By Eigen Escario
At Vanderbilt Business, students aren’t just learning how to invest capital – they know how to make it count. In the Impact Investing course, headed by M. Eric Johnson, Bruce D. Henderson Professor of Strategy, and Sallie Bailey, local investor and Adjunct Professor, students are tasked with identifying, analyzing, and deciding which community-based entrepreneurs in Nashville are prime candidates for low-interest loans. One year after pitching his business to Owen students, Thomas Kelly, founder of Creative Soulz Printing, is a shining example of what’s possible when capital is paired with creativity.
The Impact Investing Course
The Impact Investing course provides Vanderbilt MBA, Executive MBA, and MS Finance students, along with many other graduate students from across campus, the unique opportunity to be small business lenders in real time. Powered by capital from an impact fund underwritten by generous donors and put into action by the nonprofit financial services firm ImpactAssets, the class merges intensive due diligence with quantifiable social returns.
Thomas Kelly, Creative Soulz Printing
Thomas Kelly
Thomas Kelly, a long-time Nashvillian, didn’t originally set out to create his own small business. He started by helping his church through his hobby of graphic design, which became a calling he couldn’t ignore.
“I never planned on becoming an entrepreneur – I just liked designing flyers and programs for my church,” Kelly said. “But one Sunday, when the usual printer fell through, I had to figure out how to get it done myself, and that’s where it all began.”
Since receiving the loan, Thomas Kelly has utilized the funds to greatly enhance the capabilities and scope of Creative Soulz Printing.
“With the loan, I was able to buy a large-format UV printer, so we were able to start offering a variety of services in-house, such as custom doors, event signage, large backdrops, banners, and labels,” Kelly said.
The growth did not stop at paper. Kelly also branched out into promotional products to offer customers more avenues for branding.
“With the investment, it also enabled me to register to become a promotional product supplier,” Kelly said. “With that, I was able to provide my clients with a range of promotional products to help them brand even further. We have to think outside of the paper. What are tangible giveaways that my clients can provide to their clients to help promote their business as well?”
Through the acquisition of new equipment and an increased line of products and services, Kelly was able to increase revenues, improve profitability, and grow his stature in Nashville’s business and civic communities.
“We have been successful at consistently hitting six figures as far as overall yearly revenue; however, I am looking to consistently hit at least $10,000 per month, which would allow us to expand the space we’re in and add to our staff and personnel,” Kelly said. “I am also in the midst of creating a youth entrepreneurship program called Soulz of Tomorrow. I would like to design a business course or something similar that will educate students on all the different alternatives to post-secondary education based on what each student is passionate about and what each student finds meaningful, thus enabling their creativity to soar.”
Building Communities, One Business at a Time
Thomas Kelly meets with students from the Impact Investing class at Kreate Hub, an entrepreneurial co-working space in South Bronx, Nashville.
Thomas Kelly’s story is one of the compelling narratives highlighted in the Impact Investing course; he is one of several local owners whose businesses – and lives – have been forever changed by the assistance of the program. Every winner of the award used their loan to enable the next stage of growth, uniquely suited to their particular industry and vision, all while investing back into their respective communities.
In 2023, Christopher Smith of Bunshine Buns was financed to grow his Filipino-style brioche operation.
Later in the year, Dan Miller (EMBA‘25) and his cohort worked closely with other entrepreneurs who used their loans for strategic growth: Tony Woods of TCW expanded his trucking fleet; Kayla Hall-Ransom of The City Juicery doubled juice-making capacity and opened two retail spaces; and Steven Sains increased inventory at his business Crown Love Beauty to better serve North Nashville.
These companies range from trucking to fashion to food, but all are emblematic of the power of capital when it’s invested in the hands of those who know, and serve, them best. The Impact Investing class not only builds student skills. It recycles capital, reinvests in communities, and redefines what is possible for small business owners who have been undervalued for far too long. When asked what success means to Kelly, he looks to his community and the ways in which they are able to support each other meaningfully.
“Success for me? Honestly, thinking about my youth entrepreneur program… seeing my first class of students graduate and create something that they’ll be able to continue into their youth and into their adulthood would really make me happy,” Kelly said.
Looking to the Future
As the Impact Investing course builds on its community impact and network of local entrepreneurs, Professor Johnson hopes to continue educating the next generation of socially-conscious inventors while simultaneously snowballing the fund’s economic impact on Nashville’s underestimated communities.
“We really can bring economic prosperity into the city through investments such as these,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, we hope other schools will do the same thing – finding ways to bring economic prosperity by really engaging with their communities.”
However, Johnson stresses that the value of the course on the students and recipients of the loan lies in inspiring motivation for long-lasting change.
With three years under the program’s belt and many years ahead, the Impact Investing course will need more mentors, investment partners, and champions to sustain the progress towards community-based businesses.
Want to get involved in impact investing at Vanderbilt Business?
Connect with Professor Johnson to learn how you can make a difference.