The G. Wallace F. McCain Institute of Business Leadership (the Institute or WMI) is part of the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, New Brunswick. WMI was formed in the spring of 2006 with a $2M donation from Wallace and Margaret McCain. This allowed for an enviably secure position to design programming without the pressure of requiring immediate revenue or always chasing donors. The donation was increased by $2M from other donors and sponsors, and then another $5M at the time of Wallace’s death in May 2011. The Institute operates most programs on at least a cost recovery basis with the goal of the trust fund secure the Institute in perpetuity. The Institute was established to promote the same entrepreneurial spirit that made Wallace McCain a business legend, namely the vision, energy, and determination required to excel in business. The initial directive was: use the money “to help entrepreneurs in NB and surrounding region have a better chance of success”. The phrase “surrounding area” has come to mean the Greater Atlantic Area (GAA). Since inception, the heart of the Institute’s activity has been peer-group programs focused on established business leaders. The peer groups are separated into 3 lines of business focused on CEOs, next generation family business leaders and the second-in-command. Each peer group has a different selection process to assure that each 16 member forum is chosen to optimize the business value that can be derived by each member. There are currently 302 members of the Wallace McCain Institute, and in 2017, the annual growth rate doubled to 60 members per year. After an initial period of interaction with the Institute (typically 24 days of programing), the forums transition into self-moderation over 1-2 years. The Institute continues to interact with the individual members to provide customized/elite user-pay programming to connect them to other members outside their cohort as well as the community at large.