Because Iowa State’s student activists went through the hard work of organizing this lecture, hundreds of their peers were exposed to a new perspective on free markets and entrepreneurship, one they likely hadn’t heard from many professors. Forbes spoke at length about the connection between commerce and philanthropy, demonstrating they are, “two sides of the same coin.” He discussed popular products such as Starbucks coffee and smartphones, explaining the value of free markets. After the lecture, the Iowa State Daily wrote the lecture was “packed.” The paper reported:Nate Burger, senior in supply chain management systems, was drawn to the Forbes lecture because of the credibility of the name and the political diversity it brought to campus. “I came out because Forbes is a big name and it’s kind of nice to see a big name like that come to Iowa State,” Burger said. “He’s also one of the few big name conservative speakers that get to come to Iowa State. It’s kind of nice to see a more conservative member come to campus.”That’s the power of a YAF lecture. Contact Patrick Coyle at [email protected] to organize a lecture on your campus.
