Thomas F. Cone Sr. enabled Belmont’s business students to further pursue their aspirations and entrepreneurial dreams by endowing a $2 million fund to the Jack C. Massey College of Business on Thursday.
In honor of this endowment, Belmont will be renaming its Center for Entrepreneurship to the “Thomas F. Cone Sr. Center for Entrepreneurship.”
“Our future is in the hands of our youth,” said Cone. “Belmont University has a long-standing reputation of excellence, and I believe the Belmont Entrepreneurship Center will be a leader in the entrepreneurship business community.”
Belmont’s undergraduate entrepreneurship program was ranked a Top 25 program by Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine in 2019.
Suzanna Stapler, 2018 alumna and founder and CIO of Squillustrate, said she looks forward to what the next generation will be able to accomplish with Cone’s generous gift. She “could always go to the center for help, and the resources were there for all students to pursue what they’re meant to do,” she said.
Cone’s fund will enable the center to support several programs, including a runway loan program and the annual Entrepreneurship Village and Entrepreneur in Residence programs. They are also working on a lecture series, workshops and business plan competitions.
“My hope is that my gift will provide the cornerstone of the Center for Entrepreneurship, allowing students to have a place to hone their skills and make their dreams a reality,” said Cone.
University President Dr. Bob Fisher expressed his gratefulness for Cone’s gift in a press release Thursday.
“Not only will our students benefit from the resources this gift will provide, but they will also have a tremendous entrepreneurial example to look up to,” he said.
This article written by Olivia Peppiatt. Photo courtesy of Office of Communications.