On Tuesday, June 2nd, as part of NYC Tech Week, we are honored to host the inaugural Fides Startup Pitch Competition, bringing together Catholic founders, investors, and operators for an evening dedicated to discerning what it means to build great companies in alignment with the faith.
The evening features a special talk and a judge panel composed of leading Catholic investors and operators evaluating the next generation of mission-aligned ventures.
Special Feature: Karl Kilb, Stablecoins in the Catholic Church
Karl, Founder of Crescite Innovation Corporation, which recently minted its first stablecoin, will speak on the emerging role of stablecoins within the Catholic financial ecosystem and what their adoption could mean for the long-term institutional and economic life of the Church.
Judge Panel: What it Means to Build a Catholic Startup
A working session on defining the standard: what qualifies a company as Catholic, what doesn't, and what investors are actually looking for. Panelists include:
Jesse Sullivan, Co-Founder & General Partner of Altar Ventures, a new $20M Catholic early-stage VC fund backing the best Catholic founders around the world with capital, mentorship, and talent. Jesse previously founded a successful global VC fund from Stanford Business School. GP carry from successful exits will be used to fund Catholic apostolates and nonprofits.
Sean Fieler, President of Equinox Partners and prominent Catholic philanthropist.
Brian Schardt, Founder of Autopilot (also originally known as the Nancy Pelosi Tracker).
The Pitch Competition
Catholic founders building venture-scale companies will pitch live to the panel. Selected applicants will compete in an opening round, with top teams advancing to a finals round and the winning team receiving an award. (Cash prize and investment details to be announced.)
Founders interested in participating apply to pitch here please (for those who are accepted they will be given free tickets to the event)
The three prerequisites:
A practicing Catholic founder
A company whose product, model, and roadmap align with Catholic Church teaching
A venture with credible billion-dollar potential
Who Should Attend
Catholic founders and entrepreneurs
Investors and philanthropists evaluating faith-aligned ventures
Operators and professionals working at the intersection of faith and business
Students and young professionals discerning vocation in entrepreneurship
Evening Schedule
17:00, Welcome by Luca Historical context of the Church's role in entrepreneurship
17:30 to 18:30, Special Feature: Karl Kilb Stablecoins in the Catholic Church
18:30 to 19:30, Judge Panel What it means to build a Catholic startup
19:30 to 20:30, Startup Pitch Competition, Main Round
20:30 to 21:00, Finals Round Top teams present
21:00, Winners Announced & Awards Ceremony
21:00 to 01:00, Dinner & Networking
Attire: Business Formal (suit and tie for men, suits or dresses for women)
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Sponsors:
Altar Ventures
Roots Run Deep
The Catholic Herald