Founded in 2018, Belmont’s Thomas W. Beasley Center for Free Enterprise is a learning center committed to exploring and providing education and programming about the impact of free enterprise in American Society.
The Center aspires to become a global thought leader in free enterprise education and scholarship with a strong emphasis on student and community engagement seeking to cultivate flourishing communities through the power of free enterprise.
Our steadfast defense of the free enterprise system is founded on the following beliefs:
- Competition and free markets, secured by private property, powered by innovation and entrepreneurship, supported by measured government intervention, regulation and taxation that results in economic and financial freedom.
- Better life and opportunities for all through an economic system that offers the promise of prosperity, both individually and collectively.
- Individual and social responsibility that show the benefits of private ownership and for-profit business, and that demonstrate how management can achieve increased levels of profitability while simultaneously enhancing contribution to the environment, social and governance practices.
- Character with purpose, including Belmont’s focus on equipping students to fulfill their Christian calling of creating abundant lives for themselves and others.
- Economic freedom and human flourishing that create a mindset and ecosystem of abundance while servicing others in beneficial ways.
Key Offerings
Free Enterprise Forum
The Free Enterprise Forum brings together accomplished entrepreneurs, investors, executives, and scholars to explore how freer markets drive innovation, growth, and opportunity. The Forum offers practical insight into principled leadership, disciplined capital allocation, and thoughtful risk-taking that support resilient organizations and long-term value creation, while advancing economic freedom in service of human flourishing.
Fellows
The Fellows Program advances free enterprise education by supporting faculty in teaching, research, and curriculum development in business. Through this initiative, faculty are recognized as Beasley Research Fellows or Beasley Teaching Fellows, receiving awards to pursue innovative projects that foster thought leadership and enhance the integration of free enterprise principles into academic programs.
Small Business Advocacy
Celebrates and champions the small business leaders who power our economy through innovation, resilience and local impact, while amplifying their voices and advancing the principles of free enterprise. Watch the Small Business Appreciation Week Recap.
Free Enterprise Research Guide
The Free Enterprise Research Guide offers a curated gateway to the ethical, legal, and economic foundations of a free and responsible society. Drawing on primary sources, quantitative data, and leading scholarship from the Austrian, Chicago, and Public Choice traditions, the Guide equips readers to explore the institutional infrastructure of liberty and the ideas that shape markets, policy, and human flourishing in the practice of free enterprise.
Market-Based Business Projects
Students and faculty engage in applied, market-oriented projects. Through structured analysis and collaborative engagement, participants support entrepreneurs and enterprises in strengthening strategy, improving financial decision-making, and pursuing growth in sales, profitability, and employment while supporting pathways to prosperity.
Tennessee Export Initiative
The Tennessee Export Initiative administers a State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant to assist small businesses in entering and expanding into international markets. This grant program is also funded in part by the Small Business Administration and through the efforts of the Tennessee District Export Council.
Nashville Oral Business History
The Nashville Oral Business History Project preserves the stories of the visionaries who built Nashville’s most influential companies - capturing over 150 interviews that reveal the city’s biggest deals, boldest decisions and toughest challenges. Through firsthand accounts of innovation, resilience and entrepreneurial spirit, we celebrate the power of free enterprise and inspire future generations.
Professional Development
Our Professional Development Program empowers students and faculty to advance the practice of free enterprise while exploring new frontiers in professional and academic growth. Through funding for conferences, workshops and seminars, participants present research, gain insights and connect with business and academic leaders. By fostering innovation, the program equips recipients with the tools and networks to drive progress and prosperity for the common good.
Financial Stewardship
Belmont students can start planning for their financial futures with iGrad – an award-winning financial literacy tool. iGrad makes college debt manageable and takes the fear out of finances through personalized financial wellness resources. Click the button below to learn more.
Financial Wellness through iGrad
Contact Us
Jack C. Massey College of Business
1900 Belmont Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37212
Email: ginger.cork@belmont.edu
Phone: (615) 460-6175
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