The Beyster Institute (Institute) began as the Foundation for Enterprise Development (Foundation), a non-profit established in 1986 by Dr. J. Robert Beyster. Dr. Beyster was the founder of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), a Fortune 500 company and the nation's largest employee-owned technology firm. Dr. Beyster believed so strongly that employee ownership and entrepreneurship were critical to SAIC's success that he thought others would want to learn about this effective business strategy. Today, the Beyster Institute uses SAIC's success as an example of employee ownership and entrepreneurship taken to their fullest potential.
In 2002, the Foundation for Enterprise Development started operating in the United States as the Beyster Institute while continuing to operate internationally under the Foundation name. In 2004, the Institute became part of the Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).
Dr. Beyster ran SAIC from its inception in 1969 until his retirement in 2004. In his current position as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, he serves as mentor, adviser and sponsor, lending his extensive knowledge and experience to the organization.
