What happens when Catholics committed to renewing culture excel in the business world? SENT entrepreneurs find a way to keep focus on Christ.

The world of modern business — with its focus on profit and rigid ways of operating — can feel soulless. But what if there was a way to succeed spectacularly in business while actually growing closer to Christ?

That’s the premise behind SENT Ventures, a community for Catholic business leaders that aims to be “a movement of Catholic entrepreneurs using business to renew culture.”

So what happens when more than 400 of these Catholic business leaders — founders, CEOs, and investors — come together in one place, all on a mission to strengthen both their businesses and their faith? 

It could be the start of a different way of doing business, a way that puts people first and is uncompromising on integrity.

Those Catholics in business united recently at the SENT Summit, the world's largest gathering of Catholic entrepreneurs and builders. This year’s event, from September 8-11 in Denver, Colorado, was an opportunity for Catholics in business to learn from each other so that they can build companies that win in the marketplace and also nurture human flourishing.

Already, some are seeing results from just those few short days. Nick Madden, CEO of SENT, described leaders on a mission to transform their companies and workplaces for the better:

This week, we watched hundreds of leaders rediscover that their business is a place where the Holy Spirit wants to work. People didn’t come for another conference, they came to be formed, and they’re going home to build companies that draw their employees, families, and customers closer to Christ.

What took place at this year’s conference? Held under the theme “All Things New” (Revelation 21:5), these are just a few of the highlights:

• Daily Mass, Confession, and a sung Holy Hour
• Mission Showcase, a competitive event featuring the most innovative new Catholic apostolates
• Keynotes, panels, and peer groups, with speakers including Arthur Brooks, Pat Lencioni, Curtis Martin, Lila Rose, and many others

“This was my first SENT Summit, and it was one of the best conferences I have ever attended,” said one entrepreneur, while another who has been involved with SENT for longer said, “My life would be on a different trajectory without SENT.”

One highlight was SENT’s annual Venture Pitch Competition, focused on startups advancing Catholic values. Three founders — Michael Orosz-Fagen of Mesh, Evan Miller of Esther International (Holdings), and Kasey Devine of Entravia — had the chance to pitch live before a panel of seasoned investors. Devine took home the $10,000 prize for Entravia, a technology platform that streamlines how businesses shop for and buy PEO and employee benefits services.

For capitalism to be compatible with Catholic moral principles, the Church teaches, it must follow ethical guidelines and be ordered toward the common good. But in a world of fast profits and tight margins, those moral principles too easily can fall to the wayside. 

SENT Ventures and its members show that there is another way. People of goodwill don’t have to choose between business success and their Catholic faith. 

Instead, they can journey alongside hundreds of others like them who want to be what SENT calls “Saintly Builders — leaders who pursue extraordinary business excellence without compromising their faith, build companies that cultivate human flourishing, and use their work to bear witness to Christ.”

What could just one company built on these principles do to change lives for the better? Then … what about hundreds of such companies? 

SENT is on a mission to renew the culture, and in today’s relentless business world, their work is a witness that all parts of life and work can be given to God — right where you are.