Faith Driven Investor

Today’s guest is David Beatty, co-founder and managing partner of Veriti Management. On today’s episode, he is going to share the value of Direct Index for helping Faith Driven Investors screen for deals that reflect the investors’ Christian values. You’ve heard of positive screens and negative screens, but Dave joined us to explore how Faith Driven Investors can invest at a high degree of excellence using both positive and negative screens, as well as using direct indexing to customize their filters. If you’re interested in public equities, or already involved, today’s episode is for you...

Ross Baird co-founded Village Capital in 2009 with the goal of investing in entrepreneurs building successful businesses, and also making a difference in their communities. After making some initial investments in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, he realized something: local businesses built by local capital have a great effect on local communities. Today, he’s the Founder and CEO of Blueprint Local where he’s working to create the best way for people to thoughtfully invest in their communities. On today’s episode, he’s going to teach us a new word—topophilia—and why that concept motivates his work.

If you’ve been following this podcast for a while, you likely know that last year we had our first ever Faith Driven Entrepreneur and Faith Driven Investor conferences that included guests like Andy Crouch, Jewel Burks Solomon, Chip Ingram, Lecrae, Phil Vischer, Jessica Kim, and many more. Thousands of you attended, making it one of the most encouraging days since the start of the FDE and FDI movements. Well, if you missed last year’s event, don’t worry. Because we’re doing it again. Today’s episode is all about what you can look forward to at this year’s event, and the unique twist that’s going to make 2021 even better…

Today’s guest is Alan Clayton, who is, get this—a Global Roaming Mentor. Is that a cool title or what? After 10 years in marketing/logistics at WalMart UK, Alan co-founded an international coaching consultancy, turning vision into action for leadership teams, including managers at Motorola, Unilever, ATT&T, and others. ​Following that, Alan embarked on 20 years​ of startup​ experience ​working on his own ventures, culminating in what he does today as a mentor for SOSV. Today’s episode will capture his story and his passion for mentoring the whole person.

October Baby. Mom’s Night Out. Woodlawn. I Can Only Imagine. What do these movies have in common? They’re all creations from the Erwin brothers. Jon and Andrew have had a passion for creating and making movies since they were young, and while we could talk shop about movies we love all day long, we asked Jon to pull back the curtain into the economics behind the big screen. How do filmmakers raise capital? Where do investors looking to get involved in entertainment? And of course, how does our Christian faith play into all of this? Listen in to find out...

Money is a fact of everyday life. We earn it, spend it and save it. We’re tempted to worship it and to trust it to provide for our needs. While much has been written about the power, danger, and stewardship of money, little has been said about what money actually is and whether or not money itself is moral. Today’s guest is here to change that. Jimmy Song is a bitcoin advocate, developer and author who has been contributing to open-source bitcoin projects since 2013. On today’s episode he explores the ways in which the current monetary system is broken, what can be done to fix it, and how the ongoing transition to sound money may be a source of hope for a broken world.

Hear Aimee Minnich, CIO, Founder, and General Counsel for Impact Foundation, share about how her personal history led her to a career dedicated to helping families steward resources for the glory of God. In this episode, she challenges the common understandings of risk, reward, and time horizon in investing and posits “the only meaningful risk we can take is to disobey God’s commands or ignore His invitations.”To hear more talks like this, join us this year at the 2021 Faith Driven Investor Conference on September 9th.

Jewel Burks Solomon is the Founder of PartPic, which raised over $2million before being acquired by Amazon. And that was just the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey. Now, she’s a managing partner at Collab Capital—a group working to provide a viable pathway to sustained wealth for the black community. She’s an incredible story, a fascinating entrepreneur and investor, and someone we can’t wait for you to hear from...

Derrick Morgan, former Tennessee Titans linebacker and founding partner of KNGDM Group, believes that community roots are incredibly important. That’s why after retiring from his career in the NFL and beginning an impact-focused fund, Derrick Morgan and KNGDM Group sought to be an example of giving back and building resilient communities. Hear him describe the importance of hope and resilience for life as a faith driven entrepreneur and investor.

Before starting Access Ventures, Bryce Butler was the Executive Director of the BlueSky Network, a venture philanthropy family office in Southern Indiana with activities around the world in microfinance, clean energy, sustainable agriculture, mobile payments, and entrepreneurship/innovation. Bryce was also the Executive Producer of a documentary about poverty, gang violence, and those trying to chart a new path through dance set in Guatemala City that premiered at the United Nations in April 2014 called BBOY for Life.Today, he joined us to talk about one pocket investing, solving access problems, and defining what Faith Driven Investing really means...

These are the 3 beliefs that drive Kwami’s passion. (1) poverty is an injustice, (2) we have a responsibility and a joy to solve this man-made problem, and (3) every problem presents an opportunity for business. If that doesn’t get you excited to hear about what Kwami has to share, then we don’t know what will. Listen in to hear how Kwami Williams is discovering entrepreneurial solutions that tackle the challenges faced by the poor and marginalized in our world today, especially on the African continent.Useful Links:Our Resilience StoryUp Close with Kwami WilliamsForbes 30 Under 30 2017: Social Entrepreneurs

Ray Barreth is a serial entrepreneur and dynamic visionary. He has spent over thirty years creating, directing, and leading new ventures in the U.S. and the U.K. Ray has broad experience in bringing companies from product inception to funding and launch. Today, Ray is going to join Reuben Coulter, Director of Ecosystems for Faith Driven Investor, to share a bit about his passion of coaching extraordinary entrepreneurs to create legacies that go far beyond themselves. And together, they’re going to walk us through what it means to create networks of trust through the use of light touch due diligence—all the way from New York to Nairobi.

We are so excited about the abundance of opportunities we’re learning about outside of America. And today’s guest is going to tell us all about those specifically in Africa. Ndidi Nwuneli founded LEAP Africa—a leading nonprofit that provides social entrepreneurs, youth, and small scale business owners with leadership training and executive coaching services. She is also a co-founder of AACE Foods, a Nigerian food processor. Ndidi is a leading authority on social entrepreneurship and, in addition being named as one of the 20 Youngest Power African Women by Forbes, in 2004 she was bestowed with the national honor, Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) by the Nigerian President. All that to say, through her work in food and agriculture, and as a leadership development mentor, Ndidi is building economies in West Africa that you’ll want to hear about…Useful Links:The Role of Faith and Belief in Modern AfricaRage for Change20 Youngest Power Women in AfricaSocial Innovation in Africa

Today's show is a great reminder that Faith Driven Investing is not limited to North America, nor is it limited to any one part of the globe at all! And our guest today is living proof of that. If you've been following along with the show, you know that Africa has been a recurring theme, and it is again here today. Iyinoluwa Aboyeji (or E, as he goes by) is an entrepreneur from Nigeria who has founded several startups—one of which received funding from Mark Zuckerberg and another which has processed over $1.2billion in transactions—all of which he's going to tell us about. E is also a great example of why investors need to know about what's going on in the continent of Africa. Listen in to hear him tell you why.

Today’s guest is Ben Chelf. Ben is a founding partner at Elementum Ventures, has been named to ComputerWorld's Top 40 under 40 Innovative IT Professionals, and is in the Stanford Inventor Hall of Fame. He has lived every part of the entrepreneurial cycle and is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience. As part of this work, Ben also heads up the Venture Lab at Praxis, helping serial entrepreneurs research and develop new organizations from the moment of inspiration to incorporation. He has lived both the Faith Driven Investor and the Faith Driven Entrepreneur story, and we think you’ll enjoy hearing him talk about both.

We can confidently say that today’s guest is the first person we’ve had on the show who was also a part of The Bachelorette. That’s right. Before Jason Illian was pioneering disruptive technologies, he spent time sharing a house with 24 other guys trying to woo one girl’s heart. He didn’t make it very far in the show (something he and his current wife are both grateful for!), but he did take that platform and use it for something else—namely, sharing his faith. He has written a book, started a Christian version of YouTube, but is here today to talk to us about Koch Disruptive Technologies, where he is looking for emerging high-growth technologies across a range of industries that are poised to be a benefit to society.

Community. It’s one of the core tenets of the Faith Driven movement. If you’ve been listening for a while, we hope you’ve heard stories from around the world that have opened up your eyes to see that FDEs are everywhere, and they’re faithfully pursuing God’s will right where they are. Today, we’re talking with Sue Alice Sauthoff who has recently joined the FDE/FDI team as our Community Manager. She’s going to share all the new initiatives intended to foster community among FDEs all around the world. We’re so excited she’s on the team, and we think after listening to this podcast, you will be too...

Today’s episode features one of the great thinkers in the FDI community talking about a topic that, well, frankly none of us like talking about. And that is “how to say no.” No investor can say yes to every deal that crosses their desk (nor should they!), but learning how to say no is a uniquely acquirable skill. Today, Jake Thomsen of Sovereign’s Capital is back after talking to us about Fundraising 101. He’s here to walk through some of the practices he incorporates in situations where he has to say no, and how these tips might serve you.

No one likes to be a part of a dysfunctional relationship. Yet, entrepreneurs and investors can often be on completely different pages with completely different goals and expectations.Today’s conversation between Henry Kaestner and Jessica Kim gives both sides of the story. Jessica shares how setting unrealistic expectations hurts the entrepreneur’s ability to follow through and the investor’s ability to determine success. And Henry talks about the fundraising side of his entrepreneurial journey and what he now sees from an investor perspective.Both sides are worth listening. Both sides have a lot to learn. Both sides can do a lot better. So, regardless of whether you’re an entrepreneur or an investor, today’s episode is for you.

Today’s guest is Michael Arrieta, the CEO and Founder of Garden City Companies. And while normally, we try to introduce you to our guests, for today, you should read you something that Mike wrote himself: “At Garden City, we’re reimagining existing service companies by ensuring workers are radically cared for and truly love their jobs. Service companies where innovation & technology is the norm. My hope is that decades from now thousands of service workers are thriving and together we built the future of service companies.” That’s his mission, that’s his vision. Listen in as he walks us through how God led him to where he is today...

One thing that makes this show so special is the feedback we receive from listeners just like you. Today’s episode is the fruit of your feedback. Many of you have talked about how helpful it would be to connect the Faith Driven Investor world with the Faith Driven Entrepreneur world. Well, we heard you. And out of that has arrived something we are beyond excited to share with you. It’s called Marketplace, and it’s a space for like-minded investors to find faith-driven deals and funds that help them put real capital to work in a way that makes a real impact. On today’s episode, Henry will share the origin story behind it and you’ll get to meet Andrew Firman, who is helping make it all happen.

Today’s guest is a friend of the podcast, someone we look up to and respect, but someone we’re also happy to call a friend. Daryl Heald is the Founder of Generosity Path. For more than twenty years, Daryl has traveled internationally sharing the message of biblical generosity. In his role with Generosity Path he focuses on mission-related activities: strengthening and developing relationships with champions, facilitating Journeys of Generosity (or JOGs) and trainings, as well as encouraging businesspeople to be generous. He’s here to share his personal story, to give us a primer on what it means to be generous, and explain why you never meet an unhappy generous person.

Last year’s conference was easily one of the highlights of our year. If you joined us, we’re so glad you did. If you didn’t, we’re glad you’ve tuned into this episode.At the conference, Chip Ingram opened up with a talk about how Scripture can and should inform our investing strategy. It was so good, we couldn’t help but share it with you here. Go ahead and press play and enjoy all Chip has to say!

We’re just as happy as you are that 2020 has finally come to an end. There’s been turmoil, turnover, and uncertainty around every corner. Yet, here at FDI, one thing has remained constant—this podcast.Week in and week out, we’ve recorded these conversations as we always do, and we couldn’t be more grateful for all the guests that joined us as well as the grounding consistency that this routine has provided.For those who have listened along all year, this will be a time to reflect on what we’ve heard. And for those who are just joining us, this will be a great place to find the episodes you need to listen to next. As always, thanks for joining us on the journey.

Marcus Stroud’s story is one you might not even believe as you hear it. He experienced ups and downs as his life intersected with people like President Barack Obama and MLB All-Star Torii Hunter. There was a time when he lived in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Dallas, and times when he was homeless. And while you’re going to have to hear the details from Marcus himself, one thing you won’t miss is the faith, perseverance, and sheer tenacity that Marcus shows in all aspects of his life, including his work at TXV Partners, which he’ll share more about today.

Today's guest is Eric Kim, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Goodwater Capital. As early investors in Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, and others Eric and his team know a thing or two about the tech startup world. But that's not the limit of Eric's expertise. He's done some great thinking about what spiritual integration looks like in their firm and how his faith guides him as he's part of stewarding a portfolio of over a billion dollars. We’ll let you hear the rest from him…

Kingdom Advisors is setting the standard for what it means to be a Christian financial advisor. They provide encouraging content and community that is building up the collective body of believers, and we're so glad to point you to their work today. Rob West is the President of Kingdom Advisors and in addition to sharing their origin story and mission, he shared interesting insights into specific investment vehicles that Faith Driven Investors should know about. Check it out today...

If you're not already familiar with the name Casey Crawford, then you need to be. We had him on the FDE podcast a while ago and even then, we knew he'd be back. Today is that day. Casey is here to talk to us about Movement Charter Schools and the work they're doing in Opportunity Zones. As always, Casey's enthusiasm is contagious, so we’ll let you tune in and hear for yourself.

Today, we’re talking about playing the long game. So many investors work to get as big of a return as they can as quickly as they can. But the two people on the show have a different approach. John Denniston and Tom Blaisdell are our resident experts on long-term capital, and today, they’re going to break down the benefits of patient investing, the discipleship opportunities it provides, and how all of this relates to you, the Faith Driven Investor.

Andy Crouch and the entire team at Praxis never disappoint, and today’s episode is no exception. At this year’s Faith Driven Investor Conference, Andy shared what a redemptive model for investing could look like, especially in uncertain times.It goes without saying that 2020 has upended everyone’s expectations and many people’s financial security. So, what would happen if we viewed investing as an opportunity for redemption rather than selfish reward? Listen in to find out...

Welcome to Opportunity Zones 101. Today, we’re talking with Jeff Shafer, Co-Founder and CEO of CommonGood Capital and Jerome Garciano on Opportunity Zones—what they are, why they matter, and how Faith Driven Investors can approach these unique ventures as a way to integrate their faith and investing. If you’re familiar with Opportunity Zones, or if this is literally the first time you’ve ever heard that phrase, today’s episode is a chance to get acquainted with something that can provide value to you, the investor, and to local cities across the U.S.

Finny Kuruvilla, CIO at Eventide Funds, challenges faith-driven investors to consider the impact of their investment decisions.Hear him remind us that there is an ethical responsibility on the part of the investor to know the impact of their funds. He explores examples of how investors have used their influence to inspire significant world change and encourages modern-day faith-driven investors to do the same.

What does it mean to be a Christian financial advisor? There are lots of possible answers to this question, but today we look at two experts in the field, Eric Chetwood and Rachel McDonough, to hear what they think. When it comes to integrating your faith as a financial advisor, these two are living it out in the real world. Their insights will be helpful for anyone who is a financial advisor, or for anyone who is looking for one.Useful Links:10 Tangible Ways to Integrate Your Faith as an AdvisorInvesting as Ambassadors

Today, we’re talking coffee, co-working, and Chick-fil-a cows. That’s right. You’ve heard a lot about the ups and downs of WeWork, but now we’re going to look at a panel of faith-driven experts who are leading the way in co-working and how it can provide economically and spiritually for those participating in it. Tune in to hear Trevor Hightower, Peyton Day, and David Salyers share their stories and what the intersection of their Christian faith and co-working looks like.Useful Links:Craftwork Coffee and Co-WorkingThe Roam StoryPeople Provide the Ultimate Competitive Framework

How do you remove corruption from a society? How do you create lasting, sustainable prosperity in developing nations? Neither of these questions has an easy or obvious answer, but today’s guest is a leading thinker in how we can make positive investments in developing countries. Efosa Ojomo is co-author of Prosperity Paradox, and he’s here to help us think about how to create prosperity. He was such a great podcast guest that we asked him to speak at the FDI event in a few weeks, so you’ll want to tune in today and then at the conference to hear everything he has to share.

“We have a financial and Biblical responsibility to steward the money that has been entrusted to us.”Mike Silvestri taught us a lot about social impact bonds on this episode, and if you haven’t heard of these—or maybe you’re already familiar—it’s something you simply have to hear about it. The way he describes them, it’s a chance for everyone to win.At the very least, Mike got our wheels spinning and helped us to think about a conversation that we may not have previously been involved in. We hope you can join us in this conversation moving forward.

Did you know that 37% of all Americans live in apartments and other multi-family units? And they're over 96% occupied? What used to be a form of transitional housing has become the centers of communities where marriages start and kids are raised. Multi-Family Real Estate investing is continuing to be a dynamic place for Faith Driven Investors, and we want to make sure you’re aware of this trend. To do so, we’re talking today with David Snyder of Continental Realty Group and Steve Vecchitto of Advenir. Few people know more about the social and spiritual changes happening within the multi-family real estate space than them. Let’s listen in...

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