Our NextGens to Watch Class of 2025 demonstrates the myriad ways young family members can define “legacy stewardship” in their own lives and careers. Introducing 21 standout rising-generation members who are making a difference in their family enterprises, providing fresh perspectives while honoring the generations that preceded them.
Caroline Landry
Third Generation
The Design Network
Jamestown, N.C.
Caroline Landry is a third-generation family member of massive furniture retailer Furnitureland South. Her father, Jason Harris, is a co-owner of Furnitureland and founder of streaming channel The Design Network (TDN), where Caroline heads up business development. “Working with my dad has been an absolute joy,” Caroline says. “Our relationship has definitely grown and changed as we work together. We’ve cultivated a new kind of trust and mutual respect as we lean on each other to grow this business.”
At TDN, Caroline wears many hats. Working with household brands like Walmart, The Home Depot, Wooster Paint Brush and VRBO, Caroline runs the sales team, integrating these partners into TDN’s original TV series. She also manages their existing and new partnerships with streaming TV platforms like Samsung, Hulu, Roku, Fubo and 13 others.
“Caroline has accomplished so much with her team,” says Lauren Willets, director of the Family Enterprise Center at Kenan Flagler Business School. “One major accomplishment is establishing a relationship with Hulu to launch an original series on their Video on Demand service, unlocking TDN content for millions of new viewers. Another great accomplishment is closing integration deals with five major brands in Q1 of 2025. I have gotten a front row seat watching Caroline evolve from a student at UNC studying family business and being involved with the family business club to becoming a leader within her family’s company.”
“From a young age, I have been drawn to creativity,” Caroline says. “From photo shoots in my backyard with my sisters to dancing all the way through college, I found I could best express myself through creative endeavors. On the flipside, I always had a knack for math and for problem solving. When deciding how I wanted to make a difference in the workforce, I sought out a way to fuse my creative side with my business side. After tirelessly searching for the right opportunity, I realized what was right in front of me — a young, growing business rooted in design. Bernard Bell, my mentor and head of the Shuford Entrepreneurship program at UNC Chapel Hill, encouraged me to dive into my family business, saying, ‘You will never be able to have as big of an impact on a company as you can in its early stages. Take the leap.’ I took that to heart and am so glad I made the choice to join The Design Network.”