George Washington - Visionary Entrepreneur

(Photo credit: Mount Vernon Estate, Museum, and Gardens)

George Washington was a visonary and an entrepreneur. Although most of us know him for his military career, he had great passion for leading this country forward through agriculture, vision, and innovation. He gave his life to service and the development of a new nation, but his love of Mount Vernon and all that he could do to expand agriculture through technology (and make a few dollars) was a huge ethical dilemma he had every time America called.

As we discussed in previous weeks, Washington acquired a lot of land; however, many have called him "land rich, cash poor." Washington believed that those with the funds and ability to innovate should take the risk those less fortunate could not. He believed those able should create the blue print for the new nation--to show what right looks like.

I came across The George Washington University’s discussion of “The Real George: Leadership and Character.” Dennis Pogue shares his account of George Washington as an entrepreneur (about 19 minutes into the program; however, the whole video supports this blog series). Check it out below.

Another read about Washington as a visionary entrepreneur is Founding Father, Entrepreneur by John Berlau, February 12, 2009.

• Washington developed Mt. Vernon from a floundering tobacco plantation to a multi-faceted agroindustrial enterprise: a fishery, meat processing facility, textile and weaving manufactory, distillery, gristmill, blacksmith shop, brickmaking kiln, cargo-carrying schooner, and grain.