Faith Driven Investor

Jesus preached that his gospel message was good news to the poor. Yet investing seems to be mostly good news for the rich. In this talk from the 2022 Faith Driven Investor Conference, Dr. Kuruvilla proposes that investing, when done strategically, can partly fulfill the call to serve the global poor, using real-life case studies to highlight the redemptive potential of money that is deployed collaboratively and biblically. 

Treasurer Allison Ball is currently serving her second term as Kentucky State Treasurer—she earned the most votes of any candidate running for statewide office in the 2015 and 2019 elections. When first elected, Treasurer Ball was the youngest female statewide elected official in the U.S. Since taking office, she has returned a record $146 million of unclaimed property, more than any State Treasurer in Kentucky history in a single term. Treasurer Ball is a fierce watchdog for Kentucky taxpayer dollars and is responsible for launching Kentucky's transparency website showing how the state government spends its money. On today’s episode of the Faith Driven Investor Podcast, we talk to Treasurer Ball about living out her faith in public office and how God uses her platform to bring about change and reform.

Today on the podcast, we are joined by Henry Kaestner, co-founder of Sovereign’s Capital and Faith Driven Investor, and Ron Blue, founder and president of Ronald Blue Co. Our conversation focuses on the recently released book “Faith Driven Investing: Every Investment Has an Impact. What’s Yours?” This global movement is all about investing in human flourishing and driving capital into initiatives that stand for something significant. Put the collective words in the palm of your hands. If you haven’t downloaded the book yet, click here. Get a free copy if you’re one of the first 200 to register now for a Faith Driven Investor Foundation Group launching in January 2023. 

Intel CEO, Pat Gelsinger, has been a leader in the Faith and Work movement for decades. In this interview from the 2022 Faith Driven Investor Conference, Pat talks about some of the most important lessons he’s learned as he’s sought to bring his whole self into the workplace over the years. He also gives insight into how leaders can balance their work and family life, empower their communities, and love their employees, partners, and coworkers who come to work with different faith backgrounds. Let’s listen in. 

John Cortines had a plan to become a millionaire by age 30 and retire by age 40. He had all the spreadsheets and the “Big Oil” job to prove it. But while pursuing his MBA at Harvard Business School, John took the class “God and Money,” where he ended up writing a term paper that became a book—and it changed his life forever. He began studying God’s Word to answer the question “How much do we need to give?” John ended his exploration with the question flipped to “How much do we really need to keep?” In this Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast episode, we talk to John about the book that he co-authored, entitled, ‘God and Money: How We Discovered True Riches at Harvard Business School.’ Listen in as John shares practical tools for how Christ-following business leaders can give biblically and responsibly. 

If you joined us for the Faith Driven Entrepreneur conference, you’re in for a treat. This is the full interview with Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Econet, and one of Africa’s most respected business leaders. In this episode, Strive speaks about Africa’s role within the global marketplace. He also shares how faith has empowered him to operate in the world without fear and how other entrepreneurs can go bravely into the spheres God called them. If you weren’t there for the live event, you can still access the conference recordings here. Check out more from Faith Driven Entrepreneur Africa at africa.faithdrivenentrepreneur.org.

In the US, public equity markets are in decline while interest rates and inflation are on the rise. In the UK a major tax announcement rocked the overseas markets. Are we headed for a worldwide recession? We discuss what it takes for investors to face the storm head-on and remain positive in the midst of it all. Joining the conversation are Justin Speer, Principal and Senior Analyst on the Public Equities team at Sovereign’s Capital, as well as Brian McClard, Head of Investments at Ronald Blue Trust, and Benjamin Bailey, Vice President of Investments and a Senior Fixed Income Investment Manager for Praxis Mutual Funds and Everence Financial. This is Marks on the Markets.

Phil Cunningham is a leader in Africa’s entertainment industry, but it didn’t start out that way. Phil grew up in rural Zimbabwe where he started a small agricultural business to make money as a young man. He didn’t see his first film until he was 14, but when he did, it changed his life forever. He immediately saw the power of storytelling, particularly through animation. Phil talks about the power of media and its unique ability to shape the narrative of culture.

Craig Detweiler writes about culture, theology, and technology. He also writes screenplays and produces films such as “Extreme Days,” “Remand,” and “Purple State of Mind” to his credit. Ben Howard serves as CEO for the company which spans feature films, TV, and publishing. Today, Craig and Ben discuss the intersection of business, culture, and media. What role do we have to play as investors who want to impact the world for God’s glory?

Once a month, we take a look back at what God is doing in the world of Faith Driven Investing and the global markets. We also spend time looking at current trends and outlooks with great interest and discernment in hopes to identify God’s redemptive work in the world. Public markets are down...what's happening in private markets? Ben Erskine, managing partner at Callis Capital, and Matt Harris, on the investment team at Draper Associates, join us for a look at market activity from August 2022. This is Marks on the Markets.