Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

Location: The Heritage Foundation's Allison Auditorium

6:00 p.m. - Screening and Discussion

7:30 p.m. - Reception

A merchant banker.  A failing dairy farmer.  A refugee from Communist China.  One risked his savings.  One risked his farm.  One risked his life.  Why do their stories matter?
Because how we view entrepreneurs – as greedy or altruistic, as virtuous or vicious – shapes the destinies of men and nations.

An entrepreneur is the creative force in economics.  Entrepreneurs are, however, among the most misunderstood and underappreciated groups in society.  Yet, when people accept the challenge of an entrepreneurial vocation, they have implicitly decided to meet the needs of others through the goods or services they produce.  Reverend Robert Sirico, President of the Acton Institute, argues that the public must begin to acknowledge the value of the entrepreneurial vocation, the wise stewardship of talents, and the tangible contributions of entrepreneurs to society.

In the Acton Institute’s powerful and moving documentary – The Call of the Entrepreneur – these arguments are brought to film through the stories of three entrepreneurs – a compost farmer, a merchant banker, and a Hong Kong media mogul.  Core themes highlighted include the pernicious effect of zero-sum-game thinking, the role of entrepreneurs in creating new wealth, the risk-taking element of enterprise as well as the role of limited government, property rights, the rule of law, and free markets in unleashing the wealth-creating capacity of entrepreneurs.  Join us as George Gilder, Michael Novak, Reverend Sirico and other experts featured in the documentary explore how entrepreneurs shape the world.