Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Award Banquet - 2017 

The Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Award annual banquet honors family businesses from around the state for the contributions they make to their communities, their industries, and their families. We have honored nearly 100 families since the award started in 2004.

Banquet Keynote Speaker! 

We are thrilled to announce that our Keynote Speaker this year is New York Times Best Selling Author, Tom Farley. Tom will share stories of his family's enterprises, and his experience as the head of the Chris Farley Foundation.

Tom is the brother of the late actor and comedian Chris Farley, who died in 1997 as a result of substance abuse. From 1999 to 2012, Tom Farley was the founder and president of The Chris Farley Foundation, which used humor to deliver prevention messages to teens and young adults. In 2008 he co-authored the New York Times bestselling book, The Chris Farley Show. 

An entertaining, funny and engaging public speaker, Tom is frequently asked to provide his knowledge and experience on substance abuse prevention, non-profit management, and building successful brands. He has been a keynote speaker and presenter at numerous conferences, conducted briefings on Capitol Hill and to state legislative committees and participated as a panelist at two branding conferences on the topic of developing a state brand for Wisconsin.

Tom's family business is currently comedy, as several of his brothers, and his son are professional stand-up comedians and actors. His grandfather and great-uncle were in the paving business until a family dispute sent them in two directions, competing against each other.