Grant Smith

CEO of Hand in Hand Group and director of a Kenyan construction company

Grant graduated as a quantity surveyor in 1983. He has worked with international construction companies and managed his own consultancy practice in the UK for over thirty years. In the year 2000, Grant recognised an opportunity to undertake construction work in Kenya, commercially creating fairer pay and apprenticeship opportunities. He committed himself to finding sustainable solutions to help transform individuals and societies.

Today Grant is the CEO of Hand in Hand Group and a director of a Kenyan construction company. With a reputation for clean operations and fair deals, whilst challenging locally accepted business norms and implementing ethical practice to establish fair and safe working environments. Grant is professionally and personally committed to creating a commercial response to poverty.

Grant is married to Sue and has three grown-up children.

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The Accidental Social Entrepreneur

The Accidental Social Entrepreneur

The remarkable story of one gutsy contractor’s determination to end poverty in Africa. Grant Smith is not a visionary or an enthusiastic missionary. He’s a problem solver. When confronted with the desperate problems of poverty he witnessed in Africa, he did the only thing he knew how to do–business.

Evan Kubicek

coach and mentor

Who am I?

Hi, my name is Evan Kubicek aka Coach K and I love helping people and businesses leave a legacy. That’s why I love my work. At Eastern Illinois University I get to pass along strategies, processes and ideas that bring transformation in my students, their companies and their communities. I’m a father of 4 boys, a husband of 17 years, a life & business coach, a volunteer firefighter, township assessor and former VP of Workforce/Impact CloudFactory.

What am I?

I help coach and mentor potential managers, entrepreneurs, and leaders to reach their highest potential. At home, at work or at the store it doesn’t matter to me. This passion for business and entrepreneurial development has taken me through several professions: retail, education, humanitarian aid, international technology startup and consulting in more countries than I can count on two hands.

Why do I?

In 2006 I had a dream of my wife and I standing on a mountain top with a whisper in the wind telling us to explore the world. A few years and more than 20 countries later, I love consulting international startup companies to success. I like to pretend that I am the Indiana Jones of social entrepreneurship. I love the treasure hunt.

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Down is the Way Up

Down is the Way Up

In this post, Evan Kubicek calls to all entrepreneurs and business owners thinking of new ways to impact stakeholders. “Identify the beliefs that are preventing progress. Help restore the relationships that have been broken in your stakeholders’ lives. Don’t be quick to offer resources but uncover what is already available. It’s your problem to join but not yours to own. Give yourself lots of grace and time. Nothing worth doing happens fast. Enjoy the ride. “

Frank Chen

Partner | Andreessen Horowitz

Frank Chen is a partner at the venture capital firm, Andreessen Horowitz. Before joining Andreessen Horowitz, Frank was the VP of products at Opsware. During his tenure there, he gained expertise in enterprise software development and sales, product marketing, change management, and competitive strategies. Prior to that, he was a director of client services at Loudcloud, where he ran data center operations for name-brand customers including Fox Sports, Nike, Fandango.com and Blockbuster. Prior to Loudcloud, Frank worked for Respond.com, where he led consumer web services as a VP of products & UI design.

He also served as a director of product management at Netscape. Prior to that, he was a product manager at Oracle. Earlier in his career, Frank was also technical writer for GO Corporation.

Frank received his bachelor of science degree in symbolic systems from Stanford University.

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Slowing Down in Silicon Valley

Slowing Down in Silicon Valley

Frank Chen is a partner at the venture capital firm, Andreessen Horowitz. Before joining Andreessen Horowitz, Frank was the VP of products at Opsware.


Podcast Episode 74 - The Investor as a Servant Leader with Frank Chen of Andreessen Horowitz

Podcast Episode 74 – The Investor as a Servant Leader with Frank Chen of Andreessen Horowitz

Our friend Frank Chen is the final guest in this 4-part series on the Faith Driven Investor. And he stopped by to talk about how he’s helping entrepreneurs change the World at the Silicon Valley Venture powerhouse of Andreessen Horowitz. As Frank describes it they are “helping entrepreneurs build software companies that are eating the world.” Curious to find out what that might look like? Tune in today…


The Praxis Business Program....Why I like it, and why I think you will too.

The Praxis Business Program….Why I like it, and why I think you will too.

The Praxis Business Accelerator Program is accepting applications until June 1 and there is no better time to share with you why I think it’s something that all faith driven entrepreneurs should know about.  Well, actually, a better time would have been about a month ago when you had more time to plan :), but you are a faith driven entrepreneur and you have a unique ability to quickly assess and pursue amazing things quickly….this is one of those things.  I’ve never done a Top 10 list, but in homage to David Letterman and more importantly, Dave Blanchard and the crew at Praxis, here goes:

Gabe Cooper

Founder and CEO | Virtuous Software

Gabe Cooper is the Founder and CEO of Virtuous Software, a SaaS CRM and Marketing platform helping charities increase their impact. He is also the founder of Brushfire Interactive and co-founder of Shotzoom Software. Gabe has a true passion for creating market-defining software and helping charities re-imagine generosity. After serving in a leadership role at a large nonprofit in the early 2000’s, Gabe went on to help build a series of successful products in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors.

He occasionally teaches a class on Faith and Work and he’s a huge fan of what his church is doing through the Surge Network.

Gabe, his wife Farrah, and their five kids live in Gilbert, AZ where they attend Redemption Church.

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A Vision for Entrepreneurship in Africa


A Vision for Entrepreneurship in Africa


Sometimes, God calls entrepreneurs to audacious obedience in their business ventures. While starting a business in Lincoln, Nebraska can have just as much Gospel impact as starting a medical clinic in Malawi, the latter will likely require far more personal sacrifice and risk along the journey.

That’s exactly what has happened with Jun Shiomitsu. Jun is the founder of African Business Institute (ABI), a Gospel-centered business accelerator/MBA program serving three African countries.


Gerald Duran

serial entrepreneur and Pastor

Gerald is a serial entrepreneur and a Pastor. His calling is to connect the dots between business, purpose, success and faith.

Gerald bootstrapped his first startup in his early twenties, 33 years later he’s working on his sixth startup as the CEO and Marketplace Pastor at CanaGlobal, a faith-based entrepreneurial accelerator in Los Angeles.

Prior to CanaGlobal, Gerald has been the Founder/CEO to five ventures in the tech-education, coder bootcamp, staffing, marketing, and business turnaround marketplace. He loves working with stuck CEOs and helping them get unstuck through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

He’s published two books about purpose and success: HisPlan MyPlan and Ignite Your Success.

Gerald and his wife Leslie have two boys, Brandon (24) who is also co-founder with him at CanaGlobal, and Alec (21) who went to live with Jesus in heaven at age 1.

They attend CrossRoad South Bay Church in Gardena, CA where Gerald teaches on a biweekly basis.

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The Baby Boomers Are Rocking The Startup World!

The Baby Boomers Are Rocking The Startup World!

Wait a minute, don’t most people envision the startup entrepreneur as a 20-something tech genius in a hoodie? You might be surprised to learn that it’s actually the graying 50-something in dad jeans.

Editor’s note.  We’ve recently come across Gerald and Cana.Global, a faith based accelerator in Southern California.  You can see some more information about what he, and others in the workplace ministry space are doing here, and we thought that his perspectives on older entrepreneurs are intriguing. 

Greg Leith

CEO of Convene

Greg Leith is the CEO of Convene. He was born in Canada and lived in all four corners of North America. His career spans over 35 years of senior leadership roles in corporate, non-profit and academic sectors. Recently, he served as Director of Strategic Alliances for 13 years at Biola University in California.

Greg has served the persecuted church with food, brought relief and long term jobs to Orissa, India, assisted mission agencies in China with strategy and helped envision a School of Journalism in Haiti. He and Shelley, his wife of 38 years, have crisscrossed Canada for over a decade speaking on marriage and parenting for FamilyLife helping thousands of marriages.

Greg was a senior executive for 20 years with the $9 billion ServiceMaster Company, serving in various leadership capacities. He was Vice President of Arrow Leadership and Director of Leadership Development for Christian Leadership Alliance, creating learning experiences for the most influential Christian organizations in the world.

Married for over 38 years to his wife Shelley, he’s the father and friend to five thriving young adults.

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Is Your Business Just an ATM Machine for Ministries?

Is Your Business Just an ATM Machine for Ministries?

“Whatever you do, eating or drinking or anything else, everything should be done to bring glory to God.”


Here I Am

Here I Am

When God calls our name as leaders, He is not looking for a weak response of “I’m here”. He’s not interested in the bored or quiet “here” that we sometimes utter when we’re called upon to sound off in travel groups or classrooms. God is looking for us to say “Here I am” with gusto.


Should We Just Sing a Little Louder and Wait for Jesus to Come Back?

Should We Just Sing a Little Louder and Wait for Jesus to Come Back?

The story goes like this. In the days of the Holocaust, on a Sunday morning, a train filled past overflowing with Jewish prisoners was headed to a Nazi prison camp where the captive men, women and children would surely be put to death.


Obey. Obey. Obey.

Obey. Obey. Obey.

Somebody challenged me in the last week to hang out in Psalm 119. And right away I was like, oh, that’s the long one. And I read it before and I don’t think I’m going to go for it.


Podcast Episode 96 - What Defines a Healthy Leader with Greg Leith of Convene

Podcast Episode 96 – What Defines a Healthy Leader with Greg Leith of Convene

It’s Tuesday. Which means it’s time to gather. Or, as you might say, it’s time to Convene. And that’s exactly what we’re talking about today. Our guest, Greg Leith leads a ministry to Christian CEOs and Entrepreneurs called Convene. His work there has taught him what it means to be a healthy leader, as well as what we as entrepreneurs can do to foster and encourage our growth as both leaders and people…


Achieve Perfection or Pursue Excellence?

Achieve Perfection or Pursue Excellence?

“One of our four corporate objectives in our $300 million enterprise was ‘To pursue Excellence’. I like that better than ‘Achieve Perfection’, don’t you? It takes the pressure off, but doesn’t let us off the hook. It’s important that we get excellence right, under a biblical banner, so we can execute God’s way.” 


How Do You Grow as a Leader?

How Do You Grow as a Leader?

How do you grow as a leader? Read books, meet over coffee with like-minded friends, listen to God, get a life coach? Each of those are good but none of them alone is likely enough… Real learning and growing happens over time and within a community.


If You Dream It, You Can Do It?

If You Dream It, You Can Do It?

Greg Leith, CEO & Board Member of Convene shares about five amazing leaders who have partnered with God and dreamed big for Kingdom impact then got together to talk about faith in the midst of building movements from the big dreams God gave them.


Can leadership change the world?

Can leadership change the world?

To be sure, leadership learning or ideation sparks new companies and new corporate direction, and yet, at the end of the day, it’s people that have eternal value and meaning to God. People don’t just want money for their day at your workplace, they want meaning.


A Spiritual Forecast

A Spiritual Forecast

Greg Leith, CEO & Board Member of Convene shares that “the spiritual forecast for our world is rather cloudy. Yet, regardless of the leader of your country, you’re still a leader in your company. The spiritual forecast for the world depends on you, and it starts in your business.”