One of the things we love about the Faith Driven Investor movement is that it isn’t limited to just one corner of the globe, rather there are faithful men and women all around the world letting their faith guide their investing. One of those people is Sid Mofya. Sid helps steward the Draper Venture Network, a global alliance of over 20 independent venture capital firms investing in outstanding entrepreneurs across the globe. Their team is the coordination hub for the collaboration between the funds and provides post-investment support to a portfolio of over 800 companies. His insight on investing is Africa is one you won’t want to miss.

Today’s guest was once recognized by President Barack Obama during a speech at the White House, and she was named one of Forbes’ Most Powerful Women Changing the World with Philanthropy. As the CEO and Co-Found of Rising Tide Capital, Alfa Demmellash is working to help underserved entrepreneurs get the recognition and investment capital they need.In this podcast, she took us on a journey to Ethiopia, Harvard, and Rwanda, and we think you’ll love every step of the way...

Today’s podcast has us traveling all the way across the pond to Belfast, Ireland. Malcolm Johnston is the Executive Director at Angello Capital, where he and his team are working to provide sustainable social transformation by investing in enterprise-led development. He talked to us about the work that he did during a time when unemployment in Ireland had hit 65% and how God called him to use his understanding of business to help the community around him. Our conversation with Malcolm is a reminder that Faith Driven Investing has hands moving in every corner of the globe and as faithful men and women steward what God has given them, lives change…

Every once in awhile, we get to have conversations with living legends. Today is one of those days. If you’ve been around the faith driven conversation, you’ve most likely heard the name Chuck Bentley. Chuck is the CEO of Crown Ministries, as well as the Founder and Executive Director of the Christian Economic Forum. His fingerprints are all over the Faith Driven Investor and Entrepreneur websites, and today’s episode is a reminder why. He’s been a faithful steward of this conversation, he freely shares his wisdom born out of experience, and our conversation with him today is one you’ll enjoy...

Today, we’re talking about the future with two people who work with colleges to prepare the next generation of Faith Driven Investors. They’re both applying hands-on practice to their business school students in ways that uniquely prepare them for the world of finance and investing.Dick Blanc is the Executive Director of Beyond: The Startup Accelerator at Cedarville University. He works alongside founders in the Accelerator by providing guidance and inspiration sourced from years of experience.Steven Diedrich is the Executive Director of the Baylor Angel Network at Baylor University where they are helping engaged students receive a real-life education concerning the inner workings of angel investing.If you’d like to reach out to Steven or Dick about getting involved with either of their programs, you an contact them via email:[email protected]@cedarville.edu

Welcome back to the Faith Driven Investor podcast. Today’s guest is the survivor of a parachute failure. Seriously. And while that was shocking to us, during our conversation with Wade Myers, we found that that is only one of the many many interesting things about him. He joined us today to talk about small business exit strategies, how investors and entrepreneurs alike can plan for them, and what it looks like to finish well.As always, thanks for listening.Useful Links:Every Entrepreneur Needs to Think About Exit StrategyWade Myers WebsiteEagle Venture Fund: Capital Works

Today’s episode features a Super Bowl champion. And while his NFL career is illustrious, it’s what Benjamin Watson has done off the field as both an author and leader that he’d like to tell you about. He’s written two books—Under Our Skin, which addresses the racial divide in America and The New Dad’s Playbook, which is a must-read for any father with a newborn. He’s known for speaking truth and saying the tough things that need to be said in the moment. And in times like these, we’re grateful for his willingness to have an honest and real conversation. As always, thanks for listening.Useful Links:The Watson 7Under Our SkinThe New Dad’s Playbook

We hope you’re ready to learn because today’s episode is chock-full of lessons, insights, and theories that are here to educate and inform you, the Faith Driven Investor. Today’s guest is Ken Barnes. Ken works as the Director of the Mockler Center for Faith & Ethics in the Workplace at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is also the author of Redeeming Capitalism, which takes a look at our current capitalistic society through both a theological and economical lens. Ken shared a history of the relationship between capitalism and morals, where the two began to separate, and what we can do to bring them back together. As always, thanks for listening.Useful Links:Redeeming Capitalism BookWhy Redeeming Capitalism is ImportantImagining a Virtuous Capitalism

Today’s guest is Greg Lernihan. Greg and his family work together to faithfully steward the resources God has entrusted to them. They grant to Christian ministries and invest from a faith driven perspective, seeking spiritual, social and financial returns.  He is the Co-Founder of Convergint Technologies, which started in a basement in 2001, and is now the world’s largest electronic security firm with over 5,000 colleagues globally. He’s also been one of the leaders of this Faith Driven Investing movement over the past decade, and we’re thrilled to have him join us. We’re going to hear some of his journey towards Faith Driven Investing and the insights he has for those just starting the journey. As always, thanks for listening…Useful Links:ConvergintMake Fun Part of Your MissionImpact Investing - Greg Lernihan

Today’s episode, we’re talking to someone who is an expert in his field but also a dear friend to all of us who host this show. Luke Roush co-founded Sovereign’s Capital in 2012 and serves today as Managing Partner. On today’s episode, he shared the story of the startup that spans from Jakarta to Silicon Valley and Washington DC. As you know, the Faith Driven Investor movement is a global one, and Luke provided some great insight on some of the snares and pitfalls, as well as trends he’s seeing emerging, as we head into the future.As always, thanks for listening.Useful Links:Sovereign’s CapitalImpact Investing with Sovereign’s CapitalCreative Destruction and Work as Transformation

We’re so excited to share a conversation today that we think is long overdue. If you’ve been following the website, you’ve no doubt seen the name Jerry Bowyer as we’ve featured several of his blog posts (including “Jesus’ Terrible Financial Advice,” “How God’s Work is the Model for Your Work” and others)—all of which are must-reads. Jerry is a leading thinker in finance and economics and a frequent contributor for Forbes and Townhall. His writing has been influential in the Faith Driven Investor movement, and we think you’ll enjoy our conversation.Tune in to hear Jerry’s thoughts on how to read the Bible, how to live like Jesus, and how to invest as faithfully as we possibly can. Useful Links:Jesus’ Terrible Financial AdviceWhat Does Jesus Teach About Investing?How God’s Work is a Model for Your Work

What could Scott Drew, the Coach of Baylor Men’s Basketball have to do with investing? Well, we’re excited to announce that we’re launching a new initiative—The Faith Driven Athlete. Our passion is to show how God moves in all of our work, as entrepreneurs, investors, athletes and this is the next step in that.We’re bringing you this special episode because, had it not been for COVID-19, this weekend would’ve been the start of the NCAA Final Four. And Baylor is one of the teams who likely would’ve been competing for a title. In our conversation, Scott Drew let us in on the challenges he faced early in his career, the faith that carried him through it all, and how he’s responding to life’s most recent curveball.So if you enjoy this episode, be sure to subscribe to the Faith Driven Athlete podcast to hear from athletes like Kirk Cousins, Jeremy Lin, Adam LaRoche and more in the coming weeks. As always, thanks for listening...Useful Links:Scott Drew’s Long Journey to SuccessFCA Recognizes Scott Drew with John Lotz AwardScott Drew Remains Focused on Faith as Baylor Remains #1

We’re living in unprecedented times. Coronavirus continues to spread, and the fear and anxiety attached to it are moving even faster. It’s no secret the effects this pandemic is having on the economy and investing market. So, what do we do?That’s the question we posed to James Cham, a venture capital investor with Bloomberg Beta. He provided a unique and positive spin on everything happening worldwide, and we’re excited to share his encouraging words amidst these challenging days.If this episode encourages you, we hope you share it with others who may need an uplifting word. As always, thanks for listening!Useful Links:An Interview with James Cham@jameschamJames Cham LinkedIn

We’re combining the Faith Driven Entrepreneur and Faith Driven Investor audiences today to continue to address the current events we face. Todd Wagner joined us to speak into how we as believers can respond to the fear and worry surrounding COVID-19. Todd is the lead pastor at Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas. If that name sounds familiar to you it’s probably because you’ve heard Henry mention it in the intro to this podcast as the location for where we will be hosting our Faith Driven Entrepreneur and Investor Conferences this fall. In addition to being our host and a speaker at the event, Todd is also a great voice in the faith-driven conversation. His words of wisdom—or as his Twitter handle calls them, words from wags—are encouraging, challenging, and uplifting to all who hear them. And with our current events, we could all use encouragement. Like Todd shared, “worry is not our friend and panic is not our way…”Useful Links:Should Christians Be Anxious About Coronavirus?Coronavirus is redefining the words Church and WorshipReal Truth. Real Quick@wordsfromwags

If you’ve been following the Faith Driven conversation, you’ve no doubt heard the name Tom Nelson. He’s been featured on the Faith Driven Entrepreneur podcast twice, and we’re so glad to get to talk to him about the investing side of this conversation. Tom recently wrote a book titled, The Economics of Neighborly Love. In the book, Tom brought his theological insight into the realm of finance and investing. We talked to him about all of this as well as what the good news of Jesus means for economics. Marrying biblical study, economic theory, and practical advice, he presents a vision for church ministry that works toward the flourishing of the local community, beginning with its poorest and most marginalized members. Find out more in our conversation. As always, thanks for listening.The Economics of Neighborly LoveVideo of Tom Talking about the bookTom Nelson TGC Breakout

On today’s episode, we’re talking to an expert on capital, influence, and how investments can serve the common good. Finny Kuruvilla is the Chief Investment Officer for Eventide Funds, and if you haven’t heard of them, you’re going to be glad you did. They’re on a mission to pursue investments that make the world rejoice—and today, Finny is going to tell us just how they do that. With a unique background in healthcare, statistics, and investing—not to mention two postgraduate degrees from Harvard and one from MIT—Finny is the type of guest you just can’t get enough of.As always, thanks for listening.Useful Links:EventidePriorities and InvestingDo You Know What You Own?To Change the World by James Davidson Hunter

Today’s episode takes us to jail. Well...not exactly. But we are interviewing a man who owns and operates a business that is run out of a high-security prison. His name is Pete Ochs, and in addition to working as founder and chairman of an impact investing company, he’s also working to make Hutchinson Correctional Facility in Kansas the best prison in America. How? Well, we’ll let him tell you…Pete is an expert when it comes to multiple bottom line investing—something many Faith Driven Investors are familiar with—and in this episode, he walked us through what that means, what it can look like, and how others can apply this approach to their own lives.As always, thanks for listening.Useful Links:Jailhouse Business of GenerosityInmate Confesses God’s Love at Seat KingWork as Flourishing in PrisonEnterprise Stewardship

Today’s guest is one we’ve been excited about for a long time. Bob Doll is a leader in the faith-driven investing movement from his work at Oppenheimer Funds, Merrill Lynch, BlackRock, and now, Nuveen. You may have seen him on one of his frequent appearances on CNBC, and we were honored to have Bob join us last summer for the Faith Driven Investing gathering in Utah. The work he’s been doing for the best few decades has been instrumental in shaping the conversation this website is stewarding.We owe a lot to Bob Doll and we’re excited to share the hard-earned wisdom his experience has yielded. As always, thanks for listening.Useful Links:Bob Doll’s 10 Predictions for 2020Bob Doll on Faith and FinancesMaintaining a Christ-Like Attitude with Bob Doll

Today, we have not one special guest but two for you to hear from. We are talking with Will Thomas and Dean Macfarlan down in the heart of Texas. They’re both accomplished investors on their own, but what makes the story even more compelling is that they’re a part of a new movement of City Networks where like minded Faith Driven Investors are uniting to do more together than they might be able to do apart.Ambassadors Impact Network is a group of over 30 different members that are coming together to collectively invest in and encourage Faith Driven Entrepreneurs. Hear how they’re connecting faith-driven entrepreneurs with like-minded investors and how you can replicate their success in your own city.This is a movement we’re hoping to see take off across the country, and we’re excited for you to hear Dean and Will share what they’ve learned in their experience. As always, thanks for listening.Useful Links:Ambassadors Impact NetworkAngel capital associationCreating Your Own Angel Investing Group

Today we are talking to Robert Netzly, President & CEO of Inspire Investing. If you’ve been following the Faith Driven Investor website, that name should sound familiar to you as we’ve featured a lot of their content on our blog. But today, we’re talking about the man behind the company—the man who many consider an advocate for Biblically Responsible Investing in places where the conversation hasn’t even begun. The way that Inspire has an impact as an active shareholder is encouraging and has led to some incredible stories. Well, today, we’re going to hear from that voice, and in addition to hearing his story, he’s going to share just what it looks like to invest with Biblical principles in mind.As always, thanks for listening. Useful Links:Inspire InvestingThe Biblically Responsible Investing Movement is ExplodingInspire Ranked Among Top Ten Fastest Growing RIAsWould You Write a Check to Planned Parenthood?

It’s not every day you get to have a conversation with someone who is widely considered to be a founding father, but that’s exactly where we found ourselves with Ron Blue. If you’ve been around the Faith Driven Investing conversation at all, you’ve no doubt heard the name, which is why we’re so excited he agreed to sit down with us.When it comes to time with Ron, it’s like sitting in front of a firehose. His extensive experience lends to the profound insight and wisdom he has about the current state of Faith Driven Investing and what’s to come. You won’t regret tuning in to hear the half hour he shared with us.Whether you’re new to Faith Driven Investing, or whether you’ve been involved in this movement your entire professional career, you’ll love this conversation with Ron Blue. As always, thanks for listening. Useful Links:Master Your MoneyThinking Right About Your MoneyWhat’s Your Why? The Ron Blue StoryPrinciples-Based Investing: The Ron Blue Investment Framework

Today’s episode finds us all the way down under—in Australia with our guest Tim Macready. Tim is Chief Investment Officer at Christian Super. He has been responsible for the development of the Fund’s Responsible Investment Approach, which is applied across the entire portfolio and now incorporates Negative Screening and Impact Investing. What we think you'll love most about this episode is hearing Tim talk about how he set out to create the “perfect, faith driven fund”. But then he realized…We’re all sinners. He’s a sinner, every company is led by sinners, and every customer is a sinner.He talks openly about how that shifted his perspective, some of the tough decisions it led him to, and how he stewards that calling today. As always, thanks for listening. Useful Links:How Our Faith Affects the Way We InvestWhere Are the Christian Investors?Why I Invest in Sinners

Today’s episode finds us in Tennessee talking to Donnie Smith, who previously served many years as CEO of Tyson Foods and oversaw record growth and some pivotal acquisitions.Donnie's contagious enthusiasm and passion characterized his tenure at the company, which he joined in 1980 at one of the entry-level management roles. He led Tyson Foods to be a company with a conscience, focused on feeding the world great, affordable food, while also making a positive difference in people's lives. On a national level, fewer high profile companies have utilized chaplaincy as a tool to care for a diverse workforce. As we think about how faith and chaplaincy intersect with the world of public equities we couldn’t think of anyone better to share about their experience. Tune in to hear Donnie talk about what it was like living out his faith in a publicly-traded company and some of his personal experience in Faith Driven Investing. Useful Links:Donnie Smith RightNow Media VideosTruth at Work: Donnie SmithFormer Tyson CEO Focuses on Family Legacy

“The goal is not to grow an organization—it’s to build the Kingdom of God.”Now, if you’ve followed along with us for a while you may remember Peter Greer from an episode we did with him on the Faith Driven Entrepreneur podcast. If you haven’t already, we highly recommend listening to that interview. But in this episode, we’re talking specifically about his book Rooting for Rivals. Peter is going to explain why he believes that leaders in this Faith Driven Investing community can multiply their impact when they focus on collaboration and cooperation. He shares both anecdotal and analytical evidence to support his theory, and we think you’ll be glad you listened in… Useful Links:Rooting for Rivals BookRooting for Rivals PodcastHow to Slay a Dragon: FDE Podcast with Peter Greer

“I think all of us can sense that something has gone wrong in America.”Despite new levels of financial and material success, it feels like America is a more depressed and divided country than ever. But what does this have to do with economics? And how should faith driven investors respond? Today’s guest, Brian Fikkert, has a Biblically-based economics lesson in store for us today that asks all the right questions.How can we have unprecedented wealth and declining happiness? Why doesn’t material wealth automatically lead to human flourishing? And what does the economy, both locally and globally, have to do with our relationship with God?Brian Fikkert takes cues from both the economy and the Bible, and as you’ll hear in this episode, when we merge those two things, we come to the realization that what happens to us physically, relationally, and economically affects us spiritually. Tune in to hear Brian Fikkert’s take on mainstream economic thinking and how everyone, no matter their income-level, can glorify God through the way they save, spend, and invest their money. As always, thanks for listening. Useful Links:Practicing the King’s Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and GiveBecoming Whole: Why the Opposite of Poverty Isn’t the American DreamThe Chalmers Center

Impact Investing is a buzzword in the faith driven investing world. But there are dozens of definitions out there for what it actually means. On today’s episode, we’re moving toward setting the record straight. Aimee Minnich has been around since the beginning of the Faith Driven Investor movement and through her work with the National Christian Foundation and the Impact Foundation she’s proven herself an expert on what it means to invest with impact in mind.When you listen to her episode, you’ll hear the history of impact investing. While the term has been around since 2006, Aimee makes it clear that this idea has been around for much longer. And in addition to looking back, she also gives us an idea of where impact investing is trending next. She also discusses the value of truth-telling and how that relates not only to the way we interact with others, but to how we approach investing.We’re so glad to have people like Aimee Minnich involved in this movement, and after you hear this episode, we think you’ll be excited to hear more from her in the future. Useful Links:About Us - Impact FoundationImpact Foundation - Annual ReportHow Much Impact/Financial Return Will I Get from Impact Investing?

Our friend Frank Chen stopped by the Faith Driven Investor podcast to talk about how he’s helping entrepreneurs change the World at the Silicon Valley Venture powerhouse of Andreessen Horowitz. As Frank describes it they are “helping entrepreneurs build software companies that are eating the world.” (he’ll give you a little more info about what that means in our interview).   Frank Chen is a self proclaimed former product and user experience design junkie with specialties in venture capital, artificial intelligence/machine learning, fund raising, product planning, product launches, product development process, enterprise software, UX design, Web hosting, and managed services. With a breadth of expertise like that, you can see why we were excited to have him on the show.  In addition to all of that, Frank also shared a vision for what it could look like when investors view themselves as servant leaders. So often, we think of the relationship between entrepreneur and investor as a constant power struggle, but Frank upended that idea and offered a much more redemptive approach that we thought was so helpful. It was a fun, enlightening and engaging conversation, which we hope you enjoy. As always, thanks for listening. Useful Links: Marc Andreessen on Why Software is Eating the World GDP/Capita over the last 2000 Years Frank Chen LinkedIn

Faith-Based Employee Resource Groups. This term may be new to you, or it may be something you’re already participating in. Either way, this episode is for you. Christeen Rico is leading the conversation around ERGs, and what she shared in our conversation was both informative and insightful. If you don’t know, ERGs are groups within companies that foster community and conversation among like-minded people. Companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, Toyota, and many more are creating these types of groups, so we’re grateful that Christeen dropped by to give us the inside scoop. If you’re an entrepreneur looking for ways to foster faith-based conversations within your business, Christeen will tell you exactly what it takes to form these groups. Or, if you’re an investor looking to get involved with companies that already have ERGs, Christeen will help you understand why these groups are important and how they add value. Apart from that, Christeen was also a fun person to spend time with, and we think you’ll find this episode one worth listening to. Enjoy! Useful Links: Christeen Rico LinkedIn Companies with Employee Resource Groups Work and Faith Workshop Faith and Work Movement

Today’s episode takes us to Silicon Valley to connect with Trae Stephens. You may have seen Trae on CNBC, or you may know him as one of the Partners at Founders Fund. It was an honor to have Trae on to share about his experiences—everything from his time in politics working for Congressmen and in Embassies to now working alongside Peter Thiel. Trae also shares about his life as a Christ Follower and how it shapes his view of the investing world. In particular, Trae outlines what it means for an entrepreneur to be an outlier. He describes the difference between business ideas that fit into a certain pre-existing category and those that break every mold out there. He also shares cautionary advice about what not to do as an entrepreneur. His perspective as a venture capitalist is helpful to listen to for both investors and entrepreneurs alike. But this podcast doesn’t stop there. As you know, we’re always approaching the conversation of entrepreneurship and investing from a faith-driven perspective. Trae is no exception. In this podcast, he talks about the different areas of theology and philosophy that inform his worldview. Specifically, he goes into detail about the innate tendency of all human beings to imitate something or someone. Here, he reminds us specifically of Ephesians 5:1, “Be imitators of God…” When Trae talks about his relationship with God, you’ll hear both his personal faith journey—what it means to imitate Christ as a venture capitalist and how Silicon Valley opens the door for him to share his faith—and what he thinks about the global Christian movement. He invites listeners to consider what it would look like to be co-creators alongside God, with references to how God and Adam interacted in the Garden of Eden. Our team had a blast catching up with Trae, as it felt like he covered dozens of topics with the fluency of an expert. His intellect and skill are on full display in this interview, but so is his spirit and heart behind what it means to be a faith driven entrepreneur and what faith driven investors can do to create value, not only for themselves, but for the world. We hope you enjoy this episode and pray that it encourages you on your journey! Useful Links: Rene Girard Explains Mimetic Desires Founders Fund Trae Stephens Interview with Fortune