Mentor Profiles
We are often asked about the caliber of our mentors in our growing database of 120+ Ardent Mentors. We vet each of our mentors to ensure they have been highly successful in their expertise, mature in their faith, and have had experience mentoring. Below is a snapshot of 20 of our current mentors. If you have additional questions about the quality of our mentors, please let us know.
1
Sector:
Owning and operating multi-million dollar nursing homes
Career Highlights:
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7 businesses, 550 employees, across 4 states
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10 years of fundraising experience raising 10 million+ for NGOs in Africa, Russia, Brazil, Ukraine, and Estonia.
2
Sector:
Fast-moving consumer goods with 22 years of experience
Career Highlights:
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Market leader in Japan and Singapore
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Culture shift for a 170-year-old company in the Philippines,
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Managed 400 person team
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Managing multiple geographies (Asia, Africa, Central, and Eastern Europe)
3
Sector:
Construction / Civil engineering
Career Highlights:
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$50-70M in revenue w/ 200-300 employees
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Work covered civil construction roads, bridges, mining, earth moving, utilities and precast.
4
Sector:
Multi-media sales presentation design & production company
Career Highlights:
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Clients such as Apple, IBM, & AT&T
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Nationally recognized speaker, author, and researcher in the financial industry focusing on helping financial professionals attract more clients, close more sales, and deepen client relationships.
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Author of two books on becoming great at sales
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Successfully founded and sold three companies
5
Sector:
Consumer Product Goods Industry (CPG)
Career Highlights:
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Key player of growth in 4 iconic Fortune 500 companies
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2x received the “Breakthrough Innovation Award” from Nielsen which recognizes the top 1% among 3,000 new products launched in the CPG industry.
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Among other achievements, most outstanding was the strategic initiative that delivered annual compounded double-digit growth of the Arm & Hammer Pet Care business to $400 million from just $30 million.
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Was part of creating the Global New Products Division which generated organic growth of 2X their competitors. This contributed to the Company’s 20% CAGR over the past 10 years and a top 20% performer within its peer-set with such companies as P&G, Clorox, Reckitt, Colgate-Palmolive and others.
6
Sector:
Television cable companies
Career Highlights:
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Started his first cable television company at the age of 16
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Received the honor of Cable Television Pioneer
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Served on the National Cable Television Co-Op board
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Over thirty years, he started and sold over two dozen telecom companies in seven different states.
7
Sector:
Non-Profits / NGOs / Investment Banking
Career Highlights:
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Serves on the Presidential Advisory Council of Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, providing guidance on economic development and investment strategies.
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Sold his company to Auto Zone a $40+ Billion company
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Served as the Head of Investment Banking at one of the largest privately owned investment banks in the US.
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National Director at KPMG
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Chair and CEO of a large distributor of auto parts
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Founder, Chair, and CEO a non-profit organization that aims to expand Rwanda's global network, encourage foreign investment and develop young African leaders.
8
Sector:
Consumer Goods Product (CGP) / Start-ups
Career Highlights:
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Holds an MSW degree in International Social Policies
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Founded an internationally recognized Tea Brand in San Francisco, selling tea, herbal, Ginseng & Tiger Balm pain relieving products (the company grew to $80+ Million in revenue).
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Established company branch offices in Los Angeles, New York, Hong Kong, and Tianjin, China.
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Opened a Children's Home was opened in Tianjin, China that was funded by the tea company.
9
Sector:
Consumer Staples / Beverages
Career Highlights:
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25 years of C-Suite executive experience in one of the Fortune 500 companies.
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Has worked across 5 African countries and 3 North American and European countries managing more than 36 Sub-Saharan markets.
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Expert in guiding new market entries, market expansion, and transformation in the African market.
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Vice President of a Fortune 500 company, where he acted as the Mergers & Acquisitions Director and developed the market share expansion strategy.
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A partner and advisor to the founders of Africa's largest venture development company with a mission to build 100+ thriving African ventures and drive economic prosperity.
10
Sector:
Non-Profits
Career Highlights:
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Honored as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in Charlotte in 2016 and received the Mosaic Award for non-profit service
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Founder of a large non-profit organization and an annual justice conference.
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Interim Chief Advancement Officer at a non-profit and the director of her family foundation
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Active board member of five large non-profit organizations.
11
Sector:
Energy
Career Highlights:
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10 years as President at Fortune 150 energy company
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Owner and operator of wellness franchise
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9 years in executive roles at Fortune 500 companies
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The Chair of a large nation wide executive coaching group
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Co-founder of a private equity firm
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Experience managing businesses in Central and South America
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Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese
12
Sector:
Nonprofit / Social Entrepreneurship
Career Highlights:
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Professor of a nonprofit management class at Boston College at the business school where we focused on social entrepreneurship.
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Over 20 years of experience in social entrepreneurial organizations
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Held C-level positions for over 10 years
13
Sector:
Commercial woodworking
Career Highlights:
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His Company grew to a nationwide, 54,000 square foot facility, $12 million a year operation with 80 employees, many of whom were former felons, recovering drug addicts, war veterans, and other broken people.
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Received the SBA Small Business Person of the Year award for Missouri in 2017.
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Received a Lifetime Achievement Award and was named in The Saint Louis Small Business Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Featured in Forbes Magazine Small Giants: 25 small businesses who place people ahead of profits in 2020.
14
Sector:
Nonprofits / NGOs
Career Highlights:
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Former President Emeritus of one of the largest Christian NGOs for 20 years
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Had a corporate career that included CEO roles at 2 Fortune 500 companies.
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Has appeared in various media outlets such as Christianity Today, FOX News, CNN, NPR, Charisma News, and Relevant magazine.
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Received several honors for his humanitarian service, including five honorary doctoral degrees and induction into the Society of World Changers at Indiana Wesleyan University.
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He is the author of several books, including 3 best-sellers
15
Sector:
Sales & Marketing
Career Highlights:
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Managed sales teams in the US, Canada, Europe, Latin America, China, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
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Has experience in building and managing sales teams selling various solutions, including software, information and data services, and consulting services, across multiple vertical industries.
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The MENA General Manager for a large Oil/Gas company’s Landmark Software and Services product line, located in Dubai, where he grew the business to $100 million in annual revenue.
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Held various sales management roles at a large financial intelligence company, including VP Global Accounts, and built the program to include 14 accounts in the Americas, generating over $150 million per year.
16
Sector:
Investment & Education
Career Highlights:
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Led the turnaround and restructuring of a large US-based airline as CFO, playing a critical role in multiple public and private financings, and led the strategic alternatives that led to the company's sale.
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Founded a Hedge Fund managing approximately $1.3 billion in assets, was responsible for private equity, leading a team of five investment professionals, and developing expertise in board oversight.
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President and CEO of a University, restructuring the leadership team, overseeing cost rationalization and a culture change based on communication transparency, accountability, and respect.
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CEO of a leading manufacturer of alternative wood products, revamping the strategic positioning of the company and leading an ELT of 6 and approximately 425 employees.
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Set the response to all Covid-19 impacts and the rationalization of the business in March 2020, returning to pre-pandemic levels of revenue with a more efficient company-wide cost structure.
17
Sector:
Technology Industry
Career Highlights:
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Over 30 years of experience in the technology industry, working for Fortune 500 companies as well as startups
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Seasoned General Manager, having run a range of businesses from a startup to a
$6B business -
Managed teams as small as 5 and as large as 3000+ people during career
18
Sector:
Ministry / Non-profits / NGOs
Career Highlights:
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Served as the managing director of a Large Non-Profit that focused on executive coaching.
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Prior to that, he worked for 22 years with a non-denominational Christian ministry targeting disinterested youth around the world.
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CEO and Co-Founder of a Midsize non-profit organization that works with social entrepreneurs in the Education sector in 11 countries.
19
Sector:
Franchising industry
Career Highlights:
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A prominent figure in the franchising industry who holds various positions in different franchise brands.
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Currently an Operating Partner, Board Member, Partner, and franchisee of two of the largest multi-unit groups of well-known spas.
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Serves as Equity Partner and Board member of a large cleaning franchise with over 155 units.
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Has held various positions in other large franchisors and multi-unit franchisee groups in the past
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Established a boutique private equity firm that has partnered and invested in over 90 transactions, with over $450 million in realized or unrealized gains for private equity investors.
20
Sector:
Investment banking
Career Highlights:
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Spent the last 20 years running the leveraged finance business at 3 Fortune 500 banks.
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The leveraged finance business generated an average of $500 million in pre-tax profit
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Managed roughly 75 people and was on the investment committee