Episode 350 – Building a $5B Counter-Trafficking Industry | Tim Tebow & Wes Lyons

Tim Tebow’s journey into anti-trafficking work began with a phone call from his father, who had just purchased the freedom of four girls at an underground pastor’s conference. That moment ignited a calling that has grown into a movement—one that now includes 150 entrepreneurs gathered in Boulder, Colorado, united by a single mission: disrupt human trafficking through innovative business solutions.

Alongside Wes Lyons of Eagle Venture Fund, Tim reveals how the for-profit sector is no longer sitting on the sidelines. Inspired by the Clapham network that helped William Wilberforce end the slave trade, today’s entrepreneurs are building a counter-trafficking industry projected to reach $5 billion by 2030. From training healthcare workers who encounter 90% of trafficking victims to creating digital safety tools for children, these ventures prove that mission-driven businesses can generate both impact and returns.

This conversation challenges every assumption about “balanced living,” reveals why apathy—not evil—is often the real enemy, and explains what it truly means to be made in God’s image. Tim unpacks insights from his book “Look Again,” showing how recognizing worth transforms how we see the vulnerable. Most powerfully, you’ll discover why looking away isn’t neutral—it creates the very invisibility that traffickers exploit.

00:00 Introduction: Once rescued, join the rescue squad

01:12 Welcome to Boulder and the Clapham gathering

02:08 What is Clapham? 150 entrepreneurs fighting trafficking

02:57 Why a dense network matters for complex problems

04:26 For-profit DNA: Abundance vs. scarcity mindset

04:57 Big God mindset over limited mindset

05:56 The history of Clapham and William Wilberforce

06:54 Introducing people to the issue: Accessibility beyond complexity

07:43 Human trafficking vs. sexual exploitation: Understanding motives

08:11 The villain behind the villain: What brought Tim to this fight

08:35 Tim’s origin story: His father rescues four girls

10:00 The pastors who did nothing and the power of excuses

11:20 Meeting the girl whose mother boiled out her eye

13:12 The book “Look Again” and choosing to see

14:08 Why it hurts to draw near to people’s pain

15:13 The root issue: Value and worth

15:14 Nazi Germany and “life unworthy of life”

17:54 What does “made in God’s image” really mean?

19:34 From image bearer to image being

20:43 [Faith Driven Entrepreneur for Teens ad]

21:46 Transforming heart, mind, and eyes through looking again

22:18 When we don’t see people, darkness targets them

23:40 The villain’s coordination vs. the church’s response

24:32 Against living a balanced life

25:08 Why do we need balance?

26:17 I don’t want to arrive in heaven well-rested

27:16 How do you make money fighting trafficking?

28:24 For-profit, for purpose, and for people

29:49 [Church partnership network ad]

30:36 The size of the army needed for this fight

31:47 Ashley Chapman: Training healthcare workers to identify trafficking

32:53 Trafficking victims at your child’s school

33:30 The counter-trafficking industry: $500M to $5B by 2030

34:43 Compounding impact vs. compounding interest

36:13 Making money matter

37:47 Matt Hasselbeck: Giving beats throwing touchdowns

38:46 How to get in this fight

39:39 Outro and community invitation

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