Steve Beck
Former CEO, Geneva Global

Steve Beck has twenty years experience in strategy consulting, including six years leading consulting operations in Europe, Asia, and South Africa. In his consulting practice, he has advised the senior management of the world's largest financial institutions, specializing in the international asset management and private banking sectors. He has consulted for three of the world's top five global private banking groups and originated the World Wealth Report, an annual report on trends in the wealth management industry. As Managing Director of Gemini Consulting (a division of Cap Gemini) from 1996-99, Mr. Beck led the company's most profitable division with some 500 consultants and $200 million in revenues from nine offices in Europe, Asia, and South Africa

He is a partner (on leave) of Monitor Group, an international strategy consulting and merchant banking firm. In addition to co-leading the Group's business in Europe, Mr. Beck served on the Board of the Monitor Institute, the group company that advises foundations and direct service organizations in the non-profit sector.

Mr. Beck joined Geneva Global full time in September 2002, having worked with the organization part-time from its inception. Geneva Global enables thoughtful donors to increase the impact of their giving to life-changing projects in the most desperate parts of the world. Working with hundreds of local leaders in more than 90 countries, Geneva's research team in Philadelphia finds and evaluates programs that deliver measurable results. This reliable, independent analysis provides donors with the confidence to give. In his role as CEO, Mr. Beck led the expansion of Geneva Global's research capability and sector expertise.

Mr. Beck was educated at Stanford University and the London School of Economics. He is married with three daughters, and despite his Californian roots, lived in London from 1984 to 2002.

Paul Nelson
Former CEO, Crowell Trust

Paul is a Michigan native, a U. S. Coast Guard veteran, and a graduate of Taylor University where he received a B.A. in Church History and Missions, and a B. S. in Education.  Following graduation, Paul and his wife, Karen, served with Youth For Christ before moving on to work in a suburban Detroit public high school as a teacher and administrator.  Shortly after completing a graduate degree in instructional design, they and their two daughters moved to Peru, S.A. with Wycliffe Bible Translators.  The family continued with Wycliffe in Dallas, TX where Paul served as the International Superintendent of Children’s Education.  From there he was appointed President/CEO of Missionary Internship, Farmington, MI now Mission Training International located in Palmer Lake, CO.  He recently retired after serving eight years as Executive Director/CEO of The H.P. and S. C. Crowell Trust, a foundation established by the founder of the Quaker Oats company.

Howard Dayton
Founder, Compass

Howard Dayton was born October 7, 1943 and was raised in Daytona Beach, Florida. After graduating from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University in 1967, he served two and one-half years as a naval officer.

In 1969 Howard developed The Caboose, a successful railroad-themed restaurant, in Orlando, Florida. In 1972 he began his commercial real estate development career, specializing in office development in the Central Florida area.

Howard was challenged by his business partner in 1974 to study the Scriptures to discover what God's Word teaches about handling money. What he found profoundly changed his life; and the Lord gave him a passion to share these life-changing principles with others. He wrote Your Money: Frustration or Freedom, and for 10 years he invested about 30 percent of his time doing further research, writing, and conducting financial seminars for churches. He also is the author of Your Money Counts and How to Get Out of Debt.

Howard founded Crown Ministries in 1985 and developed a remarkably effective small group financial study. Howard has served full time as president of Crown and as an unpaid volunteer since its inception.

Crown Ministries merged with Christian Financial Concepts in September 2000 to form Crown Financial Ministries, the world's largest financial ministry.  Through the combined strengths and resources of these two ministries, the merged organization is having a major worldwide impact. The vision of Crown Financial Ministries is to teach God's financial principles to 300 million people by 2015 in order to help fulfill the Great Commission.  Recently in 2010 Howard founded a new financial ministry called Compass.

Howard married Beverly in 1971 and they have two children: Matthew (married to Michelle) and Danielle (married to Kyle Hasbrouck). Howard and Beverly live in Gainesville, Georgia.

Chris Duncan
President, Convene

Chris has over fifteen years of management, sales and marketing experience in the domestic and international computer industry as founder and CEO of the Regal Computer group. His experience there included three successful start-up companies. In addition, he started, built and sold CentralXchange, Inc., an Internet B2B exchange for high-end technology equipment.

In 2003 Chris sold majority interest in Regal after being called by God to grow BBL Forum, an organization where Christian CEO's come together to help each other build profitable companies and live out their calling in Christ in the context of their business. He's been a BBL member and raving fan since 1998 and now is the CEO. Chris is passionate about business and helping people live the abundant life that God has planned for them. He gains great joy from helping people grow in their leadership abilities and achieve new levels of success in business, personal and spiritual aspects of life. He is committed to helping Christian business leaders leverage their wealth, wisdom and witness to build God's Kingdom.

Chris is an active member of Saddleback Church. He is on the advisory boards of Every Man Ministries, which is committed to transforming men's ministry in the local church, and Excellence in Giving, which helps increase the joy and effectiveness of high-capacity givers. Both Chris and his wife are volunteers with the Jesus Film Project, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Business Administration, with an emphasis in entrepreneurship.

Michael Richards, Sr.
Partner, Richards-Odem & Company

Mike is a former State Senator and recently retired from his daily talk show host in Houston. He has interviewed Speakers of the House, as well as former U.S. Presidents. Mike has been the recipient of many awards such as: Outstanding Young Man of America, Salesman of the Year, Freedom Award, and Who's Who in American Politics.

He has a degree in business administration from Abilene Christian University. He also founded the Mike Richards Company in 1973; a financial services organization now part of the Richards, Odem & Company. Mike and his wife Cynthia reside in the Houston area and have two children and seven grandchildren.

Dr. Brad Smith
President, Bakke Graduate University

Brad is the president of the Bakke Graduate University, a leading ministry-oriented graduate school. Prior to assuming the presidency of the university, Brad was president and CEO of the Leadership Network, a private operating foundation focused on church health and innovation. In this role, he guided major parachurch organizations and non-profits through leadership transitions and strategic refocusing. He consults regularly with various Fortune 100 companies and Christian organizations in the areas of team-building and leadership development. While earning his Master of Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary, Brad co-founded the Center for Christian Leadership and served there for seven years developing leadership programs. Brad obtained a BA in business from Texas A&M University.