Austin Peay State University alumnus Larry Carroll (’76) has made a gift to establish the Carroll Entrepreneurship Center at APSU.
CLARKSVILLE, TN – Austin Peay State University alumnus Larry Carroll (’76) has made a gift to establish the Carroll Entrepreneurship Center at APSU. The new center will serve as a university-wide, community-facing hub designed to expand innovation, support new venture creation, and strengthen the regional economy.
Housed within the College of Business at APSU but serving the broader Clarksville and Montgomery County community, the center will provide a five-year runway for staffing, programming, and facility renovation without requiring new university funds at launch. The investment positions Austin Peay as an essential partner in advancing Clarksville’s economic future.
The Carroll Entrepreneurship Center will be based at The Press, 211 S. Second Street, a collaborative workspace in downtown Clarksville. The Press will build out a new office suite specifically for the center, which will include three offices, a reception area, and access to The Press’s amenities, putting the center in the heart of Clarksville’s business community. APSU’s Tennessee Small Business Development Center, also housed at The Press, will be nearby, giving entrepreneurs added access to complementary business resources.
“Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed firsthand how entrepreneurship transforms communities and creates opportunities,” Carroll said. “Austin Peay gave me the foundation I needed to build my business, and I want to ensure future generations of students and community members have access to the resources, mentorship, and support they need to turn their ideas into thriving ventures.”
The center is the latest milestone in Carroll’s long history of giving back to his alma mater and supporting APSU students.
The Carroll Entrepreneurship Center will offer programming and resources for APSU students across all disciplines, as well as aspiring entrepreneurs throughout the Clarksville region. The center aligns with the College of Business’s commitment to experiential learning and community engagement—key components of its AACSB accreditation standards.
Carroll is a senior vice president and senior consultant with Wealth Enhancement Group, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Carroll founded Carroll Financial Associates in 1980, which was acquired by Wealth Enhancement Group in 2021. At the time of the acquisition, the firm managed approximately $4.7 billion in client assets. He has been named on Forbes’ list of America’s Top 200 Wealth Advisors and ranked No. 1 for North Carolina (West) on Forbes’ Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list. He has also been listed 12 times on Worth Magazine’s listing of The Nation’s Most Exclusive Wealth Managers and named on all of Barron’s annual lists of The Top Financial Advisors.
Carroll has made numerous significant investments in Austin Peay over more than a decade. In 2012, he received the Tennessee Board of Regents’ Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Philanthropy. His gifts include the lead gift for the Larry Carroll Financial Trading Center in 2015, establishment of the Baggett-Carroll Endowed Scholarship, and, in 2021, both the Larry W. Carroll Govs Fund for student investment management and the AJ Taylor Distinguished Professorship. In 2021, Carroll also received the inaugural APSU Presidential Medal of Distinction for his exemplary service and remarkable contributions to the university.
