SENT Mentors
Reach the next level of success with a SENT Mentor
As a Catholic entrepreneur and leader, you need the right support—talent, capital, and mentorship—to succeed.
SENT connects you with the most successful Catholic business leaders, providing the guidance you need to fulfill your unique calling.
Or explore our memberships HERE!
How SENT Mentors Empower Catholic Entrepreneurs & Leaders
SENT Essential
Twice a month, SENT invites a distinguished SENT Mentor to host a 1-hour virtual "Ask a SENT Mentor" session where members can engage with some of the top Catholic business leaders in the country, ask questions, and gain invaluable insights. By leveraging their expertise, members can accelerate growth and drive success within their organizations.
SENT Local
Through exclusive SENT Local events, members have the opportunity to network with and learn from the top Catholic business leaders in their area, gaining valuable insights to accelerate growth and success in their organizations.
Meet the SENT Mentors
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David Mann’s career has spanned a number of leadership, operational, and investing roles. Currently, David serves as the Managing Partner and co-Founder of The Firefly Group, a holding company focused on investing in lower-middle market businesses. He currently serves as the board chair of Dealers Wholesale, EOS Worldwide, and Sales Xceleration. In addition, David co-founded Spring Mill Venture Partners, a venture capital firm, in 2002. David is an adjunct faculty member at Indiana University, Kelley School of Business (Indianapolis).
Previously, David worked with ServiceMaster Ventures and served as a founding member of the ServiceMaster Home Service Center, a joint venture between Kleiner Perkins and ServiceMaster. Earlier, he served as a summer associate with Invesco.
David began his career as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving as a White House Liaison on the staff of the Secretary of the Navy, holding leadership positions on board a nuclear guided-missile cruiser, and working in information systems.
David received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy. He serves on a number of corporate and non-profit boards.
• Chairman of Entrepreneurial Operating System run by 250,000+ businesses
• Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Firefly Group, an investment firm and holding Co.
• Board chair of Dealers Wholesale, EOS Worldwide, and Sales Xceleration
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Soledad D’Agostino is a dynamic technology executive with 17 years of product leadership at some of the world’s most influential tech companies, including Google, YouTube, and Microsoft. Renowned for her expertise in user-centric innovation, she has earned top recognition at Alphabet and built a distinguished track record of driving global product success.
Throughout her career, Soledad has led, mentored, and collaborated with product teams across North and South America, spearheading key launches such as YouTube Brand Channels, YouTube Live, YouTube BrandConnect, and the Google Pixel Fold smartphone. Her ability to translate strategic vision into execution has positioned her as a sought-after leader in the technology space.
Currently, she serves as the Chief Product Officer at Lazo, a U.S.-based agentic AI startup, where she is shaping the next generation of AI-driven products. She also serves as a strategic advisor to the Board of Califia Farms and as the fractional Chief Marketing Officer of Sustainable Ocean Alliance, a Marc Benioff–backed venture dedicated to ocean sustainability.
Based in Los Angeles, Soledad is married and a proud mother of two. Beyond her professional pursuits, she has a deep passion for storytelling through video, philosophy, and theology, as well as horseback riding and exploring cultures through travel and networking. An avid reader, she is particularly drawn to fantasy literature and the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, Jorge Luis Borges, and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Her curiosity for diverse perspectives fuels both her personal and professional growth, and her Catholic faith remains the cornerstone of her journey, shaping her approach to leadership, mentorship, innovation, and life.
• 17+ years of experience in Google, YouTube, and Microsoft
• Former Global Product Marketing Lead for Google’s Pixel Fold, and 3 YouTube products spanning from YouTube Brand Channels, Live streams and YouTube BrandConnect (YouTube's influencer marketing division)
• Innovation, Product, and Marketing Advisor, in the Tech, CPG, and Impact Investment spaces
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Russ has spent 40 years in the commercial real estate and retail industries. At the age of 19, he opened the first Canadian Price Club, a pioneer in the warehouse store concept that would later be acquired by Costco Wholesale Corporation. By his late 20’s, he had developed a sports bar franchise that would expand to 40 locations in three states.
Russ has become a recognized leader in the gasoline retail and convenience store industry and started his own company, Scaramella Holdings Corporation in 2000. In its first nine years, his company grew to more than 700 employees and produced more than one billion dollars in annual sales.
Russ’s portfolio includes a range of businesses located in Puerto Rico, Arizona, Hawaii, Georgia, Panama and Italy. They include Real Estate, Consulting, AI and Medical.
Russ has been married to Lori for 29 years, have 4 adult children. Lori has her own foundation and supports Seminarians and the those in need.
• Opened the first Canadian Price Club, later acquired by Costco
• Grew company to 700+ employees and $1B+ in annual sales in less than a decade from foundation
• Has businesses in Real Estate, Consulting, AI, and Healthcare, with operations in Puerto Rico, Arizona, Hawaii, Georgia, Panama, and Italy
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Erich is the CTO & Co-Founder of Hallow, a Catholic startup focused on prayer, meditation, music, bible, and sleep. The app launched 5 years ago, but has grown rapidly and recently crossed 18 million downloads, 450 million prayers completed, 4 billion minutes in prayer, 250,000 five-star reviews, and is the #1 Catholic app in the world.
Erich was raised Catholic but it wasn’t a huge part of his life, until he began exploring it more deeply in college. Even then, it was more on the theology side than a personal relationship through prayer. It wasn’t until Erich’s co-founder, Alex, first approached him about Hallow that he truly discovered the contemplative and meditative side of Catholicism and started forming a deeper personal relationship with God. Over the last several years, the Hallow team has grown with the app, raising over $105M in venture funding from some of the best investors in the world and scaling the team to 80 folks.
Erich grew up in Barrington, IL. He attended the University of Notre Dame School and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Computer Science. He worked professionally in management consulting before Hallow at McKinsey & Company, and now lives in Chicago. He’s been blessed to be named a member of Forbes 30 under 30 with his two co-founders, Alex Jones and Alessandro DiSanto.
• CTO & Co-Founder of Hallow, the #1 Catholic app in the world with 18M+ downloads
• Forbes 30 under 30
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Deacon Charlie is founder & CEO of Black//Brown, a strategic advisory & impact studio. Prior to launching his own firm, he held senior executive roles at media companies ranging from digital start-ups like mitú, to global blue-chip brands like The Walt Disney Company, Univision & AOL.
He is Vice Chair Emeritus of Catholic Answers, and sits on the boards of the Catholic Association for Latino Leadership; Guadalupe Radio; Sent Ventures and is Chairman of SOFESA, a non-profit founded by his wife, that accompanies homeless children and their families.
Deacon Charlie has degrees in Communications and Film & Television production. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Jessica of 22 years and is the father of 5. He’s fond of motorcycles, British comedy, polymaths, functional fitness, 80s synth pop and discovering cultures through travel.
• Founder & CEO of Black//Brown
• Former Walt Disney Company, Univision, and AOL executive
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Andrew is an advisor for Arimathea investing, AI & disaster relief at Google X, and is Co-Founder of a stealth cybersecurity startup. He completed programs for Catholic Social Teaching, engineering, and public policy at Notre Dame, and MBA and Arabic degrees at the Wharton School. He has deployed with undercover special forces as a U.S. Air Force intelligence officer and has led AI teams at Microsoft, AWS, and Meta.
• AI Business Products Advisor at Google X
• Former Head of AI & Cybersecurity at AWS
• Former AI & Business Product Lead at Meta
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Bryan F. Grane is the Founder of East Orchard Capital (EOC) and previously served as Owner, Chairman, and CEO of CST, leading it to become a top intermodal logistics company before its sale to Forward Air Corporation (FWRD) at a record valuation. In 2017, he became Executive Vice President of Development and Acquisitions for Forward Air.
Before CST, Bryan was an investment banker at William Blair & Company. He has led or advised over 25 M&A transactions across various industries.
Bryan is also a minority investor and Co-Owner of the Nashville Predators Hockey Team, Founder and Director of the St. Rita Mercy Foundation, a Board Member at Leadership Roundtable, and a YPO member.
He holds a BBA in Finance and Business Economics from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Kellogg School, Northwestern University.
• Founder of East Orchard Capital (EOC)
• Former Owner, Chairman, and CEO of CST, sold to Forward Air Corporation (FWRD) at a record valuation
• Former investment banker at William Blair & Company leading and advising 25+ M&A transactions across industries
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A seasoned investor at the forefront of the Internet of Things, energy and industrials markets, David Mount has spent his career advancing the ‘Industrial Awakening’ by supporting companies at the intersection of connectivity, advanced processing and traditional industry.
Over the last decade, David led a number of successful investments as a Partner at Kleiner Perkins’ $1B Green Growth Fund, and, more recently, founded and incubated Element Analytics, a high-growth industrial software company. David has invested in OSIsoft (shares sold to SoftBank), ServiceMax (acquired by GE), Opower (acquired by Oracle), SilverSpring Networks (SSNI), UpWind Solutions (acquired by Vestas) and Choose Energy (acquired by Red Ventures).
Prior to Kleiner Perkins, David developed his principal investing expertise at Bain Capital Credit, a $20B structured finance unit of Bain Capital. There, David helped manage a traditional energy portfolio, which included exploration, production, refining, field services and specialty chemicals. His involvement in the firm’s consumer portfolio included investments in multinationals within the food, health and sustainable business sectors.
David holds a B.A. degree from Yale University, an M.S. in environment and resources and an M.B.A. from Stanford University, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar. He remains involved at Stanford as a guest lecturer and as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board at the Stanford School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences.
• Partner at G2VP
• Partner at Kleiner Perkins’ $1B Green Growth Fund
• Involved in Bain Capital Credit’s consumer portfolio with investments in multinationals within the food, health and sustainable business sectors
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Zak is a partner 1517 Fund, an angel, pre-seed, and seed stage venture capital fund investing in dropouts and deep tech scientists. He has also managed follow-on investments up to the Series C stage.
• Partner at 1517 Fund
• Led follow-on investments at the Series A, B, and C stages of up to $9mm
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Will started his career in investment banking where he developed deep expertise using corporate finance for company growth, transformation and restructuring. He has advised on +$1B in middle market corporate finance transactions in the technology and telecom markets.
Through a corporate restructuring, he became the corporate controller and treasurer of Comsat International (Lockheed Martin’s telecom division) where he started the beginnings of Global Shared Services (GSS). He consolidated 14 subsidiary back offices into a shared services center in Argentina.
Today, Will leads GSS's global workforce who are leaders in providing outsourced finance, accounting and technology services to restaurant, retail and technology companies in the U.S. and Europe.
• President at Global Shared Services, providing outsourced finance, accounting, and tech services to U.S. and European restaurant, retail, and tech companies
• Advised on $1B+ in middle-market corporate finance transactions in tech and telecom
• Consolidated 14 subsidiary back offices into a shared services center in Argentina
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Andreas E. Widmer is an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and the director of the Art & Carlyse Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship at The Catholic University of America’s Busch School of Business. Previously he co-founded The SEVEN Fund, a philanthropic organization promoting enterprise solutions to poverty.
Widmer is a seasoned business executive with experience in high-tech, international business strategy, consulting and economic development. He served as CEO of the business strategy firm OTF Group (formerly part of the Monitor Group) and helped lead web content management pioneer Eprise Corporation, speech recognition pioneer Dragon Systems, and internet pioneer FTP Software.
He has worked extensively in the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, has brought more than 100 leading-edge technology products to market, and was an executive in residence at Highland Capital Partners.
Andreas is the author of The Pope & The CEO: Pope Saint John Paul II’s Lessons to a Young Swiss Guard, a book exploring leadership lessons that Widmer learned serving as a Swiss Guard protecting Pope John Paul II and refined during his career as a successful business executive. Widmer served as a Pontifical Swiss Guard from 1986-1988, protecting Pope John Paul II.He holds two business degrees from Switzerland, plus a B.S. in International Business from Merrimack College and an M.A. in Ministry from St. John’s Seminary in Boston.
• Director of the Arthur & Carlyse Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship, CUA
• Business executive with experience in high-tech, international strategy, consulting, and economic development across the U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America
• Author of “The Pope & The CEO” from his time serving as a Swiss Guard protecting Pope John Paul II
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Valerie Mullen Pletcher is a nonprofit innovation specialist with over two decades of professional fundraising and management experience. Her knowledge of systems thinking, ethics and standards of excellence have enabled her to raise over millions of dollars to help organizations thrive.
Valerie currently serves as the Senior Director of Philanthropy for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), advancing major financial support in the Mid-Atlantic region and developing an overseas philanthropy program.
Valerie holds a B.A. in speech communications from West Chester University, and multiple certificates in grant writing, annual fund development, leadership management, and sponsorships. She is a licensed consultant for the Nonprofit Standards for Excellence Institute™ and a graduate with distinction of the International Advanced Fundraising Diploma (IADF) of the U.K. Institute of Fundraising (IoF) in collaboration with Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).
Her experience and training have made her a frequent guest speaker and educator at fundraising conferences and workshops. Valerie served multiple terms as chair of the AFP Youth in Philanthropy program and was selected to present the youth philanthropy model at the 2017 Japan Association of Fundraising Conference in Tokyo.
Valerie is a member of the John Carroll Society and the AFP Washington D.C. chapter. She lives in Northern Virginia with her family where she is a member of Saint Mary of Sorrow’s Parish and teaches 6th grade CCD.
• Senior Director of Philanthropy for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS)
• 20+ years of professional fundraising and management experience
• Licensed consultant for the Nonprofit Standards for Excellence Institute™
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TJ (Todd) John is a Catholic, hands-on servant leader focused on helping entrepreneurs, start-ups, and nonprofits create progress through their value.
TJ built and sold his first business in his twenties and then held leadership roles in early stage companies, one of which was a SAAS company he co-founded, grew to 3.5 million users, and sold in a strategic acquisition with a 3-10X return for equity investors.
Currently he hails from Charleston, SC, and is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Real GTM.
• Grew SAAS business to 3.5 million users
• Sold in a strategic acquisition with a 3-10X return for equity investors.
And more…
Lead your business with the insights and guidance of the top Catholic leaders in the space
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If you're interested in becoming a SENT Mentor, email us at ana@sentventures.com