A summit to remember: School of Business gathers hundreds of CEOs to participate in panels and network with students

More than 300 CEOs from across the country and from numerous backgrounds and industries assembled on Liberty University’s campus last week for the Networking the Nations Summit to discuss new and emerging technologies, the direction of business capital investment, and how to profess Christ in their respective business environments.

The astonishing three-day faith-based gathering was hosted by the School of Business, powered by the Standing for Freedom Center, and was rallied by keynote speakers Ben Carson, the founder and Chairman of American Cornerstone Institute; Steve Green, the President of Hobby Lobby and Founder of the Museum of the Bible; and John Maxwell, a New York Times Bestselling author and speaker on leadership.

Other keynote speakers included Chad Gundersen and Chris Juen, the producers of “The Chosen” television series; former White House Director of Strategic Communications Mercedes Schlapp; Chairman of the American Conservative Union Matt Schlapp; and Ronald Reagan’s most cited economist, George Gilder. Another guest was veteran Chad Roubichaux, founder of Mighty Oaks Foundation for Veterans, who shared his story of overcoming PTSD and discovering Christ.

Throughout the conference, these CEOs poured into students’ lives and offered advice on launching a brand and how to identify future industry trends.

“People from a variety of business backgrounds were all speaking the same language because faith was the common denominator,” said Dr. Dave Brat, Dean of the School of Business. “Our shared faith linked everything.”

The second and third days’ panels covered distinct topics. Technology, the flow of capital markets, and venture capital were Day One topics; and politics, national security, and media trends were the themes of Day Two. The Center for Entrepreneurship and the Center for Cyber Excellence rooms housed the breakout sessions. The School of Business hosted a wiffleball game in the Indoor Football Practice Facility at the end of Day Three, which was a leisure activity open to CEOs, business students, and Liberty staff who assisted in orchestrating the event.

For School of Business administration and Liberty students who attended panels and breakout sessions, the CEO Summit was a conference to remember.

“I’m extremely grateful for the incredible work of our team and for all the other leadership from Liberty and outside Liberty involved with organizing such a memorable event,” Brat said, noting that co-hosts Pastor Forson Swanzy and Jack Brewer were instrumental in acquiring many of the guests. “This caliber of event would not have been possible without their hunger to bring Christ into all areas of the business world. I couldn’t ask for a better team.”

Sophomore business student Charlie Watts said that he was able to engage in beneficial conversations with numerous CEOs, and even to network and exchange information. He said he especially appreciated NY Times Bestselling author David Barton’s panel on the faith of America’s Founding Fathers.

“That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Watts, who is studying business economics and Pre-Law. “I would like to say thank you to the School of Business for hosting this event. It was a great time, and I’ve benefited greatly from it. And it shows how much Liberty’s School of Business truly cares about the students.”

“It was also really neat to see a bunch of Christians conducting business amongst each other,” he added. “I noticed the majority of the CEOs at the summit were there for the interest of others and not their own.”

For senior business sales and marketing student Coleen Leja, Carson’s keynote speech was the biggest takeaway.

“I thought that the summit was a super cool opportunity and a cool experience being a student getting to attend,” Leja said. “(Carson) was just so intelligent and carried his Christian values with him through each cultural topic that he discussed. And then a panel that I really enjoyed was one of Jack Brewer’s on the education system and school of choice and how today, kids are no longer getting educated but indoctrinated, which I thought was an interesting perspective.”

Brewer was also instrumental in bringing in key panels on Opportunity Zones for Lynchburg as well as panels on Child Trafficking and then Reentry and Second Chance Ministries. A second Equity for Africa summit is in the works following the tremendous success of the first one held in April.

The Networking the Nations Summit also hosted a strong roster of female entrepreneurs and business leaders. These included Industry Chief Technology Officer at IBM, and Liberty alumna T’Neil Walea, who spoke on the direction of Artificial Intelligence. Others included founder of HireMyMom Lesley Pyle; bestselling author, entrepreneur, and host of The SHE podcast Jordan Lee Dooley; Janet Chihocky, founder and Chief Branding Officer at JANSON Communication; and many others.

“The School of Business tries to be responsive to God’s call to work in His world, and leading in areas of the greatest need,” Brat said. “Inviting the power of world-class business leaders into a room to work out the issues, as well as opportunities in Africa for the poorest of the poor, will continue to motivate us to Train Champions for Christ and Network the Nations. With God, all is possible.”