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.
Speakers conversed with a keen public audience at the annual Conference on Market-Based Solutions for Reducing Wealth Inequality.
The Kenan Institute led an expert assessment of the Fifth Third Neighborhood Program. The full assessment includes six lessons learned that emerged from stakeholder interviews and a thorough review of the bank’s community investment strategies used in nine Midwestern and Southeastern communities from 2021-2025.
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.
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.