Legacy Council

For entrepreneurs, creating a legacy goes beyond financial success. It reflects how you impact your industry, community and the lives of your employees. It’s about what you build, who you help along the way — and how you’ll continue to influence others.

Dr. Nancy Crews

Custom Manufacturing & Engineering Inc.

Pinellas Park, Florida

Dan Ducote

CEO of Enginuity Global

Lafayette, Louisiana

Kathie Fuce-Hobohm

Co-founder of SPACE Inc.

Midland, Michigan

Todd Gustafson

CEO of Kinexus Group

St. Joseph, Michigan

Cherie Hebert

CEO and a founding member of BBR

Lafayette, Louisiana

Cynthia Kay

founder of Cynthia Kay and Co.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Beth Kelly

President of HR Collaborative

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Barbara Lamont

President and CEO of Calls Plus

Lafayette, Louisiana

Tom Martin

Co-founder of Pod Pack International LLC

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Yan Ness

Executive chairman of Verge.io

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Keith Paul

HandyPro Handyman Services

Farmington, Michigan

Phil Roos

CEO of Upland

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Linda Schlesinger-
Wagner

Skinnytees™

Birmingham, Michigan

Barbara Stankowski

Stankowski Advanced Strategies

Johnson City, Tennessee

Jon Tellier

President JetCo Solutionsl

Grand Rapids, Michigan

To help with this transition, we’ve developed a year-long program, The Legacy Council, for select entrepreneurs who have either exited their companies or are near the exit stage. The program focuses on the next phase of the entrepreneurial journey: switching from success to significance, from the business to the person and how they want to be remembered.

The Legacy Council program has three key components:

Kickoff retreat — Held at Big Rock Valley, the foundation’s 2,000-acre learning campus in southwest Michigan, the retreat spans three days. A facilitator helps participants define what they want their legacy to be and then draft a plan to realize this vision.

Quarterly roundtables — Held virtually, three peer-learning sessions enable participants to share progress toward their goals.

Monthly check-in calls — A member of the foundation’s leadership team conducts individual calls with participants to provide additional support as they work toward their legacy goals.

Cost: $1,200 per participant, which helps cover facilitation, meals and overnight lodgings.

Contact: For more information, email Colleen Killen-Roberts.

Legacy Council spotlight: Yan Ness

“There’s this interesting societal pressure that you’re supposed to retire at a certain point,” says Yan Ness, one of the first Legacy Council participants. “I don’t think that’s what it’s all about. So, what is it about? That’s where legacy comes into play.”