SENT Announces Results of 2nd Annual Pitch Competition and Mission Showcase at 2024 SENT Summit
2024 Pitch Competition and Mission Showcase award $10,000 prize, $50,000 in-kind prizes, $1,500 grants, and opportunities for Catholic founders and ministries to connect with values-aligned investors and partners.
SENT Ventures is proud to announce the successful conclusion of the 2nd Annual SENT Pitch Competition and the inaugural Mission Showcase, held during the SENT Summit from September 3-6, 2024, at the Omni Hotel & Resort and St. Patrick's Cathedral in Fort-Worth, Texas. The leading Catholic startup founders and emerging ministries gathered to present their missions and innovations to a panel of investors, funders, and philanthropists in an inspiring display of faith-driven entrepreneurship.
Five qualifying startups competed in the 2024 Pitch Competition, while five ministries were showcased during the Mission Showcase. Participants had the opportunity to connect with values-aligned investors and supporters. The pitch competition for startups offered a $10,000 cash prize and over $50,000 in-kind prizes and the showcase awarded $1,500 grants and free event access to all finalist ministries.
SENT Pitch Competition Highlights
The 2024 SENT Pitch Competition, developed in partnership with SENT Angels, the leading Catholic Angel network, and judged by a panel of five professional angel investors and venture capitalists, identified the nation’s leading startup founders advancing Catholic values with true breakout potential. Finalists included Brian Kearney, CEO & Co-Founder of The Farmland Stock Exchange; Elie and Viviana de Laforcade, Co-Founders of THSVox; Daina Andries and Mark Stephenson, Co-Founders of Epidaurus Health; and Daniel Catone & Andrew DeBerry, Co-Founders of Arimathea.
Reflecting on the experience, Daina Andries, Co-Founder of Epidaurus Health, said, “The opportunity to present as a finalist was a great occasion to work on distilling as clear and concise a narrative as possible. I got helpful feedback from Zak [Slayback] on the content during the evaluation process, and Juan [Acosta] was a great coach for crafting a more concise and effective presentation.”
Daniel Cruz and Bob Hogan, founders of Presidio Healthcare, were awarded the $10,000 grand prize for their groundbreaking approach to become the country’s first pro-life health insurance company.
"The 2024 SENT Summit was the perfect venue to pitch the mission of Presidio. There were many top-notch investors in the room to hear the business proposition and at the same time, we were able to fully lean into the purpose and mission of the company because we knew the audience had a shared faith. We received many follow-up meetings with investors at a critical moment for us in our fundraising round which was a huge blessing." said Daniel Cruz, CEO of Presidio Healthcare and winner of the SENT Pitch Competition.
The winning startup, along with the other finalists, also received opportunities for mentorship, investment discussions, and networking with top Catholic investors.
SENT Mission Showcase
The SENT Mission Showcase, introduced this year, provided a platform for five emerging ministries to present their unique approaches to evangelization or addressing key human and spiritual needs. The finalist ministries – Corazón Puro, Sent Evangelization, Guiding Star Project, FORGE, and MetaSaint – each received a $1,500 grant, free access to the event, and were given the opportunity to showcase their missions to a room full of potential partners and philanthropists.
Fr. Rob Galea, Executive Director of ICON Ministry, expressed his gratitude for the support provided by SENT, particularly highlighting SENT's role in fostering faith-driven innovation.
“I’m profoundly grateful for the opportunities SENT offers. It ignites the passion of Catholics eager to serve the Lord through bold new ventures, equipping them to step forward in faith. By uniting investors, SENT creates a thriving community of faith and innovation, where God-given dreams like MetaSaint come to life, transforming hearts and lives for the Gospel,” shared Fr. Galea.
MetaSaint by ICON Ministry (led by Fr. Rob Galea & Mark DeMicoli) stood out for its innovative approach to evangelization, using the popular gaming platform Roblox to deliver the Gospel message to hundreds of thousands in the Alpha generation, offering a unique resource for Catholic education systems worldwide.
To create and execute the Mission Showcase, SENT partnered with Mission Capital, led by Peter Ziolkoski and Jim Birchler, who have a track record of creating “Shark Tanks” for ministries.
SENT Summit Highlights
In addition to the Pitch Competition and Mission Showcase, the four-day SENT Summit featured small group strategy sessions, networking forums, opportunities for Mass, adoration, and reconciliation, as well as keynote and breakout sessions led by some of the most successful Catholic business leaders. Speakers included Tom Monaghan, Founder of Domino's Pizza, Legatus and Ave Maria University; Alex Jones, CEO and Co-Founder of Hallow; Steve Milligan, former CEO of Western Digital; and Dina Dwyer-Owens, Chairwoman at Neighborly, among others.
The SENT Summit combined spirituality, practical business insights, and relationship-building into one event tailored specifically for Catholic business builders and non-profit leaders. Attendees left with valuable strategies and tools to help them grow and succeed in their businesses and missions.
“As business leaders, we often struggle to apply the lessons of our faith to our work directly. At SENT, we believe that the challenges we experience in business can be a tool God uses to sanctify us and to renew creation,” said John Cannon, Founder of SENT Ventures.
Looking Ahead
The Pitch Competition and Mission Showcase were pivotal moments during the 2024 SENT Summit, and the impact is expected to resonate throughout the Catholic entrepreneurial and non-profit communities. Several participating startups and ministries are already in discussions with potential investors, partners, and funders. SENT Ventures will continue to support these leaders and organizations as they grow and make an impact in their fields.
To learn more about SENT or to get involved, visit www.sentventures.com.
To learn more about SENT Angels (formerly called ‘Catholic Angels’) or to get involved, visit www.catholicangels.co.
For interviews with SENT Founder John Cannon and/or SENT Angels team Juan Acosta and Zak Slayback, contact ana@sentventures.com.
For high-resolution images from the 2024 SENT Summit, please visit: 2024 SENT Summit Press Images Additional images are available upon request.
