Derek K. Yonai is the Director of the Brown Innovation Center and the Peter and Sue Freytag Associate Professor of Economics in the School of Business at Flagler College and a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics.

Previously, Dr. Yonai was a tenured Associate Professor of Business at Emporia State University and was the Director of the Koch Center for Leadership and Ethics. Prior to joining Emporia State University, he was the Managing Director of the O’Neil Center for Global Markets and Freedom in the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. Dr. Yonai was also the Founding Director of the Center for Free Enterprise at Florida Southern College and the Lundy Chair of the Philosophy of Business at Campbell University. At Florida Southern College and at Campbell University he was responsible for developing and supervising their free enterprise education and outreach programs.

Dr. Yonai has been recognized for his teaching earning the Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award at Campbell University and the “Spirit of Inquiry Award” by the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy.

His published research discusses the economic role of property rights and the law and his popular writings deal with the importance of economic freedom. Dr. Yonai’s most recent research has been addressing how business and management scholars misunderstand the work of Milton Friedman and the free enterprise system.

He has given numerous radio interviews appearing on shows in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, Montana, and South Dakota. Dr. Yonai has written various Op-Eds that have appeared in various outlets including the Dallas Morning News, Sun Sentinel, Orlando Sentinel, Detroit News, and Miami Herald. He also has given many public talks on humanizing business education.

Dr. Yonai earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of California at Irvine and graduated with honors from Whittier College School of Law. Additionally, he earned a Master of Arts in economics and a Ph.D. from George Mason University.