At the Edward Jones Center, we have a simple mission: to move great entrepreneurial aspirations forward.
Founded in 2008, thanks to a generous gift by John and Crystal Beuerlein and Edward Jones Investments, our center aspires to greatness: in our students, in our start-ups, and in our society. Our programs bring this aspiration alive through focused, in-depth efforts to take students to the peaks of their imagination, to engage businesses in thought provoking workshops and services, and to build the intellectual capital necessary for socially minded entrepreneurs in our region.
The Edward Jones Center for Entrepreneurship was made possible by the generous contribution of John and Crystal Beuerlein and Edward Jones, Inc. All parties feel passionately about entrepreneurship and believe in the idea of helping people create new businesses. They are also eager to provide employees of existing corporations with tools to continually refresh and reinvent their organizations as markets and business environments change. Their vision for the center is to arm entrepreneurs from many sectors with the acumen to create new, innovative ventures.
There were a number of other individuals who graciously served on the Blue Ribbon Task Force, guiding the center in its infancy. Those individuals were Tom Cray, Tom Dapp, Tom McAlear, Larry O’Reilly, Patti Penny, Robert Plaster, Earl Pool, Lyle Reed, Jack Shewmaker, Jack Stack, Tom Slaight, Tom Stout and Tom Warren.
The Edward Jones Center for Entrepreneurship was officially launched in January 2007. Todd Parnell was named the inaugural Executive Director for the center and momentum has been building ever since its establishment. The EJC will continue to serve as a training ground for entrepreneurs by fostering innovative ideas and providing the resources needed to translate those ideas into results.
The Edward Jones Center owes its existence to the support of Edward Jones; many of the Center’s programs also benefit from the counsel and support of champions from within the company. The Enactus team has partnered with the company since 2008 on a major corporate social responsibility initiative; our Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium benefits from the support of local financial advisors; and representatives from the company serve either on the Edward Jones Center Board or on other committees that support Center programming.