Thank you to everyone who joined us last night.

Your presence truly made it an unforgettable evening. Please bare with us as we still organize all of the pictures from last night, as we will send out a link to each one of you!

What unfolded was not just an awards night. It was a gathering of witnesses. Four men who, in very different ways, have answered the same call: to begin before everything is figured out, to bet on God's providence over worldly certainty, and to use their work as an instrument of His kingdom.

Sam Goodwin opened the night with reflections from the entrepreneurship class he was invited to teach at Washington University in St. Louis, drawing on his own journey through captivity in Syria and the years of building businesses overseas. Jordi took the stage and publicly announced Forever, the first faith based vertical streaming platform, telling the story of how a single Lenten morning at his desk in Nashville changed the direction of his career. Fray Tormenta, the wrestling priest from Mexico who has fathered hundreds of orphaned children, flew in to share a life that reads more like a film than a biography. And Eduardo Verástegui closed the speeches with the story behind Bella, Sound of Freedom, and his decision to step into the arena of Mexican politics.

We hope this evening encourages you to begin the work God has placed on your heart, even when the path is uncertain, the funding is incomplete, and the voice of doubt is loud.

Here are 4 golden takeaways, one from each of our honored speakers, that we hope will stay with you.

1. Sam Goodwin: Just Start

Sam opened by recounting the semester he spent teaching entrepreneurship at Washington University. Across every guest speaker he brought into his classroom, founders from Canada, Uganda, Finland, and beyond, one piece of advice kept surfacing when students asked how to begin.

The answer was almost always the same. Just start.

Sam reminded us that two thousand years ago there was another startup. Twelve founders. No capital. No political influence. No marketing budget. Just a mission they believed in deeply, and the courage to begin before they had everything figured out.

You don't need to have it all figured out. You just need the courage to take the first step.

2. Jordi: A Witness Doesn't Wait

Jordi's talk was the first public announcement of Forever, a faith based vertical streaming platform built for the scroll generation. But before the announcement came the testimony. Leaving Los Angeles after twenty years. Lenten mornings at his desk in Nashville with votive candles and a rosary. The download he received in the silence of prayer. And the doors that only opened once he stopped waiting and started knocking.

Being a witness is not about polish or certainty. It is about showing up in public, at personal cost, in the middle of the journey, and saying what you believe.

The greatest stories ever told are the ones that have changed the world for two thousand years. They deserve to live on every screen, in every format, for His glory.

3. Fray Tormenta: Faith The Size Of A Mustard Seed

There is no introduction that fully prepares you for Fray Tormenta. The Mexican luchador priest, now 81 years old and blind for the past two years, has spent his life fighting in the ring under a mask to fund an orphanage that has raised over two thousand children. He flew in from Mexico City and stood before the room not as a man diminished by suffering, but as a man magnified by it.

When the conversation turned to how he had endured, the addictions overcome, the children raised, the orphanage built, the fights fought into his eighties, his answer was the same one Jesus gave His disciples.

He also reminded us, quoting the Apostle James, that faith without works is dead.

The mountains in our lives, the businesses we are trying to build, the children we are trying to raise, the culture we are trying to restore, do not move through certainty. They move through faith, however small, paired with the works that prove it.

4. Eduardo Verástegui: Faithful, Not Successful

Eduardo's story carried the room. Soap operas in Mexico. A music career in Miami. His first English lessons in Los Angeles, where his teacher asked him whether he was part of the problem or part of the solution. The promise he made to God that he would never again use his talents to offend his faith, his family, or his Hispanic culture. The four years of unemployment that followed. Then Bella. Then Little Boy. Then Sound of Freedom. Then his decision to run for the presidency of Mexico.

The principle that has guided all of it came from a friend who reminded him of the words of Mother Teresa.

Eduardo reminded us that our own dreams can become our worst enemies if those dreams are not in line with God's will in our lives. Men are called to give the battle. Only God takes the victory.

Be faithful. The success that matters will follow.

Save The Date — Tech Week Panel and Startup Competition

June 2nd, 2025 · New York City

We’re excited to announce what’s coming next.

On Tuesday, June 2nd, as part of NYC Tech Week, we will host the inaugural Fides Startup Pitch Competition. The event will bring together Catholic founders, investors, and operators for an evening focused on discerning what it means to build high-impact companies in alignment with the Catholic faith.

The evening will feature a special talk and a judge panel composed of leading Catholic investors and operators, alongside live startup pitches from selected founders building venture-scale companies.

Special Feature: Karl Kilb

Stablecoins in the Catholic Church

Karl Kilb, Founder of Crescite Innovation Corporation, which recently minted its first stablecoin, will discuss the emerging role of stablecoins within the Catholic financial ecosystem and their potential implications for the long-term institutional and economic life of the Church.

Judge Panel: What It Means to Build a Catholic Startup

A working session exploring key questions around Catholic entrepreneurship: what qualifies as a Catholic company, what does not, and what investors are looking for in faith-aligned ventures.

Panelists include:

• Jesse Sullivan, Co-Founder & General Partner of Altar Ventures, a $20M Catholic early-stage VC fund supporting Catholic founders globally.

• Sean Fieler, President of Equinox Partners and Caholic philanthropist.

• Brian Schardt, Founder of Autopilot.

Startup Pitch Competition

Catholic founders will pitch live to the panel. Selected teams will advance through an initial round and a final round, with a winning team receiving an award (details on investment and prize to be announced).

Founders interested in participating may apply to pitch. Accepted founders will receive complimentary tickets.

Requirements:

• Practicing Catholic founder

• Alignment with Catholic Church teaching in product, model, and roadmap

• Venture-scale potential with billion-dollar ambition

To pitch sign up HERE!

Who Should Attend

• Catholic founders and entrepreneurs

• Investors and philanthropists interested in faith-aligned ventures

• Operators at the intersection of faith and business

• Students and young professionals discerning entrepreneurship

Click here to join us! We look forward to seeing you there.

June 11th Fides Founding Members First Gathering

We're excited to announce what's coming next.

On Thurday, June 11th, as the United States Bishops consecrate the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Fides will hold its inaugural members gathering. The evening begins at the Mother Cabrini Shrine and marks the formal launch of the Fides founding membership a community of twenty Catholic founders, investors, and operators committed to building institutions where faith and ambition are taken seriously together.

The Story of Mother Cabrini

Frances Xavier Cabrini was the first American citizen to be canonized. An Italian immigrant who arrived in New York in 1889, she founded sixty-seven institutions across three continents schools, hospitals, orphanages before her death in Chicago in 1917. She is the patron saint of immigrants. Her body rests beneath the altar of the Shrine, visible to those who come.

To begin in a place of such sanctity and humility is to begin rightly. It is the posture from which we embark on the vocation of Catholic entrepreneurship.

The Evening

8:00 PM – 8:30 PM · Silent observation in the chapel 8:30 PM · Welcome and drinks on the terrace, overlooking the Hudson

Black tie attire.

Founding Membership

This evening is reserved for Fides founding members. Membership is strictly limited to twenty. Eighteen spots remain.

Fides has never been profitable, and I have never taken a salary from it. Every dollar raised through tickets has gone directly back into dinners, speakers, parish donations, and travel. This is not a conventional business. It is an institution in formation, one we are building to outlast us.

Founding members receive access to:

• All monthly Fides dinners for the year

• Priority seating at the speaker table when available

• Full inclusion in the Hyannis Port retreat, August 28–30 (lodging, meals, programming, and Sunday Mass at St. Francis Xavier Church), (EXCLUDES TRANSPORTATION FOR BOTH RETREATS)

• The Verbier and Grand Hospice du Saint-Bernard pilgrimage in February — skiing, spiritual retreat, and speaker dinners in the Swiss Alps

• A members-only fall gathering

• Permanent recognition on the founding list

The standing rate is $2,995. Once you join, the spot is yours. If you leave, you cannot return. The number stays at twenty.

We would like to thank our sponsors!

Tridentine Brewing began the way the best things do, as a family hobby, passed down through generations. Founded by Jeff Alcorn and his sons Trevor and Cameron, the brewery takes its name from the Traditional Latin Mass, and its motto says everything: Braciare ad majorem Dei gloriam Brewing beer for the grater glory of God. What started in a kitchen, rooted in a grandfather’s wartime faith and love of country, has grown into a commercial craft brewery carrying that same spirit in every can. Faith, family, and country brewed into every batch. You can find out more about their story here.

Catholic Founders is run by my good friend Silas Mähner, and he's on a mission to help Catholics start and grow their businesses so that, through entrepreneurship, we can convert the country in the next 20 years. What sets Catholic founders apart isn't just faith as a backdrop it's the virtues. Prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance aren't just spiritual ideals; they're practical tools that shape how we build companies, lead teams, and serve customers.

Catholic entrepreneurship is about building businesses that are not only profitable, but genuinely good rooted in a moral framework that the secular world increasingly lacks. They have a weekly podcast and newsletter that explore these topics with top entrepreneurs like Alessandro Di Santo and distill those into lessons for you and me to take away. I highly encourage you to follow their podcast and newsletter and check out their peer group called the Catholic Founders Guild. You can more information here about his mission.

Founded in 1888, The Catholic Herald transitioned from a weekly newspaper to a monthly magazine in 2014, bringing in-depth Catholic journalism to a modern audience. As a follower of Fides you get a special discounted ‘3 months for $3 subscription! Sign up here to get your special discounted subscription! Click here to know more about them!

Founded in 2005, Roots Run Deep is a Napa Valley winery dedicated to crafting expressive, terroir-driven wines in close collaboration with local growers. They generously supported us with their Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, both vibrant, balanced, and reflective of the region’s character. You can find more information here about their story!

Back in May 2025 Jacob Ciccarelli of Truthly shared at their talk at Old Saint Paticks their Catholic AI app designed to empower people with instant, reliable Catholic answers to any question or problem. Now backed by clergy, evangelists, and influencers around the world, Truthly has grown to over 100,000 downloads and is partnering with dioceses, seminaries, and ministries to provide priests and religious free access to this powerful tool for evangelization. You can find more information about them here!

Started by my good friend Antonio Motta who was one of our past speakers we invite you to experience the pleasure of Brazil! Bom Dia Bubbles is a crisp Brut sparkling wine from the heart of Southern Brazil, blending freshness, elegance, and a lively, easygoing character in every sip. Perfect for celebrating or simply enjoying the moment, it captures the joy and warmth of Brazilian culture. More information can be found here.

SacredSpark is a new Catholic dating and matchmaking experience designed for singles who want to pursue meaningful, Christ-centered relationships that is gaining extraordinary momentum! Co-founded by well-known Catholic speaker and author Emily Wilson herself, SacredSpark is blending technology & tradition to foster meaningful online connections for lasting offline relationships. It’s a space where you don’t have to compromise or downplay your Catholic values, but a place where you can find someone who shares in them, too!

The Pizza Box NY is a family-run, farm-to-pizza shop bringing classic NYC pies with a Catskills heart to the iconic Bleecker Street! Founded by Melanie, Michael, and their son Max — whose story began with a vintage horse trailer they restored into a wood-fired mobile pizza truck upstate — The Pizza Box is blending hand-stretched dough (72-hour fermented), organic tomatoes, and seasonal, locally sourced toppings to deliver real NYC pizza without compromise. It's a warm, barn-style space at 176 Bleecker St with a private garden, gluten-free and vegan options, and packages for private events — a spot where everyone, including pizza snobs, feels like family.

If you are interested in becoming one of our sponsors please reach out to us at [email protected]