AUTHOR • FAMILY BUSINESS ADVISOR • STEWARD OF BELLE HAMPTON
Madeline S. Hoge
Helping families transition from success to lasting significance—passing down meaning, not just money.
WHERE IT BEGAN
She grew up behind the counter.
Madeline's story starts with her great-grandmother, Maryanna Ratajczak, a Polish immigrant who, with limited English and no formal education, built a family store and ice cream parlor that opened in 1913. Madeline learned to walk and work in that business. Her family opened the doors even on Christmas morning.
She also watched what happens when a family has strong values but no structure to carry them forward. The business followed the familiar "shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves" arc. Madeline came to see that outcome as predictable—and preventable.
"When my mother passed away suddenly, she left us letters, sticky notes, and a binder of instructions—including one line asking us not to fight. It wasn't enough on its own. Calling in a facilitator for a family meeting saved our relationships, and our Sisters' Weekend tradition still continues today. That experience became the lens for everything I do."
ANALYTICAL RIGOR. HUMAN INSIGHT.
Trained to see systems. Called to Serve Families.
Madeline holds a degree in Management Science and Industrial Psychology from the Georgia Institute of Technology. As a Senior Management Consultant at KPMG, she led strategic and operational initiatives for financial institutions.
She later earned the Advanced Certificate in Family Business Advising from the Family Firm Institute. The result is a rare blend: the structure of a management consultant and an understanding of the emotions that drive family decisions.
LIVING WHAT SHE ADVISES
A 250-year plan, started at home.
In 2012, Madeline's husband, Tom, purchased the engineering company he had led as president for a decade. Within a year, the Hoges had formed a Board of Advisors and a Family Council and held their first facilitated family meeting with their three sons. Their sons' first question—"What happens if you move to Tahiti?"—became a lesson in why families must talk about succession before a crisis.
Today, Tom and Madeline steward Belle Hampton, a farm in Southwest Virginia founded in 1767 by Revolutionary soldier James Mayo Hoge. When the long-vacant estate was about to be sold outside the family, Tom—a great-great-great-grandson of General James Hoge—bought it to keep it in the family. The Hoges restored the cottage in 2016 and the main house in 2020, which now serves as their Family Office.
Their family ethos, Dat Gloria Vires, is anchored by four core values: Family, Integrity, Knowledge, and Perseverance.
BEFORE
AFTER
HER WORK
Author. Advisor. Founder.
Prosperous Matriarch
Her book, Prosperous Matriarch, redefines generational wealth through the stewardship of family, meaning, and values. It weaves the rise and fall of historic families with her own family's story and practical frameworks. Coming in January 2027.
Belle Hampton Consulting
As founder of Belle-Hampton Consulting, Madeline guides families on governance, succession planning, family meetings, and rising-generation development. Her work includes the Family Balance Sheet: purpose statements, vision, mission, and core values.
Belle Hampton Legacy Center
Madeline founded the Belle Hampton Legacy Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps family businesses and farms answer the hardest question: what comes next? It offers education, peer community, and leadership development rooted in a working farm passed down since 1767.
“Strong families do not leave their legacy to chance; they design prosperity with intention.”
MADELINE S. HOGE
Bring Madeline to your family table.
Madeline facilitates family meetings, workshops, and retreats for families who want to build trust, align their values, and prepare the next generation. Her companion card deck, Prosperous Matriarch: One Card. One Conversation. One Step Toward Generational Wealth, helps families start those conversations at home.
CREDENTIALS
Management Science and Industrial Psychology — Georgia Institute of Technology
Advanced Certificate in Family Business Advising — Family Firm Institute
Former Senior Management Consultant — KPMG
Founder, Belle-Hampton Consulting
Founder, Belle Hampton Legacy Center
Founding Member, Caledonia Ventures