POWERS #400 - Steve Gatena - Co-Founder & CEO @ Pray.com - God, A Revival, Rescuing Lost Men, & Building A Generational Company
Dec 23, 2025
Steve Gatena, Co-founder and CEO of Pray.com, shares his inspiring journey from college football player at USC to creating a faith-based platform. He discusses the cultural resistance in Hollywood towards faith, the importance of strong male role models, and building community. Steve explains his 'Mission, Team, Self' leadership framework and highlights stewardship in business. He also emphasizes the need for accountability among men and outlines Pray.com's innovative approach to blending technology with spiritual engagement.
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Data-First Foundation
- Pray.com built a customer data platform with over 50 million profiles to inform product, content, and monetization decisions.
- Steve Gatena says data lets them test features (e.g., James Earl Jones audiobook) and optimize conversion and audience targeting.
Charlie Sheen's Open Curiosity
- Steve describes meeting Charlie Sheen and noticing his openness to faith and second chances after public changes in his life.
- He contrasts that with Hollywood's typical resistance to Christianity and supernatural experiences.
From Google Earth To A New Path
- Steve shares his early ambition to work with satellite imaging and attend the Air Force Academy after a CIA-style Google Earth demo.
- A pneumonia episode during basic training derailed that plan and redirected his path toward football and entrepreneurship.