At CUW’s annual Liberty, Faith, and Economics Summit, Forbes summed up the day with his keynote speech, leaving students hopeful and inspired.
“Most great ideas sound crazy at the beginning, and then they become acceptable,” stressed Steve Forbes, chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes Media, during his keynote speech, “How Entrepreneurs, Not Government, Built America.” His talk was presented in partnership with Young America’s Foundation on Tuesday evening, Oct. 7, 2025, at the Concordia Center for Environmental Stewardship.
With real-life examples and historical facts, not to mention some witty humor, Forbes lit up a full room of attendees—many of whom came to hear his speech after a full day of listening to other speakers such as:
- Mr. Rick Esenberg | Founder, President, and General Counsel, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty
- Dr. Samuel Gregg | President, American Institute for Economic Research
- Mr. Andrew Stuttaford | Editor, “Capital Matters,” National Review
“We’re deeply grateful to Rick Esenberg, Dr. Sam Gregg, and Andrew Stuttaford for sharing their insights and engaging our students in such meaningful conversations,” said Scott Niederjohn, Ph.D., dean of the Batterman School of Business.
“It was an honor to welcome more than 500 students, faculty, staff and community members to our seventh annual Liberty, Faith, and Economics Summit,” he continued. “The energy in the room—especially during Steve Forbes’ keynote—reflected a genuine excitement for thoughtful dialogue on faith, liberty and economic freedom.”
Ground your faith
Jenna Piwowarczyk, a junior political science major and chairman of the CUW Young Americans for Freedom, found Forbes’s speech to reinforce the value of traditional American economic principles.
“I am left hoping that students understand that the current state of our economy is not the way it has to be,” said Piwowarczyk. “As Americans, we always have the opportunity for success—it takes education, action and grit to get our economy back on track.”
Before addressing today’s economic challenges, Forbes reminded the audience to appreciate what America has provided. “We should remind ourselves that for all the troubles we have today, the basic strengths of this country are still very evident, especially in terms of innovation and creativity,” he explained.
“In healthcare, we’re developing vaccines for cancer—something that would have seemed unbelievable just a few years ago. Within a generation, we may be able to replace organs like hearts and kidneys as easily as changing a tire, rather than waiting for a hopeful replacement.”
Grow your economy
Forbes is no stranger to the political scene, running in two presidential elections, one in 1996 and the other in 2000. He is a distinguished businessman who has carried the Forbes brand into the digital era, expanding its global footprint. During his speech to CUW, he presented several key points for growing the economy, some of which were:
- Implement low, flat tax rates
- Reduce government regulations
- Maintain a stable currency
“Imagine if the Federal Reserve were in charge of the Time Bureau and decided to float the clock—60 minutes one hour, 48 minutes the next. Life would be difficult,” said Forbes.
“I guarantee you, if they don’t do something like announcing they want a stable dollar and get over this chatter about a weak dollar, we’re going to have problems in the future.”
Pursue your future
At the root of it all, people want to succeed. We want to make enough money to pay our bills, buy a new car, dine at a new restaurant downtown, and still have something left over in the bank. Through his stories of American ingenuity, Forbes inspires the audience to consider what could make them successful.
He emphasized that entrepreneurship means putting ideas out there without knowing whether people will accept them—it’s about taking risks. “You create new knowledge through experimentation—in the laboratory, the marketplace, or elsewhere. That’s how you move ahead,” he said.
The government, however, creates a wedge through its regulations, taxes, and other barriers. Forbes said, “In terms of regulations, deregulate—that’ll go a long way to reviving American manufacturing, especially with AI.”
Want in?
Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world.
The Batterman School of Business enrolls the most students out of CUW’s six academic schools. The BSB offers a complete range of business education programs and degrees including bachelor’s degrees for undergraduate and adult accelerated students, as well as licensures and certifications. Graduate programs include our highly ranked Master of Business Administration program (with 12 concentrations), and master’s degrees in accountancy, business analytics, and more. The school also offers a Doctor of Business Administration degree, the only one of its kind in the Milwaukee area, as well as a Ph.D. in Business Administration.