Efosa Ojomo

Senior Research Fellow | Global Prosperity

Efosa Ojomo leads the Global Prosperity research group at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, a think tank based in Boston and Silicon Valley. In January, 2019, Ojomo and late Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen published The Prosperity Paradox: How Innovation Can Lift Nations Out of Poverty. In a Wall Street Journal review of The Prosperity Paradox, Rupert Darwall writes: "The authors return the entrepreneur and innovation to the center stage of economic development and prosperity."

Ojomo's work has been published and covered by the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, the Guardian, Quartz, Forbes, Fortune, The World Bank, NPR and several other media outlets. He speaks regularly on innovation and has presented his work at TED, the Aspen Ideas Festival, the World Bank, Harvard, Yale, Oxford and at several other conferences and institutions.

Ojomo graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in computer engineering and got his MBA from Harvard Business School.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAITH DRIVEN INVESTOR

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Investing to Be the Light in the World

Practically speaking, as an investor or entrepreneur, what does it mean to let my light shine? The beauty about Jesus, the Gospel, and Christianity is that God meets us where we are but he never leaves us as we are. This means, the answer to that question will look differently, depending on where you are and how fast you choose to move.

Excellence and Surrender: Matthew 25 Meets Luke 10

God wants us to be good stewards of the resources He has given us. We are called to pursue excellence, invest wisely, and use our talents to generate a return.

What I Learned About Power from Stan Lee

Seeing power for what it is requires developing eyes that see the unseen. That’s hard when the seen seems so compelling. But pecking orders don’t impress God. Faithfulness does impress Him.

Managing Financial Margin: For Those of Us Who Have It, Don’t Waste It

So what does margin management look like for me, with margin that exists in my own donor advised fund or bank account? What does this look like for the capital I/we steward on behalf of others (e.g., Funds, SPV’s, etc.)?

Is a Donor-Advised Fund Right for You?

There are many ways to support charitable organizations and many ways to make sure your gifts make a long-term, sustainable impact. One method that’s gained popularity over the past few years is called a donor-advised fund.

A Case for Investing in Africa

This is the time for a Christ follower to pray intently about investing in Africa. The demographic, spiritual and economic cases are compelling, especially when considered together, and I believe that most would find it very hard to find a better place to allocate their risk capital, especially as they think and pray more about what risk capital means.

Impact Investing and Faith: The Journey Starts with “why”

Working in the field of faith-driven impact investing is as rewarding as it is challenging. At the core of our mission is a sentiment that echoes Matthew 22:39, where Jesus teaches us to "love your neighbor as yourself."

Chess, History, and True Identity: Storming Normandy or Leaving Dunkirk?

“If you truly understand that your identity starts with being a child of the king. Then you’re grounded in the idea that this land, or any land for that matter, is not your home. And if you’re just passing through, then why fight so much over the land?”

Our Modern Investing Dilemma

Think Differently About Risk

If we doubt the promises of God so severely that we place all our trust in our own ability to manage risk, then it’s possible we may not believe in what God has actually promised us.

Upside-Down Investing

It’s been said that all models are wrong, but some are useful. This one is no different. However, I believe we can contrast business and investing activities that function in two different paradigms: the kingdom of the world versus the kingdom of God.

Guided by Wonder: An Earth Day Reflection on the Stewardship of Creation

If we view nature as an essential and worthy part of God’s Creation, rather than simply as a commodity to be exploited for human gain, we can develop a more holistic stewardship approach.

“A Good and Faithful Servant” – My Journey Toward Leaving a Godly Legacy By Living a Flourishing Life

I believe God gives us the pen and the book to write our story in. So, what story are you writing for yourself? Are you becoming a good and faithful servant?

Leveraging Temporal Wealth for Eternal Gain

Whether or not we realize it, we use the principle of leverage on a daily basis, not simply in physics but in the sense of turning limited resources into an advantage. We can do so selfishly or with a focus on eternal things.

"On Earth As It Is In Heaven"

How do we personally and corporately carry those ancient words “on earth as it is in heaven” as the Church today? And for us in the investment industry, how do we carry those ancient words in our daily work?

The Greatest Investment Of Your Life

Your perceived confidence might just be a deep-rooted insecurity that comes from a need to prove yourself to your dad who never affirmed you.

Are You Prepared for Tomorrow’s World?

Faith-driven stewards, entrepreneurs, and leaders are an integral and critical part of how God will be able to work in the lives of people who live in Tomorrow’s World. I submit that we must fight this battle with leadership and intentional living.

A Biblical Perspective on Web3 – Crypto, NFTs, and the Metaverse

Technology has always had the potential of advancing human flourishing, or promoting wicked agendas. Technology’s effects depend crucially on the heart and capabilities behind the people wielding it. The rapid proliferation of web3 technologies – fungible tokens (“crypto”), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and the metaverse – is no exception.

Want to Work Towards a More Equitable and Inclusive Economy?

Community development investing is one way that faith-based investors can use their investments to make a real impact on the communities where they live and work.

A Life Well Lived – Using Our Time and Influence for Eternal Impact

My brother recently passed away, and his funeral gave me new insight into his life. I realized this truth: Each of our lives is reflected in the people we interact with here on earth and have left behind.

Investing to Combat Slavery & Restore Cities

We propose to define success as investors as taking risk skillfully on behalf of the vulnerable, in ways that bring good news to the poor, release captives, give sight to the blind, and set the oppressed free.

Agents of Change

For decades, home prices have been outpacing household incomes, and we are now seeing a whole generation being locked out of the promise of homeownership.

Appropriate Generosity

How do you measure giving success? What is considered a tithe? Can I direct my giving resources toward Christian-led businesses? Is that stewardship?

We Stand to Lose Much. Can We Gain More?

Can the most courageous among us operate without the tailwinds of credit growth, cross-border cooperation, and the hyper economic growth experienced in the late 20th and early 21st centuries? What does Kingdom work look like in an era of financial compression, asset deflation, and currency instability?

To Change the Culture, Tell Better Stories: Reviving Faith-Driven Influence in Media and Entertainment

Like it or not, if we want to be salt and light in our world, we cannot abandon mainstream media. Simply put, people of faith must invest more aggressively in the power of storytelling.

A Kingdom Perspective on ESG and Impact Investing

I believe the ESG philosophy is inherently flawed and insufficient to produce the holistic and enduring flourishing we desire to see in our organizations and in our world. Impact investing, while not perfect, possesses a greater ability to promote holistic prosperity without the risks associated with ESG investing.

10,000 Voices: The Restoration and Flourishing of Cities

Are we committed to the restoration and flourishing of cities for God’s Kingdom and for His glory (Isaiah 61)? Will we make sacrifices? Are we prepared to obey the Lord’s call?

The Redemptive Story of Hans – From A Time of Pandemics, War with Russia and Hyper Inflation

As we can read in Ecclesiastes, nothing is new under the sun. History will repeat itself because mankind will never fundamentally change. But we can take comfort in the fact that God never changes, and what He has done in the past, He can do again—if we are only willing to submit our lives to His perfect will.

Investing in Ethics and the Supremacy of Christ

Since Christ is our Lord and ultimate treasure, overlooking him in our investing ethics is a problem that should be confronted pastorally and theologically. What would happen if we held up the supremacy of Christ as the foundation for a truly Christian ethic for investing?

Finding Hope for Creation Amid the Challenges

Each year, I take the opportunity to review the environmental developments of the past year and evaluate the obstacles and progress we’ve seen.

Faith Driven TeamAugust 26, 2020Bio, Christian investor, Thought Leaders, Impact Investing

Efosa Ojomo

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Senior Research Fellow | Global Prosperity

CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAITH DRIVEN INVESTOR