Mentoring Monday with Deborah Macdonald from 4WordWomen presented by Gracefully-Yours greeting cards, America's favorite encouragement and thank you cards. Visit www.gracefully-yours.com for more information on the Church Kitchen Ladies brand.

Forged Angel Investments, LLC – Houston, TX Managing Member 12/12 to Current

Principal in personally owned investment company to purchase, rehab and sell single family residential properties.

LifeHouse of Houston, Inc. – Houston, TX Executive Director 01/11 to 04/13

Responsible for leadership and oversight of the non-profit Christian ministry working with young women who experience an

unplanned pregnancy. Responsible for all aspects of the organization, including staffing (nine employees, including 4

caregivers), fundraising and donor stewardship, special event coordination, and oversight of existing and new program

initiatives, including opening of outreach center, and two new programs–LifeLine and Life after LifeHouse. Increased funding

to organization through grants from foundations, churches, and individuals for a net profit increase of 20% each year.

Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce – Houston, TX EVP and COO 08/10 to 12/10

Responsible for fund raising and membership development along with managing and/or assisting in all projects, special events,

and activities of the Chamber. Partnered to create STEM Town USA (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) for 3rd

graders in four (4) elementary schools within the HISD. Taught 25 third grade girls principles of STEM through interactive, fun,

and educational after school programs.

Built to Lead-Texas – Houston, TX Owner and Consultant 05/09 – 10/09

Formed business to pursue Executive Leadership Coaching and consulting patterned off of Built-to-Lead program out of

Columbus, OH.

Trust Your Struggle. God is Stronger

Millennial Orphan:

by Levi Gideon Shepherd

 “Levi’s powerful story proves that no one is ever too far gone to encounter the living God.”

“If you want to read a book that exemplifies the redemptive power of Christ when it seems like all

odds are stacked against you, this is your book. It is unbelievable what Levi fought through by the

grace of God to even be alive today to write his testimony. MILLENNIAL ORPHAN is the ultimate

Craig Johnson, author of Lead Vertically, Director of Ministry, Lakewood Church

Tom Phillips, Vice President, Billy Graham Evangelical Association

comeback story.”

Minneapolis, MN:  Nothing ever came easy for Levi Shepherd. By

age seventeen, he had suffered a life-threatening illness, an absent

father, the loss of his mother, and staggering betrayals from those he

trusted that left him homeless and wandering. Levi longed for

something or someone to call his own.

Desperate for love, he found acceptance in a street gang. There he

rose through the ranks to the number two spot: defending the leader.

Levi was hurtling down a road that could only lead to prison or

death.

Enter God.

Even when Levi chose all the wrong roads, he caught glimpses of God

and learned he was not alone. Levi tells his riveting story (most of

which was written while he was still homeless) in a gritty, no-holds-barred style that will have

you wondering how he ever survived at all, and leave you with the truth that he learned along

Trust your struggle, God is stronger.

Trust Your Struggle. God is Stronger

Millennial Orphan:

by Levi Gideon Shepherd

 “Levi’s powerful story proves that no one is ever too far gone to encounter the living God.”

“If you want to read a book that exemplifies the redemptive power of Christ when it seems like all

odds are stacked against you, this is your book. It is unbelievable what Levi fought through by the

grace of God to even be alive today to write his testimony. MILLENNIAL ORPHAN is the ultimate

Craig Johnson, author of Lead Vertically, Director of Ministry, Lakewood Church

Tom Phillips, Vice President, Billy Graham Evangelical Association

comeback story.”

Minneapolis, MN:  Nothing ever came easy for Levi Shepherd. By

age seventeen, he had suffered a life-threatening illness, an absent

father, the loss of his mother, and staggering betrayals from those he

trusted that left him homeless and wandering. Levi longed for

something or someone to call his own.

Desperate for love, he found acceptance in a street gang. There he

rose through the ranks to the number two spot: defending the leader.

Levi was hurtling down a road that could only lead to prison or

death.

Enter God.

Even when Levi chose all the wrong roads, he caught glimpses of God

and learned he was not alone. Levi tells his riveting story (most of

which was written while he was still homeless) in a gritty, no-holds-barred style that will have

you wondering how he ever survived at all, and leave you with the truth that he learned along

Trust your struggle, God is stronger.

Mentoring Monday with Deborah Macdonald from 4WordWomen presented by Gracefully-Yours greeting cards, America's favorite encouragement and thank you cards. Visit www.gracefully-yours.com for more information on the Church Kitchen Ladies brand.

Forged Angel Investments, LLC – Houston, TX Managing Member 12/12 to Current

Principal in personally owned investment company to purchase, rehab and sell single family residential properties.

LifeHouse of Houston, Inc. – Houston, TX Executive Director 01/11 to 04/13

Responsible for leadership and oversight of the non-profit Christian ministry working with young women who experience an

unplanned pregnancy. Responsible for all aspects of the organization, including staffing (nine employees, including 4

caregivers), fundraising and donor stewardship, special event coordination, and oversight of existing and new program

initiatives, including opening of outreach center, and two new programs–LifeLine and Life after LifeHouse. Increased funding

to organization through grants from foundations, churches, and individuals for a net profit increase of 20% each year.

Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce – Houston, TX EVP and COO 08/10 to 12/10

Responsible for fund raising and membership development along with managing and/or assisting in all projects, special events,

and activities of the Chamber. Partnered to create STEM Town USA (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) for 3rd

graders in four (4) elementary schools within the HISD. Taught 25 third grade girls principles of STEM through interactive, fun,

and educational after school programs.

Built to Lead-Texas – Houston, TX Owner and Consultant 05/09 – 10/09

Formed business to pursue Executive Leadership Coaching and consulting patterned off of Built-to-Lead program out of

Columbus, OH.

The current administration has recently declared that we step up the war on cancer and has committed an infusion of capital to focus on the development of new therapies with the promise of top-down intergovernmental coordination of how these funds should be allocated.  However, some pharmaceutical experts believe this approach may not be the best way to truly maximize the effort to develop cures. Joining us today to discuss this is Bob Mulroy, Chief Executive Office of Merrimack Pharmaceuticals.

1)      So Bob, while this “moonshot” is an admirable first step, you believe that the intergovernmental approach to this initiative may not be the best way to go… what approach do you believe should be taken to yield better results in the war on cancer?  $755m?

2)      Merrimack recently received FDA approval on a new treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer.  How did your company achieve this using technology and computational models similar to what NASA did in response to JFK’s “Moonshot Challenge”?

3)      Over the past five years twice as many drugs have gone into clinical trials yet there’s been only a 10 percent of increase of FDA approvals in 2015 compared to 2014.  What do you attribute that to and what do you suggest can be done to improve the R&D and approval process of bringing new treatments to market?

4) Do you think that that the high cost of R&D is a factor in pharma companies backing off of trying to develop new treatments for “hard to treat” cancers such as pancreatic cancer and if so, what improvements can be made for companies to make such important investments? This show is presented by Gracefully-Yours, America's favorite encouragement greeting cards.

Church Kitchen Ladies with Judy Matherny, Covenant Presbyterian Nashville.

This show is presented by Gracefully-Yours.com, home of Church Kitchen Ladies products.

CEO in 10 with Todd Henry of Accidental Creative fame.

This show is presented by Gracefully-Yours, America's favorite encouragement cards. Visit www.gracefully-yours.com for more information.

CEO in 10 with Todd Henry of Accidental Creative fame.

This show is presented by Gracefully-Yours, America's favorite encouragement cards. Visit www.gracefully-yours.com for more information.

Church Kitchen Ladies with Judy Matherny, Covenant Presbyterian Nashville.

This show is presented by Gracefully-Yours.com, home of Church Kitchen Ladies products.

The current administration has recently declared that we step up the war on cancer and has committed an infusion of capital to focus on the development of new therapies with the promise of top-down intergovernmental coordination of how these funds should be allocated.  However, some pharmaceutical experts believe this approach may not be the best way to truly maximize the effort to develop cures. Joining us today to discuss this is Bob Mulroy, Chief Executive Office of Merrimack Pharmaceuticals.

1)      So Bob, while this “moonshot” is an admirable first step, you believe that the intergovernmental approach to this initiative may not be the best way to go… what approach do you believe should be taken to yield better results in the war on cancer?  $755m?

2)      Merrimack recently received FDA approval on a new treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer.  How did your company achieve this using technology and computational models similar to what NASA did in response to JFK’s “Moonshot Challenge”?

3)      Over the past five years twice as many drugs have gone into clinical trials yet there’s been only a 10 percent of increase of FDA approvals in 2015 compared to 2014.  What do you attribute that to and what do you suggest can be done to improve the R&D and approval process of bringing new treatments to market?

4) Do you think that that the high cost of R&D is a factor in pharma companies backing off of trying to develop new treatments for “hard to treat” cancers such as pancreatic cancer and if so, what improvements can be made for companies to make such important investments? This show is presented by Gracefully-Yours, America's favorite encouragement greeting cards.