Links:

• Principle of Uncertainty

Bio:

In 1970, Ron founded an Indianapolis-based CPA firm that has grown to be one of the 50 largest CPA firms in the United States. (www.blueandco.com) Leaving the CPA firm in 1977, Ron became Administrative Vice President of Leadership Dynamics International. While with Leadership Dynamics, he was involved in developing and teaching Biblically-based leadership and management seminars in the United States and Africa.

Convinced that Christians would better handle their personal finances if they were counseled objectively with the highest technical expertise and from a Biblical perspective, he founded a financial planning firm in 1979. That firm grew to manage over $2 billion in assets for its more than 5,000 clients nationwide with a staff of over 175 people in 14 regional offices. (www.ronblue.com)

Ron retired from the financial planning firm in 2003 in order to lead Kingdom Advisors (www.kingdomadvisors.org), an international effort to equip and motivate Christian financial professionals to serve the body of Christ by implementing biblical wisdom in their lives and practices, resulting in financial freedom and increased giving by thousands of dollars by thousands of Christians around the world.

Ron is the author of seventeen books on personal finance from a Biblical perspective, including the best-seller, Master Your Money, first published in 1986 and now in its thirtieth printing, Wealth to Last, co-authored with Larry Burkett, and his most recent book, Faith Based Family Finances. He is featured in the popular, six-part Master Your Money video series, produced by Walk Thru the Bible Ministries (www.walkthru.org) and used in over 5,500 churches across the country.

Ron has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including Focus on the Family, Family News in Focus, The 700 Club, Prime Time America, and Moody Radio Open Line. He is a regular contributor to several national Christian magazines. Ron has also testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee.

Ron currently serves on the Board of Directors of Campus Crusade for Christ (www.ccci.org), Crown Financial Ministries (www.crown.org), and The National Christian Foundation (www.nationalchristian.com). He also serves on the Board of Trustees of The Maclellan Foundation (www.maclellan.net) and The Sandra and William B. Johnson Foundation, Inc. He formerly served on the Board of Directors of Family Research Council (www.frc.org), Promise Keepers (www.promisekeepers.org), Insight for Living (www.insight.org), The Medical Institute (www.medinstitute.org), and Walk Thru the Bible Ministries (www.walkthru.org).

In 2002, Ron received the HONORS AWARD from the Georgia Chapter of the Financial Planning Association (FPA). In 2003, he received the honored designation of DISTINGUISHED ENTREPRENEUR from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, his alma mater.

Ron and Judy live in Atlanta. They have five children and 13 grandchildren.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAITH DRIVEN INVESTOR

Links: 

• LinkedIn

Founder and CEO | Blueprint Local

Ross is the founder and CEO of Blueprint Local, a new venture that aims to become the premier platform for people to invest in their communities.  He is also the founder of Village Capital, a venture capital firm that has been a pioneer in supporting entrepreneurs worldwide, and the author of the best-selling book The Innovation Blind Spot.

He is a Venture Partner with Access Ventures and is also an Innovator-in-Residence with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. He serves on the University of Virginia Alumni Association’s Board of Managers as well as the boards of the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership and Village Capital. He has a MPhil from the University of Oxford, where he was a Marshall Scholar, and a BA from the University of Virginia, where he was a Truman Scholar and a Jefferson Scholar.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAITH DRIVEN INVESTOR

Founder and Institutional Advisor | Oak City Consulting

Ross is Founder and Institutional Advisor for Oak City Consulting.  Oak City was started by Ross Roggensack, who has resided in Raleigh, North Carolina for nearly 30 years. Ross earned his CIMA designation from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and also has his AIF designation (Accredited Investment Fiduciary). He was most recently a Senior VP and SIMC at Morgan Keegan, and before that at Citi Institutional Consulting/Smith Barney for 17 years. Ross is married, and has two daughters and one son in law. He is involved at his church, Providence Baptist, Meals on Wheels, and various other Christian ministries. He is past president of Faith Ministry in McAllen, Texas.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAITH DRIVEN INVESTOR

 Links:

• Website

Author, Entrepreneur and Real Estate Developer

Bio:

An entrepreneur and real estate developer for the last 30 years, Roy Goble grew up working in his father’s junkyard, where he learned to take apart absolutely anything and to evaluate everything for the value of its parts. After studying economics and business at Westmont College, and marrying his high school sweetheart, D’Aun, he joined his family’s growing real estate business. Today he runs a real estate investment company based in Silicon Valley, leads the ministry PathLight International, and serves on multiple boards—while still finding time to visit and learn from friends and ministry partners around the world.

Roy is the author of Junkyard Wisdom: Resisting the Whisper of Wealth in a World of Broken Parts (Deep River Books, 2016). His second book, Salvaged: Leadership Lessons Pulled from the Junkyard, was published by NavPress in January ‘2019.

Life:

Following Jesus has turned out to be harder and better than he ever imagined, and sometimes he misses the simplicity of selling parts in the junkyard. After thirty-five years of marriage, however, D’Aun tells him he already owns too many old cars.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAITH DRIVEN INVESTOR

Links:

• LinkedIn

Founder | Lighthouse Capital

Russell Bjorkman is the founder of Lighthouse, a church real estate consultancy that answers the three big questions a church faces with the largest financial decision of its life: What are its mission and goals, what will cities allow to be built on church land and what can be funded? 

Prior to founding Lighthouse, Russell’s work experience spanned across Europe, Asia, Africa and the US. As an investor and advisor, Russell has invested in businesses across Africa, Asia, South America and the US. As an attorney, Russell worked for Skadden Arps and Freshfields in London and Hong Kong for ten years, guiding significant IPOs and high-yield offerings, including that of Telkom South Africa, KazmunaiGas in Kazakhstan, FIFA in Europe, and Chinese real estate companies. His transactional experience spans over 20 different countries. He is also a Venture Partner with Sovereign’s Capital (since 2015), after serving as an advisor to Sovereign’s first fund for several years. 

Russell has a JD/MBA from the Wharton School / University of Pennsylvania Law School, and a Bachelor’s in Accounting and Psychology from the University of Southern California, where he played football and was a Rhodes Scholar semi-finalist. Russell and his wife were married in 2013 and live in Los Angeles, California.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAITH DRIVEN INVESTOR

President | Kingdom Advisors

Bio:

Rob West is the President of Kingdom Advisors, a professional association promoting the integration of a biblical worldview into financial practices. Rob serves as primary spokesperson for the organization along with giving leadership to organzational strategy and content. Rob’s has dedicated his professional career to work at the intersection of faith and finance, having led a successful faith-based financial services firm, serving as the host of several radio programs on a biblical approach to finance, and speaking frequently on matters of faith and finance.

Life:

Rob and his wife, Julie, live in Roswell, GA with their four children. 

CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAITH DRIVEN INVESTOR