The Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise develops and promotes innovative, market-based solutions to vital economic issues. With the belief that private enterprise is the cornerstone of a prosperous and free society, the institute fosters the entrepreneurial spirit to stimulate economic prosperity and improve the lives of people in North Carolina, across the country and around the world.
We host a number of conferences, speakers and other events each year, both in person and virtual. We invite you to join us as we explore the most pressing issues in business today.
Save the date for October 8, 2026, at The Carolina Inn, for the Frontiers of Business Conference — where ideas become action, insights drive innovation and collaboration sparks real-world change.
Join our monthly economic briefings as Kenan Institute experts analyze the latest employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and discuss top-of-mind business topics.
Join Kenan Institute Research Fellow Greg Brown as he discusses the up-and-down year for job growth and the fresh employment report during the institute’s monthly briefing at 9 AM EDT Friday, May 8.
Beneath the headlines about Iran and oil, a quieter story is building. Join Kenan Institute Research Fellow Christian Lundblad as he discusses the situation and takes your questions during the institute’s monthly briefing at 9 AM EDT Friday, April 3.
During the institute’s monthly briefing at 9 AM EST Friday, March 6, Chief Economist Gerald Cohen will discuss two new forces affecting the US economy, artificial intelligence and the Middle East.
During the institute’s next monthly briefing at 9 AM EST Wednesday, February 11, Kenan Institute Director of Research Camelia Kuhnen will assess the economy’s health following the delayed release of the Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Join us at 9 AM EST Friday, January 9, as Chief Economist Gerald Cohen examines fresh employment numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and previews his Five Trends commentary in our monthly economic briefing.
Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen told American Public Media’s “Marketplace” on December 11 that it’s tempting to think we’ll remain in an era of higher productivity because “that generally matches with an era of … lower inflation.”
You’ll find our experts on our monthly briefings and in print, broadcast and digital outlets throughout North Carolina, across the country and around the world. See what they’ve been saying recently.