In a new column for American Thinker, writer Vince Coyner makes a passionate case that America’s prosperity is built on a foundation of entrepreneurial freedom — and that this foundation is under threat from a resurgent appetite for government “solutions.”
Coyner opens with a personal story: a former friend, a born entrepreneur, who started mowing lawns as a teenager, hired other kids to do the work, and eventually sold an education company for eight figures. Coyner contrasts this with his own failed attempts at entrepreneurship, describing himself as “the moth that gets lost in the plastic lampshade.” But he insists that both stories — the successes and the failures — are the story of America.
“America is the story of opportunity, the story of possibilities, and the story of empowerment,” he writes. “Failure, and the resiliency it builds, is the fertilizer from which success eventually grows.”
The Quiet Entrepreneurs
Coyner notes that while names like Michael Dell and Daymond John are well known, there are countless others whose names rarely make headlines. He highlights Jim Scott, a college dropout who started a ski-focused limo company, then a moving company, then a beverage company. Scott’s Good2Grow licensed-character drinks are now a staple in stores across America.
Coyner argues that entrepreneurship is not just for the gifted few. Unlike professional sports, where only a tiny fraction of players make a living, entrepreneurship is open to anyone who can identify a problem and formulate a solution. But he also warns that entrepreneurship alone is not enough.
“The thing about entrepreneurship is that, while it’s necessary to build a society with widespread economic freedom and prosperity, it’s not sufficient,” he writes.
The Threat of Government ‘Solutions’
Coyner’s central concern is the growing push for government-run programs — from community supermarkets to public housing to “free” transportation. He warns that these “solutions” are a “gateway drug to Communism” and would spell the end of the American experiment.
He draws a historical parallel: Samuel Langley, the university professor and establishment darling, received millions of dollars in government funding to pursue flight, only to fail. Meanwhile, the Wright brothers, neither of whom had a high school diploma, achieved the first successful powered flight on their own.
Coyner also criticizes some of America’s most successful entrepreneurs — naming Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Mark Cuban — for pouring their money into leftist causes that he says undermine the very system that made their success possible.
Gratitude for America
Coyner is not just writing about the problem; he’s offering a solution. He has founded Gratitude for America (GFA), an initiative to showcase the entrepreneurs and innovators who built the modern world. For America’s 250th birthday, GFA is launching the “250 for 250 Initiative” — 250 stories of the people whose ideas shaped our everyday lives.
He cites examples like Joseph Glidden, whose barbed wire helped tame the West; Steve Jobs, who drew on Xerox PARC’s graphical user interface to bring computers to the masses; and Malcom McLean, whose shipping containers reduced cargo-loading costs by roughly 97%.
Coyner’s goal is to inspire gratitude for these achievements and to remind Americans that individual freedom, private property, and free markets are essential to prosperity.
“The more Americans who understand that it’s freedom that drives prosperity and not government, the less sway leftists championing a government-delivered ‘better’ world will have,” he writes.
Coyner acknowledges that he’s not the only one championing this message, but he believes he may be the only one doing so through gratitude. In an age of AI-generated Instagram influencers selling fictions to millions, he wants to inspire with stories of real people who did real things.
“Gratitude for America… showcasing the people and ideas that built a world too many of us take for granted,” he says.
Source: www.americanthinker.com — https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/08/entrepreneurs-build-prosperity-freedom-makes-it-possible/