Join us in Dallas for TOFE 2026
The University of North Texas is the proud host sponsor for the 2026 Theories of Family Enterprise Conference, to be held in downtown Dallas, TX.
Abstracts due in
TOFE 2026 Editorial Team
Laura Marler, Mississippi State University
Christopher Penney, University of North Texas
James Vardaman, University of Memphis
Eric Liguori, Florida State University
About TOFE
The Theories of Family Enterprise (TOFE) Conference is a premier annual limited-attendance gathering dedicated to advancing family business scholarship by fostering theoretical development and empirical research. Now in its 19th year, the conference brings together leading scholars from disciplines such as strategic management, organizational behavior, entrepreneurship, finance, and economics to explore interdisciplinary perspectives on family enterprises. Through a highly selective submission and review process, participants receive in-depth feedback to refine their work, with select papers fast-tracked for publication in leading outlets including Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Journal of Small Business Management, and Family Business Review.
Originally founded by James Chrisman, Jess Chua, and Lloyd Steier, today TOFE is led by James Vardaman, Ben McLarty, and Eric Liguori, with help from rotating team of hosts and guest editors.
All-In Approach
Everybody, every paper = unlock real, actionable feedback on your work.
Maximize your travel dollars
No cost to register, and our sponsors help cover most of the hotel expenses.
Networking opportunities
Build valuable, lasting connections with other scholars and leading editors.
Pathway to Publication
Each year we partner with a leading ENT journal. We've worked with JBV, ET&P, JSBM, and FBR.
TOFE drives publication success!
For 20 years TOFE has been a premier developmental conference designed help authors transform their ideas into high-quality, published scholarship. We offer no vanity metrics, just real examples of publication success:
Thanks to our TOFE 2026 Sponsors
TOFE AWARDS
Daniel T. Holt Best Paper Award
Named in memory of Dr. Daniel T. Holt, a prolific researcher whose work spanned entrepreneurship, family business, and organizational change, this award recognizes the best overall paper presented at the TOFE Conference. Dr. Holt’s contributions, with over 100 publications and nealry 10,000 citations, continue to shape the field.
James J. Chrisman Contribution to Theory Award
Named in honor of Dr. James J. Chrisman, a co-founder of the TOFE Conference and a leading scholar in family business research, this award recognizes the paper that makes the most significant theoretical contribution to the field.
FAQ's
Who can attend TOFE?
This is a limited-attendance event. Only authors who have papers accepted for presentation are invited to attend.
How much does it cost?
This is one of the most affordable conferences out there. Registration under $100 (usually $0), and we cover 1-2 hotel nights for one author from each accepted manuscript. Additional co-authors are welcome to attend, but would need to cover their own lodging.
When you say this in an "All In" conference, what does that mean?
The goal is to drive research forward and we need everyone collective brainpower help ensure each paper is successful. This means we're together as a group for every paper presentation, offering feedback, sharing new ideas, and building community.
What if I miss the submission deadline?
We always receive more high-quality paper submissions than we can accommodate, and we work on a tight timeline designed to give authors as much time for writing and revision as possible, so no conference submission extensions are possible.
TOFE Archives
Looking for something from a prior TOFE? Explore our growing archives.
