Trae Stephens

Principal | Founders Fund

Trae Stephens is a Principal at Founders Fund, where he focuses on startups operating in the government space.

Previously, Trae was an early employee at Palantir Technologies, where he led teams focused on growth in the intelligence/defense space as well as international expansion, helping large organizations solve their hardest data analysis problems. He was also an integral part of the product team, leading the design and strategy for new product offerings. While at Palantir, Trae also served as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University.

Prior to Palantir, Trae worked as a computational linguist building enterprise solutions to Arabic/Persian name matching and data enrichment within the United States Intelligence community. He began his career working in the office of then-Congressman Rob Portman and in the Political Affairs Office at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C. immediately following the installation of Hamid Karzai’s transitional government. Trae graduated from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

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Jesus Came to Live


Jesus Came to Live


You know, I think that on the topic of imitation, I was really surprised during a study where I looked at all of these scriptures that maybe I had kind of known in the back of my head. But I was surprised where things that existed like Ephesians 5:1 says therefore be imitators of God as beloved children.



Podcast Episode 70 - Entrepreneurs Who Create their Own Category with Trae Stephens of Founders Fund


Podcast Episode 70 – Entrepreneurs Who Create their Own Category with Trae Stephens of Founders Fund


Today’s episode features Trae Stephens, one of the Partners at Founders Fund. As a venture capitalist, Trae provides excellent insight into what investors are looking for in entrepreneurs. As Trae explains, “we’re looking for outliers.” Find out what that entails and also how Trae measures value by the ability to create abundance and decrease competition. Trae bounces effortlessly between business, theology, and philosophy as he speaks, and we really think you’ll enjoy listening to what he had to share!


Tom Phillips

owner | Diversified Conveyors International

Tom and his wife, Beth, are owners of Diversified Conveyors International, LLC in Memphis, TN, a turnkey material handling business which they started in 2000. Through the years God has blessed this business, and it has grown tremendously.

The vision of DCI is to use the resources of the company to support ministry initiatives in Memphis and around the world. Stewardship of God’s resources is of great importance to Tom and Beth. In addition to serving as COO at DCI, Tom is actively involved in Business as Mission (BAM), a movement which integrates Christian faith with establishing and investing in businesses seeking a quadruple bottom line (financial, environmental, social, and spiritual).  

Tom is also active in the nonprofit world. After attending a business luncheon in Memphis in which the speaker presented the devastation of the Rwandan genocide and the current rebuilding efforts, Tom decided to visit Rwanda to see how he could help. After determining that a major area of need was child malnutrition, Tom established One Egg, a nonprofit that supplies much needed protein to children in Christ centered day cares. One Egg has expanded beyond Rwanda and is now in ten countries.

Tom met Beth in college, and they have three grown children, one son-in-law, and are soon to be grandparents. Tom is fond of saying that he and Beth are newlyweds, only married thirty-eight years.

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Iron Sharpens Iron

Iron Sharpens Iron

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Prov. 27:17) — Friendship, especially biblical friendship, often demands more from you than you originally intended to give. Being close friends with another person takes commitment, accountability, trust, and a willingness to be vulnerable

Richard Hayes

CEO | Digital Lightbridge

Richard William Hayes is the chief executive officer and managing partner of Digital Lightbridge, a full-service digital marketing firm. Hayes founded Digital Lightbridge in 2001 and remains faithful to its mission of helping companies achieve their business objectives through strategic marketing solutions. Richard is responsible for managing the firm’s day-to-day business operations, as well as sales and delivering exceptional client service.

Richard has over 30 years of experience in advertising and marketing, having held executive positions with Fortune 500 companies and several major communications businesses.

Hayes co-founded and published a national Christian leadership publication, for four years, called TwoTen Magazine. The publication has featured a wide variety of leaders including Coach Tony Dungy, Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, best-selling author Dave Ramsey, Dr. Ben Carson, Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson, Shannon Bream of Fox News, David Green founder of Hobby Lobby, and Ben Watson of the New Orleans

Richard and his exquisite wife Nikki live in Dade City (North Tampa Bay, Florida). They are the proud parents of five, way-above-average, children. The Hayes’ are child-welfare advocates and human-trafficking abolitionists.

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Faith in Work Clothes

Faith in Work Clothes

Henry Ford, the great industrialist inventor of the automobile, once said that he looked for men who had an infinite capacity to not know what couldn’t be done. Daryle Doden, CEO of Ambassador Enterprises, is a personification of this ideal.


Pretzel Logic - Anne Beiler of Auntie Anne's

Pretzel Logic – Anne Beiler of Auntie Anne’s

Give to get to give again. That’s the simple but powerful philosophy and biblical principle that is the driving force of Anne Beiler, the founder of Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels.


Expanding Your Brand & Growing Your Faith

Expanding Your Brand & Growing Your Faith

They told him it couldn’t be done. They said it was a waste of time. The credits could have rolled right then and there.


Pressing Towards the Mark

Pressing Towards the Mark

A modern day Christian Renaissance Man, Matt McPherson is the founder and CEO of both Mathews Inc., the largest bow manufacturer in the world, and McPherson Guitars, a leading name in the music industry for hand-crafted acoustic guitars


Mentoring Lopez with Diane Paddison

Mentoring Lopez with Diane Paddison

Our most recent podcast guest, Diane Paddison, founded 4Word, a nonprofit mentorship program and community for professional Christian women. In this post, she recounts her experience mentoring someone whose life looks almost nothing like hers. Diane felt God’s call to connect with Lopez Lomong, a South-Sudanese, two time Olympian, male athlete. Though she thought they were an unlikely pair, the experience of mentoring Lopez has enriched her life beyond belief.


Fired to Hired

Fired to Hired

She never became a high school choir director, but at Popeyes, Cheryl Bachelder has become a conductor of people. Her personal commitment to Jesus’ model of servant leadership has transformed the culture of a corporation. The impact of her faith can be felt throughout the company—from the executive offices to the restaurant’s front counter in the words “How may I serve you?” That’s music to Cheryl’s ears.


Not Building in Vain

Not Building in Vain

Elbow grease and a hard work ethic are found within the heart of every entrepreneur, but Tom Strickland of Suncoast Team Services possesses something stronger: the fervent desire to see God honored in every build. Tom realizes that the successful entrepreneur is the man or woman that relinquishes control to God, and that the success or failure of a project is in the Master Builder’s capable hands.


Fundamentals with Jerry Colangelo

Fundamentals with Jerry Colangelo

Jerry Colangelo is a legend in the world of professional sports, but that isn’t how he wants to be remembered. Instead, Jerry hopes that when people think of him they will say, “He cared.”


Excellence in Innovation

Excellence in Innovation

Karsten Solheim, Founder of PING Golf, passed away in 2000, but left behind a legacy of excellence and philanthropic devotion that his son John continues today. “I learned from my dad the importance of excellence and giving back and how that honors God,” John explains. This is his dad’s story.


Living a R.I.C.H. and Authentic Life (The Dwyer Group)

Living a R.I.C.H. and Authentic Life (The Dwyer Group)

She might not be the person you would expect to see seated at the top of a company in a male-dominated industry. But Dina Dwyer-Owens, Executive Chairwoman of the Dwyer Group, is very comfortable at the helm of a company operating across the fifty United States and seven other countries around the world. She earned the position and re-earns it, every day in every way.


A Leap of Faith

A Leap of Faith

Rather than succumb to the negativity that was permeating our culture in the 2009 economic crisis, Derek had a vision of launching a new business that would provide jobs, hope and source of optimism. What was that vision? It was that of a self-serve frozen yogurt shop.


Moral of the Story

Moral of the Story

Watch and observe effective leaders and influencers. They often are excellent at communicating through stories. Think about life experiences that have impacted you, and start to tell stories to teach important lessons to those you are leading.


Kingdom Silhouettes

Kingdom Silhouettes

Lisa tells the story of how Chris Patton recommitted his family’s business as a business with an eternal purpose: adding “silhouettes” to the Kingdom. Chris’s mindset is “How do we make sure that we don’t do anything that is going to limit or prevent adding silhouettes?”


Ultimate Power Source

Ultimate Power Source

Norm Miller, founder of I Am Second Leadership, told TwoTen about how his desires became less about him and more about Him. To date, the “I Am Second” web site has been visited over ten million times in over 56 countries. More of that journey is included in this blog post …


Jon Acuff: Living The Awesome Life

Jon Acuff: Living The Awesome Life

Fear. We all know it. We all face it. Fear is the common struggle of humanity. “Will I be successful?” “Will this job provide for my family?” At one time or another, we have all asked these questions and more. Jon Acuff, popular author, blogger, and motivational speaker, shares what he’s learned about fear.


Four Principles of Biblical Stewardship

Four Principles of Biblical Stewardship

What does stewardship look like in our lives today? What does it look like in our businesses? Unfortunately, many Christians today only associate the idea of stewardship with sermons, church budgets and building programs. The idea of biblical stewardship is much more expansive. It is where the concepts of faith, work, and economics intersect.

Rob McKenna

founder | WiLD Leaders, Inc.

Recently named among the top 30 most influential I-O Psychologists and featured in Forbes, Dr. Rob McKenna is the founder of WiLD Leaders, Inc., creator of the WiLD Toolkit, and Chair of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Seattle Pacific University. His research and coaching with leaders across corporate, not-for-profit and university settings has given him insight into the real and gritty experience of leaders. His clients have included the Boeing Company, Microsoft, Heineken, Foster Farms, the United Way, Alaska Airlines and Children’s Hospital. He is the author of numerous articles and chapters on leadership character, calling, effectiveness, and leadership under pressure. His latest book, Composed: The Heart and Science of Leading Under Pressure, focuses the specific strategies leaders can use to stay true to themselves and connected to others when it matters most. 

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Developing Others Starts With You

Developing Others Starts With You

Leader development is not a test they need to pass, it’s an investment we need to make. From that standpoint, you can’t fail to lead well and stop there. You can only fail to learn and move forward.

Rob Thomas

founder | Igniter Media

Rob founded Igniter Media in 2003 and plays the role of executive creative director at the company. He gets to work with an amazing team dedicated to serving the local church with media resources. He lives in Richardson, TX with his wife, Haley, and four kids.

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99% Confession = 0% Freedom

99% Confession = 0% Freedom

He started out basically saying, hey, I used the company card inappropriately. And I remember even as he was saying that, I was like, OK, that’s OK. That’s no big deal. You know, I’m glad that you felt like you wanted to tell me that, but that’s fine.


Eyes on the Eternal

Eyes on the Eternal

Rob Thomas founded Igniter Media in 2003 and plays the role of executive creative director at the company.

I was just with my Bible study group this morning. And Second Corinthians 4:18 says, so we don’t look at the troubles we can see now. Rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen for the things we see now will soon be gone. But the things we cannot see will last forever.

Ruth Morales

co-founder and vice president | FXM Intl. LLC

Ruth Morales is the co-founder and vice president of FXM Intl. LLC, a subsidiary from FX Morales y Asociados SAPI de CV. She is responsible for supervising and overseeing financial reports, accounting, and all financial analysis. She has contributed to the development of the company´s strategic goals and objectives as well as the overall management of the organization. On a daily basis Ruth oversees key account customer’s sales and cash collections. She also advises the president on financial planning, budgeting, cash flow, and investment priorities. She is passionate about working for a Christ-centered company where she can honor God by giving her very best in all she does. Two years before graduating from college, her dad Xavier Morales invited her to join the growing family business FX Morales y Asociados, which he founded in 1988. This work opportunity helped her graduate cum laude from Tec de Monterrey with a public accounting and finance degree.

In 2004 Ruth married her high-school sweetheart Jair, and they’ve lived in three different countries while he was pursuing graduate studies. She is a mom of two amazing kids, Danny and Sofia. Jair and Ruth attend Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas where they’ve served as Sunday school teachers for children and adults. She is also actively involved in volunteering opportunities at her children’s school – Second Baptist School in Houston, Texas.

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FXM Legacy

FXM Legacy

This article was from a collection of White Papers compiled for attendees of the CEF’s 2019 Global Event. Today, we share the Morales family’s White Paper on their company FXM — “Hard work in God’s name, diligence, honesty, and a deep knowledge of “Who’s who” in the Mexican food industry has meant the world for our success as a company. ”