Summit
2024
Build Like the Saints
September 3-6, 2024 @ Dallas-Fort Worth
Engage with 400+ Catholic founders, CEOs, investors, and leaders at the premier gathering for Catholic innovators and builders.
Summit Registration Closes July 16
Who should attend?
You are a Catholic CEO, founder, investor, mission leader, or another growth-minded business leader
You feel too Catholic for your business friends, but too driven for your Catholic friends
You want to take your business and spirit to new heights
What will I get out of it?
Meet and interact with the leading Catholic founders and investors in the US
Participate in the 2nd annual Catholic venture pitch competition
Get strategy guidance for your business from other top CEOs
Refuel and be inspired for the next stage of your business and spiritual life
"The Summit was one of the best conferences I’ve ever been to. I got a number of new friends, people who will likely be lifelong friends. I also received new coaching clients who share my faith and values."
– MIKE DEL PONTE
3X FOUNDER, VC & COACH
“I usually hate conferences, but I was blown away by the caliber of the participants at the SENT Summit.”
– ZAK SLAYBACK
PARTNER, 1517 FUND
"I am so recharged thanks to the SENT Summit."
– BÁLAZS MÀRMAROSI
MANAGING PARTNER, DIGITAL THINKERS
Speakers
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Alex is the CEO & Co-Founder of Hallow, a Catholic prayer & meditation app. He was raised a Catholic but fell away from his faith at a young age. He became fascinated with secular meditation but kept feeling like he was being pulled towards something spiritual. He began asking around and discovered the deeply contemplative and meditative tradition within the Catholic faith. It changed his life, brought him back to the faith, & was the inspiration behind Hallow. Hallow is only 5 years old, but with the help of a phenomenal team, it is now the #1 prayer app in the world with 14 million downloads, 375 million prayers prayed, and over 200,000 five-star reviews. Alex grew up in Columbus, Ohio, went to undergrad at the University of Notre Dame, graduate school at Stanford, worked professionally in consulting before Hallow at McKinsey & Co, and now lives in Chicago with his wife, daughter, and son.
• Co-Founder and CEO of Hallow, the #1 Catholic app with 10M+ downloads
• Raised $100M+ in VC funding
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General Kevin Chilton is an independent consultant specializing in National Security Programs. His Air Force career spanned more than 34 years and culminated as Commander of U.S. Strategic Command from 2007 to 2011, where he was responsible for the plans and operations for all U.S. forces conducting Strategic Nuclear Deterrence missions, and the U.S. Department of Defense Space and Cyberspace operations.
Prior to this assignment, General Chilton commanded Air Force Space Command, 8th Air Force and the 9th Reconnaissance Wing. He flew operational assignments in the R-4C and F-15, was an Air Force Test Pilot and a NASA astronaut flying as the pilot for STS-49 and STS-59 and as the Commander of STS-76. He also served as the Deputy Program Manager for Operations for the International Space Station Program.
General Chilton is a distinguished graduate of the US Air Force Academy, with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Engineering Sciences, a Columbia University Guggenheim Fellow with a Master of Sciences degree in Mechanical Engineering, and a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training and Test Pilot schools. He also was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Creighton University.
General Chilton is a Trustee for the Air Force Academy Falcon Foundation, an Independent Governor on the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories Boards of Governors, and a Director for The Pikes Peak or Bust Foundation, Lumen Technologies Inc. and Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions.
• Former Astronaut
• Four-Star General
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Tim is the Founder and Managing Partner of PivotNorth Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, CA focused on disruptive innovations in computer science. He is currently investing PivotNorth’s fourth fund.
Tim has created over $40B of market cap as a VC and operator. Prior to founding PivotNorth, he was a partner and GP for 12 years at Sequoia Capital and US Venture Partners. During Tim’s operating career, he helped build C-Cube Microsystems from a startup into a publicly-traded leader in digital video, and at Tandem Computers he helped design Tandem’s flagship Everest server line. He is co-author of three issued US patents and has co-founded seven companies.
Tim serves on the Advisory Council of the College of Engineering at Notre Dame and chairs the Notre Dame California initiative. He is a Director on the Stanford University Daper Venture Investment Fund and serves on the finance committee for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
Tim received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame with High Honors, an M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Stanford University, and an M.B.A from Harvard Business School with Distinction.
Tim has been married for 29 years and has three daughters.
• Founder and Managing Director of PivotNorth Capital
• Part of 6 startups with unicorn status
• $40B+ in market cap created
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David is the co-founder and Managing Partner of The Firefly Group, a holding company focused on acquiring growth-oriented companies in the human capital sector.
Prior to The Firefly Group, David co-founded Spring Mill Venture Partners, a venture capital firm. Previously, he worked with ServiceMaster Ventures and served as a founding member of the ServiceMaster Home Service Center, a joint venture between Kleiner Perkins and ServiceMaster.
David began his career as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He serves on a number of non-profit boards and is an adjunct faculty member at Indiana University, Kelley School of Business (Indianapolis). He received his M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy.
• Chairman of Entrepreneurial Operating System run by 190,000+ businesses
• Co-Founder of Firefly Group, an investment firm and holding Co.
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Jessica Rey is founder/CEO of Rey Swimwear, actress, wife, and homeschooling mother of three. Formerly the Pink Power Ranger on Disney's Power Rangers Wild Force, she is experienced in using her ninja skills to fight the good fight. It was in Hollywood that Jessica met a group of Catholics that taught her more about the faith she grew up with. After learning about the virtue of modesty, Jessica felt called to start a swimwear company, even if she did not know how to sew or draw (or swim). She founded Rey Swimwear and has been helping ladies all over the world feel beautiful and comfortable in swimsuits for the past 16 years.
• Founder and CEO, Rey Swimwear
• Formerly the White Power Ranger on Disney's Power Rangers
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Peter Rex is an entrepreneur and investor. He leads Rex, directing strategy, product, and capital allocation with a long-term mindset and mission to empower. He acts as CEO for the tech initiatives to transform real estate, and operates as Executive Chairman for the investment and management businesses.
Beginning in 2008, with world-class partners and teammates, Pete built a vertically integrated real estate operation including investment, asset management, property management and construction which numbered 500 employees and acquired 17,000+ apartments. The company distributed a billion dollars to investors and partners, ranked twice in Fortune’s top places to work, and was in the top five for most apartments under renovation nationally.
Pete remains most bullish on disrupting the real estate industry at large, including the insurance and financial sectors. He has nine patents pending, mostly in the real estate space, and has developed expertise in every facet of tech development. He was early to recognize the potential of AI, starting R&D efforts in 2017, and has developed Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning solutions that power several Rex tech products.
Pete has always felt obligated to help those in need, dating back to visiting homebound elderly in high school and founding an organization at Georgetown University to serve the AIDS Hospice run by Mother Teresa’s nuns in Washington, DC. He credits this disposition to the teachings of Jesus and the example of his father who intentionally included him in ministry to the needy.
Pete’s primary passion and source of fulfillment has been and remains entrepreneurship. He seeks to build businesses that empower people and elevate humanity. He believes his positive impact comes through inventive, well-run businesses and superior investment decision-making. The profits are then invested back into society via continued entrepreneurship and capital stewardship.
Pete has visited over 100 countries, where he had over 1,000 business meetings. He has published opinion pieces in the WSJ, Newsweek, USA Today, and more. He has been a featured guest on Bloomberg News, Tucker Carlson, and Fox Business, among others. He earned a BA in Philosophy and Government from Georgetown University, JD from Harvard Law School, and CPA. He is a Board Member of the Catholic University of America’s Busch School of Business.
He resides in Austin, TX with his wife and five children. In addition to business, he enjoys dates with his wife, roughhousing with their kids, and intellectual pursuits.
• Founder and CEO of Rex, a tech Co seeking to disrupt real estate
• Built real estate Co. w/ 17,000 units under mgt
• Distributed $1B+ to investors as real estate investor
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Sondre Rasch is co-founder and CEO of SafetyWing, an all-remote company that is building a global social safety net. Sondre studied economics and computer science then worked as a social policy advisor for the government of Norway. Dissatisfied with the slow pace of change, he founded the SuperSide platform (YC 2016) for freelance designers and discovered the lack of social safety net for people working on the internet.
This inspired the creation of SafetyWing (YC 2018), which has so far raised $50 million in venture capital and whose globally-distributed team consists of 150 people from 60+ countries. In 2020, Sondre and the SafetyWing team founded the Plumia mission to build a country on the internet for digital nomads and remote workers.
• Founder and CEO of SafetyWing, insurtech Co for remote workforces worldwide
• 2x Y Combinator Grad
• Raised $50+M in VC funding
• 100+ team members in 60+ countries
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Rob Hays is the President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors of Ashford Hospitality Trust, a publicly-traded hotel ownership company with more than 80 hotels across the United States. Mr. Hays speaks frequently at industry and Wall Street investor conferences and appears often in both print and television media.
Mr. Hays is involved in several charitable, formative and faith organizations. He is the Chairman of the Board of the Aquinas Institute for Catholic Life at Princeton University, the Chairman of the Board of the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) in Washington DC, a member of the Synod Preparatory Commission for the Diocese of Dallas, and a commissioner on the Dallas Area Partnership to End and Prevent Homelessness. He co-founded the Business Ethics Forum, which meets quarterly to provide Dallas-area business leaders regular formation in ethics, philosophy, natural law, and Catholic Social Doctrine. He is the lead organizer for the annual Dallas Successful Fathers Conference, now going into its 25th year. He and his wife Alicia have hosted nearly 40 lectures in their home, called the Cottonwood Lectures, on topics of faith, family, and culture, now in its ninth year. He and his wife also worked with the University of Dallas to host the Adoro Te Lecture Series to support this year's National Eucharistic Revival.
Mr. Hays earned his A.B. in Politics with a certificate in Political Economy from Princeton University and later studied philosophy at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, Italy. He and his wife will be celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary later this year and have been blessed with 7 children.
• President and CEO of Ashford Hospitality Trust, a publicly-traded hotel ownership company with more than 80 hotels across the United States
• $1B+ in revenue
• 100+ team members
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Myles Harrington is President and Co-Founder of Grant Street Group, a government technology company with 500 remote employees that supplies software-as-a-service to state and county government agencies they use to i) bill, collect and distribute taxes, fees, and fines, ii) issue permits and municipal licenses, iii) process DMV transactions, and iv) take online payments. Grant Street also hosts online auctions of municipal bonds, delinquent property taxes, and deeds.
Myles received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and his MBA from Carnegie-Mellon University. For the first 15 years of his professional career, he was an Investment Banker at both Wall Street and regional firms. In 1995, he co-founded Grant Street Group.
From the start, the co-founders were inspired and guided by Catholic Social Teaching, the Personalism of St. John Paul II and St. Josemaria Escriva’s teachings about sanctification of ordinary work. These ideals have informed the company culture and resulted in a company-wide spirit of service to colleagues and clients that has generated organic revenue growth averaging 20% over the past 25 years.
• President and Co-Founder of Grant Street Group, a GovTech SaaS
• Organic revenue growth averaging 20% over the past 25 years
• 500 employees
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Zaz Floreani joined FirstMile Ventures in the summer of 2023 as a Partner, bringing with her over 15 years of experience as an operator, investor, and advisor to early-stage technology startups. Based in Austin, she spearheads FirstMile's investment efforts in Texas.
Prior to FirstMile, she served as a Principal at Next Coast Ventures, one of the largest and most active early-stage funds in Austin, with over $500M in assets under management. She built out their pre-seed and seed investment platform, where she was responsible for sourcing, diligence and portfolio management. She led investments across diverse sectors including SaaS, Marketplaces, and Built World. Zaz served as a strategic board observer for many of her investments, collaborating closely with founders on go-to-market strategies, product roadmaps, and executive recruitment.
In operating roles, Zaz built out the business development and corporate development functions at three venture-backed startups in Austin - Mass Relevance, Spredfast, and most recently Dropoff. As VP of Corporate Development at Dropoff, a last-mile logistics startup, she led Enterprise Sales, Partnerships, and M&A, leading three acquisitions, two of which doubled the startup's revenue overnight. As Head of Business Development at Spredfast, Zaz fostered and managed strategic relationships with Meta, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Post-business school, Zaz led business development for Austin Ventures, the Southwest's largest venture fund at the time, driving early-stage deal flow expansion across Texas and beyond.
Zaz holds an MBA and a Masters in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She is originally a California girl, growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area and completing a Bachelors in History from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Fun Facts about Zaz:
• Moved to Austin from NYC for grad school in 2008 with no intention of staying, but fell in love with an entrepreneur and has been there ever since
• Zaz and her husband Mark (the entrepreneur) love to explore new cities and countries with their two daughters and son
• Helps her daughters with The Jam Sisters Co., a hand made confiture business
• Attempts to complete the WSJ crossword every weekend
• Partner and Head of Investment at FirstMile Ventures
• Former Principal at NextCoast Ventures, an early-stage VC fund w/ $500M AUM
• 15+ years of experience in early-stage technology startups
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Stephen Milligan has more than 30 years of executive operational and financial leadership experience. He was CEO and a Board Member of Western Digital Corporation from 2013 until March 2020. As CEO of Western Digital Corporation, he led a workforce of approximately 70,000 employees and was responsible for maximizing the company’s investments, while delivering long-term value to customers and sustained growth for the company.
• Former CEO of Western Digital, a Fortune 200 company
• Led a workforce of approximately 70,000 employees
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Caroline's professional journey reflects her commitment to excellence, strategic leadership, innovation, and making a positive impact in the investment landscape.
Currently serving as the Managing Director at IrishAngels, one of the largest and most successful angel investing networks in the U.S., Caroline leads a dynamic team focused on strategic investments in high-performing startups across the U.S. At IrishAngels, she oversees the full investment process from sourcing, conducting due diligence, and supporting portfolio companies across various industries including B2B SaaS, vertical SaaS, fintech, consumer, and supply chain and logistics. Caroline manages a growing portfolio of 100+ companies across 180+ rounds of capital and 250+ investors.
Prior to moving into early-stage investments, she held pivotal positions at two boutique private equity firms (one of which she co-founded) including raising $330mm+ across multiple funds investing in energy, real estate, and international gaming.
In addition to her professional endeavors, Caroline is deeply involved in her community through volunteer work and philanthropy advising and mentoring emerging founders and fund managers, chairing record setting fundraising committees, serving on the boards of nonprofit organizations and foundations, and receiving recognition for her outstanding contributions to various causes.
Caroline earned a B.S. in Science-Business from the University of Notre Dame and an M.S. in Finance and an M.B.A. from the University of Denver.
• Managing Director, Irish Angels
• Managing 100+ companies and 250+ investors
• Raised $330mm+ for boutique private equity firms
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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.
• Fundraising and customer discovery from tech investor and Partner at 1517 Fund
More Speakers Coming Soon!
Sponsors
More Sponsors Coming Soon!
Venture Partners
More Venture Partners Coming Soon!
Event Partners
Coming Soon!
Interested in being a Sponsor or Event Partner?
If you are interested in being a sponsor or event partner at the Sent Summit 2024, please email Ana Baltazar at ana@sentventures.com with subject line "Summit 2024 Partnership Proposal."
Tentative Summit Schedule*
To maximize your experience, we suggest that you arrive in Dallas-Fort Worth by 4pm on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024 and fly out after 2pm on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.
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6 PM – Registration & Networking
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Early morning - 9 AM – Adoration, Confession & Mass
9 - 10:30 AM – Coffee social & Welcoming
10:30 - 11:30 AM – Keynote
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM – Panel
12:30 - 2 PM – Lunch
2 - 3 PM – Investor Hotseat
3 - 3:30 PM – Coffee social
3:30 - 5 PM – Small Groups
5:00 - 6:30 PM – Break
6:30 - Evening – Dinner & Social
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Early morning - 9 AM – Adoration, Confession & Mass
9 - 10 AM – Coffee social
10 AM - 12 PM – Pitch Competition
12 - 1:30 PM – Small Groups & Lunch
1:30 - 3:15 PM – Breakout Sessions
3:15 - 4 PM – Coffee social
4 - 4:45 PM – Breakout Sessions
4:45 - 6 PM – Break
6 - Evening – Dinner & Evening Social
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Early morning - 9 AM – Adoration, Confession & Mass
9 - 10:30 AM – Brunch
10:30 AM - 12 PM – Closing Keynote & Sendoff
12 PM – Afternoon Departure
* All events, meals, and activities are tentative. We will be refining the schedule over the coming months and look forward to sharing more details!
SENT Pitch
Competition 2024
Thursday morning at the SENT Summit up to 5 teams will compete in a pitch competition in front of a panel of seasoned VCs and Angel Investors for a cash prize of $10,000.
Want to be one of them?
LOCATION AND ACCOMODATIONSOmni Fort Worth
SENT is excited to offer our attendees a block at The Omni Fort Worth Hotel for $195/night. This hotel is located in the heart of downtown and will also serve as the location for the Summit. Stay in the vicinity of historic sites and restaurants in inviting, western-inspired guest rooms for a genuine Fort Worth experience.
Located at 1300 Houston Street Fort Worth, Texas 76102, the easiest way to get there is by flying into the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and then taking the Trinity Railway Express from CentrePort/DFW Airport to Fort Worth Central Station. The hotel is about an 8-minute walk from the Fort Worth Central Station. You can also choose to rideshare directly to the hotel.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral is one block away from the hotel.
Check in is at 4pm and check-out is at 11am.
Count Every Second Until the Summit
Ticket Prices
Member Pricing
$847
Get your MEMBER ONLY discount code
Non-Member Pricing
$997
Register Now
FAQ
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Your registration cost covers 3 days of programming, including small groups and networking opportunities, with lunch and dinner provided most days. Many of our attendees prefer to book their own lodging and so the registration cost does not include lodging. However, we will be offering a limited block of rooms at the event venue/hotel for a special event rate of $195/night. Lodging at The Omni Fort Worth Hotel will be available to secure once the event registration is live.
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We're excited to host this year's Summit at The Omni Fort Worth Hotel. The decision to utilize a hotel for our event spaces means our attendees will be able to easily walk to access all event programming, and even step away to take calls or refresh in their hotel room if they choose to stay on-site. The hotel is only one block away from St. Patrick's Cathedral, which will be our venue for daily Mass.
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Join SENT Ventures - We are actively taking new members and would be happy to share the details of our different program options.
Join Our Roster of SENT Mentors - Want to mentor emerging entrepreneurs and business leaders? Join our Mentor Roster
Join Our Talent Pool - Send us your resume if you’d like to work or intern
Email us at Hello@sentventures.com -
Dress code is business casual. Most events will be indoors. If desired, attendees may pack and bring with them dressier attire for our evening’s social. Be advised that indoor spaces will be air conditioned, so it may be a good idea to bring a warmer layer for particularly cool indoor spaces.
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We take the health and safety of our attendees, guests, and speakers very seriously and thus ask that if you exhibit any covid symptoms in the week leading up to the event, please do not come.