Growing up, entrepreneurship and small business was normal dinner time conversation at the Cornwall household. This set the stage for a decades-long career pursuing entrepreneurial ventures and sharing his knowledge in the classroom. He has spent more than forty years as a serial entrepreneur. In the 1970’s he started several small businesses and was involved in various family ventures. In the late 1980’s, following several years in academics, Dr. Cornwall co-founded Atlantic Behavioral Health Systems in Raleigh, NC and spent nearly a decade leading the company as President/CEO. After growing to more than 300 employees, he and his partners sold most of their healthcare holdings. After the sale, Dr. Cornwall decided it was time to return to the classroom to share his experience and knowledge with aspiring entrepreneurs.
In his academic career, Dr. Cornwall received national awards for his work in curriculum development and teaching. In 2013 the United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship named Dr. Cornwall the National Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year. Currently, Dr. Cornwall is the inaugural recipient of the Jack C. Massey Chair in Entrepreneurship and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. He also was the founding Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Belmont and led the center during the first ten years of its operation during which it was ranked among the best programs in the country.
Dr. Cornwall’s blog, which launched in 2003, is among the most popular blogs focusing on small business and entrepreneurship. It was named One of the 100 Best Websites for Entrepreneurs by Forbes magazine. His writing has been quoted in Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Inc, Forbes, and US News and World Report.
