Michael Miller – Director | PovertyCure | Grand Rapids, MI
PovertyCure is an international coalition of organizations and individuals committed to entrepreneurial solutions to poverty that challenge the status quo and champion the creative potential of the human person. Miller has lived and traveled in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. He lectures internationally on such themes as moral philosophy, economic development and social theory, and entrepreneurship. He is a frequent guest on radio and has been published in the Washington Times, The Detroit News, The LA Daily News, and Real Clear Politics. He is the Director and Host of the PovertyCure DVD Series .
Desiree Monize – CEO | Avenue of Life | Kansas City, KS
Avenue of Life is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty through community development. “Our goal is to facilitate the journey from hand-outs (emergency relief) in crisis, to hand-ups (individual betterment) for those ready to rise above their circumstances, to hand-offs (community development) to indigenous leaders of a transformed community.” Monize is founder and CEO of Avenue of Life with experience both in business development and the nonprofit world. Her experience in working with the poor and those who want to help them gives her a unique perspective on how churches can help without hurting or creating dependencies.
Ray Sanders – CEO | Water4 | Oklahoma City, OK
Water4 is committed to eradicating the world water crisis by creating indigenous jobs that establish fresh water wells in the developing world. Putting opportunity in the hands of local people is the key to sustainable water solutions. Sanders’ background is in leadership and organizational development. His heart is for seeing leaders use their influence to impact the world for good.
Soledad Gompf – VP, New Business Development | FINCA | Washington, DC
FINCA’s mission is to alleviate poverty through lasting solutions that help people build assets, create jobs and raise their standard of living. FINCA owns and operates a network of microfinance institutions serving nearly 2 million low-income individuals in 23 countries. Soledad Gompf has over 30 years of professional experience with corporate and non-profit entities in Latin America and the United States in the areas of administration, strategic planning, budgeting, program design, project management, strategic initiatives and partnerships, resource mobilization and grant management.
John Bailey – Missions & Evangelism Pastor | Huntsville 1st United Methodist | Huntsville, AL
Huntsville First United Methodist Church is a multigenerational church with a long history of involvement in missions. John Bailey is a Deacon in the North Alabama Conference of the UMC. For the last ten years, John has served as a mission mobilizer in two large congregations in North Alabama. In this capacity, John has overseen the distribution of millions of dollars given to missions and has facilitated hundreds of mission trips. John is the author of Journey to a Better Way, a Wesleyan Perspective on Doing Mission Better.
Tom Bassford – Executive Director | Significant Matters | Kansas City, KS
Over the past 10 years Significant Matters has worked with individuals, businesses, city government, non-profits and especially the faith-based community to explore and develop more sustainable ways of doing good. Though we still have a long way to go, we believe it’s possible to accelerate the learning curve in this arena through SATtalks and our Missions 3.0 work with churches. Bassford is founder and Executive Director of Significant Matters, before that he pastored for 30-plus years. He brings a unique combination of church, not-for-profit, and executive insight in his role.
Wayne McDaniel – National Christian Foundation, Heartland | Lawrence, KS
Wayne McDaniel serves as Vice President of Advanced Planning Strategies for National Christian Foundation Heartland. His mission in life is to help people increase their capacity to live and to give. Wayne works with givers and advisors to design strategies which enable individuals to give more to charity in alignment with their heart desires. Prior to joining NCF Heartland, Wayne was a financial advisor and founding partner of McDaniel Knutson Financial Partners, a financial planning and investment management firm in Lawrence, Kansas. McDaniel Knutson embodied philanthropy as a core value and, amongst other things, adopted a village in India.
Peter Knutson – McDaniel Knutson Financial Partners | Lawrence, KS
Pete graduated from Baylor University in 1993 with degrees in Real Estate and Financial Planning. He is a Certified Financial Planner practitioner and serves on several philanthropic boards and committees. He is currently President and part owner of McDaniel Knutson Financial Partners in Lawrence. McDaniel Knutson is a full service personal financial planning firm founded in 1981 whose mission statement is, “Using our knowledge to help our clients live and to give.”
Jonathan Bell – Church of the Resurrection | Leawood, KS
Jonathan has spent the last 25 years leading churches beyond themselves. He joined the Church of the Resurrection staff in 2001, as Director of Mission Ministries, and orchestrated the church’s transition from Missions 1.0 to 2.0, before becoming lead architect for Resurrection’s 3.0 structures and strategies. Jonathan currently oversees Church of the Resurrection’s national network of partner churches, as well as the church’s collaborative relationship with Saint Paul School of Theology, which physically resides on Resurrection’s Leawood, KS campus.
Grady Hawley – Founder, CEO Soleran | Overland Park, KS
Grady Hawley is the CEO and founder of Soleran, a software design and development company that specializes in developing and selling a SaaS platform called eAppTrack. He has been sales director for a national telecom company, involved in multiple start-ups, and CEO and founder of companies ranging from real estate, to mortgage, to software companies. He is passionate about helping missional non-profits find their way to developing sustainable communities.
Craig Cheney – Executive Pastor | Heartland Community Church | Olathe, KS
Craig’s 35 years of leadership has been primarily invested in church transformation efforts through training and unleashing capable leaders. His investment in market place leaders and community transformation practitioners around the world keeps his perspective realistic and practical. Having served in different churches across America he’s gained from their strengths and challenges. In 2014 he joined the leadership team at Heartland Community Church as Executive Pastor. More recently he’s become a friend and co-laborer with Tom Bassford and Significant Matters as Heartland embraces and fleshes out its mission calling through a Missions 3.0 framework, strategy and practice.