Inspire, Winter 2003

24 Winter 2003 Imagine, if you will, sailing on a ship in the open seas where you actually live and work. It’s your home, your community, your life. Sound like a dream? Well, if Jeremy Beadner ’01 has anything to do with it, that dream will one day become a reality. Jeremy is the vice president of design coordination for Freedom Ship International, Inc. Freedom Ship is still in the conceptual stage, but its ultimate purpose is to create a unique lifestyle that allows families and individuals to work, live, and travel simultaneously. Jeremy explained, “Currently one can now be virtually connected with anyone in the world through the Internet or cell phone. Freedom Ship makes that virtual connection physical.” Freedom Ship’s Web site explains that this vessel will not be a cruise ship, but instead will be a unique place to live, work, retire, or vacation. The proposed voyage would continuously circle the globe. Commuter aircraft and hydrofoils would ferry residents and visitors to and from shore. The airport on the ship’s top deck would serve private and small commercial aircraft. The superstructure, rising twenty-five stories above its broad main deck, would house residential space, a library, schools, and a hospital in addition to retail and wholesale shops, banks, hotels, restaurants, entertainment facilities, casinos, offices, warehouses, and light manufacturing and assembly enterprises. Finally, this concept would include recreational and athletic facilities, making Freedom Ship a veritable “Community on the Sea.” The ship’s design would accept up to 40,000 full-time residents, 30,000 daily visitors, 10,000 nightly hotel guests, and 20,000 crew members. The idea is that this population of 100,000 people will provide a wealth of talent and diversity for the private businesses aboard the ship and the ports of call the ship visits daily. As it circumnavigates the world, Freedom Ship will make offshore stops, including exotic tropical islands accessible only by sea. These stops will provide the ship’s residents and entrepreneurs with touring and business opportunities and bring a continual stream of visitors to the ship to patronize its shops, restaurants, and entertainment facilities. The ship would provide a large and steady stream of tourists to ports around the world. Jeremy learned about Freedom Ship when the project was featured on the Discovery Channel. He explained, “The idea captivated me. While the show was still airing, I surfed the Web for their site and found their corporate phone number. At 10:30 that evening I called their offices, and the CEO of the company, Norman Nixon, picked up the phone. We spoke for about an hour and a half and for several more hours throughout the week.” Jeremy started working for the company the following week. “Since then I have been blessed to be surrounded by people much smarter than myself who are willing to mentor me for future leadership within the company and allow me to express my creativity. We all have a common vision and a clearly defined plan of action to achieve our goal,” he continued. Overseeing design coordination for Freedom Ship allows Jeremy to indirectly live out many of his dreams. “As a kid, one of my dreams was to follow in the footsteps of Enzo Ferrari and A City on the Sea? J e r e m y B e a d n e r ’ 0 1