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Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month.In Today’s Issue:
What is the SENT Summit (and what is SENT Ventures)
My key takeaways from the Summit
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Today’s Topic:
About a month ago, I spent four days at Notre Dame for the SENT Summit — the largest gathering (that I know of) of Catholic entrepreneurs and investors in the U.S. It’s hosted by SENT Ventures, an organization that builds peer groups and fellowships for Catholic founders and executives.
If you’ve never been to the summit, picture this: Mass every morning, confession lines that actually fill up, late-night convos about God and growth, and a few hundred Catholic builders trying to figure out what it means to put Christ back at the center of business.
The energy was unreal. It’s not every day you get to be surrounded by people who love the Church and love building.
I came home with pages of notes and a renewed sense of purpose. So I wanted to share a few takeaways that hit me hardest, the kind that stick with you long after the event ends.
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1. One good Catholic institution can change everything.
Throughout the summit, I kept meeting people who credited St. Michael’s Abbey in L.A. with deepening their faith. One abbey with thousands of lives changed, including leaders in Hollywood.
That’s how culture shifts. It starts small: one mission, one project, one “yes.” We can all play a role in that, whether by funding, promoting, or showing up for communities that draw people closer to Christ.
2. Unity is our hidden advantage.
Actor and director David Henrie reminded us that decades ago, the Church boycotted bad movies — and Catholics actually listened. It worked because we moved together as one body.
We’ve lost some of that unity, but we can reclaim it by submitting to the Church, pursuing holiness, and putting heaven first. When we do, we start playing in tune with the Divine Conductor instead of being that one violinist going rogue.
3. The sacraments will keep us steady in times of storms.
When the storms of entrepreneurship hit, the sacraments will help you navigate through the difficult times.
Mass. Confession. Adoration.
If you stay close to God with those and strive to live in a state of grace, you remember that He is really in charge. If God is truly your top priority, your schedule will show it.
4. Good leadership is ALWAYS virtuous leadership.
Dave Durand, founder of Best Version Media and a man with two nine-figure exits spoke about this truth. All great leadership is virtuous leadership. The Catechism has defined virtue as “habitual and firm disposition to do good” (1833). That is the real KPIs of Catholic entrepreneurship.
(Grab his new book Leading Giants if you haven’t yet.)
5. Your Hope Determines Your Wealth
Investor and philanthropist Frank Hanna talked about how our “wealth” is tied to our hope.
Lose hope, and you stop building. Anchor your hope in eternity, and everything changes: how you lead, how you invest, how you love. I tackled this a lot in the latest edition of The Saintly CEO. Read it here: Your Hope Determines Your Wealth.
6. The power of connecting in person with other like-minded, driven, Catholics cannot be dismissed
It was clear to anyone who took a moment to observe – that all of these people were so thrilled be surrounded by people who share their motivations and share their faith. There was also a LOT of motivation derived from seeing people who have achieved so much be so dedicated to their faith.
On a final note, the SENT Summit reminded me that Catholic founders aren’t just entrepreneurs, we’re culture builders. Every company we start and every team we lead can either echo heaven or add to the noise of the world.
If you’re craving that kind of community, join the Catholic Founders Guild, our online space for faith-driven builders who want to lead with virtue and vision.
👉 CatholicFounders.com/subscribe
God Bless & Happy Building!
~Silas Mähner
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