Faith Driven Entrepreneur

Join host Justin Forman as he sits down with Bertie Lourens, founder of a waste management company that has transformed the lives of 2,300 people across South Africa. Bertie shares his extraordinary journey from near bankruptcy to transferring majority ownership of his company to God—not as a symbolic gesture, but as a legally binding decision that fundamentally changed how he runs his business.

This episode moves beyond the bumper sticker phrase "God owns my business" to explore what actually happens when you transfer 51% of shares to a non-profit entity representing God as your majority shareholder. Bertie vulnerably shares how pride nearly destroyed everything, how two miracles gave his business a second chance, and why the most freeing decision he ever made was giving up control.

• From pride to bankruptcy: How success became Bertie's greatest spiritual danger
• The radical obedience of legally transferring majority ownership to God
• Setting up Neko Capital: Making God a legal shareholder through proper structure
• How boardroom questions change when asking "What does our Shareholder want?"
• The Elon Musk thought experiment: Understanding the value proposition of divine partnership
• Why stewardship "with Him" is fundamentally different than "for Him"
• Raising children without entitlement when God owns the family business
• Breaking free from the founder's burden: The unexpected freedom of surrender

"Whatever I do for Jesus is wrong. Whatever I do with him is right. That just changed my world." - Bertie Lourens

"I have never in my life been more free than after the moment when I transferred those shares." - Bertie Lourens

"The comfort of the security—the financial security that I have, that I can see in my future because of this—is what entraps us." - Bertie Lourens

Join host Justin Forman in Boulder, Colorado, for a powerful conversation with Tim Tebow and Wes Lyons at the Clapham gathering—where 150 entrepreneurs are uniting to disrupt one of the world's darkest evils: human trafficking. This episode explores how for-profit ventures, nonprofit organizations, and churches can collaborate to create an unprecedented counter-trafficking industry worth billions.

Tim shares the heartbreaking story that launched his anti-trafficking work: his father's decision to purchase the freedom of four girls at an underground pastor's conference. Wes reveals how entrepreneurs are building sustainable businesses that fight trafficking—from training frontline healthcare workers to creating digital safety for children—proving that mission and profit can powerfully align.

Discover why "looking again" at those society overlooks is essential to stopping traffickers, how apathy is the real enemy, and why living an extreme life for Christ matters more than living a balanced one.

• The origin story: How Tim Tebow's father rescued four girls and launched a movement
• Understanding trafficking vs. sexual exploitation: Different motives, different solutions
• Building the counter-trafficking industry: How for-profit businesses are seeding a $5B market by 2030
• The Clapham model: Learning from William Wilberforce's dense network approach
• Healthcare's hidden opportunity: 90% of trafficking victims interact with medical professionals 15-18 times before identification
• Why being made in God's image means "image being," not "image bearer"
• The case against living a balanced life—and for living an extreme one
• Eagle Venture Fund's strategy: Treating counter-trafficking like counter-cybersecurity

"My dad is one of my biggest heroes and role models because he's not someone that can look the other way and do nothing." - Tim Tebow

"You can be for profit and for purpose and for people. Like that can happen." - Tim Tebow

"People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy. We have to be passionate believers, passionate about the cause of Christ, passionate about hurting people, not apathetic people that someone else is going to do it." - Tim Tebow

"Traffickers target the people that the church gave up seeing." - Justin Forman

Join host Justin Forman for a pivotal conversation with Pat Gelsinger in Boulder, Colorado, exploring how faith-driven leaders can steward the most transformative technology cycle of the modern era. From his 45 uninterrupted years in tech to his transition into investing and leading Gloo, Pat shares profound insights on navigating seasons of life, building the faith technology platform, and positioning the church to ride—not watch—the AI wave.

This episode tackles critical questions about fragmentation in the faith ecosystem, the power of unified action, and why showing up "bigger" matters for Kingdom influence. Pat unpacks Gloo's mission to make AI suitable and trustworthy for the faith community, the surprising results of flourishing AI benchmarks, and his audacious vision: educating every child on the planet within the next 10-15 years.

• The painful yet purposeful transition from 45 years at Intel to a new season of investing and impact
• Why next-generation entrepreneurs are "spiritual but not religious" and what that means for business
• Gloo's mission: Building the faith technology platform at a Gutenberg moment
• How AI can accelerate mission—from conquering 7,000 languages to custom education for every child
• The flourishing AI benchmarks: Measuring models against human flourishing (and why DeepSeek leads)
• Why the church is the "largest fragmented industry on planet Earth" and how to show up bigger
• Transforming the Bay with Christ (TBC): 900 churches united in one of America's least churched regions
• The critical shift from "for Christ" to "with Christ" in transformation work

"We're at a Gutenberg moment. Will we the church be captivated, accelerated, mission empowered by AI? Or will we sit on the outside watching?" - Pat Gelsinger

"Next-generation entrepreneurs—they're not religious, but they're spiritual. There's a deeper spiritual expectation and they really care about the soul implications of business success." - Pat Gelsinger

"If we educate the 300 million children living in poverty today, I think I will have done more to eliminate poverty than any other single thing you could do—and I believe we can do that in the next decade." - Pat Gelsinger

Join host Henry Kaestner as he sits down with Jared Fulks, co-founder of PureFlow, for an inspiring conversation about building Kingdom businesses in emerging markets. From four consecutive Uber drivers from different African countries in Dallas to empowering thousands of motorcycle taxi drivers in Uganda, this episode reveals how God orchestrates divine appointments in everyday moments and business ventures alike.

Discover how PureFlow started with just six motorcycles and $6,000 in a small Ugandan town and has grown into a hospitality-focused finance company serving thousands. Jared shares powerful lessons about the value of partnership born from prayer, the unexpected advantages of tier-two and tier-three cities, and why sometimes the best place to test a business idea isn't Silicon Valley—it's Africa.

• Divine appointments: Four African Uber drivers in 24 hours and what they reveal about staying spiritually present
• Starting with six bikes: How Colin emptied his savings and received 250 applications in 24 hours
• Partnership as a "God idea": Why prayer preceded partnership and the power of detailed operating agreements
• Tier-two and tier-three city advantages: Building trust and community away from capital cities
• Hospitality over finance: Reframing PureFlow as a hospitality business that creates places people want to return to
• Low-cost probes in Africa: Testing 100 ideas with a fraction of what it costs in the U.S.
• Living remotely while building locally: Managing a Uganda-based business from Atlanta through intentional engagement
• The football club strategy: Winning tournaments as customer acquisition and brand building
• Pressing the gas: Why not to subsidize yourself with philanthropy too soon

"Partnership is not a good idea. It's a God idea. It is woven into the fabric of how we were created. Nobody would argue that we're created for people. And so why would we assume any different?" - Jared Fulks

"If the business collapsed tomorrow, and it all just failed, which I hope it doesn't, I don't think it will. But if it did, the thing that I would take away most would be not the amazing people we've been able to hire, the thousands and thousands of people we serve, but it truly is the friendship and the brotherhood that I have with him." - Jared Fulks

"Start with where you are, with what you have... He lost $6,000. Like to most people listening to this podcast, it's not gonna kill you to lose $6,000." - Jared Fulks

Join host Justin Forman and author Jordan Raynor in Dallas for a paradigm-shifting conversation about what heaven actually looks like—and why it matters for your business today. Jordan unpacks how cultural half-truths about eternity rob entrepreneurs of purpose in the present and hope for the future, revealing a biblical vision of the new earth that changes everything.

Discover why most Christians spend more time planning vacations than thinking about eternity, how redemptive Excel spreadsheets can be more heavenly than harps, and why understanding our eternal work with Christ unlocks joy and freedom in business right now.

• Half-truths about heaven that rob entrepreneurs of purpose and hope
• Why "matter doesn't matter" is terrible theology (and worse business philosophy)
• The new earth: God's promise to make earth our perfect and permanent home
• How work in eternity transforms how we work today
• Finding freedom from hurry by understanding eternity is "now in session"
• The "someday maybe / new earth" folder: Making peace with unfinished symphonies
• Why Isaiah 65 and Revelation 21-22 should excite every entrepreneur

"Most Christian entrepreneurs I know are not excited about ideas of harps and clouds, which frankly scares the crap out of most people, Christians included." - Jordan Raynor

"If our ultimate reality is working with King Jesus on earth, guess what? Eternity is now in session." - Jordan Raynor

"Most Christians I know have spent more time thinking about a single week-long vacation than they have thought about the nature of eternity." - Jordan Raynor

Join host Justin Forman for an intimate conversation with bestselling author and entrepreneur Jon Acuff in his Nashville home office. Surrounded by international editions of his books and personal reminders of his journey, Jon shares hard-won wisdom about the mental battles every entrepreneur faces—and how to win them.

This episode dives deep into the soundtrack constantly playing in every entrepreneur's mind, exploring practical strategies to retire broken thought patterns and replace them with empowering ones. From his early days with "Stuff Christians Like" to building an 11-book writing career while scaling his business, Jon reveals the mindset shifts that separate successful entrepreneurs from those stuck in cycles of self-doubt.

• Why entrepreneurs need new levels of fear at new levels of growth
• The "CEO of your actions, not outcomes" mindset that changes everything
• How to retire broken soundtracks and build empowering thought patterns
• The difference between burnout and boredom in entrepreneurial life
• Building sustainable rhythms when transitioning from solopreneur to team leader
• Creating practical tools for meaningful family conversations about entrepreneurship
• Why resilience is just giving yourself permission to start again

"You should always have new levels of fear at new levels of growth. If you tell yourself, 'I've beaten fear forever,' guess what you feel like when you find new levels of fear? You feel like a failure." - Jon Acuff

"I'm the CEO of my actions, not the CEO of my outcomes." - Jon Acuff

"Great thoughts turn into great actions. Great actions turn into great results." - Jon Acuff

Join host Justin Forman as he sits down with Stephen Phelan, Chief Spiritual Integration Officer for Faith Driven Entrepreneur, in the iconic red-walled Movement Mortgage offices. Stephen shares practical, proven strategies for creating workplace cultures that truly love and value people—addressing the crisis where 98% of Gen Z feels burned out at work.

Drawing from over a decade of experience at Movement Mortgage, Stephen reveals the four fundamental human needs every employee has and how meeting them transforms both culture and business outcomes. From launching "Love Works" benevolence programs to implementing mentoring systems that make disciples, this episode provides actionable steps any business can take, regardless of size.

• The four fundamental human needs every employee has when they come to work
• How to implement "Love Works" programs that create authentic community (from 5-person teams to 57,000 employees like Hobby Lobby)
• Why mentoring isn't another burden for entrepreneurs—and who should actually lead it
• Building small groups in business that mirror successful church models
• Creating cultures where 91% of stressed Gen Z workers find life and purpose
• From "sneaky Jesus" conversions to baptizing employees: real transformation stories
• Practical systems for loving teammates, customers, and communities

"People that are walking through your doors, they have four fundamental human needs. Here's the first one - when they come in, they want to have friends at work." - Stephen Phelan

"We all want these relationships at work. And as a follower of Jesus, you want to be able to say yes to Jesus." - Stephen Phelan

"Jesus snuck up on me at movement, people just started loving me, and they started living out the things that they believed." - Stephen Phelan (sharing employee testimony)

Join host Justin Forman as he sits down with bestselling author and pastor Francis Chan for a profound conversation about the tension between building and being, success and faithfulness, and the danger of running on life's treadmill without stopping to ask why. Speaking from his experiences in Hong Kong's fast-paced culture, Francis shares vulnerable insights about his own journey from mega-church pastor to someone seeking deeper relationship with God.

This episode challenges entrepreneurs to examine their motivations, embrace dependence on God, and discover the freedom that comes from living with eternal perspective. Francis opens up about his decision to give away book royalties, the wisdom of Proverbs 30:7-9, and why he believes entrepreneurs have a unique opportunity to live differently and impact others through their choices.

Key Topics:

Breaking free from the cultural treadmill of endless achievement and busyness

Why Francis wishes he could tell his younger self to focus on the main commands of Scripture

The danger of coveting in entrepreneurship and how to combat it through eternal perspective

Learning to be quick to listen, slow to speak in a world that rewards constant talking

How entrepreneurs can use their success as a platform to live counter-culturally

The relationship between taking risks of faith and experiencing deeper fellowship with God

Why Francis asked God not to make him rich and what that prayer teaches us

Notable Quotes:

"He tells me whether I eat, drink, whatever I do, do it all for the glory of God, and so even now, are the words coming out of my mouth giving glory to him." - Francis Chan

"Don't you want to be a person that is known for their love and to be so much like Christ, who didn't consider equality with God something to be held on to." - Francis Chan

"You don't want to be lazy with what God's given you, I would just challenge you to go, Hey, once you're on that road to success and it's actually happening, you have an incredible opportunity to live differently." - Francis Chan

Join host Justin Forman as he sits down with Benjamin Fernandes, founder of Nala and Rafiki, for an extraordinary conversation about resilience, rejection, and revolutionizing cross-border payments. From covering the World Cup as a 21-year-old sports anchor in Tanzania to building infrastructure that serves millions across Africa and Asia, Benjamin's journey is filled with divine appointments, Stanford miracles, and the grit required to solve problems for the next billion customers.

This episode explores the massive diaspora remittance market ($129 billion to India alone), the entrepreneurial challenge of building FinTech infrastructure in emerging markets, and why the greatest export from developing nations might just be talent. Benjamin vulnerably shares the power of rejection as fuel, the importance of gratitude, and why sometimes you have to build the bridge for the next 200 entrepreneurs coming after you.

• The $129 billion remittance market and why diaspora communities are economic powerhouses
• From failing high school to Stanford MBA: A miracle story of divine provision
• Building payment rails in Africa vs Asia: Infrastructure challenges and opportunities
• Why 30-35% of Nala customers are entrepreneurs funding businesses back home
• The power of rejection letters as entrepreneurial fuel
• Going church to mosque: The gritty early days of customer acquisition
• How migrants enable local economies to thrive in exponential ways

"There's something that's very powerful when someone tells you you can't do something." - Benjamin Fernandes

"With privilege comes responsibility." - Benjamin Fernandes

"I don't believe the lowest income region the world should be charged the most amount for fees, for payments." - Benjamin Fernandes

Join host Justin Forman for an enlightening conversation with Carey Nieuwhof, leadership expert and former lead pastor, as they tackle one of the most important conversations in the modern church: bridging the gap between pastors and entrepreneurs. From his unique perspective of having served in both pastoral ministry and entrepreneurial ventures, Carey reveals why there's mutual intimidation between these two groups and how churches can unleash the untapped potential of their entrepreneurial members.

This episode explores the crisis of community in entrepreneurship, why 50% of retired CEOs die within two years, and how churches possess the "convening power" to create lasting connections. Carey shares practical insights from leading churches that are successfully engaging their business leaders beyond "handing out programs and parking cars."

• The entrepreneurial isolation crisis: Why there's "no default community" for business leaders
• Mutual intimidation: Why pastors feel inadequate around entrepreneurs and vice versa
• The spiritual gift of entrepreneurship: Learning from the Apostle Paul's business model
• Moving beyond volunteer tasks to meaningful engagement for high-capacity leaders
• How churches can serve as "incubators" for Kingdom-minded business ventures
• The difference between "real friends" and "deal friends" in entrepreneurial communities
• Practical steps for pastors to start entrepreneur-focused ministries

"I think for entrepreneurs, there's no default community. You're on your own. It's sort of the hero's journey. You start by yourself, that pioneer spirit. Within two years of retiring as a CEO, 50% of CEOs are dead." - Carey Nieuwhof

"Pastors are thinking, I don't make a million dollars a year like I haven't got staff and employees like you do. I don't feel like I measure up, and I don't know, I've talked to so many pastors who are like, I know this guy or woman could give $3 million I'm terrified of making the ask." - Carey Nieuwhof

"You've got some in your church, and they don't know how to contribute, and they're feeling alone and they're feeling isolated." - Carey Nieuwhof