VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY and its Owen Graduate School of Management today announced that a $20MM gift from an undisclosed donor is designed to further the transformation of the Owen School's Center for Entrepreneurship "into a best-in-class hub for entrepreneurial excellence that will serve as a beacon for aspiring founders and global business leaders alike."

According to a VU release today, the gift came from parents of current Vanderbilt students who aim to advance the role of the Center for Entrepreneurship. The university did not identify the family members.

Owen GSM Dean Thomas Steenburgh PhD said in a letter emailed this afternoon to the Owen community about the parents' donation that their "landmark investment signifies an exciting new chapter for Owen and Vanderbilt's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem."

In that message, Dean Steenburg added, "With this generous gift, we will be able to fulfill the Center's mission of fostering unicorn startups. We plan to expand immersive learning opportunities, connect more students with experts from startup companies and venture capital firms, and help attract and retain top talent at the Center. Additionally, it will support initiatives like the Convoy Conference, which enhances Vanderbilt's connections with alumni and parent business leaders, industry experts, and investors."

He also promised, "We will continue to collaborate with the Wond'ry, the campus hub for innovation and design thinking, by helping aspiring founders bring their product ideas and inventions to market. We are also looking to deepen Vanderbilt's ties to Nashville's entrepreneurial community and expand our role as a catalyst for Middle Tennessee's innovation economy."

The gift comes amid the Owen School's own current fundraising campaign for the Center for Entrepreneurship.

Though known to be substantial, the overall target for the ongoing Owen raise has not been disclosed.

Baxter Webb

However, Owen Center director Baxter Webb MBA did confirm this evening that Owen has raised more than $2MM in addition to the parents' gift announced today.

The news comes against the backdrop of Vanderbilt's central "Dare to Grow" fundraising campaign, which the university previously reported had surpassed its original $3.2BN goal, announced in spring 2023.

Today's announcement came with a flurry of additional confirmations from Owen's Center for Entrepreneurship. Upon request, Webb told VNC:

-- Owen is creating an Angel Capital Network dubbed "Anchor Angels" that will focus the Creative Economy, which VNC notes seems likely to at least partially fill what some observers view as a gap in the Nashville entrepreneurial ecosystem.

-- Vanderbilt and Owen GSM are simultaneously facilitating formation of a Venture Capital entity to be known as "The Rock," which we understand is an allusion to the role of seabed rocks in helping a ship's anchor "hold fast."

-- The Center for Entrepreneurship does currently plan to hold its second annual CONVOY conference in 2026, though it is likely to be held in one or more of Vanderbilt's new markets (West Palm Beach, New York City or San Francisco) before returning to Nashville.

The Center for Entrepreneurship is positioned as the "front door" for students and alumni aiming to generate businesses, and Vanderbilt research shows that its currently matriculating students "have some of the greatest entrepreneurial ambitions" in the history of the school: 61% of new undergraduates either already own a business or are harboring plans to create one within five years, if not five minutes after graduation, according to data provided by Webb this evening.

As shown in the attached document provided today, the entrepreneurial ecosystem centered in Owen's Center offers a wide menu of support for business founders. 

Dean Steenburgh provided further detail in his message today,  saying, "For our students, this gift will provide the necessary support for bringing bold ideas to market. The Center will concentrate on teaching essential skills every successful founder needs, such as generating revenue, building effective teams, and raising capital. Furthermore, it will enable direct investments in student-led businesses, helping founders operationalize their ideas, generate initial revenue, and secure funding for their ventures," the dean continued.

VU Chancellor Daniel Diermeier PhD said in today's university release, in part, "Supporting entrepreneurship at Vanderbilt empowers students to think boldly, take risks and turn ideas into thriving companies. This extraordinarily generous gift will expand Vanderbilt’s role as a catalyst for entrepreneurial ambition and business creation, strengthening Nashville’s growing startup ecosystem and fueling economic growth.

"We are profoundly grateful for this investment in Vanderbilt’s vision to develop future founders and global business leaders," the chancellor added. VNC

. last edited 15 September 2025