Email from Plaster College of Business www.HammondInstitute.org ? QUARTERLY NEWS & UPDATES August 2025 The Hammond Institute for Free Enterprise saw no summer slump! We ended the spring semester with a flurry of activity that continued through the summer, with engaging activities for students, relevant research, and meaningful community outreach. In this quarterly update, check out highlights of what?s been happening and learn about upcoming free events that you won?t want to miss. Look for more updates throughout the year to learn about all the ways the Hammond Institute is making a difference. ? H. F. LANGENBERG MEMORIAL SPEAKER SERIES ? A Conversation with Steve Forbes: How Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Make America Great September 18, 2025 Doors Open ? 6:00 P.M. (CT) Event Starts ? 7:00 P.M. (CT) Event Ends ? 8:30 P.M. (CT) In-Person LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY J. SCHEIDEGGER CENTER FOR THE ARTS 2300 West Clay Street St. Charles, MO 63301 Directions FREE GENERAL ADMISSION Join Lindenwood University?s Hammond Institute for Free Enterprise and Young America?s Foundation for an inspiring conversation with Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media. Hear Mr. Forbes share how free enterprise and entrepreneurship make America great. Discover how free markets and entrepreneurial determination drive innovation, prosperity, and opportunity in America. Mr. Forbes will explore principles that fuel economic success and individual freedom, offering insights for everyone eager to shape the nation?s economic future. The event will start promptly at 7:00 P.M. (CT) and will begin with a presentation by Mr. Forbes, followed by a Q&A session. Registered attendees will be able to submit questions prior to the event. Open discussion and audience participation are hallmarks of the Langenberg Speaker Series, so the Q&A session will make up a significant part of the program, which will end at 8:30 P.M. (CT). Don't miss this opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations and expand your horizons. Reserve your spot today! The event is free and open to the general public. ? RESERVE YOUR FREE TICKET ? ?The H. F. Langenberg Memorial Speaker Series was established in 2017. Our goal is to provide members of the St. Louis area community with an opportunity to hear leading intellectuals and to engage in intellectual discussion and debate. ? LIBERTY & ETHICS CENTER ? SAVE THE DATE! _______ BUSINESS ETHICS PANEL November 6, 2025 Lunch Starts ? 11:00 A.M. (CT) Event Starts ? 11:30 A.M. (CT) Event Ends ? 12:45 P.M. (CT) LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY Dunseth Auditorium in Harmon Hall ?The Liberty & Ethics Center is focused on the humanistic aspects of the broader mission of the Hammond Institute. Its mission is to foster scholarship on the roles of free enterprise and liberty in advancing the virtues necessary for a society that is both prosperous and just. ? ECONOMIC EDUCATION CENTER ? GET MONEY SMART @ LINDENWOOD During the month of April, the Hammond Institute?s Economic Education Center hosted its fifth annual Get Money Smart @ Lindenwood financial education series. The four-week series provided practical information presented in a concise, easy-to-understand format that equipped Lindenwood students to improve their financial literacy and take actions that can help them achieve financial wellbeing. Presenters this year included speakers from Vantage Investment Services Group, Mission Financial, and Lindenwood University. Pictured above is Lindenwood student Katt Mossinghoff who presented on "Using Your Entrepreneurial Spirit to Get Started in Investing". Katt is a Business Administration and Entrepreneurship Major. MAD CITY MONEY In June, the Economic Education Center hosted 45 students from the TRIO Educational Talent Search program through the Higher Education Consortium of Metropolitan St. Louis to participate in the Mad City Money Financial Reality Simulation. Mad City Money is an experiential learning program designed to enhance students? financial knowledge and skills and empower them to be effective and responsible decision makers at both personal and professional levels. These activities were supported by the center?s partnerships with St. Louis Community Credit Union and local schools. The Economic Education Center will continue its outreach this fall with local high schools. TEACHER WORKSHOP In June, the Economic Education Center, in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, offered a professional development workshop for local educators, pre-service teachers (Lindenwood education majors), and Lindenwood education faculty. Participants learned about free educational resources and creative teaching strategies that can be used in area classrooms to enhance students? economic and financial literacy. Participants also learned about continuing education opportunities at Lindenwood. ? EEC GIFT This summer, the Economic Education Center received a gift of $2,500 from RGA (Reinsurance Group of America) through the Council for Economic Education. RGA is a global leader in the reinsurance industry and is ranked #196 in the Fortune 500. RGA, whose world headquarters is in Chesterfield, is partnering to support the center?s financial education activities in 2025-2026 and will provide volunteers for events throughout the year, including the Mad City Money Financial Reality Simulations. The mission of the Economic Education Center includes the provision of services for K-16 educators, K-16 students, K-12 youth organizers, and K-12 parents. Through various activities the Center will increase economic and financial awareness and instill appreciation and value for using sound economic reasoning to make choices associated with comfortable and secure living. ? CENTER FOR APPLIED ECONOMICS ? ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH In August, the Center for Applied Economics ? in partnership with St. Louis Community College and TechSTL ? released a summary report, ?State of the St. Louis Metro Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.? The report highlights findings from a three-year research project funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation that explored the experiences of startups and entrepreneurs in the region and the ecosystem that supports them. The research examined characteristics of local entrepreneurs and the experiences of their businesses. The report highlights challenges faced by entrepreneurs in starting and running their businesses, such as access to funds, cost of funds, customer payment issues, and lack of business training. It also notes how the local ecosystem has been strained in the past five years, undergoing considerable changes. ?The Center for Applied Economics (formerly the Center for Economics and the Environment) produces and disseminates policy-oriented research on state and local economies. It also provides resources and a forum for student and faculty training and research. ? GIVING Empower the Hammond Institute to continue to make a difference with your financial support. * Please select Hammond Institute for Free Enterprise from the dropdown ? SUPPORT US ? ? ? ? Our mission is to foster free enterprise and civil and religious liberty through the examination of market-oriented approaches to economic and social issues. ? www.HammondInstitute.org ? Plaster College of Business | 209 South Kingshighway | St. Charles, MO 63301 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice