to creating meaningful impact. Drawing from his experiences leading Intuit and returning home to serve Marshall University, Smith will share lessons on leadership, legacy, and finding purpose beyond professional success.

Rob Slagel

Owner and CEO of Owner’s Co-Pilot

Keynote Address

A successful entrepreneur who has founded, scaled, acquired, and exited multiple companies, Rob Slagel brings firsthand experience navigating the challenges and opportunities of business growth. His keynote will explore the realities of building enterprise value, leading through change, and preparing businesses for successful transitions.

Scott Snider

Co-Owner and President, Exit Planning Institute

Building a Business That Is Ready for the Future

As one of the nation’s leading voices on business value acceleration and exit planning, Scott Snider will share proven frameworks that help business owners increase company value, reduce risk, and create successful transition strategies. Attendees will gain practical tools they can begin implementing immediately.

Registration

Space is limited. Earlybird registration is $99 per person until August 31 (registration increases to $150 per person on September 1) and includes:

Admission to Business Value Builder Summit
Lunch
Happy Hour
Copy of Walking to Destiny: 11 Actions an Owner Must Take to Rapidly Grow Value & Unlock Wealth by Christopher Snider and Scott Snider
Copy of The Owner’s Co-Pilot book by Rob Slagel

Sponsors & Vendors

Partner with the Business Value Builder Summit

The Business Value Builder Summit brings together founders, business owners, CEOs, executive teams, and family business leaders who are focused on growing stronger companies, increasing business value, and preparing for the future.

As a sponsor or vendor, you’ll have the opportunity to connect directly with decision-makers from across the region while demonstrating your commitment to helping businesses grow, transition, and thrive.

Whether your organization provides financial services, banking, legal expertise, accounting, insurance, technology solutions, workforce development, business consulting, or other business support services, the Summit offers a unique opportunity to engage with business leaders who are actively investing in the future of their companies.

Sponsorship Information

Hosted By

The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (iCenter) at Marshall University is committed to helping organizations innovate, grow, and create lasting impact throughout West Virginia and beyond.

Through entrepreneurship education, innovation programs, accelerator initiatives, and business support services, the iCenter serves as a catalyst for economic growth and business success across the region.

Questions?

For additional information, please contact:

Tricia Ball, Executive Director

Marshall University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (iCenter)

ballt@marshall.edu