Influential Christian leaders sharing their passions and purpose in personal conversations.
For more information on our guest please go to the following links: Mark Szatkowski LinkedInwww.themovementleadership.org
For more information on our guest please go to the following links: Alex Broekman LinkedIn Jennifer Cho LinkedIn www.leadershipcenter.city
For more information on our guest please go to the following link: Ian Tan LinkedIn
For more information on our guest please go to the following link: Julia Gibbs LinkedIn
A native to South Jersey, Northwest Indiana and Chicago, Tracy is now serving with her family under the shadow of America’s Mountain in beautiful Colorado Springs, Colorado. This season of her career can best be described as “hold on for the fun ride” while serving as Senior Vice President of Advancement for the 210 year-old ministry Biblica, The International Bible Society. Motivated by a heart that seeks to see people reached with the Word of God in their language, Tracy is grateful to play a role in ending Bible poverty by 2033 through her role at Biblica and in partnership with the illumiNations movement. Her heart for fundraising started at a young age while living with her single mom who was cleaning houses for their livelihood, and trusting God for the next rent check. Watching God answer these prayers of her mother, time and time again, through the widow’s mite of offering, sprung up a passion in Tracy’s heart to see the people of God respond to the needs of God’s people around the world.The most fulfilling part of her day is hiking the Colorado terrain with her husband, Tojy, 8-year old twin boys and tween 11-year old daughter.
Strategist. Youth culture enthusiast. Advocate for the voices of vulnerable populations. Joi Freeman thrives in chaos and is a natural-born influencer. Widely regarded as a brand "fixer," she possesses a unique talent for creating compelling strategies out of disorder and streamlining messages. She helps professionals realize their potential and has a knack for moving teams from the place where they are stuck to the place they want to be.Her work launching brands and transforming culture spans industries and sectors with a roster including The Boston Consulting Group, the YMCA, Claire’s & Icing stores, the Girl Scouts, MoneyGram International, McDonald’s and Burger King. Recently she founded Remnant Strategy a consulting agency working at the intersection of culture and business to council brands through the process of mapping the next and better chapter to their story. In addition to her work advising companies, Joi has also worked with HOPE Worldwide on various projects including early childhood development in South Africa and brand strategy in Kenya. She is currently completing her MBA at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.When not helping build brands, Joi is mentoring young professionals, traveling across the globe, and discovering new dishes to serve at her dinner parties.
Born and bred in Singapore, I’ve grown-up and lived here all my life. I love this country. Singapore is nothing short of an economic miracle, and God’s blessing has been on this nation.Having worked for 19 years in government and private sectors, in 2017, I took 3 months off work to attend the School of Leadership programme at Tung Ling Bible School Singapore. This turned out to be a spiritual milestone and a life-changing event for me. During the course, I found myself asking God: “How do we win Singapore for Christ?”, and “What role do you want me to play?” Later in April 2018, I left my corporate job with these two prayers still on my heart, seeking God for what’s next. Today, 13 months after that faithful (actually fearful) step of leaving my job, God has confirmed and brought to fruition prophecies that I received over the last 2 years. He has opened the doors for me to be involved in an exciting portfolio of marketplace work – seemingly random, but fully integrated. A freelancer, but fully employed by God.
Paul & Christie Borthwick serve on the staff of Development Associates International (www.daintl.org), a training group dedicated to the character and ministry development of leaders in the under-resourced world (www.daintl.org). Paul teaches missions at Gordon College (www.gordon.edu) and serves as an Urbana/ Missions Associate with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship (www.urbana.org).Paul's ministry focuses on three priorities: mobilizing others for cross-cultural ministry, encouraging the ongoing growth of older leaders, and motivating the development of younger leaders. He serves as a resource person, teacher, speaker, and author.Rick Warren (in Purpose-Driven Life) cites Paul's books A Mind For Missions and How To Be a World-Class Christian as resources that "should be read by every Christian."Paul and Christie's ministry together focuses on encouraging leaders and developing "world Christians" in the church. During their twenty-two years of service on the staff of Grace Chapel (Lexington, MA) - where Paul is ordained - they coordinated over 100 short-term service teams that served all over the world. Through Development Associates International, they now spend two to four months each year in ministry in other countries, mostly in the "Global South."Christie serves both on the staff of Development Associates International, as a microbiologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and as a private practice Christian counselor. Both Paul and Christie graduated Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in May 2007: Paul received a Doctor of Ministry (Cross-cultural ministry) and Christie received a Master of Arts in Counseling.Paul & Christie have been married since 1979 and live in Lexington, Massachusetts. They are members of Grace Chapel.(www.grace.org)
Fishermen Labs, Common Foods, and Sonar TeamsIn 2014, Eden Chen launched Fishermen Labs, a company specializing in app and website development, and virtual reality and augmented reality for brands and startups. His clients include Sony, United Nations, HTC, Qualcomm, Quintiles, NFL and NBC. He also founded Knife and Fox, a design studio for brands and startups. Chen was recently in Forbes 30 Under 30.https://www.linkedin.com/in/edechen/
Tom Hsieh is the founder and CEO of SplinterRock, Inc, a technology consulting and brokerage firm that provides comprehensive tech solutions. He also is the Co-Founder of FLOAT Shuttle. Tom has two decades of leadership experience in the Fortune 1000, in start-ups, and with aerospace companies. He served in key roles with Earthlink from its earliest start-up stage through its IPO. A distinguished community leader and social entrepreneur in the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys, Hsieh has been active with many non-profit organizations in the region. These organizations include the Pomona site of Servant Partners, an international organization working for holistic community transformation in the world’s poorest areas. He is also the founding president and a past member of the board of Pomona Hope, which now runs a community center, an after school program, a computer lab, a community organizing effort, a job creation/economic development program in partnership with the city of Pomona and for-profit businesses, and provides housing services in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity. Currently Hsieh sits on the boards of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership, The Learning Centers at Fairplex, Inter Valley Health Plan, and the Pomona Community Foundation. He is also an elder at First Presbyterian Church of Pomona. Hsieh and his wife Bree are committed to living modestly in order to donate the rest of their income to non-profit and civic efforts.Hsieh holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Harvey Mudd College and received an Executive MBA from the Drucker School of Management in 2004. Hsieh has said that his experience learning about social responsibility and social impact from Peter Drucker marked a turning point in his education.https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhsieh/https://www.ocregister.com/2008/10/06/family-makes-200k-a-year-and-gives-most-of-it-away/
Bob Doll is a senior portfolio manager and chief equity strategist at Nuveen Asset Management. Bob manages seven portfolios, including large caps and alternatives. He is a highly-respected authority on the equities markets among investors, advisors and the media. As the author of widely-followed weekly commentaries and annual market predictions, Bob provides ongoing, timely market perspectives.Bob began working in the financial industry in 1980. Prior to joining Nuveen Asset Management, he held similar roles at other large asset management firms, including serving as chief equity strategist at Blackrock, president and chief investment officer of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers and chief investment officer of Oppenheimer Funds, Inc.Bob appears regularly on CNBC, Bloomberg TV and Fox Business News discussing the economy and markets. He has also been quoted in major business publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and Financial Times.Bob earned a B.S. in accounting and a B.A. in economics from Lehigh University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Certified Public Accountant and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute.
Alec Hill is President Emeritus of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. After serving as president for 14 years, he underwent a successful bone marrow transplant (with his brother, Grant, as donor) in 2015. His current role includes mentoring, advising, teaching and external representation. Prior positions include serving as Dean of the School of Business and Economics and the Joe Hope Professor of Law and Ethics at Seattle Pacific University (SPU). He also served as Regional Director at World Relief and volunteer staff with Young Life.He has a B.A. (history) from SPU as well as graduate degrees from the University of Washington (J.D.) and SPU (M.A. Biblical Studies). Alec a trustee of Christianity Today, a member of Aspen Institute’s Religious Pluralism Project and a visiting faculty member at Regent College (Canada). He is author of Just Business: Christian Ethics for the Marketplace (IVP, with nearly 50,000 copies published in Russian, Korean, Chinese, Indonesian and English. Honors include alumnus of the year awards from Young Life, SPU and Northwest University. He has also been SPU’s professor of the year.Passions include his wife (Mary), two daughters (Laura and Carolyn), walking, reading history, travel and the ill-fated Seattle Mariners.
Jackson Crum is Teaching and Lead Pastor at Park Community Church in Chicago, Illinois. He and his wife Donna have been involved in ministry in Southern California, Philadelphia, and Holland, MI before re-landing in Chicago 11 years ago.He says of his desire for ministry, that, "It is my hope that through the ministry of Park, people who are far from God will be captured by a personal vision to live like Jesus in our city while working for its renewal; and that we will live out God's mandate to make His name great among the nations.
M. Ava Steaffens, J.D., is the Chief Executive Officer for Christian Community Development Association, based in Chicago, IL. Before joining the CCDA team, she led KidWorks Community Development Corporation in Santa Ana, CA for 15 years, earning numerous awards for community leadership, education, and civic engagement and advocacy. A Cuban-American, native of Miami, FL, Ava earned her Bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida State University and later earned her Juris Doctor from Western State University School of Law in Fullerton, CA. Prior to her career in Christian Community Development, she practiced Immigration Law in Orange County, CA for 18 years. She lives in Santa Ana, CA and is the proud mother and grandmother of two married daughters, Jessica (and Anthony) and Katelyn (and Joshua) and three granddaughters, Selah, Shiloh and Pilar. M. Ava Steaffens, J.D., is the Chief Executive Officer for Christian Community Development Association, based in Chicago, IL. Before joining the CCDA team, she led KidWorks Community Development Corporation in Santa Ana, CA for 15 years, earning numerous awards for community leadership, education, and civic engagement and advocacy. Prior to her career in Christian Community Development, she practiced Immigration Law in Orange County, CA for 18 years.
Dr. Julius was born and raised on the island of Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles. After studying at Calvary Bible College and Grace Theological Seminary he served as a pastor on Curacao and as one of the theologians for the Papiamentu Bible produced by the Bible Society of the Netherlands-Antilles. He has been teaching in the Moody Graduate School for the last 9 years in the areas of Biblical Languages, Biblical Theology, Hermeneutics and Discipleship. He is married to April and they have four children: Nathaniel, Jonathan, Zachary, and Emily.
Pastor of Leadership & Multiplication, Adjunct ProfessorMariners Church, Biola UniversityTo assist those who assist the Kingdom. That’s my personal life mission statement. Before pursuing a PhD in Education & Leadership at Biola University, my career has predominantly been in corporate management at Fortune 500 companies. Investing over a decade in marketing and strategizing for companies that were not Kingdom minded, God placed on my heart to dedicate all my talents, strengths, and resources in impacting those who were serious Kingdom Movers & Shakers. Hence, I resigned from corporate America in 2009. Since then, God’s calling has led me into 2 unique areas for expanded influence on the next generation of leaders. I’ve served out my passion for leadership development at Saddleback Church & Mariners Church, world renown faith-based, non-profit organization, on the senior executive team for Talent Development & Mobilization. In addition, I am on the faculty at several Higher Education institutions teaching grad students in Organizational Leadership & People Development. Finally, I am a Vietnamese-Texan. I love both BBQ and Pho! I grew up in Dallas, TX where God’s football team plays. I love sports, food, and board games. My wife, Hannah, and I have been married since June 2004, and wonderfully blessed with a son in 2010, Khoi Ethan-Josiah Nguyen (I think he’s super cute, like his daddy). Oh, a baby girl is coming in April 2019.
Tony Chen is Managing Director of Kinyungu Ventures, an impact investing firm developing generational relationships with East African early-stage ventures and small businesses. He is also chairman of Govzilla, a software company he co-founded and led as CEO for eight years. Tony is on the investment committee for Triphammer Ventures. His first company, Hospital Impact, was acquired in 2009. Prior to his entrepreneurial and investing days, Tony worked 10 years in various corporate, innovation, and business development roles. Tony earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from Northwestern Kellogg School of Management.
Strategist. Youth culture enthusiast. Advocate for the voices of vulnerable populations. Joi Freeman thrives in chaos and is a natural-born influencer. Widely regarded as a brand "fixer," she possesses a unique talent for creating compelling strategies out of disorder and streamlining messages. She helps professionals realize their potential and has a knack for moving teams from the place where they are stuck to the place they want to be.Her work launching brands and transforming culture spans industries and sectors with a roster including The Boston Consulting Group, the YMCA, Claire’s & Icing stores, the Girl Scouts, MoneyGram International, McDonald’s and Burger King. Recently she founded Remnant Strategy a consulting agency working at the intersection of culture and business to council brands through the process of mapping the next and better chapter to their story. In addition to her work advising companies, Joi has also worked with HOPE Worldwide on various projects including early childhood development in South Africa and brand strategy in Kenya. She is currently completing her MBA at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.When not helping build brands, Joi is mentoring young professionals, traveling across the globe, and discovering new dishes to serve at her dinner parties.
STEVE LINDSEY - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Center for Faith and Work Los AngelesSteve leads the vision and overall ministry of the Center for Faith + Work Los Angeles. Prior to this position, Steve served as an aerospace executive at The Boeing Company managing satellite systems engineers and retired after 36 years with the company. Steve received his BS in Electrical Engineering from The University of Southern California, and a MS in Engineering from Loyola Marymount University. Steve also has served at multiple churches as elder, men's ministry leader, and teacher including in-depth study and research on the integration of faith and work and leading hundreds of workplace Bible studies. Steve is a Colson Fellow with the Colson Center for Christian Worldview.faithandworkla.com
Wesley Kenneth “Wess” Stafford (born June 26, 1949) is the former president and CEO of Compassion International and an advocate for children. Stafford is the author of two books, Too Small to Ignore and Just a Minute, and until August 2015 hosted the daily national radio short feature Speak Up With Compassion®. As a part of his position with Compassion, and his advocacy for children, Stafford is often invited to speak to audiences around the world. In 2008, Stafford was a guest of President George W. Bush and his wife Laura at a State Dinner. In 2009, Stafford spoke at the Willow Creek Association’s Global Leadership Summit alongside Bill Hybels, Henry Cloud, Patrick Lencioni, Tony Blair and Bono. In September 2013, Stafford retired from his position of President and CEO of Compassion International, giving that title to Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado. Wess currently serves as President Emeritus, continuing to travel and speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Jenny brings over 13 years of experience serving as a strategic business adviser in identifying opportunities for human capital leaders to drive and enable the business. In her current role as a Bersin by Deloitte Member Advisor, she serves as a thought partner to HR and business leaders in engaging with Bersin’s research and resources in a meaningful and impactful way for their organization - specifically, with subject matter expertise in the space of HR and Talent Acquisition.Prior to joining Bersin, Jenny provided tax and HR consulting services at Deloitte focused on global HR and global mobility to external clients in Life Sciences, Technology, Consumer Products and Financial Services. She also brings practitioner experience as an HRBP in Deloitte’s global Financial Advisory business, partnering with internal senior leadership in driving key people initiatives around strategic mobility and recruitment, performance management, culture and engagement, and diversity and inclusion.Jenny holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Master of Science degree in Taxation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is based out of Chicago, and is a certified GPHR and SHRM-SCP as well as a registered Illinois CPA.
Jenn Tarbell is an entrepreneur with a passion for seeing people live out their dreams. She currently serves as the Vice President of Business Development at Cappital, a technology firm specializing in custom software solutions whose clients range from small startups to Fortune 500 companies.Prior to formally joining the Cappital team, Jenn built a successful consulting practice, partnering with a number of nonprofit leaders to aid in their fundraising strategies. She also cofounded a tech startup called Winnable, which focused on knowledge retention. As a side project in recent years, Jenn and her husband owned and operated a retail franchise business in Newport Beach, California. She also has a deep passion for international development, and spent nearly 6 years at HOPE International, assisting in building the development department and team and raising over $6M for the organization in that time. She also served on the Executive Team at HOPE for two years, where she assisted in making decisions about the strategic direction of the organization.Jenn remains involved with HOPE by serving on the local advisory board. She also serves on The Barnabas Group and Esperanza International boards. Jenn enjoys public speaking on various topics and has been hosted both internationally and around the country. She holds a B.A. in psychology with a dual minor in business and religion from the University of Southern California.Jenn loves hiking, camping and writing, and is working on a couple of book projects she’s hoping to publish in the near future. She resides in Southern California with her husband Kevin.
Greg Jao, Director of External Relations Senior Assistant to the President at InterVarsityGreg Jao serves InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA as Senior Assistant to the President, focusing on executive office communications and external relations. Greg has more than two decades of experience with InterVarsity, working at InterVarsity Press as well as in the field. Greg is the author of Your Mind’s Mission (an Urbana Onward book), The Kingdom of God (a LifeGuide Bible Study), and a contributing author to Following Jesus without Dishonoring Your Parents (a discipleship book for Asian Americans) (all published by IVP), Telling the Truth (a book on postmodern evangelism), and Voices of Conflict & Voices of Hope (a two-volume study of American teenagers). A second-generation Chinese American, he helped develop The Daniel Project, a leadership acceleration program for Asian American InterVarsity staff. He has served on the curricula teams for subsequent Daniel Projects serving African Americans, Latinos, and Fraternity/Sorority ministry staff. He frequently speaks on campus, in churches, and at conferences. Among InterVarsity alumni, Greg is best known as the emcee for the Urbana Student Mission Conferences in 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2012. Prior to his ministry with InterVarsity, Greg worked as an employee benefits attorney in Chicago. Greg is a graduate of The University of Chicago (B.A. English, 1990) and The Northwestern University School of Law (J.D., 1994). He has also served as a Trustee of Langham Partnership US. Greg, his wife Jennifer, and their two daughters reside in New York City. His last name is pronounced HOW.
Marketing and Communications SpecialistsOpportunity International, Breakthrough Urban MinistriesPam Gifford graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Literature from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 1996, Gifford worked for three years at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, where she founded and edited Capital Ideas. In 1999, Gifford joined Hill and Knowlton Inc., and held the position of vice president for five years. She then worked for Hewlett-Packard for a year and a half as the Communications Director for Emerging Market Solutions. In 2006, Gifford found her way to International Justice Mission. She worked there for six years, holding the positions of Vice President of Communications, and Vice President of Corporate and Strategic Partners. Gifford is currently a Chicago Chapter founder and team member for 4word. She is also a board member of development for Glen Ellyn Infant Welfare Society. Last but not least, Pam Gifford is a strategic communications consultant at Opportunity International, Breakthrough Urban Ministries, and Pui Tak Christian School.
Jessica Rice is a communications consultant and blogger, who along with her husband, Jordan, planted Renaissance Church—a vibrant, multi-ethnic community—in Harlem, NYC in 2014. Jessica has a master’s degree in corporate communications from Georgetown University and has consulted with various large non-profits and ministry organizations. She and Jordan have two young sons, Jameson and Josiah, and live in Harlem.
RetiredCitgo Petroleum CorporationJim Cristman is a retired Citgo Petroleum Corporation employee. For ten years Cristman worked as the Vice President for Lemont Refinery. Although retired, Jim Cristman is now a freelance consultant.
Angela Yee is Executive Director of Ministry Development of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Chicago. She is an ordained Covenant minister who has served in a number of pastoral and leadership roles in local churches ranging from 30 people to 24,000 attendees. Her varied background as a designer and musician, published author, event coordinator, and church systems consultant and trainer, as well as her passion for the local church, has enabled her to assist churches in to be more effective in fulfilling their God-given visions. She and her husband Albert reside in Chicago, and are parents of two adult children.
A scholar, speaker, entrepreneur, and pastor, Dr. Nicholas Pearce is an award-winning professor of management and organizations at the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, the founder and chief executive officer of The Vocati Group, a boutique global executive advisory consultancy, and assistant pastor of Chicago’s historic, 12,000- member Apostolic Church of God. He is the author of The Purpose Path: A Guide to Pursuing Your Authentic Life’s Work (St. Martin’s Press).An internationally recognized thought leader on values-driven leadership and organizational transformation, Dr. Pearce is a trusted adviser, executive coach, and sought-after speaker for corporations, social impact organizations, communities of faith, and governments on six continents. His speaking and consulting clients include AbbVie, Accelerate Institute,Archdiocese of Chicago, Boston Scientific, BP, The Capital Group, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Urban League, The Episcopal Church, Exelon, Facebook, FMC, Google, Health Care Service Corporation, Hearst, Hyatt, JLL, JPMorgan Chase, KIPP, McDonald’s, Morningstar, NASA, Nike, Novartis, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Surge Institute, Teach for America, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Olympic Committee, USG, Wheaton College, Whirlpool, and YPO. His thought leadership has been featured in global media including The Atlantic, Bloomberg Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, CNBC, CNN, Crain’s Chicago Business, Discovery Channel, Fast Company, Forbes, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, National Geographic, New York Times, Newsweek, NPR, Slate, Time, U.S. News & World Report, Univision, UrbanFaith.com, and Washington Post.Celebrated for his leadership and scholarship, Dr. Pearce has been a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow since 2015 and has also been named Kellogg’s MSMS Professor of the Year, a Galbraith Scholar by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, a Public Voices Fellow by The OpEd Project, and one of Chicago’s 40 Game Changers (under 40) by WVON/Ariel Investments. He has also been honored by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Mustard Seed Foundation, National Black MBA Association, and Union League Club of Chicago, among other notable institutions.Committed to community impact, Dr. Pearce serves as a trustee of the Chicago Children’s Museum, the Field Foundation, Fuller Theological Seminary, McCormick Theological Seminary, and the Seminary Co- Op Bookstores. Previously, Pearce served as a board member of Access Community Health Network, the Chicago Community Trust African American Legacy Fund, and the Harvey Fellows Advisory Board.Dr. Pearce holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the S.B. in Chemical Engineering & Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a concentration in Religious Studies earned in conjunction with Harvard Divinity School. Before coming to Kellogg, Pearce worked in Deloitte Consulting’s human capital practice.A Chicago native, Dr. Pearce resides in his hometown with his wife, Tammy, son, Nolan, and dog, Baxter.
Currently, Katherine is leading Redeemer City to City’s efforts to establish faith and work ministries to support church planting and city renewal activities around the globe. Focused on equipping leaders in all vocations, the Global Faith and Work Collaborative will come along side churches – both pastors and congregants - to further the economic, cultural and spiritual renewal of their cities.Katherine’s 25 years in the tech industry – in roles from researcher to organizational consultant to CEO – gave her a solid background in leadership and entrepreneurship. In 2002, Katherine led Redeemer in starting its Center for Faith & Work, creating ministries to equip, connect, and mobilize the Redeemer congregation to live out the gospel in every area of their work lives. This was done through Vocation Groups, Arts Ministries, an Entrepreneurship Initiative, the Gotham Fellowship, and numerous conferences, retreats, and classes.In 2013 she turned over leadership of CFW and spent 5 years consulting with other churches around the country, helping them start church-based faith and work ministries. From 2015-18, she and her husband re-located to Raleigh NC to create the New City Fellows program through a multi-church partnership for city engagement and renewal. Katherine currently is adjunct faculty at Regent College in Vancouver, a board member of the Carver Project and the Theology of Work project, and on the Advisory Board of Made to Flourish. She has served on boards of Fellowship of the Performing Arts, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and International Arts Movement. Katherine assisted Tim Keller in the writing of Every Good Endeavor.
David Wu has served as Executive Director of the Pui Tak Center (PTC) for the past 25 years. This church-based community center in Chicago's Chinatown provides educational, family and community programs to Chinese immigrants.After receiving a BA from Wheaton College in 1986, David received a Master of Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to working at PTC, he worked at an immigrant/refugee community-based organization on Chicago’s northside.He has served on various government, civic and community committees including the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, Ping Tom Park advisory council, a United Way committee and state-wide adult education advisory council. David lives with his family in Chinatown and actively serves at the Chinese Christian Union Church.
Brannin Pitre is the founding pastor and Sr. Minister of Grace Pasadena Church in Pasadena, CA. He and his wife Tanya, planted the church in 2008 through Redeemer City to City, and with the help of several large churches from around the country. In addition to leading Grace Pasadena, Brannin is the current Chairman and President of Together LA, an organization that seeks to ask and answer the question, “how do we best love the cities that make up greater Los Angeles.” Brannin serves on the North American Steering Committee of City to City and his wife Tanya serves on the global Board for City to City. Tanya and Brannin have 3 children: Lawson 19, Hadley 16 and Judson 14. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Brannin and Tanya lived in Dallas TX and served at Park Cities Presbyterian Church. Both Brannin and Tanya are graduates of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and both are Houston natives, though they warmly embrace Southern California as home.
Johanna Tropiano is an activist, speaker, and passionate storyteller with over a decade of experience advocating for the rights of those who are oppressed. She spent 5 years combating human trafficking as a staff member at International Justice Mission. In 2016, Johanna co-founded a nonprofit which aims to educate, equip, and restore survivors of abuse. In 2019, after spending time in a women’s prison in California, Johanna started a new position with Prison Fellowship to advocate on behalf of incarcerated women. As a survivor of domestic violence and child sexual assault, Johanna is a bold and compassionate voice. Her writing on these topics has been featured in Teen Vogue, Huffington Post, Darling Magazine, and multiple other outlets. She lives in Long Beach, California with her husband and daughter and is working on her forthcoming memoir, Travel Light.Find Johanna on Instagram at @johannatropiano and Facebook @johannahopes. For speaking engagements or other questions, connect with Johanna at www.johannahopes.com
Christopher Lim is founder of TheoTech, a company activating a movement of technology entrepreneurship for the Gospel. TheoTech produces Ceaseless, an open source app that helps people personally pray for everyone on earth, as well as spf.io, a platform that empowers people to create accessible multilingual experiences through real-time captions and translations. Chris also co-organizes the Seattle Code for the Kingdom Hackathon, hosts the TheoTech Podcast and writes about the theology of technology and entrepreneurship at meritandgrace.com.
Susan Sperry is the Regional Director, Greater Chicago Area at World Relief in the western suburbs of Chicago, an organization that provides vital services and partners with churches to help create welcoming communities where refugees and immigrants can thrive. She believes that positive social change can emerge out of the intersection of design, leadership, and people development, and enjoys coaching leaders and teams as they navigate the human side of change.Susan has served at World Relief since 2001, mobilizing hundreds of volunteers and churches to engage in local ministry and overseeing the resettlement of thousands of refugees in Chicago’s western suburbs. She has her MS in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University, and her undergraduate degree from Wheaton College. Susan is an active member of New Community Covenant Church-Bronzeville in Chicago.
Dennae Pierre is executive director of The Surge (Phoenix) Network, a movement of local churches partnered together to put Jesus on display in Arizona. Dennae has been involved in church planting, community development, and started a non-profit that serves birth mothers whose children are in the foster care system. She is a graduate of Covenant Theological Seminary and serves on the North American Leadership Team for City to City. Dennae is married to Vermon and they have four children: Marcel, Mya, Judah, and Jovanna!
Jeremy Treat (PhD, Wheaton College) is pastor for preaching and vision at Reality LA and adjunct professor of theology at Biola University. He is the author of The Crucified King: Atonement and Kingdom in Biblical and Systematic Theology and newly released, Seek First: How the Kingdom of God Changes Everything.
AdvisorIJM Institute at International Justice MissionOn the board of The Human Trafficking InstituteBethany Hoang is an author, speaker and consultant with a driving passion to see followers of Jesus across the globe to live the connection between justice and spiritual formation. She serves as Advisor for IJM’s Institute for Biblical Justice after leading the Institute as founding director for a decade. Bethany has been profiled for her leadership in the justice movement by Christianity Today (one of “50 Women To Watch”), Outreach! and Relevant magazines, the White House, and organizations such as Catalyst, Q Ideas, Urbana, Lausanne, and Ideation.Bethany’s publications include a devotional resource Deepening the Soul for Justice (IVP, 2012) and the forthcoming book The Justice Calling: Where Passion Meets Perseverance with coauthor Kristen Deede Johnson (Baker, 2015), in addition to essays, articles, and biblical notes/commentary.Bethany holds a B.A. in Religion and History from Miami University of Ohio, and an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, where she received the distinguished Fellowship in Theology. Born and raised on the East Coast, she now lives with her husband, three kids, and a puppy in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Passionate about the connection between justice and spiritual formation.
With a string of notable accomplishments, Chuck Thomas is a recognized expert in business marketing and communications. He is a strategic thinker, team motivator and hands-on creative. Through ads, public relations, events, licensed properties, direct mail, technology, music and film, Thomas has generated more than 32 billion audience impressions, helped raise hundreds of millions in sales, funding and contributions, and driven millions of people engage clients at their websites.During studies at Eastman School of Music, Chuck Thomas learned to harness diversity and complexity as a jazz composer to create an emotional, moving experience. With that understanding and his strategic mind, Mr. Thomas reapplied that learning to help companies powerfully connect their vision with their market. The results have been imaginative and compelling brand initiatives for some of the nation’s fastest growing companies.You have probably seen his work as Thomas has accumulated over 32 billion career audience impressions building brands for the world’s best-known companies. Thomas is a noted expert and speaker in the field of creative branding. He successfully registered and trademarked The VALCORT Creative Branding Process®, a simple way to create successful new products, build loyal customers, and increase profitability. He has consulted with CEOs and marketing professionals from healthcare, financial services, technology, communications, manufacturing industries to create branding strategies and award winning, innovative executions.Thomas learned his craft as an independent creative and brand strategist for the Chicago advertising community working with top agency clients including McDonalds, United Air Lines, Frito-Lay, Toyota, 7-Up, AT&T, Kraft, Anheueser Busch, Hasbro, General Mills and others. He won numerous awards for his work and was nationally known for creating innovative digital sampling for commercial music soundtracks.Thomas is a strategic marketer, and helped shape and execute the 10 year repositioning and communications plan, rebranding the 100 year old, $20 million non-profit called Wiley House to national and international prominence as KidsPeace, The Center for Kids Overcoming Crisis, now topping $110 million. In the course of executing this plan, he developed more than 30 strategic initiatives to establish KidsPeace as the undisputed world leader in children’s counseling services. Thomas is the recipient of the national “KidsVoice Award” for his extensive public work giving voice to America’s children, and in 1999 was the recipient of three Telly Awards, three Houston International Film Festival Silver Stars, The 1999 WebAward, and New York Festivals Awards for outstanding achievement. He has also received a Chicago Advertising Association Addy, a Golden Trumpet from the Publicity Club of Chicago, multiple Gold awards from The Houston Film Festival, a RIAA Certified Gold Record, plus awards from The Globals, The U.S. International Film and Video Festival, The Mercury Awards, and The HMR Awards
Managing Director at Momentum AdvisorsEarl Carr’s mandate is to develop the firm’s cross-border wealth management practice, and to build the firm’s international brand. Earl joined Momentum in 2014 from Morgan Stanley, where he was a Vice President in the Institute for Sustainable Investing. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Earl was a Vice President of commercial banking at HSBC. He has also worked for McKinsey & Company and the Council on Foreign Relations. Earl has spent 8 years studying, living, and working in Asia, primarily: Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, and Taiwan. Earl has been quoted in The McKinsey Quarterly, Financial Planning Magazine, The South China Morning Post, and numerous other publications. Earl is actively involved at The Council on Foreign Relations and is a member of The National Committee on United States-China Relations (NCUSCR). He is Chair of the Board of Trustees at Trinity Baptist Church. Mr. Carr is also an Adjunct Professor at New York University.Earl received his Bachelor's degree in International Relations from The College of William & Mary and holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from American University. He has also studied at Beijing Normal University in China, and International Christian University in Tokyo. He is fluent in Mandarin (Chinese), and also conversant in Japanese, Cantonese (Chinese), Spanish, and Arabic.
Eunice Kang is a #1 best-selling children’s author and president of Mighty Fortress Press, an independent book publishing company. “Mama, What If?” is the first book of “A Mama & Me Book” series for early readers geared toward children aged 1-6 years old. She is currently working on the second book of the series about the fruits of the Spirit and is passionate about providing more books with a focus on Christian education.A Los Angeles native, Eunice is also an adjunct professor at El Camino College and lives in Torrance, California with her husband and two children.
Austin Graff leads talent marketing, brand, and social media at The Washington Post. He is also a contributing writer about parenting and travel. Austin started his career leading social media and celebrity relations for International Justice Mission (IJM), the world's largest anti-trafficking organization. He went onto the for-profit sector leading digital and influencer marketing for Coca-Cola’s Honest Tea brand, America's #1 organic bottled iced tea company. After growing up in Russia and Kazakhstan, Austin returned to the USA for university. He proudly lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, daughter, and two roommates.
Terry is the CEO and Founder of Texon LP, a Houston based energy company founded in 1989. Voted #1 in Houston revenue for private companies, Texon has been named one of the region’s “Top Work Places” by the Houston Chronicle. Texon views its core values and employees as the keys to its mission of being the best service provider in its industry.Terry and Doris, his wife of 50 years, have two married daughters and five grandchildren. With the success of Texon, they have been able to donate 50 percent of their income to mainly Christian organizations since 1998. Terry’s passion is to serve as a mentor to fellow business and nonprofit leaders.Sacred Pace describes Terry's journey from living for himself to living in God's will, and offers a biblical framework for making large and small decisions in all phases of life.
Director at Wheaton Center for Faith, Politics, and EconomicsDavid Iglesias’ 30+ year legal career has been exceptionally diverse and global; United States Attorney, U.S. Navy JAG Officer, White House Fellow, college professor of law, free enterprise center director, state prosecutor, military war crimes/terrorism prosecutor, international law instructor in Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia; civil rights defense attorney, state-wide political candidate, and court-martial defense attorney (he represented legendary Navy SEAL Team Commanding Officer Dick Marcinko). He also defended a Marine in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba that partially inspired the hit movie “A Few Good Men”, was named to Esquire Magazine’s 2009 “Best and Brightest” list and authored the book “In Justice”. He is the son of missionaries and was raised tri-cultural and tri-lingual in Panama and New Mexico. Retired Navy JAG Captain Iglesias is a graduate of a public high school in Santa Fe, Wheaton College and the University of New Mexico School of Law. (2 November 2018)
Tom Lin, President and Chief Executive OfficerTom Lin was commissioned as the eighth president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA on August 10, 2016, the first full president to be chosen from InterVarsity staff.Tom served with InterVarsity/USA from 1994 to 2001, planting new student chapters at Harvard University and Boston University, developing new national fundraising strategies, and designing national training for InterVarsity staff.From 2002 to 2006, Tom helped establish an evangelical student movement in Mongolia and served as the country director for the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students in Mongolia. Tom and his family moved back to the U.S. in 2006, when he became InterVarsity’s Central Region Regional Director, overseeing undergraduate campus ministry in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska.From 2011 to 2016, Tom served as Vice President of Missions and Director of the Urbana Student Missions Conference. He led a team which oversaw 25 short-term urban projects, study abroad ministry, long-term collaborative partnerships in over 100 countries, training students and staff in missions, new global initiatives, and Urbana.Tom has served as a missions consultant for various organizations and is frequently invited to speak in the U.S. and around the world. From 2005-2014, he served as a trustee and vice-chair of the board of Wycliffe Bible Translators, and has also served on the boards of Missio Nexus and Leadership & Legacy Foundation. He currently serves on the boards of Fuller Theological Seminary, the Crowell Trust, and the Lausanne movement.Tom is the author of Pursuing God’s Call (2012) and Losing Face, Finding Grace (1996), both published by InterVarsity Press, as well as co-editor of the Urbana Onward book series (2012). He has a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University, and holds an M.A. in Global Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary.Tom, his wife Nancy, and their two daughters currently live in Madison, Wisconsin.
Former CEO, Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen, Inc.Compensation Chair and Director at Pier 1 Imports, Inc.Author, Dare to Serve: How to drive superior results by serving othersCheryl Bachelder is a passionate, purpose-led business leader -- the former CEO of Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. Cheryl is known for her crisp strategic thinking, a franchisee-focused approach, and superior financial performance. Guided by the servant leadership thinking of Robert Greenleaf, she believes highly caring, collaborative leaders with big ambitions for the enterprise, not themselves, generate the conditions for people to perform their best work.Cheryl served as CEO of Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen, Inc., a NASDAQ traded company with over 2,600 restaurants in 26 countries, from 2007 to 2017. The story of Popeyes success is chronicled in her book, Dare to Serve: How to drive superior results by serving others. During her tenure, Popeyes’ stock price grew from $11 to $61, at which time the board sold the company to Restaurant Brands International Inc. for $1.8 billion dollars or $79 per share in March, 2017.Cheryl’s earlier career included brand leadership roles at Yum Brands, Domino’s Pizza, RJR Nabisco, The Gillette Company and Procter & Gamble. Cheryl is a director and compensation committee chair at Pier 1 Imports, Inc. (PIR). She sits on the advisory board of Procter & Gamble’s franchising venture, Tide Dry Cleaners. She is a member of C200, an organization that fosters, celebrates and advances women’s leadership in business.Cheryl holds a Bachelor’s and Masters of Business Administration degree from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. She is married 37 years to Chris Bachelder and they have three grown daughters, two terrific son-in-laws, and three handsome grandsons. Cheryl and Chris reside in Atlanta, Georgia and attend Buckhead Church. They are avid learners, fans of the classical education movement, and can always be found reading a good book!Blog: Serving Performs at www.cherylbachelder.com
Albert Tate is the founder and lead pastor of Fellowship Monrovia. From Sweet Home Church of Christ Holiness USA in Pearl, Mississippi to Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, California, Albert Tate has been preaching the Gospel to people of all ages and races. Hearing the call from God, Albert and his wife LaRosa planted Fellowship Monrovia a Gospel-Centered, Multi-Ethnic and Intergenerational church in January 2012.Albert is a gifted and dynamic communicator who is passionate about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the local and global church. Albert presents the Gospel to people across the country in academic, retreat and conference settings combining humor and storytelling of God’s amazing grace and love. His unique and passionate style from the pulpit combines inspiration and challenge, laughter and tears as people are engaged at their core. His hope for Fellowship Monrovia is to cultivate a community of disciples that is unleashed to live out the Gospel by Growing in a life of worship, Gathering in community and Giving their lives away on mission.Albert is married to the love of his life LaRosa Tate who he calls God’s gift of amazing grace in his life – together they have four beautiful children Zoe, Bethan, Isaac and Micah.Albert serves on the Board of Trustees at Azusa Pacific University & Fuller Youth Institute. He was recently published in Letters to a Birmingham Jail: A Response to the Words and Dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.