In this episode of the Generosity Now podcast, we sit down with Greg Ast, who shares his inspiring journey of moving from religious tradition to a deep, personal relationship with Christ. Raised in a strong Catholic household, Greg always knew God, but it wasn’t until later in life that he truly understood what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus.

Join us as Greg talks about his family’s faith journey, the role of generosity in their lives, and how they’re embracing whole-life stewardship. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to deepen their faith and live a life of purpose.

About Greg

reg Ast is an Executive Vice President at Encore Electric. Before taking on his current role as Executive Vice President, Ast served as the Chief Financial Officer, where he managed the company’s financial, accounting, and risk management functions.

Prior to joining Encore Electric, Ast spent more than 20 years as a consultant to business owners, boards of directors, and executive leadership teams, addressing their most difficult business challenges and guiding strategic decision-making, operational and financial planning and leadership team development. During this period, Ast was a trusted advisor to hundreds of both public and private sector organizations in manufacturing, distribution, banking, services, healthcare and telecommunications. He has also consulted with family ownership groups, national and state boards, public-private partnership groups, and non-profit organizations. Ast also spent four years in finance at General Electric Capital Corporation and Accenture.

Ast received his BS in Finance from Georgetown University and his MBA from Wichita State University. He also earned his CCIFP (Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional) certificate and has completed several leadership development programs.

He and his wife enjoy hiking, camping, skiing and travelling.

Key Takeaways: Transitioning from religious tradition to a personal relationship with Christ The importance of generosity and whole-life stewardship How faith shapes family and purpose in life

Tim McTavish shares his background growing up in a Christian home and his journey of falling in love with Jesus. He discusses his experience as a business owner and how integrating biblical principles transformed his company's culture and success. Tim emphasizes the importance of stewardship and generosity in all aspects of life, including finances and investing. He also highlights the hope he sees in the next generation of Christian leaders and the impact they can make in the world. Tim recommends the book 'No Longer I' by Jacob Hotchkiss as a resource for understanding the power of the gospel.

About Tim

Tim A. McTavish joined the CCU Board of Trustees in 2009 during the tenure of then-President Bill Armstrong and at the outset of the initial phases of the Lakewood campus redevelopment effort. He was elected chair of the Board of Trustees in June 2020 and stepped into the role of interim president in August 2022 when former President Donald W. Sweeting transitioned to the role of chancellor.

McTavish founded InsureMe in 1993, an entrepreneurial venture that connected insurance agents with high-intent prospects shopping for insurance. McTavish credits the success of that platform to dedicating the business to Christ while implementing basic biblical principles in the workplace. During his time leading the company, InsureMe was ranked in the "Top 25 Great Places to Work in America" and was also named the most philanthropic small business in Colorado.

Since selling InsureMe in 2008, McTavish has been an active investor and advisor to several businesses in Colorado and abroad. He has also taught entrepreneurship and finance courses in the School of Business and Leadership in CCU's College of Undergraduate Studies, where he was named affiliate faculty member of the year in 2018, 2021, and 2024.

A "faithful steward wanna-be," McTavish's mission is to model a life of generosity and good and faithful stewardship of the relationships and resources God has entrusted to him in a way that inspires people to live well within their means, give generously to life-changing causes, and to fall in love with Jesus and experience abundant life in Him. He is passionate about Christian higher education because it solidifies students in their faith and prepares them for effective ministry in their careers and personal lives. He experienced this when he earned his MBA in CCU's College of Adult and Graduate Studies in 2013, grateful for CCU's integration of faith throughout the curriculum.

He and his wife, Pam, have three grown children who have graduated from CCU: David '18, Katie '20, and Laura '23. All three flourished in their faith and love for Jesus at CCU because of the competent, Spirit-filled faculty and staff who intentionally strive to transform students to impact the world with grace and truth. Tim and Pam consider it an honor and a privilege to serve and support CCU.

Resources Mentioned

No Longer I' by Jacob Hotchkiss

Wes serves the entrepreneurs who are restoring the world. He is a General Partner at Eagle Venture Fund, where he leads Eagle's investment themes of combating human trafficking and economic opportunities for the poor. Wes has previously been a general partner in two private equity funds focused on real estate and venture capital. Wes has been the primary operations and compliance partner for every fund he been partner in. He's been the lead partner for more than a dozen investments before Eagle and more than a dozen at Eagle. Wes has four sons and loves running with them. Wes's passion to combat trafficking was born as a naval aviator fighting ISIS in the Philippines. Wes witnessed children used in combat and experienced compassion for the Filipino youth who were becoming ISIS fighters. Wes went on to lead the US detachment to the Philippines, assisting the Filipino military in re-taking a city from ISIS

Vip Vipperman

Vip Vipperman is Vice President at Eagle Venture Funds, a family of funds dedicated to helping audacious entrepreneurs battle for causes & places that are desperate for change (with a current focus on tech to combat human trafficking and slavery) . He is cofounder of The Lion’s Den DFW pitch competition & was one of the early team members at Faith Driven Entrepreneur & Investor co-creating projects like Marketplace, Demo Days, and Unmuted. He previously worked for one of the nation’s largest faith based multifamily developers and spent his early career doing missions works alongside underground church planters in China. He has been married for 20 years to Carrie and they have 3 kids and a yellow lab. His spends a lot of time at volleyball games, on Boy Scouts camping trips or at gymnastics meets.

Takeaways

• Collaboration between for-profit, nonprofit, and government organizations is crucial in addressing human trafficking.
• Transparency in supply chains is essential to ensure ethical sourcing and reduce labor trafficking.
• Investing in job training and placement for survivors of trafficking can help prevent recidivism.
• The Lion's Den provides a platform for entrepreneurs and investors to make a positive impact.
• Impact investing allows individuals to grow their capital on mission and make a difference in social issues.

• "We actually see viable paths to shutting down tens of thousands of brothels in the next few years."
• "There's so many businesses that are effectively getting used to traffic people that would like... Most people that work in those businesses would like to stop it."
• "We're stepping in as learners. We constantly are reminded that we're trying to learn how to be most helpful and most effective."

https://www.thelionsdendfw.org/

https://www.eagleventurefund.com/