Kelly Shackelford

President and CEO | First Liberty Institute

Kelly Shackelford, Esq., is President and CEO of First Liberty Institute, the largest legal firm in the nation dedicated exclusively to protecting religious freedom for all Americans. He has served in this role since 1997, leading First Liberty’s efforts to defend religious freedom in the courts and in the public arena. Under his leadership, First Liberty’s legal team has participated in cases before the United States Supreme Court, federal courts of appeals, federal district courts and various state courts, where they have won more than 90 percent of their cases.

Shackelford is a constitutional scholar who has argued before the United States Supreme Court, testified before the U.S. House and Senate, and has won a number of landmark First Amendment and religious liberty cases including a recent watershed, precedent-changing victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in The American Legion v. American Humanist Association.

He was recently named one of the 25 greatest Texas lawyers of the past quarter-century by Texas Lawyer and is the recipient of the prestigious William Bentley Ball Award for Life and Religious Freedom Defense for pioneering work protecting religious freedom.

Shackelford is a highly sought-after speaker and frequent guest on national news and talk shows including Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN, Fox and Friends, MSNBC, and Hannity. He also has been featured in the National Law Journal, Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Times, The Washington Post, and The L.A. Times, and many others.

Shackelford is on the Board of Trustees of the United States Supreme Court Historical Society and earned his law degree from Baylor University.

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contributions to faith driven entrepreneur

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What Can’t God Do?


What Can’t God Do?


At the moment, I’m just standing back in amazement at what God does. You know, as I said when we came into this, I mean, if you had told me four years ago, hey, can you get rid of that bad case and really free up religious freedom? I would’ve said probably not in my lifetime. And, you know, three years later this last summer, we just changed history with that case.



Podcast Episode 105 - How the Constitution Protects Faith Driven Entrepreneurs with Kelly Shackelford


Podcast Episode 105 – How the Constitution Protects Faith Driven Entrepreneurs with Kelly Shackelford


Kelly Shackelford, President & CEO of First Liberty, joined us to share his entrepreneurial journey and explain how the constitution protects the freedom business leaders have to live out our faith in the companies we steward.



Religious Freedom in the Marketplace


Religious Freedom in the Marketplace


In today’s video, Kelly Shackelford, President of the Liberty Institute, walks Christian business owners and employers through the religious freedoms they enjoy under federal and state law.


Kenneth Ewell

Chief Investment Officer

Kenny is the Chief Investment Officer of a family office focused on faith-driven investing. He has been part of the faith-driven investing and entrepreneurship movement since 2013 when he began serving on the Investment Committee of Sovereign’s Capital Fund I. Prior to his current role, Kenny worked for a global medical device company, where he executed over $500M of transactions. Previously, he worked for Quvat, a private equity firm in Southeast Asia, and J.P. Morgan’s investment bank in NYC. He received his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an AB in Economics from Princeton University.

Kenny lives in Minneapolis with his wife and two children (with a third due in April 2020!), where they are members of Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAITH DRIVEN ENTREPRENEUR

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Embracing Weakness in Christian Entrepreneurship

Embracing Weakness in Christian Entrepreneurship

“The foundation of Christian entrepreneurship is, paradoxically, weakness. This is not weakness of product, service, or business, but of the entrepreneur himself as a Christian. This is true because Christ said His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). If the goal of the Christian entrepreneur is to advance the Kingdom of God by the power of God, in some sense, weakness must be the way…”

Lake Lambert

Scholar and author of Spirituality, Inc.: Religion in the American Workplace

Lake Lambert, Ph.D., began his tenure as the 16th president of Hanover College July 1, 2015, the sixth in the past 100 years. Lambert went to Hanover from Mercer University in Macon, Ga., where he served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts since 2010.

An active scholar, Lambert’s research has focused on workplace spirituality, professional ethics, and church-related higher education. He is the author of “Spirituality, Inc.: Religion in the American Workplace,” (NYU Press 2009) which surveys the role of spirituality in business from medieval guilds to industrial company towns, right up to current trends in the contemporary business environment. He has also authored several articles and essays in academic journals.

He earned his doctorate at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1997. He holds bachelor of arts (economics and history) and master of theological studies degrees from Emory University (Georgia).

His family includes his wife, Kelly, daughter, Bailey and son, Zack.

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CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAITH DRIVEN ENTREPRENEUR

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Episode 62 - When did Corporations Grow a Conscience? with Lake Lambert, President of Hanover College


Episode 62 – When did Corporations Grow a Conscience? with Lake Lambert, President of Hanover College


It’s common to think of corporate values as a concept that has always been around, but Lake Lambert, President of Hanover College in Indiana, is here to educate us and show that this isn’t actually the case. Lake is the author of Spirituality, Inc—a book that examines the history of religion in the American workplace—and he joins Henry, William, and Rusty to share what he’s learned about workplace spirituality from the past and what we might expect for the future.


Liz Forkin Bohannon

speaker, entrepreneur, and founder of Sseko Designs

Liz Forkin Bohannon is a speaker, an entrepreneur, and the founder of Sseko Designs, an international purpose-driven fashion brand creating employment for women across the globe.

Recognized in 2017 by Forbes as a top public speaker and named by John Maxwell as one of the top three transformational leaders in the US, Liz has appeared on Shark Tank and Good Morning America and has been recognized by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards, the Bush Institute Global Women’s Award, and others.

Life:

She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and co-founder, Ben, and their children.

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CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAITH DRIVEN ENTREPRENEUR

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Episode 256 - Keeping Marriages Healthy as an Entrepreneur with Patrick Lencioni, John and Ashely Marsh, Les Parrot, and More


Episode 256 – Keeping Marriages Healthy as an Entrepreneur with Patrick Lencioni, John and Ashely Marsh, Les Parrot, and More


Compiled insights from leaders like Patrick Lencioni, Les Parrot, John and Ashely Marsh, Ben and Liz Bohannon, and Ashot Iskandarian on how entrepreneurs can keep their marriages healthy.



Episode 215 - Danielle Strickland Says Women and Men Are Better Together


Episode 215 – Danielle Strickland Says Women and Men Are Better Together


Together with speaker and entrepreneur Liz Bohannan, this episode of the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast is one of a three-part series focusing on female founders and business owners who are pursuing entrepreneurship in different industries. Today, our conversation is with spiritual leader, author, and justice advocate Danielle Strickland.



Episode 65 - How Do You Build a Healthy Family and a Growing Business? with Ben and Liz Bohannon of Sseko Designs


Episode 65 – How Do You Build a Healthy Family and a Growing Business? with Ben and Liz Bohannon of Sseko Designs


Is it possible to have a healthy family while building a successful business? That’s the question at the heart of this week’s episode with Ben and Liz Bohannon of Sseko Designs. Their business began as a way to generate income for high-potential, talented young women in Uganda to continue on to university. Since then, it’s grown rapidly from a Shark Tank phenomenon to a global success. Hear how Ben and Liz are navigating the world of global business while still managing to focus on their home, their marriage, and their family.


Jason Johnson

CEO and co-founder of August

Jason Johnson is the CEO and co-founder of August, the home automation company behind the August Smart Lock, based in San Francisco. Jason is also a managing partner of startup incubator Founders Den and the chairman of the Internet of Things Consortium. Prior to August, he co-founded mobile security software company AirCover (acquired by M Dream, HK:8100) and ebook software startup BookShout!. He also previously served as vice president of Dolby Laboratories, vice president of Global IP Solutions (acquired by Google) and was the co-founder and CEO of InterQuest (acquired by Darwin Networks).

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CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAITH DRIVEN ENTREPRENEUR

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Episode 27 - Responsibility of Calling: Interview with Jason Johnson (CEO of August Smart Homes)


Episode 27 – Responsibility of Calling: Interview with Jason Johnson (CEO of August Smart Homes)


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Jason Johnson, serial entrepreneur and founder of August Smart Homes, talks to Rusty and William about when the entrepreneurial itch first hit him while working at a large tech company. From humble beginnings, Jason explains how receiving a scholarship to Pepperdine University introduced him to the responsibility of calling and that entrepreneurship was a natural expression of that calling.


Jeff Davidson

Co-Founder and Co-CEO | Camp Gladiator

Jeff Davidson, alongside his wife Ally, is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Camp Gladiator – one of the fastest growing fitness companies in the United States. Camp Gladiator was created after Jeff & Ally participated on the NBC show American Gladiators in 2008 and has grown to over 1,000 team members with locations in 5 states.

Jeff is originally from Irving, Texas and graduated with Honors from the University of Texas ERB program. Jeff began his career in finance with AXA Advisors and became one of the most distinguished advisors within the firm, qualifying for AXA’s prestigious Hall of Fame. Jeff’s finance career culminated with the co-founding of 49 Financial for which he is a Senior Partner and board member.

Jeff and Ally also founded and co-manage CG Victory, a non-profit kids camp that operates throughout Texas. Jeff’s passion in life is serving others and fulfilling his life mission of sharing the joy of Christ by laughing, loving, and living adventurously.

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CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAITH DRIVEN ENTREPRENEUR

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Episode 60 - How an Interview with Hulk Hogan on Their Wedding Day Started a $40 Million Business with Jeff and Ally Davidson of Camp Gladiator


Episode 60 – How an Interview with Hulk Hogan on Their Wedding Day Started a $40 Million Business with Jeff and Ally Davidson of Camp Gladiator


When Ally Davidson woke up on the morning of her wedding day, she had no idea the journey that God had prepared for her, nor did she anticipate it would start with a tryout for the television show American Gladiator that very same day. Fast forward a few years and Camp Gladiator has over 3500 locations across the country with over 100,000 members. Tune in to hear the story of Jeff and Ally Davidson—how interacting with Hulk Hogan jump started their business, how they’ve seen community and exercise drastically affect people’s lives, and how their faith impacts everything they do.