Inspiring the next generation of business owners
Non-profit organization supporting aspiring entrepreneurs through on- campus group coaching on business-related topics
“We’re here to prepare young people to run businesses.”
Dr. Fred Chaney, Ph.D
Founder and CEO
About The Foundation for Future Business Owners
The Future Business Owners Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization committed to helping aspiring entrepreneurs develop the practical, real-world knowledge they need to start and run successful businesses. In a members-only group setting, young adults gather monthly to hear from industry experts on a wide range of valuable business topics.
Mentors lead groups and provide a similar experience to the leadership development and peer advisory organizations members will likely be drawn to later in their careers. In each monthly meeting, members are given access to skills and knowledge from hand-selected subject matter experts who have “been there and done that” in the real world. Participants are also taught the important lesson of taking notes and translating what they have learned into action items- a skill so many budding entrepreneurs need to master to be successful. Moreover, members will have the unique opportunity to meet and interact with senior-level business leaders, allowing them to learn from the coaching of others in the group while also developing networking skills.
Driven to promote job creation and free enterprise, The Future Business Owner’s Organization is committed to equipping the next generation of small business owners and operators with what they need to survive and thrive in today’s ever-changing economy.
MEET OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Dr. Fred Chaney, Ph.D
Founder and CEO
Fred has spent the last 50 years helping CEO’s of mid-sized growth companies capitalize on their most important opportunities. He received his BS Degree, his Master’s Degree and his PhD in Managerial Psychology from Purdue University. He also completed a one-year Post Doctoral Fellowship from the University of London.
His early career was with Boeing where he worked on the Lunar Landing Module and Manned Orbital Space Station at Rockwell where he implemented management systems and quality motivational programs. During that time he coauthored the book “Human Factors in Quality Assurance” with Dr. D. H. Harris.
In 1969 Fred and his partner started a worldwide network of CEO’s (TEC) in Southern California. Fred was President and CEO of TEC’s parent company, Vedax Sciences Corporation until March 1998 when he sold the company. TEC Currently operates as Vistage International and serves a network of 45,000 CEO’s worldwide. Fred is still Chairman of the original group of CEO’s that he founded in 1968.
Following the sale of the company, Fred joined the Board of Lone Star Steakhouse and took it public with 9 restaurants. While serving on the board, Lonestar added the concepts of Del Friscos, Sullivans, and Texas Land and Cattle for a total of 275 restaurants. During this period, Lone Star Steakhouse was selected by Forbes three times in a row as the Best Little Company in the U.S. While Chairman of the Lone Star board, Fred helped sell the company for $660 million.
Fred was active internationally with Young Presidents Organization and served as Education Chairman for one of the highest rated YPO Universities in history. He is currently a member of the WPO and continues to run the original Vistage Group which he founded over 50 years ago.
Fred has four grown children- two boys and two girls and 10 grandchildren.
RICHARD CARR
Richard Carr has devoted his academic and professional career to being a leader and a trainer of other leaders. As a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and in his 6 years as an infantry officer in the Army, Richard’s early leadership skills were developed and tested. He received several medals for valor during his exemplary leadership as a company commander during the TET offensive of 1968 in Vietnam.
Following his time in the military, Richard pursued a career in business, joining a family company, Carr Paper Company. While there, he was able to purchase a manufacturing company focused on corrugated boxes and point of purchase displays, Sentinel Container. Over the next 15 years he successfully grew this business and was an acknowledged industry leader and innovator. He was also an entrepreneur, successfully starting and developing a complementary organization, Engineered Foam, which served as an opportunity to expand his service offerings to his packaging clients. During this time at Sentinel Container, Richard earned a Masters in Business Administration from Pepperdine in 1976.
Following his MBA program, Richard joined Vistage (a peer advisory group) where for 9 years he further developed his leadership skills. Vistage is a membership organization where 18 members from non-competing companies meet monthly as a peer group for personal and professional development. Vistage joint ventured the Pepperdine MBA program using its peer group model. Richard feels that was just the beginning of what has now been for him a 38 year love affair with the “Vistage” learning and development model. His experience as a member was so powerful that he went on to leave his role as CEO of Sentinel Container and became a Vistage Chair, leading groups from 1992 – 1998. His work with members and their organizations in his Vistage groups was so impactful that when Vistage was sold in 1998, Richard was recruited to join the executive team, first as COO and later as CEO from 1998-2005.
Under his leadership Vistage had a compounded growth rate of 15% per year, growing from 4000 members to over 10,000 members. Following his post as CEO Richard became Vice Chairman of the board and Executive VP, largely in a focused role training new and existing chairs as well as developing the Vistage licensees and subsidiaries around the globe.
Richard has been married for 59 wonderful years and is the father to three grown daughters. He is the proud grandfather of 7 grandchildren. He enjoys many outdoor activities that include skiing and running, and is actively involved as a leader in his church.
Currently Richard has an independent practice serving as an advisor, mentor, and coach to CEO’s and executive teams throughout Southern California. In addition, Richard facilitates strategic planning and organizational development projects, as well as serves on statutory and advisory boards.
