Fides Entrepreneurship Startup Pitch Competition | #NY Tech Week
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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 Conference style evening (meaning you can arrive anytime you'd like after 17:00) 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.)
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
(This is a conference style event meaning you don't need to arrive before or at 5:00PM but can join at anytime throughout the event schedule)
5:00PM , Doors Open
5:15PM , Welcome by Luca Historical context of the Church's role in entrepreneurship
5:30PM to 6:30PM, Special Feature: Karl Kilb Stablecoins in the Catholic Church
6:30PM to 7:30PM, Judge Panel What it means to build a Catholic startup
7:30PM to 8:30PM, Startup Pitch Competition, Main Round
8:30PM-9:00PM, Winners Announced
9:00PM to 11:00PM, Dinner & Networking
Attire: Business Formal (suit and tie for men, suits or dresses for women)
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