Business Owners Forum — EPI Raleigh-Durham

Signature event · EPI Raleigh-Durham

Owners talking straight to owners.

Our signature annual forum for established Triangle owners. Candid lessons from people who've grown a business, plus practical talks you can put to use Monday morning. No pitch — and you don't need to be planning an exit to benefit.

Date

Wed, Sep 16, 2026

Time

8:00–11:30 a.m.

Venue

DoubleTree, RTP

Cost

Free to attend

Invitation only — for EPI members and their business-owner guests. RSVP by September 9.

Who it's for

Two reasons to be in the room

One morning, built to serve owners and the advisors who work with them.

For business owners

Why it's worth your morning

Established Triangle owners focused on growth.

Hear three owners who've actually grown something — candidly, wrong turns included.
Short, practical talks on talent, AI, and exit timing — then work each one out at your table.
A curated room of peers, breakfast, and zero sales pressure. It's free — sponsors cover it.

For members

Why to engage — and bring your clients

Advisors building a referral network that works.

This is our signature event — the best room all year to introduce a client or prospect.
Owners trust owners. A warm morning together beats months of cold outreach.
Bring one or two owners as your guests. We give you everything to make the invite easy.

Members: get the invite kit →

The heart of the morning

The owner panel

Three local owners — different industries, different paths to growth — sit down and talk honestly about building a business. No highlight reel: the hard calls, the near-misses, and what they'd tell their younger selves. It's the part you won't get at any other breakfast in the Triangle, with live Q&A throughout.

What worked

The moves that actually grew the business.

What they'd do differently

The bad hire, the cash crunch, the lesson learned.

Featured talks

Practical talks you'll put to use

Talent, AI, and exit timing — each session is followed by real conversation at your table, where you compare notes with the owners next to you.

Speaker photo

Talk 01

Attracting and keeping top talent

Speaker to be announced

Title · Firm

One-line bio goes here — a sentence on who they are and why they can speak to building and keeping a strong team.

Speaker photo

Talk 02

What AI will — and won't — do for your business

Speaker to be announced

Title · Firm

One-line bio goes here — a sentence on their background cutting through AI noise to where it creates real value.

Speaker photo

Talk 03

Why waiting to plan your exit gets expensive

Speaker to be announced

Title · Firm

One-line bio goes here — a sentence on their experience protecting value and keeping owners' options open.

After each talk: table conversation with other owners.

The morning at a glance