SOUTH BEND, Ind. — If you had $10,000 to spare, which Catholic-aligned start-up would you invest in?
A women’s health app that subtly counters Planned Parenthood with a pro-life message?
What about an open-source, AI chatbot that helps users make life decisions guided by Thomistic philosophy?
Or maybe a Catholic dating app that invites friends and family to be a part of the matchmaking process?
The question was put to a panel of investors at the fourth annual SENT Summit, a gathering of Catholic business leaders that took place this year Sept. 8-11at the University of Notre Dame. Other products presented during the pitch competition included a social media app that makes 1-on-1 connections between people working on similar projects and a “gamified” jobs platform that helps companies hire for mission.
The five investors, including Hallow prayer app co-founder Alessandro DiSanto and Caroline Gash of the IrishAngels investment group, commended presenters for their mission-driven products — but also asked exacting questions about everything from market feasibility to technical functionality.
“It was scary to be up there,” said Myah Abraham, the founder of Right To Know, which is launching the women’s health app that keeps data out of the hands of abortion providers and promotes a sexual ethic consistent with Catholic teaching. “But it was also a beautiful opportunity.”
The combination of faith and financing, business savvy and biblical values, was evident not only at the third annual pitch competition, but throughout the sold-out four-day conference.
The summit’s 400 attendees heard keynote addresses from figures like CEO and business guru Dave Durand and Hollywood actor and Catholic influencer David Henrie. Breakout sessions covered topics that included the implications of artificial intelligence, creating a Catholic-aligned workplace culture, and prioritizing one’s family while building a business. The mission showcase featured up-and-coming Catholic apostolates, like the porn-recovery program Ethos National and the San Damiano College for the Trades, while each day began with confession, Mass and Eucharistic adoration.
Threaded through each event was a profound sense of fellowship and connection. Aided by peer group meetups and meals, this wasn’t an afterthought of organizers, but an overarching goal.
“The economy is really based on relationships and trust,” explained Nick Madden, SENT Venture’s CEO. “And trust moves way faster in person.”
Attendance at the Summit has doubled each year since 2022, prompting organizers to cap registrations for the first time.
The Summit brought together a fascinating cross-section of Catholics, from mission-minded entrepreneurs aiming to develop their business acumen, to established business leaders looking to integrate their work more deeply with their faith.
The collaborative, mutually-enriching nature of the event was a microcosm of the larger organization behind it.
Founded in 2020 by John Cannon, an investment banker-turned-Carmelite monk-turned-Catholic business connector, SENT Ventures aims to “equip entrepreneurs and business leaders to push past limits, grow thriving ventures, and integrate faith into every decision.” Its bi-weekly fraternal groups and ongoing mentorship opportunities provide Catholic business leaders with ongoing support and encouragement.
The value of this kind of community was underscored at the Summit during a humorous presentation from Rob Kaczmark, the founder of the Catholic film company Spirit Juice Studios. Kaczmark lay on his back on the stage, and had Madden step on his chest.
“This is what it’s like to run a business,” he joked with labored breath, adding that running a company with a Catholic mindset “seems like a ‘second impossible.’” The solution, Kaczmark said, was the kind of Christ-centered solidarity found in being a part of a network like SENT..
Newcomers to the SENT Summit described the opportunity to gather with and learn from fellow Catholic entrepreneurs as a breath of fresh air.
Fabricio Soares, co-founder and CEO of BioShield Life Sciences, a company that aims to help Latin America respond better to the next COVID-like bio-crisis flew all the way up from Brazil to attend. He spoke of the value of being with people who aren’t only “like-minded,” but also “like-souled.”
“I walk out of an event like this feeling encouraged that I’m not alone in this,” he said, sharing how encouraging it was to hear other high-powered business leaders speak of their dependence on God. “And boy, that just makes things so much easier.”
Other Catholic leaders who’ve been attending SENT’s summit since the first one in 2022 were just as eager to provide mentorship and support.
James Baxter, co-founder of the Exodus 90 app for Catholic men, said that event “is the one conference I come to every year.”
“It’s as much to reconnect friends and catchup on ideas as it is to help coach a bit based on what we’ve learned over the last 10 years,” Baxter told the Register.
In the end, the startup Ariata won the “pitch competition,” as founder Adam Jace wowed the judges with his description of a “telos”-driven AI that integrates users’ history and values to provide feedback that is more personalized, and not the product of an algorithmic average.
Jace, a 28-year old University of Dallas graduate, told the Register that he founded Ariata earlier this year to offer “an alternative to current AI, which too often exploits our weaknesses because it lacks personal context, a moral compass, and respect for our agency.”
The $10,000 dollars will go towards defraying costs of continuing to build up the business, which is still in the pre-launch phase. And even more funding could be on the way: last year’s SENT Pitch Competition winner, the pro-life insurance company Presidio Healthcare, went on to raise $4 million in seed funding after their appearance at the summit.
But for Jace, the summit was as much about the fellowship as it was about the funding.
“It wasn’t just a pitch competition; it was a community,” the solo founder told the Register. “To be in a room where faith and innovation aren’t in conflict, but are instead mutually reinforcing, was incredibly powerful.”
Other participants had the same takeaway, even if they didn’t take home the top prize.
Abraham, whose pro-life women’s health app got the most support from the audience, said her involvement in the SENT Summit will pay dividends going forward.
“Just to be among people who are entrepreneurs and Catholics is amazing,” she said. “And it’s encouraging to know that all these people will be able to help me in the future.”
The location and date of the next SENT Summit has yet to be announced. But given the caliber of presentations that have come to be expected at the event, it’s never too early for Catholic entrepreneurs with big ideas to start sharpening their pitches.