While American business history is filled with successful financiers, few can match the name recognition of Charles E. Merrill, founder of Merrill Lynch, now known as Merrill.  Merrill altered the investment industry in the mid-20th century by promoting stock market investment to the growing middle class. Once considered a purview only of the wealthy, investment portfolios became a common form of savings for workers at nearly every income level.  Born in 1885 in Florida, Merrill was the son of a medical doctor who owned a local drugstore. His family was...

Carnegie Hall, one of the most iconic concert stages in the world, sits in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. The venue has something in common with Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University and over 2,500 Carnegie Libraries scattered worldwide. The commonality, of course, is founder Andrew Carnegie, an entrepreneur who contributed the funds and philosophy to establish each of these institutions. A millionaire many times over, Carnegie cemented his legacy by ensuring that future generations would have the same access to arts, education, and personal enrichment opportunities that he had. Carnegie...

When you think about the greatest entrepreneurs who ever lived, the chances are you immediately think of Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and other modern-day billionaires. These are obviously amazing entrepreneurs whose accomplishments have improved our lifestyle with their imagination and creativity, and their ability to bring their ideas to life through unrelenting execution. Rather than reflect on the entrepreneurs with whom you’re already familiar, there’s a lot that can be learned by reviewing the Old School entrepreneurs, the originals, the pioneers, and the inventive people who shaped...