August 4

The Exciting Possibilities within Crowdfunding

Did you know you could invest in a compelling startup you love with as little as $100? Founders, did you know you could seamlessly invite anyone and everyone you’ve ever met to be an investor in your venture with the click of a button? The innovation within crowdfunding is making all of this possible! Better yet, we’ve already seen Faith Driven Entrepreneurs leverage crowdfunding to raise millions for their companies. At Faith Driven Investor we spend a lot of time talking about how this movement is for every investor from the rich young ruler to the widow and her mite. But forever, private markets and early-stage investing have really only been available to just the rich young ruler. On Thursday, August 4th we are going off mute with some industry experts to talk about all that is possible within crowdfunding and how the Faith Driven community can get in the game. We will hear from Jonny Price with Wefunder, the US’s largest crowdfunding platform, joined by Henry Kaestner and Dana Wichterman, two seasoned angel investors, to discuss the excitement of a “community round” and the new partnership between the Faith Driven Marketplace and Wefunder.

April 28

Jimmy Song Sings the Benefits of Bitcoin

A lot has been made of cryptocurrencies. Some experts suggest that this is simply a passing fad and mere speculation. Not Jimmy Song. He believes bitcoin specifically is “sound money” and anything but a bit player in the market.

Jimmy is well known for arguing that blockchains have limited use cases. And he has been a vocal critic of permissioned blockchains, alternative cryptocurrencies, and the argument that ethereum will decentralize the internet.

Join us for Unmuted with Faith Driven Investor on Thursday, April 28, at 11:30am ET. We’ll be going “off mute” with bitcoin advocate, developer, and author Jimmy Song to learn more about the legitimacy of cryptocurrency, what he believes to be the future of bitcoin, and why we should consider going all in as investors.

The views we will discuss are entirely those of Jimmy Song. They should not be considered investment advice. Nor should they be considered views shared by the entirety of the Faith Driven Movement.

May 26

John and Ashley Marsh, Co-creators of Marsh Collective

John and Ashely Marsh believe God loves broken things. Broken people. Broken places. And it is their insatiable desire to partner with God in his redemptive work, especially in their tiny corner of Alabama. It’s a call that has led them to where they are today: resurrecting an entire city while still being under construction themselves.

The days are long, yet fulfilling. The work is hard, but meaningful. For these two co-founders of the Marsh Collective, that’s the whole point. Because there is absolute beauty in broken things. John and Ashely, through their work and words, will tell you that we were put on this earth to co-create with God. To do good and to do well. Nothing is beyond repair. 

March 31

Jason Myhre, Executive Director of Faith and Investing

The mission of Eventide Center for Faith & Investing is to inspire an authentically Christian practice of modern investing. This statement is anchored in two active verbs: inspire and practice. And the order of these verbs is crucial. Before the practice of faithful investing comes the vision, or story, that inspires it.

The Center was launched in 2021 to help people see the beautiful story of God for investing and then to discover the joy of living out this story. Investors actually come to see themselves connected to a larger story about what God is doing in the world. A story that began in creation, and that will culminate in new creation.

February 24

David Ridley, Founder, Invesco Real Estate

David Ridley knows a thing or two about real estate investing. Not only did he found and lead Invesco Real Estate for 27 years, but he also helped grow it into one of the largest and most diversified real estate investment firms in the world. And while the numbers are staggering, what is most impressive about David was his steadfast leadership.

Join us for Unmuted with Faith Driven Investor on Thursday, February 24, at 11:30am ET. We’ll be going “off mute” with David Ridley to learn more about building a resilient team in a world of constant disruption, what it takes to be salt and light in a big company, and what hope we have for the future.

This is a unique opportunity to ask the questions you’ve always wanted answered. And to hear from a giant in the real estate industry. Don’t miss out.

Trae Stephens, Partner at Founders Fund

Trae is a Partner at Founders Fund, where he focuses on startups operating in the government space. Previously, Trae was an early employee at Palantir Technologies, where he led teams focused on growth in the intelligence/defense space as well as international expansion, helping large organizations solve their hardest data analysis problems. He was also an integral part of the product team, leading the design and strategy for new product offerings. While at Palantir, Trae also served as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University.

Grant Van Cleve, Managing Partner of Hangar 75 Ventures and Chairman Emeritus of Tech Coast Angels

Upon discovering faith at Wharton, Grant left behind business plans in order to serve in post-Communist Eastern Europe for 19 years.  Over time, though, he discovered Business As Mission (BAM), and began a business incubator and industry leading real estate development company in his host country of Albania.  Upon returning to his native California, USA in 2010 he dove deep into catalyzing local startups – actively involved in 91 venture deals, serving as Chairman of the venerable Tech Coast Angels OC, Managing Partner of Hangar 75 Ventures, and Executive Chairman of believer-led Buy It Installed, Inc.  Grant pours time into catalyzing the entrepreneurial ecosystem locally and in the developing world, and can be found in leadership roles in his church and in local politics.  He is a regular on the list of 50 most influential people in Orange County.  He met his Swedish wife on the mission field, and they have three kids aged 25, 23, and 20.

Tom Lernihan, Chief Investment Officer at His Fund

Tom is a senior analyst for His Fund, a venture capital fund that strategically invests to generate employment opportunities for those in poverty while also addressing the world’s greatest social concerns. Tom’s responsibilities include leading the due diligence for all potential investments, support and management of the existing investment portfolio, and reporting on overall spiritual, social, and financial performance. Previously, Tom spent four years investing and revitalizing residential real estate and eight years as a project manager for a commercial general contractor.

Ron Magnus

Ron is founder of FMI’s Leadership and Organizational Development practice. Ron is committed to a vision of transforming leaders by building exceptional leaders one at a time. Ron has pioneered FMI’s global growth initiatives — which currently include Southeast Asia, Europe, Canada and the Middle East — and also created the Leadership Institute, which is the industry’s premier leadership development program focused on improving the quality of individual and corporate leadership for the construction industry. Ron graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs. He has a Master of Arts in Religion from Liberty University. He was awarded as a Top Global Consultant for Influence for 2018 by Consulting Magazine in London. Recently, Ron was a Director at FMI and an Independent Director of API Companies (4BB that is now listed on the NASDAQ). Ron is Vice Chairman of Agora Enterprises; Chairman of ICI/Telunas Resorts; Committee Chair for Development for The Navigators and is a Director at ELCCO, Inc. He is a strategic advisor to ReVamp Engineering, Baker Concrete, Hathaway Dinwiddie and CCM International as well as a sponsor of national research on governance for the top 100 largest A/E/C companies in the U.S.

Jon Erwin, Filmmaker at Kingdom Studios

Jon Erwin has worked his way from operating cameras at sporting events to producing a major motion picture about a sports legend. His move from the sidelines to the studios has been earned through hard work and perseverance. It has also come by way of Jon’s strong desire to draw people to the hope and the truth of the Gospel.

We’ll be going “off mute” with Jon Erwin, Chief Executive Officer at Kingdom Story Company, to learn more about his new feature film “American Underdog,” how it came to the big screen, and why he believes in the power of strong stories that inspire.