Prosper Podcast

Enjoy our encore presentation from Season S2, What We Get Wrong When Helping The Poor with Ismael Hernandez. Ismael Hernandez shares his remarkable journey from Fidel Castro's disciple to advocate for free market principles and individual dignity. He'll detail how coming to the U.S. caused him to re-evaluate free markets and human dignity —but also what it was like as a poor minority to be...

Enjoy our encore presentation from Season 4, Taking the Risk Out of African Investment with Matt Hangen. In this episode of Prosper, host Andreas Widmer and Rebecca Teti welcome Matt Hangen, CEO of Water4, to discuss his journey from a troubled youth in Alabama to leading a project that provides sustainable piped water solutions in Africa. The conversation explores the innovative business model of...

As we gear up for Season 5, we thought we'd like to revisit some of our "greatest hits" over the last few seasons. All the way back in Season 2, we were joined by Regina Bethencourt, CEO of Tenuto Consulting. We discussed risk-taking, the journey of the entrepreneur, and support systems that help to build better work environments for everybody. Check out this great conversation and t...

This week, we give thanks for the life of our friend Robert L. Woodson, Sr., who passed away on May 19. Of the many pieces of wisdom he shared with us, telling stories of radical grace and forgiveness in order to help form solutions to our culture’s problems was among the most profound. Revisit our episode with him from Season 4 today. Meet Robert L. Woodson Sr., the founder of the Woodson Center,...

Meet Fr. Corwin Low OP, tech pioneer, former IBM entrepreneur, president of the International Dominican Foundation, leads Apostolate to Evangelize Silicon Valley, and is director of mission advancement for the Angelicum in Rome. Father Corwin shares his journey from co-authoring the Internet Starter Kit for Windows 95 and working with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen to discovering the Catholic fai...

Meet Michael Matheson Miller, the Chief of Strategic Initiatives and Senior Research Fellow at the Acton Institute, Director of the Center for Social Flourishing and the Poverty Cure Initiative, the Director and Producer of the award-winning documentary film, Poverty, Inc., and host of the Moral Imagination podcast. He deep dives into human dignity, faith, and the "enterprise solutions"...

Magatte Wade is on a mission to liberate African economies from the overregulation that holds them back. Hear her inspiring personal story and why she insists that jobs and energy are the true keys to a thriving Africa. Magatte Wade recommends our colleague Luke Burgis' forthcoming The One & the 99 . Her book The Heart of a Cheetah is a blueprint for human flourishing in Africa. Tiossan Ac...

Meet the co-owner of Right Proper Brewing Company, Thor Cheston. He engages in deep conversation about his journey from a liberal arts graduate to a successful entrepreneur in the craft beer industry. As well as discussing the challenges faced in the competitive market, the importance of adapting business strategies, and the implementation of radical transparency through open book management. The...

​​Meet the Fintech pioneer Brian Hamilton. He shares his journey from growing up in modest circumstances to co-founding Sageworks, one of the first financial technology firms in the U.S. He reflects on the challenges of a startup, building success through perseverance, and the lessons learned along the way. Today, Hamilton leads the nonprofit Inmates to Entrepreneurs, helping people with criminal...

Meet Robert L. Woodson Sr., the founder of the Woodson Center, veteran of the American Civil Rights Movement, and advocate of poverty alleviation and disadvantaged communities. From growing up in segregated Philadelphia to building a national movement for change, Woodson invites us to see people not as problems, but as untapped potential ready to prosper. We explore how business, virtue, and redem...

Frederic Sautet joins us for this Christmas episode of Prosper. He is a scholar of economics and entrepreneurship who brings a thoughtful conversation on vocation, virtue, and the deeper meaning of business. He discusses his path from France to the Ciocca Center, his academic influences, and the spiritual dimension of work. As well as a rich economic and moral discussion of the movie, It's a Wonde...

Meet strategic marketing genius and professor John Egan. He teaches Marketing and Sales here at the Busch School of Business of The Catholic University of America. John Egan discusses his journey from Ireland to the United States, and the professional journey that led him to marketing and sales. He gives a shorter version of his fascinating course in marketing. Our conversation offers both practic...

In this episode of Prosper, host Andreas Widmer and co-host Rebecca Teti welcome Elise Crawford Gallagher, COO of J.C. Law and founder of Catholic Women in Business. Elise discusses her journey from marketing to law, her passion for empowering women in business, and the challenges she faced in building her marketing agency. The conversation also delves into her book, Holy Ambition, which addresses...

In this episode, we welcome Iqbal Quadir, founder of Grameenphone, to discuss the transformative power of connectivity in alleviating poverty. Iqbal shares his journey from Bangladesh to Wall Street, highlighting the importance of viewing people and what they can do as the source of economic growth. The conversation delves into the challenges faced in disrupting an industry's typical way of th...

Meet the team from Hope Western Prison Education Program, who are bringing an entrepreneurial approach to prison education. It's not the typical job skills training, but an innovative liberal arts program that helps people find meaning and purpose, even within the walls of a prison. This is a hopeful example of how entrepreneurial alertness can solve serious social problems. Find out what the...

In this episode of Prosper, host Andreas Widmer and Rebecca Teti welcome Matt Hangen, CEO of Water4, to discuss his journey from a troubled youth in Alabama to leading a project that provides sustainable piped water solutions in Africa. The conversation explores the innovative business model of Water4, which combines philanthropy with entrepreneurship and the power of the free market to overcome t...

The Prosper Team welcomes Mary Katherine Wathen, co-founder of West of Perfection and author of Made for More. The topic: How to gain clarity in your mission without burning out or playing small. Along the way we'll talk about MK's "ordered life framework," how to challenge young people, and how to build an entrepreneurial culture at work and in your own family. This is a fun one...

Join Andreas & Rebecca as they talk to Matt and Elizabeth Marcolini about forming your workforce Matt’s current read: The Go-Giver by  Bob Burg and John David Mann Elizabeth’s current read: Humility Rules: Saint Benedict's Twelve-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem by J. Augustine Wetta Find out about Catholic U's new MBA at ⁠mba.catholic.edu StrengthFinders - Now called CliftonStrengths...

Join Andreas & Rebecca as they talk to Financial Analyst Pierre Ferragu about how he evaluates hi-tech companies and trends —and also the unlikely path he traveled to become producer of a highly successful new musical that he hopes to use as a new model for reviving live theater through telling beautiful stories. The book Pierre Ferragu recommended is Sylvain Tesson's The Consolations of t...

Our co-hosts engage with Paul Zak, economics professor and expert in neuroeconomics, to explore the intersection of neuroscience and happiness. Zak shares insights from his latest book, The Little Book of Happiness, to illustrate the significance of virtue to enhancing well-being and how to leverage insights "high-value experiences" to ward off low moods. The conversation also delves int...

Ciocca Center team stalwarts Andreas Widmer, Luke Burgis, and Rebecca Teti tell the story of the founding of the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship and how to apply the mental models necessary for innovation in business and in life. Whatever stage of life you're in, from student to business professional, explore Cioccacenter.com to find what we can offer you. Also check out the Busc...

Join Andreas & Rebecca and Dr. Brandon Vaidyanathan to explore the concept of beauty in the workplace. Learn the importance of finding meaning and beauty in work and what employers can do to create a culture of beauty in work environments. Delve into cultural and personal factors affecting work engagement, the narratives, models and virtues that shape workplace culture, and the dimensions of b...

Meet Fr. Leo Patalinghug of Plating Grace Find all things Fr. Leo at platinggrace.com Visit his restaurant in Baltimore's Little Italy at thegastrosocial.com Fr. Leo's book recommendation: Triumph . Read more about the Secular Institute Voluntas Dei . Join the Family Business Consortium by clicking here . Visit cioccacenter.com to find all the ways we're helping innovation meet persona...

Growthera founder Andrew Jacoby relates the seeming accidents that led him from street musician to sales whiz. You'll learn practical wisdom about how to know, as a founder, when it's time to relinquish leadership and how to hire well. You'll also hear how desire for beauty led Jacoby gradually from a hardcore secular existence into the Catholic faith. Andrew Jacoby recommends: Benedictus Find Jac...

Our guest Dr. Catherine Pakaluk shares insights from her research on women who choose to have large families in the face of societal trends, emphasizing the personal motivations and faith that drive these decisions. The discussion also touches on the surprising connection between child-rearing and the entrepreneurial mindset, why "pronalist" policies to date have not worked, and why Econ...