Courage to Launch

Join Regina Bethencourt and Nathan Crankfield for a spirited debate about balancing motherhood and family life in business. They tackle topics like expectations of women, marriage, and parenting, as well as planning for a fruitful future. Rebecca and Andreas host these two experts in an important and friendly debate.

We’re joined by George Tapia, the co-founder of Zest Food Services, talking about what it means to build a business that prioritizes its people over its profit. George shares how a clear sense of purpose can shape a company’s culture, decisions, and success. Tune in now!Check out ZestFind out what the ⁠⁠Ciocca Center⁠⁠ can offer you.#ProsperPodcast #CatholicPodcast #CatholicBusiness #Entrepreneurship #FaithAndWork

Meet Will Deatherage, founder of Catholics for Hire, who launched his business while still in college and working other jobs -- and without formal business training. Learn how what began as an earnest desire to help faith-based businesses evolved into a stable of talented free-lance designers and project managers who love what they do and help other businesses shine. To seek work or services, check out Catholics for HireFind The Barefoot Lawyer Podcast featuring human rights activist Chen Guangcheng.

In this episode, Andreas and Rebecca are joined by Randy Hain, an author, executive coach, and founder of Serviam Partners. They discuss the habits and virtues that make leaders effective both inside and outside the workplace, how young people can bring their faith into their work without feeling the need to abandon one for the other, the ways healthy organizations approach relationships, and much more. Be sure to tune in!Find out what the ⁠Ciocca Center⁠ can offer you.#ProsperPodcast #CatholicPodcast #CatholicBusiness #season5 #YesButHow

The long-awaited Season 5 is now live! Each season we hone in on a particular aspect of entrepreneurship, and Season 5 will focus on answering the question, “Yes, but how?” We’ll be looking at real, practical issues entrepreneurs face and how to navigate them, especially in light of our faith. Our first guest this season is Silas Mähner, the founder of both a recruitment firm based on clean tech innovation, as well as Catholic Founders, a platform dedicated to helping Catholics launch and grow their businesses. This was a really fun way to kick off Season 5, so tune in today!Check out Catholic FoundersFind out what the Ciocca Center can offer you #ProsperPodcast #CatholicPodcast #CatholicBusiness #season5 #YesButHow

Enjoy our encore presentation from Season S2, What We Get Wrong When Helping The Poor with Ismael Hernandez.Ismael Hernandez shares his remarkable journey from Fidel Castro's disciple to advocate for free market principles and individual dignity. He'll detail how coming to the U.S. caused him to re-evaluate free markets and human dignity —but also what it was like as a poor minority to be on the receiving end of charitable programs —and how we can and must do better. Learn more about the ⁠Freedom & Virtue Institute⁠Hernandez's most recent book, ⁠Rethinking Charity: Restoring Dignity to Poverty Relief⁠⁠Study entrepreneurship⁠ at Catholic University's Busch School of BusinessPursue a career in ⁠Church Management⁠Take our free video course, ⁠The Gospel of Work⁠! Learn more about Andreas at ⁠⁠Andreas Widmer⁠Prosper Podcast is a production of the⁠ ⁠Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship⁠⁠ at Catholic University of America

Enjoy our encore presentation from Season 4, Taking the Risk Out of African Investment with Matt Hangen.In this episode of Prosper, host Andreas Widmer and Rebecca Teti welcome Matt Hangen, CEO of Water4, to discuss his journey from a troubled youth in Alabama to leading a project that provides sustainable piped water solutions in Africa. The conversation explores the innovative business model of Water4, which combines philanthropy with entrepreneurship and the power of the free market to overcome the limitations of conventional NGO approaches while uplifting women and families. You won't want to miss this powerful episode. Learn more about the innovative work of ⁠Water4.org⁠. Matt Hangen is reading ⁠The Courage to Be⁠. Join us for the ⁠Fall Meeting of the Family Business Consortium⁠. Find out what the Ciocca Center can offer you at ⁠cioccacenter.com

As we gear up for Season 5, we thought we'd like to revisit some of our "greatest hits" over the last few seasons. All the way back in Season 2, we were joined by Regina Bethencourt, CEO of Tenuto Consulting. We discussed risk-taking, the journey of the entrepreneur, and support systems that help to build better work environments for everybody. Check out this great conversation and the rest of Prosper's library while Season 5 is in the works.Guest Regina Bethencourt, CEO of Tenuto, details how, not liking what she saw at a top NY marketing firm, she created her own company to provide a flexible work environment catering to the needs of parents, particularly mothers, who want to do challenging, excellent work as they care for their growing families. You'll also hear insights on building a competitive advantage in business through human connection and finding the right talent for flexible work. The discussion also touches on the entrepreneurial journey, the importance of taking risks, and the support systems that can help individuals succeed and build a more humane workplace for everyone. To register for the Dan Cellucci presentation on Feb. 27, 2025, ⁠please follow this link⁠. To learn more about The Busch School of Business' unique approach to Human Resources, please contact Prof. Tracy Phillips: ⁠[email protected]⁠Contact Regina's company at ⁠tenutoconsulting.com ⁠Find out more about the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship at Catholic University's Busch School of Business at ⁠CioccaCenter.com⁠Resources mentioned in the conversation: Regina mentions ⁠The Five Hour Work Week⁠. Find more about Patrick Lencioni at ⁠workinggenius.com⁠. Rebecca mentions Regine Pernoud's ⁠Women in the Days of the Cathedrals Prosper Podcast is a production of the⁠⁠Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship⁠⁠ at Catholic University of America

This week, we give thanks for the life of our friend Robert L. Woodson, Sr., who passed away on May 19. Of the many pieces of wisdom he shared with us, telling stories of radical grace and forgiveness in order to help form solutions to our culture’s problems was among the most profound. Revisit our episode with him from Season 4 today.Meet Robert L. Woodson Sr., the founder of the Woodson Center, a veteran of the American Civil Rights Movement, and an advocate of poverty alleviation and disadvantaged communities. From growing up in segregated Philadelphia to building a national movement for change, Woodson invites us to see people not as problems, but as untapped potential ready to prosper. We explore how business, virtue, and redemption can transform lives and communities. Mr. Woodson is currently reading ⁠The Future Once Happened Here: New York, D.C., L.A., and the Fate of America's Big Cities: Siegel, Fred⁠. He is an accomplished writer of many good books, including ⁠The Triumphs of Joseph: How Todays Community Healers Are Reviving Our Streets and Neighborhoods⁠ ⁠, Lessons From the Least of These: The Woodson Principles⁠ ⁠Red, White, and Black: Rescuing American History from Revisionists and Race Hustlers⁠ His number one bestseller is called ⁠A Pathway to American Renewal: Red, White, and Black Volume II⁠. You can learn more about the wonderful work done by the Woodson Center, as well as view informational cartoons, at ⁠Woodson Center⁠, as well as view informational videos produced by The Woodson Center at ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@WoodsonCenter/shorts⁠ Check out this article, recommended by Mr. Woodson, about Piney Woods by Jason Riley, ⁠The Enduring Success of Piney Woods School - WSJ⁠ Find out what the Ciocca Center can offer you at ⁠The Ciocca Center⁠.

Meet Fr. Corwin Low OP, tech pioneer, former IBM entrepreneur, president of the International Dominican Foundation, leads Apostolate to Evangelize Silicon Valley, and is director of mission advancement for the Angelicum in Rome. Father Corwin shares his journey from co-authoring the Internet Starter Kit for Windows 95 and working with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen to discovering the Catholic faith through a series of providential encounters in Rome. He offers profound insights on integrating faith into a modern corporate culture, the importance of reclaiming one's identity in the workplace, and the current revival of Thomistic philosophy at the Angelicum in Rome.Learn more about Fr. Corwin Low's ministry at the Angelicum. Find out what the Ciocca Center can offer you at The Ciocca Center. Join us for Spring 2025 Meeting: Family Business Consortium - The Busch School of Business.