Free Webinar:
The Business of What Comes Next
A Practical Guide to Ownership Transition & Expansion
Good firms end.
Great firms evolve.
This webinar shows you how.
In this free webinar, AVEC tackles the “someday we should talk about succession” conversation head-on. It’s a clear look at how small and mid-sized design firms survive their founders—and what happens when they don’t.
Ownership transition is not an event; it’s a system. Firms that plan early (5–10 years out) can reinvent themselves, grow value beyond the founders, and give next-gen leaders a real stake. Firms that wait? They often shrink, sell under pressure, or quietly disappear when the principal retires.
This webinar breaks down how small and mid-sized firms can plan ownership transition early, grow firm value, and develop the next generation of leaders without blowing up culture or cash flow.
In this session, you’ll learn how to:
Recognize where your firm is in its life cycle—and what decisions matter now, not later
Evaluate ownership transition options (internal sale, merger, acquisition, or closure) with clarity instead of stress
Design internal ownership roadmaps that are financially realistic and fair to both founders and successors
Understand firm valuation without the mystery—what it is, what it isn’t, and how it’s used in real negotiations
Prepare emerging leaders for ownership by helping them understand their leadership style and how to develop it
Increase firm value beyond the founders, creating a business that can grow, transition, and endure
Who this webinar is for:
Founders and principals thinking about retirement in the next 2–15 years
Firm owners who want options—not pressure—when it’s time to transition
Senior staff and emerging leaders preparing for ownership or leadership roles
Firms interested in growth, succession, or long-term sustainability
Successful ownership transition doesn’t start when someone wants to exit. It starts when firms choose to share leadership, knowledge, and opportunity.
Firm value is built by letting go—intentionally.
with Rena Klein, FAIA
March 3 at 12:30 ET
About the Presenter
Rena Klein, FAIA - Senior Partner, AVEC
Rena advises all AVEC clients on best practices in finance, operations, organizational design, and ownership transition. She has been instrumental in fostering connections between firms in the AVEC network and developing the infrastructure of AVEC’s knowledge-sharing community.
Rena is a nationally recognized expert in small firm practice and the author of The Architect’s Guide to Small Firm Management (Wiley, 2010). With 20 years of experience as the owner of a small architecture firm, and over 15 years as a consultant and educator, Rena brings a special understanding of design firms managed by entrepreneurial architects. She taught professional practice in the architecture schools at the University of Washington (1993 - 2003) and at Washington State University (2008 - 2013) and has been a guest instructor at the University of New Mexico. Rena served as executive editor of AIA’s The Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice, 15th edition (Wiley 2013) and is past chair of the National Advisory Group for the AIA Practice Management Knowledge Community.
Rena’s architecture career spans over four decades. She received her Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Oregon in 1973 and her Master of Science in Management (MSM) from Antioch University Seattle in 1996. She was named an AIA Fellow in 2006. Rena continues to share her knowledge of the professional practice of architecture through her role at AVEC and regular speaking engagements with AIA National, the Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN), and regional AIA chapters across the U.S. She is based in Corrales, New Mexico.