Max Anderson is the co-founder and CEO of Saturn Five, a long-term-hold investment firm focused on buying and operating some of the best small businesses in America. Saturn Five owns more than two dozen companies (including 16 in Colorado), spanning construction, business services, home services, retail, distribution, and hospitality. Collectively Saturn Five’s companies employ more than 1,500 people and generate nearly $400 million in annual sales.

A graduate of Princeton University, Max began his career at McKinsey. After two years he left to work at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. He explored becoming a pastor but ultimately felt called to business and opted for graduate school. Max became a George Fellow and a Reynolds Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and earned an MBA with honors from Harvard Business School. After graduation, Max joined Bridgewater Associates and served in multiple leadership roles there before launching Saturn Five. Max is the author of a book on business ethics and leadership - The MBA Oath (Penguin Portfolio 2010). He is the editor of The Weekend Reader, a newsletter on technology, culture, and current events encouraging subscribers to "Read widely. Read wisely." He lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife and four children.

Kenneth J. Barnes is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts; the Mockler-Phillips Professor of Workplace Theology and Business Ethics; and the director of the Mockler Center for Faith and Ethics in the Public Square at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Prior to his academic career, Dr. Barnes spent many years as a senior international executive doing business on six continents. His main areas of research and teaching are the intersections of faith, work, and economics. Widely published, he has taught at prestigious institutions all over the world, including Oxford University (UK), Harvard Law School (US), and Ridley College Melbourne (AU). He is also a regular speaker at both academic and business conferences, on radio and television, and on popular podcasts.

His recent book projects include Redeeming Capitalism (Eerdmans, 2018), “Religion and Business Ethics: Religious Perspectives on Business” in Routledge Companion to Business Ethics (Routeldge, 2018), “Faith, Work and Economics: A Mission of the Church, a Mission to the Church” in Transforming Work (Brill, 2024), and Sabbath as Resilience (eds.) (Wipf & Stock, 2025). He is married to singer-songwriter Debby Barnes, is a father of three, and a grandfather of four.

Utibe Bassey serves as Vice President, Customer Experience at Dominion Energy and she is also the Creator of ‘Love as a KPI’ - a teaching platform based on the premise that when organizations are driven by LOVE for people (customers, employees, community members etc), they are better outcomes financially, strategically and operationally.

Utibe’s passion lies in bridging business and humanity. Her functional experience spans strategy, planning, operations, experience design, leadership development and innovation, and she has led Global teams and businesses in 2-person and 50,000-person organizations alike – each role as a conduit to improving the experience for employees and customers in tandem with business results.

Ross Chapman is CEO of Denver Institute for Faith & Work. Before working at Denver Institute he served as the President and Executive Director at For Evansville, a movement of people who are actively working toward the good of the Greater Evansville region. Ross has earned his doctorate of ministry in faith, work, economics and vocation at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the co-author of Faithful Work: In the Daily Grind with God and for Others (IVP, Winter, 2024).

Since 2009, Leisle Chung and her husband, Dr. Vinh Chung, have opened nine dermatology clinics throughout Colorado. As CEO of the practice, Leisle provides leadership to its expansive mission to positively impact patients, the community, and the world. Before Vanguard, Leisle graduated magna cum laude from Yale College, studied theology at the University of Edinburgh, earned her MBA from Harvard Business School, and spent almost a decade at Bain & Company, a leading global consulting firm. The film Minari, about a Korean family who moved to rural Arkansas in the 1980s, is based on Leisle’s family’s life experience. Leisle lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and four children.

Dr. Vinh Chung is a skin cancer surgeon. He left Vietnam as a refugee when he was three years old and grew up in Arkansas as one of eleven children.

He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at Harvard. Dr. Chung also studied at the University of Sydney as a Fulbright Scholar and earned a Master of Theology from the University of Edinburgh. Dr. Chung has been named a “Top Doc” every year by Colorado Springs magazine.

Dr. Chung has served on the board of World Vision U.S. and The Gathering. He and his wife, Leisle, have four children and run a successful private medical practice in Colorado. Dr. Chung’s memoir, Where the Wind Leads, is available on Amazon.

Kate Gardner a next-generation investor and philanthropist with a passion for holistic stewardship and community-building. After an inheritance event, she stewards her capital through the name Kinveris, with a particular focus on impact investing. A resident of Nashville for 5 years, she also spends her time on localized relationships, prayer, and helping other Next-Gens through a faith-based community called Magnify and media around legacy called Ascendants. She seeks to encourage other inheritors and business families to seek relational health, creativity, and purpose in the way they both wrestle with and embrace stewarding resources and living a legacy.

Jeff Haanen is the co-founder of YOKE, an executive recruiting company that connects businesses at inflection points with experienced, high-character fractional leaders. He’s also the founder of Better Exit, an advisory firm focused on transforming the process of selling a business to prioritize the long-term flourishing of owners, their businesses, and their community. Previously, Jeff was the founder and CEO of Denver Institute for Faith and Work. He’s the author of two books and many publications on the topics of faith, business, work, and society. He lives in Littleton, Colorado with his wife and four daughters. 

Hadley Heath Manning is a nationally recognized policy commentator and speaker. She is a senior fellow at Independent Women (IW), where she focuses on family and culture. She previously spent more than a decade on the IW staff, rising to Vice President for Policy, where she led the organization’s policy department and became a frequent voice in national media. Hadley is also a senior fellow and fellowship director for the Steamboat Institute, advancing its mission of promoting America’s first principles through critical thinking and constructive debate. Her commentary has appeared in major newspapers and on broadcast outlets nationwide, and she is especially passionate about making the case for conservative ideas to broad audiences. Originally from North Carolina, Hadley is a Morehead-Cain Scholar and graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill. She now lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, Dr. Aaron Manning, and their children.

Jason co-founded CrossPurpose in 2008, influenced greatly by spending his childhood and adolescence in poverty. Jason’s passion for social entrepreneurship and serving the poor is satisfied through his role as CEO where he builds the staff team, sets the organizational culture, and raises funds. When he is not working, Jason enjoys bike riding and hanging out with his wife and four boys.

As a founding partner of Weifield Group, now a Loenbro company, Karla Nugent is responsible for the company’s sales, marketing and preconstruction in 19 states, 21 offices. Weifield Group has grown to over 1000+ employees in the Rocky Mountain region, receiving the Denver Post Top Workplace award for twelve years running, the USA Top Workplace award annually since 2020 and is the first electrical contractor in the region to complete Net-Zero energy projects.

She is proficient at building relationships and alliances and is highly regarded by her peers, design community, developers, general contractors, and vendors as a leader in the industry. Karla promotes Weifield Group while passionately advocating for a better construction workforce and industry, as well as the needs of the less fortunate. She has been an innovator in workforce development and improving training for the next generation of construction workers. Her deep commitment to philanthropy and her professional achievements led her to be recognized with many awards.

Ben thought he wanted to be a pastor but ended up in business, and now works to bring the two vocations together. He serves on the investor relations team for the Impact Foundation, where he advises investors as they deploy capital into businesses around the world, while also leading Faith & Work Chicago, where his goal is to equip the scattered church to live out the story of the gospel in their everyday work. He brings a theological vision alongside over a decade of business development experience, with a passion for helping people "think theologically" about whatever it is that they do.

A graduate of Wheaton College with a Bachelor of Arts in Theological Studies, Ben is also currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Over the past decade, he has worked in business development across both startups and large tech enterprises while also training, leading, and preaching at his local church.

A proud Chicagoan, Ben lives on the West Side with his wife Emma and their young daughter. In his free time, you'll likely find him playing or thinking about basketball, enjoying time at the family cabin, finding new things to grill, or simply being present with those he loves.

Christy got a B.S. in Physics from the University of Oklahoma and M.A. in Biblical Studies from Dallas Seminary. She worked overseas with Cru for 10 years spending the last four years in Tunisia where she met Greg.

They got married in Boulder Canyon and have spent the past 15 years starting a janitorial company from scratch that has grown to 40 employees and 2 managers. They are raising three kids in Denver and can walk to school, church and their office and love to enjoy all the outdoor activities the Rocky Mountains provide.

Greg grew up in Houston, Texas and got a B.A. in Bible from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He was a youth pastor for several years before going overseas with Christy in Tunisia.

They got married in Boulder Canyon and have spent the past 15 years starting a janitorial company from scratch that has grown to 40 employees and 2 managers. They are raising three kids in Denver and can walk to school, church and their office and love to enjoy all the outdoor activities the Rocky Mountains provide.

Dave Snyder is President and Chairman of the Board of Continental Realty Group, Ltd., a national institutional investment sponsor specializing in multi-family assets. His expertise comes from more than forty-five years of commercial real estate investment experience with Continental Realty Group, Ltd. Mr. Snyder's activities have governed all phases of real estate investment for pension funds, insurance, family office partners, private equity partners and CRG sponsored funds. Mr. Snyder has conducted more than $5B in multi-family real estate investments for CRG and CRG investors along with CRG sponsored investment funds.

Mr. Snyder attended Colorado State University, concentrating on various degree work in the areas of Construction Management, Solar/Chemical Engineering, and Business Administration. Mr. Snyder resides with his wife in the Metro Denver area and has two adult children.

CRG’s economics research system is known as one of the more comprehensive predictive analytical processes in the multi-family industry. The company's operations are headquartered in Littleton, Colorado, where a highly-experienced team oversees all major areas of responsibility. CRG is founded and operated on biblical principles that involve an active participation in the social and spiritual development of our fund investors, partners, residential clients, and our corporate staff.

Dave is also President of the Community Growth Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization. The purpose of the foundation is to cultivate and nurture a Faith-based Ecosystem in the US multi-housing industry, to a higher standard of excellence in Real Estate ownership, management, service, and ministry to achieve communities’ and personal WHOLENESS.

Adrienne Tafilowski is the Executive Director of Mile High Workshop, a second-chance work program in Denver, Colorado. Her approach at the Workshop is enriched by the experiences she’s had in social work, community navigating, and adolescent mental health support roles over the past decade, both locally and abroad. In addition to deep nonprofit and ministry experience, Adrienne worked in a manufacturing facility as a senior leader at L&R Pallet, focused on developing a robust culture of employee care among those facing barriers to employment.

Carl Chapman served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Vectren Corporation (NYSE: VVC) from 2010 until the company's successful merger with CenterPoint Energy in 2019. Under his leadership, Vectren grew its market capitalization from approximately $1.8 billion to nearly $6 billion, consistently ranked within the Fortune 1000, and expanded its influence across energy delivery, infrastructure services, and sustainability sectors. Over a 30-year career in the energy industry, Carl held senior leadership roles spanning finance, operations, strategic development, and regulatory relations. He played a key role in the formation and expansion of key subsidiaries including ProLiance Energy, Energy Systems Group, and Miller Pipeline Corporation — positioning Vectren as an industry innovator in energy services and infrastructure modernization. He and his wife, Kay, live in the Indianapolis area, and they have two sons and 6 grandchildren.

Nicole Riehl is the President and CEO of Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC), where she works with employers and business executives to advocate for early childhood investments, policies, and workforce solutions. Her experience spans across the private and non-profit sectors, including serving as Chief Operating Officer at Denver’s Early Childhood Council, working for a national home builder and beginning her career as an early childhood teacher at the employer-based child care program for StorageTek. She also supported the launch and onboarding of over 200 child care programs participating in the Denver Preschool Program when it was authorized by Denver voters in 2006 and has extensive public policy experience.

Zaneta Kelsey is a visionary CEO and trailblazer in inclusive technology, she is redefining what’s possible for global entrepreneurship. As co-founder and CEO of Access Mode, she accelerates exceptional founders and drives systemic change across the entrepreneurial landscape. Her leadership has forged powerful partnerships with industry giants like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, consistently delivering innovation that shapes markets worldwide. Through Delightsum, her strategic consultancy, she empowers brands with market insights, transformative messaging, and growth strategies. Known for her customer-first approach and ability to inspire high-performing teams, she has led marketing teams within billion-dollar business units through complex transformations and sustained growth. With a foundation in Computer Information Systems and a Master’s in Counseling, she brings a rare blend of technical expertise and human-centered leadership to every initiative. A champion for diversity and community impact, she has pioneered pathways for underrepresented groups in STEM, served on influential boards, and been recognized as an Outstanding Woman in Business by the Denver Business Journal.

Doug Smith is the recently retired associate dean in the College of Engineering at CU Boulder where he served as CFO and directed its capital program.  He was the faculty advisor for the Deming Center Venture Fund, and was co-founder and sponsor of Catalyze CU, the campus wide business accelerator founded in 2014. He joined CU Boulder in 2013 after retiring from Tetra Tech (TTEK) where he was President of its global A&E business, and Executive VP of the corporation for 8 years.  He was President of Black & Veatch’s outside US business and lived in London from 1996 through 2004 and developed businesses and projects in over 50 countries around the globe. He has degrees in engineering, law and advanced business training from the London Business School.  He is a current and founding board member at the Denver Institute.

Matt Randerson is the Founder and CEO of HumanCulture, where he works with leaders navigating the cultural and human implications of artificial intelligence. Previously, Matt served as Vice President at Barna Group, where he spent half a decade using research to advise influential faith-based organizations and global media brands. He also brings experience from a Fortune 300 financial services company, where he led national engagement initiatives. Matt speaks and writes on leadership, culture, and human capability in the AI era, and lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and son.

Abby serves as the VP of Operations & Finance where she spends her energy making sure things run smoothly and effectively. Before coming to Denver Institute, she spent more than a decade working in public education in Mississippi and Colorado as a teacher, administrator, and human resources leader. Abby is an alum of the 5280 Fellowship, and she is passionate about the Denver restaurant scene–ask her for recommendations.

Brian is the VP of Formation here at Denver Institute and also leads our 5280 Fellowship program. Prior to landing at Denver Institute, he served in pastoral ministry for thirteen years and at Denver Seminary for four years. His vocation includes moving ideas out into life through relationships and conversation – whether that applies to God, work, the Church, good beer, or Liverpool Football Club. He married way out of his league, and spends most of his free-time being parented by his two daughters

Joanna serves as the Founder and Executive Director of Women, Work, & Calling, while also hosting the Faith & Work Podcast. Prior to coming to the Institute, Joanna worked in global telecom, nonprofit consulting, and campus ministry with Cru. She has an MA in Social Entrepreneurship from Bakke Graduate University and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is the author of Women, Work, & Calling: Step Into Your Place in God's World (IVP, Fall 2023).

Jeff serves as vice president of advancement. Prior to his time at Denver Institute, Jeff served in a variety of pastoral roles for more than fifteen years, most recently as the senior pastor of La Cañada Presbyterian Church in California. He has a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Graduate Theological Union, is developing curriculum for Fuller Seminary’s Doctor of Ministry program, and has actively led fundraising campaigns for churches as well as for the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless. Jeff lives in Boulder with his wife, Heather, and their children, Eleanore and Andersen.

Wes Gardner is a co-founder of Transformational Housing Partners, which is a group dedicated to creating truly affordable housing. THP partners with churches to develop their unused or underutilized land. THP combines innovated land banking and charitable minded entrepreneurs to create affordable For Sale Homes to first time home buyers. Wes is an entrepreneur who founded Prime Trailer Leasing. As CEO, Wes was deeply invested in the culture of his employees and sought ways to create an environment where they flourished and gave back to the community. He launched a program partnering with Hope House of Colorado to provide personalized work opportunities, mentorship, and education grants to single moms with young children. He founded the Gardner Family Foundation and the Bridge Network in 2017 specifically to improve access to wealth-building opportunities for families across Colorado. Through those initiatives, Wes has made catalytic contributions to launch career development, private cash assistance and financial coaching programs with several nonprofit organizations including ActivateWork and CrossPurpose. Wes helped to launch CrossPurpose's Legacy Fellows program in 2021, to build wealth programs for the CrossPurpose graduates. While a longtime member at Foothills Community Church (renamed Revive Church) in Arvada, CO. Wes acted as an elder and Chairman of the Board. He helped to grow the church from 200 to over 2000 members and was instrumental in the church’s strategy to purchase and develop a 90-acre parcel of land. This parcel was eventually sold, and the profit was used to redevelop their community through the purchase of a strip mall at 88 th and Wadsworth in Arvada CO. This purchase led to the creation of “The Bridge,” a 115,000 square- foot mixed-use retail facility designed as a center for community and social services, including childcare, workforce development (through CrossPurpose), family healthcare, mental health and nutrition services, restaurants, and many other social enterprises and ministries. Wes served on the board of CityUnite, Activate Workforce Solutions and is actively engaged in philanthropy at the national level through StandTogether, which aims to activate private philanthropic capital to create distributed, bottom-up solutions to wealth-building and community development.

Wife. Mom. Business owner. At 32, I'm building my legacy through purpose-driven work and a deep passion for community impact. Everything I do is rooted in love and creating positive change for those around me.

Darin Valdez is the Executive Director and Founder of Colorado Artists in Recovery (CAiR), a Colorado nonprofit devoted to inspiring healing, connection, and recovery through creative arts workshops and events. With 12 years in recovery following experiences with addiction and homelessness, Darin brings a deep sense of calling to this work and a belief in restoration, dignity, and second chances. His own early recovery was shaped by the transformative power of community and creativity, guiding CAiR’s mission to provide free, peer-led creative arts programs rooted in recovery-oriented principles. Through partnerships with community organizations, Darin helps create safe, welcoming spaces where the arts serve as a bridge to healing and transformation, renewing hope, purpose, and flourishing for individuals choosing a better life in recovery from addiction.

Jacqueline Enriquez is a Colorado native, devoted grandmother of ten and great-grandmother, and the compassionate founder of Beloved Grandfamilies, a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to uplifting grandparents who are courageously raising children for a second time. Guided by her own lived experience, Jacqueline understands the emotional and financial challenges grandfamilies face—needs that are too often overlooked—and she has made it her life’s mission to ensure they feel seen, supported, and empowered. With certifications in Mediation and Peer Support and as a CrossPurpose graduate, she blends professional training with heartfelt advocacy, representing Colorado nationally with Generations United and traveling to Washington, D.C., with the Save the Children Action Network to champion expanded SNAP benefits and stronger food security for grandfamilies. Recognized as a trusted voice for grandfamilies and featured in Westword, Fortune 500, and on the Fearless Faith radio show, Jacqueline also serves as Vice President of the Laureate Alpha Beta Sorority and a Community “Kin-ship”Stakeholder, faithfully connecting policy to practice by providing resources, education, and spiritual encouragement—inviting partners and donors to join her in strengthening and honoring the grandfamilies who hold our communities together.

Patmos Debrah is a 35-year-old entrepreneur and the founder and owner of LD AutoParts, an automotive recycling and parts distribution business built on resilience, discipline, and purpose. Raised with a deep sense of compassion, Patmos was profoundly influenced by the strength and generosity of his mother, who has fed the unfortunate since the day he was born. Watching her serve others instilled in him a lifelong belief that success is most meaningful when it uplifts those around you. What began as a hands-on hustle driven by necessity has grown into a structured and scalable company with a clear strategy for sustainability and long-term impact. Patmos is recognized for his strong work ethic, operational mastery of the automotive market, and ability to turn limited resources into consistent results. Through LD AutoParts, he has built a business that balances fast inventory turnover with disciplined reinvestment, serving both domestic and international markets.

Bryan Fowler is the Director of Ministry at Architectural Graphics, Inc, a growing leader in national signage for 50+ years with over 1,000 employees. His unique job title shows the generous integration of his and the the AGI President’s deep faith with their commitment to creative employee care and flourishing in a pluralistic work setting. Describing “Compassion” as one of AGI’s own corporate values, they note: “Compassion means to us that we will give generously in time and money to those less fortunate in our community, aiding them in their physical and spiritual needs.” Bryan leads their efforts in corporate culture, employee care, and community service.

Peter Stitcher is an Aquatic Biologist and the founder of Ascent Fly Fishing, a Colorado-based company specializing in biologist-crafted fly selections. A self-proclaimed “Chief Fly Geek,” Peter is passionate about breaking down the science of the water into accessible tools that help anglers “think like a fish” while finding healing and community on the river. He spent the early years of his career managing trophy trout waters across the globe before launching Ascent in 2013, a venture fueled by his deep knowledge of entomology and a desire to support his family during a medical emergency. Motivated by his faith, Ascent creates a “redemptive exchange” by employing 55 full-time fly tiers in Nairobi, Kenya, and providing them with living wages, healthcare, and profit-sharing to ensure their families can flourish.

Nick's experiences equip him to work particularly well with three different groups. In each case, his natural inclinations toward simplicity, collaboration, and deep relational connection offer unique benefits.

The first are those nearing retirement. The common narrative is that this should be the crowning moment of a person's career. What this misses is the fact that many people are financially prepared but very few have considered just how deeply most people's sense of purpose is connected to working. God has given everyone a purpose and as it changes with the seasons it helps to have someone who has walked with others through those changes. Additionally, there are a lot of technical choices to be made at this junction and Nick knows how to simplify and streamline those decisions.

Another group Nick has deep experience working with is young business owners. He comes to this through his own experiences owning a business as well as those of his clients. Invariably, owning a business adds complexity to a person's life, and the cultural narrative is that you have to hustle more and more if you're going to be successful. However, in Nick's experience, the only way to truly find the kind of success that is lasting is to decide "how much is enough", otherwise the goal line will never stop moving. In his experience, there will never be a shortage of ways to spend money and it's only when you decide what will be enough and begin seeing God as the owner that you can experience lasting contentment.    

Nick also finds the opportunity to serve young inheritors of wealth particularly meaningful. The psychological and emotional effects of money are often underrated. As an heir, your relation to a family member or friend can dramatically change how you handle what has been given to you. For some it is like finding money on the ground and having the irresistible urge to spend it. For others, it can be loaded with fears of squandering what a previous generation built. No matter your scenario, the numbers are almost away secondary and you deserve an advisor who knows how to focus on what really matters.

Nick is also a Certified Kingdom Advisor ® (CKA®), ensuring his financial counsel aligns with biblical principles and Christian values.

Bryan Fowler is the Director of Ministry at Architectural Graphics, Inc, a growing leader in national signage for 50+ years with over 1,000 employees. His unique job title shows the generous integration of his and the the AGI President’s deep faith with their commitment to creative employee care and flourishing in a pluralistic work setting. Describing “Compassion” as one of AGI’s own corporate values, they note: “Compassion means to us that we will give generously in time and money to those less fortunate in our community, aiding them in their physical and spiritual needs.” Bryan leads their efforts in corporate culture, employee care, and community service.

Peter Stitcher is an Aquatic Biologist and the founder of Ascent Fly Fishing, a Colorado-based company specializing in biologist-crafted fly selections. A self-proclaimed “Chief Fly Geek,” Peter is passionate about breaking down the science of the water into accessible tools that help anglers “think like a fish” while finding healing and community on the river. He spent the early years of his career managing trophy trout waters across the globe before launching Ascent in 2013, a venture fueled by his deep knowledge of entomology and a desire to support his family during a medical emergency. Motivated by his faith, Ascent creates a “redemptive exchange” by employing 55 full-time fly tiers in Nairobi, Kenya, and providing them with living wages, healthcare, and profit-sharing to ensure their families can flourish.

Yes! Email events@denverinstitute.org for more information on scholarships, discount codes for nonprofit employees, full-time students, young professionals & our Monthly Partners. Discount codes only apply to individual ticket purchases.

No. Business for the Common Good is an in-person event in Denver, CO.

Check out our sponsorship page for more details or email Jeff Hoffmeyer, VP of Advancement, directly at jeff.hoffmeyer@denverinstitute.org. Thanks!

Please email events@denverinstitute.org if you have additional questions. Thanks!