Discover why Africa represents one of the world’s most compelling investment opportunities through the lens of Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes, founder of Arura Capital. As Nigeria’s first woman to raise over $10M for a private equity fund, Adesuwa shares how she’s delivering top-quartile returns while creating massive social impact by investing in overlooked female founders across the continent.

Learn why female-founded businesses in Africa generate 2.5X more revenue per dollar invested than their male counterparts, yet receive only 2% of available capital. Adesuwa breaks down the $150 billion capital gap facing African SMEs and explains how digital transformation is enabling businesses to leapfrog developed markets through embedded finance, B2B commerce platforms, and innovative solar solutions reaching off-grid communities.

From Lagos to Ghana to Côte d’Ivoire, see how Arura Capital’s portfolio companies are transforming Africa’s $1 trillion informal economy while creating 205,000 jobs and generating $150M in value chain revenue. This is faith-driven investing at its finest – market-rate returns with kingdom impact.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction: Lagos Energy and Entrepreneurial Dynamism

02:32 Nigeria’s Demographics: 220M Population Growing to Third Largest by 2050

05:06 The Four Pillars Needed for Nigeria’s Next Decade of Growth

06:11 Africa’s $150 Billion Capital Gap and SME Financing Challenge

07:07 Digital Transformation and Leapfrogging Developed Markets

09:04 Government’s Role in Infrastructure and Economic Development

11:04 Faith-Driven Investors Shaping Cities and Nations

12:07 Building a Redemptive Capital Community in Nigeria

13:35 Living Life Beyond Self: The Legacy Perspective

14:56 Stewardship as the Gateway to Significance

15:59 Starting Arura Capital: Being What You Can’t See

17:14 Africa’s Female Entrepreneurship Rate: 4X Higher Than Europe

19:26 Fund One Results: Top-Quartile Returns with Measurable Impact

21:02 The Case for Commercial Returns with Social Impact

21:42 Measuring Value Chain Impact: $150M in Generated Revenue

22:47 Understanding Africa’s $1 Trillion Informal Economy

23:35 Portfolio Spotlight: Omni Retail’s B2B Commerce Platform

26:08 Portfolio Spotlight: Coolbox’s Solar Freezer Solutions

28:11 Why Africa Enables Seamless Impact and Returns

29:05 The Leapfrog Mindset: Building Rails Despite Infrastructure Gaps

29:43 Resilience and Innovation in Challenging Environments

30:48 Private Sector Solutions to Public Infrastructure Needs

32:03 Why Now Is the Best Time to Invest in Nigeria

33:31 The Innovation Coming from Nigeria’s Recent Challenges

34:43 The Luxury to Pick: Supply-Demand Mismatch Favoring Investors

36:08 Faith-Driven Investing in Africa: Heavenly and Financial Returns

37:14 Scripture and Strength: Daniel’s Contrarian Spirit

38:35 Seven-Year Fundraising Journey: First Nigerian Woman to Raise $10M Fund

39:55 God as Partner: No One Can Shut the Door God Has Opened

41:11 Encouragement for the Next Generation of Fund Managers

Over 130 faith-driven fund managers gathered at Wheaton College for a landmark event showcasing how Kingdom-minded investors are operating across private equity, venture capital, real estate, and private credit. Richard Cunningham hosts Luke Roush, Andrew Behrman, and Jonathan Carvalho Pruna to discuss key insights from the 3rd Annual Faith Driven Investor Fund Manager Gathering.

From healthcare and education investing amid regulatory upheaval to the explosive growth of secondary markets addressing liquidity constraints, this conversation reveals how faith-driven managers are navigating unprecedented market conditions. The discussion explores spiritual integration practices including broad-based employee ownership programs at Riverside Value Fund and chaplaincy initiatives at Brinley Fire Services, demonstrating how intentional faith integration creates both Kingdom impact and operational excellence.

Hear about the evolution from capital structure-driven returns in the 1980s to today’s reality where 60-70% of private equity returns must come from operational value creation. Learn why secondary transaction volume has nearly doubled since 2019 and is projected to reach $330 billion by 2029. Discover how faith-driven approaches to stewardship, employee care, and portfolio company culture are setting new standards for excellence in asset management.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Fund Manager Gathering Recap

02:26 Overview of 130+ Managers Across Asset Classes

03:45 First Panel: Healthcare, Education, Growth Equity & Secondaries

09:41 Diversity of Approach Across Faith-Driven Managers

11:09 Healthcare System Challenges and Faith-Driven Solutions

14:18 Operational Value Creation as Primary Return Driver

16:54 Healthcare and Education Sector Transformation

19:00 Secondary Markets: The Perfect Storm

23:02 Democratizing Access to Private Markets

24:14 Spiritual Integration: Employee Ownership Programs

26:53 Riverside Value Fund’s Countercultural Approach

29:49 Ownership Works and Broad-Based Employee Equity

31:29 Workplace Chaplaincy as Universal SI Practice

34:20 Afternoon Sessions: Markets, Culture, Founder Care

36:54 Stewardship and Frontline Employee Impact

38:47 Standing in Awe of God’s Movement

40:47 Alex Jones on Hallow: Recognizing God’s Authorship

42:21 Challenge to Steward Resources Faithfully

43:51 If Not Us, Who? If Not Now, When?

45:50 Scripture Discussion: Service, Love, and Reproducing Leaders

What happens when faith-driven investors apply venture capital rigor to Hollywood? John Coleman reveals how the entertainment landscape is transforming as Christians reclaim their historical role as culture’s greatest storytellers. From The Chosen’s 520 million views to Wonder Project’s partnerships with Amazon and Sony, discover why this moment represents the “first inning” of a cultural shift decades in the making.

Learn how Wonder Project raised $100 million from faith-driven families to unlock hundreds of millions more from major studios, creating commercially viable infrastructure for authentic faith storytelling. John shares why betting on platforms rather than individual projects creates sustainable impact, how to apply private equity diligence to entertainment investments, and why this asset class can generate both market-rate returns and massive cultural influence.

This conversation explores the business side of faith-driven content—from tax credit financing and bank leverage to distribution agreements and portfolio approaches—revealing how strategic capital deployment can shift culture while building a self-sustaining ecosystem.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction on The Chosen Set

01:28 Why Entertainment Matters for Cultural Impact

02:46 Israel Trips and The Chosen’s Faith Impact

04:16 Christians Seeding Culture: The Lost Art of Storytelling

05:51 Explosion of Faith Content at Hollywood Scale

07:35 Beyond Movies: The Full Entertainment Spectrum

08:01 Gaming, Social, Animation: Reaching Every Generation

09:54 Foundation Groups: Faith Driven Investor Community

10:47 From Unicorn Creators to Complete Teams

11:43 Entertainment as Complex Business Infrastructure

12:50 Starting with Audience vs Passion Projects

13:40 Platform Shift: Wonder, Sycamore, Angel Studios

15:25 Creative Control and Studio Partnerships

15:58 Amazon Partnership: Collaboration Not Conflict

17:25 Public-Private Partnerships in Entertainment

18:07 Leveraging $100M to Access Billions

18:51 Wonder Project: How the Deal Came Together

21:02 Investment Rigor in Entertainment

22:11 Applying Private Equity Discipline to Content

23:50 Tax Credits, Bank Financing, and Leverage Tools

24:54 Portfolio Approach: Venture Capital Mindset

26:20 From Philanthropy to Sustainable Returns

27:32 Capital Needed: $200M Annual Commitment

29:12 Faith Driven Investor Conference Announcement

30:00 Measuring Cultural Impact You Can See

30:23 House of David: Viral Impact Stories

32:21 YouVersion Bible Spikes After Episodes Air

33:21 Entertainment vs Scripture: Pointing Not Replacing

34:43 Heroes in Museums vs Brothers in Story

35:46 God Chose the Weak to Lead Movements

37:27 Divine Timing: God Weaving Stories Together

38:38 Biblical Universe and Christian-Inspired Art

40:13 Gratitude and Encouragement

41:10 Invitation: Investing in Entertainment Course

42:19 Join Faith Driven Investor Community

The October 2025 investment landscape presents faith-driven investors with fascinating contradictions. Markets continue climbing despite government dysfunction, inflation remains stickier than expected, and the Fed has begun cutting rates into an economy still showing 3.8% GDP growth. What should faithful stewards make of this moment?

Richard Cunningham sits down with John Coleman and Tim Macready to unpack the real story behind Q4’s headlines. They examine why the S&P 500’s concentration in mega-cap tech stocks may be approaching a healthy correction, how AI is beginning to displace workers in unexpected sectors, and why private equity remains sluggish while venture capital rebounds. The conversation explores economic bifurcation—wealthy Americans benefiting from asset appreciation while lower-income households face rising delinquencies and exploitation risks as consumer protection enforcement weakens.

Tim shares insights from Bright Light Impact’s research on faith-driven investing’s growth, including new ETF launches and the movement’s increasing sophistication around impact measurement. John reflects on profound lessons from a World War II historical tour through Normandy and Auschwitz, connecting human courage and evil to investors’ contemporary calling. This episode offers both practical market analysis and deeper reflection on stewarding capital faithfully during times of uncertainty and rapid change.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction: Setting the October 2025 Stage

03:08 Government Shutdown and Fiscal Policy Changes

04:32 Tariffs, Inflation, and Sticky Economic Challenges

05:58 Financial Market Inflation vs Real Economy Bifurcation

08:02 Employment Market Softness and Lower-Income Struggles

09:55 Consumer Protection Concerns and Exploitation Risks

11:20 AI and Robotics: Early Employment Displacement Signals

13:43 H-1B Visa Changes and Reshoring Manufacturing

15:00 Reciprocal Tariffs and Wage Differential Challenges

17:27 US Economic Mobility and Entrepreneurial Culture

19:33 S&P 500 Valuations: Concentration and Forward Multiples

21:00 Dot-Com Comparison: Real Companies vs Vaporware

23:34 Expected Market Normalization and Correction Thesis

25:26 AI Adoption Challenges and Quality Concerns

27:03 Industry-by-Industry AI Impact Still Uncertain

28:23 Private Markets Overview: Real Estate, Credit, PE, and VC

29:10 Real Estate Struggles and Rate Environment

31:07 Private Equity Sluggishness vs Venture Capital Resurgence

33:23 Valuation Discipline Concerns Across Private Markets

35:41 Private Credit Sustainability as Rates Decline

36:57 Small Company Tariff Exposure: Haves and Have-Nots

39:47 World War II Trip Reflections: Evil and Human Courage

44:17 Bright Light Impact: Faith-Driven Investing Growth

46:40 Authenticity and Impact Measurement in FDI Movement

48:33 Closing Thoughts

Richard Okello’s investment thesis for Africa centers on a fundamental shift that most investors are missing: Africa’s growth rate has nearly converged with China’s, driven by internal dynamics rather than external factors. As founder of Sango Capital, Richard manages nearly $600 million across private equity, venture capital, and private credit in carefully selected African markets.

From his early days at Bridgewater Associates (where he helped grow assets from $700 million to over $100 billion) to founding Sango Capital, Richard explains why faith-driven investors should consider Africa for both commercial returns and kingdom impact. The conversation covers currency stabilization, political risk evolution, and the critical minerals opportunity that extends far beyond traditional commodities.

Richard vulnerably shares how his 12-year-old chicken arbitrage business in Uganda sparked his passion for emerging market opportunities, and how divine appointments—from scholarships to career timing—positioned him to build one of Africa’s premier institutional investment platforms.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction: Lions Den 10th Anniversary

01:32 Richard’s Bridgewater Journey: $700M to $100B Growth

03:30 The Divine Appointment Scholarship Story

08:35 Why Richard Returned to Africa: The Beijing Revelation

11:23 Sango Capital Thesis: Excellence in African Markets

12:45 Africa vs China Growth Convergence

15:32 Risk Perception Reality Check: Political and Currency

18:27 Investment Focus: Private Equity, Venture, Private Credit

21:19 African Institutional Capital: The 1985 US Parallel

22:57 Why Faith-Driven Investors Should Consider Africa

25:21 Psalm 23 and God’s Provision for Anxious Investors