Pat Soldano opened the event by thanking Members of Congress, congressional staff, and family-owned businesses for joining the second Family Enterprise USA (FEUSA) Capitol Hill event of 2025. Pat kicked off the panel discussion by highlighting FEUSA’s mission to educate stakeholders on the important role family businesses of all sizes and industries hold in their communities.

Pat noted the theme of the event was “Charitable Giving and Community Involvement,” and introduced the panel of family business owners to attendees. Pat also provided an overview of the bipartisan Congressional Family Business Caucus, currently being relaunched for the 119^th Congress.

We first heard from Matt Nielsen (Nielsen-Massey Vanillas) who discussed the charitable work of his company and his family, including through the Nielsen-Massey Foundation. He shared that his family business maintains three charitable objectives, including building relationships in the communities where their employees live and work, contributing to charities in support of education, youth, veterans, and the environment, and promoting volunteer service among employees. He also shared that the Nielsen-Massey Foundation was formed to support national and international philanthropic efforts related to Nielsen-Massey’s mission, including youth education, the development of sustainable environmental practices, and supporting individuals in need across the world. Next, Tara Tanjasiri (Crema Artisan Bakers) noted that her business’s charitable giving is deeply rooted in her local community in Orange County, California. She highlighted several local initiatives supported by Crema Artisan Bakers, including local programs supporting homeless individuals and charitable food events.

We then heard from John-Paul Lake (Rain for Rent) who discussed his multinational family business engaged in liquid handling solutions. He noted that each family shareholder group engaged in the business now maintains its own family foundation with distinct focus areas, including foundations supporting local arts, education, and entrepreneurship. He highlighted one initiative sponsored by his foundation that supports teachers and aids in fundraising for classroom expenses nationwide. Preston Root (Sumner Foundation) then discussed his family’s longstanding commitment to philanthropy and charitable giving, including initiatives supporting children and underprivileged youth, spanning over 140 years and several generations. He stressed the impact of succession planning and the Estate Tax on all aspects of a family business, including charitable giving, due to the uncertainty of succession events and noted that consistency and permanency in tax policy would allow family businesses to increase their charitable giving.

Next, David Kelly, Jr. (Kelly Benefits) discussed two local charities supported by his third-generation family business in Maryland, including a homeless outreach center and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, which builds sports fields in underserved communities. He noted that Kelly Benefits supports charities through both benefits and payroll services and through charitable contributions. Becky Renfro-Borbolla (Renfro Foods, Inc.) then discussed her third-generation family-owned business, the makers of Mrs. Renfro’s salsa. She noted that her grandparents were involved heavily in the opening of their local foodbank, which the business still supports today through food donations and charitable contributions. She also discussed Mrs. Renfro’s support for local elementary schools and hospitals, as well as the company’s annual Pink Lid Campaign, which supports cancer research from sales of specially marked products in October each year.

Mike Mitchell (The High Center at Elizabethtown College) then noted the role of family business centers in helping family-owned businesses to learn best practices and engage in peer groups. He also shared his background as the owner of a family grocery business and his past involvement in local food drives and charities. Finally, Lyndsi Loumakis (ISYS Solutions, Inc.) discussed her family-owned medical case management company. She stressed that her family business has always valued giving back generously to the local community and discussed her business’s charitable activities committee which is tasked with supporting local initiatives. She also discussed her role operating a local animal charity and foundation and the impact of tax policies and regulations on the ability for family-owned businesses to reinvest in their employees and communities.

We then heard questions from the audience, including on leveraging family foundations to educate and engage next generation family members, as well as connectivity between nonprofits and family business centers. Ava Barton, a student at Elizabethtown College, then presented her video on the importance of family-owned businesses to the economy. Next, Pat Soldano presented the results of FEUSA’s annual survey of family-owned businesses, which featured responses from over 730 businesses in 45 states. She shared data on common sectors for family-owned businesses including manufacturing, retail, and construction, and noted that approximately 80 percent of family-owned businesses surveyed are pass-through entities. Pat also shared key tax and economic issues commonly cited by family-owned businesses, including income tax rates, wealth taxes, the Estate Tax, and the national debt.

Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) then joined and thanked the family-owned businesses in attendance for their work. He stressed the importance of family-owned businesses to the economy and to communities, including through job creation and entrepreneurship, and noted that family-owned businesses create wealth and opportunity. He encouraged the family business owners in attendance to continue to educate Members of Congress on their impact to communities. 

Pat Soldano closed the event by thanking Members of Congress, staff, and attendees for their participation.

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