Lessons and Insights from Early Entrepreneurs

Featured Events | Oct 21, 2022 | Gabelli School of Business

Entrepreneurs have driven progress and influenced society since the beginning of time. From early Mesopotamian mortgage contracts to ancient Egyptians who recorded their investments in land and raw materials on papyrus, entrepreneurs then and now share the same spirit of innovative thinking.

The history of entrepreneurship, investigated in the book The Entrepreneurs: The Relentless Quest for Value, was the focus of this webinar co-sponsored with the CFA Society New York, the Gabelli Center for Global Security Analysis, and the Museum of American Finance. Author Derek Lidow, Ph.D., a Princeton University professor, accomplished CEO, and successful entrepreneur, drew parallels between historical innovations and the ways in which today’s entrepreneurs create value and societal change and influence our culture.

While entrepreneurs run the risk of negative consequences when executing their ideas—such as excess product packaging that ends up in the ocean or high price points for a new medication—Lidow believes that positive change comes from their accountability. Those who are mindful of mitigating such negative impacts should be uplifted, he added, and that will encourage other entrepreneurs to follow suit.

At the end of the day, entrepreneurs play the biggest role in determining how we live, Lidow said. Without them, “our lives would be very dull and short, and we do not acknowledge our entrepreneurs enough for that.”