Praxis Academy held at Gordon College

The Gordon cohort at Praxis Academy:
(Top row, left to right) Daniel Bizumuremyi, Sandev Handy, Chan Yoon, Carter Crockett, Anna Obert, Emily David, Kristen Hermes, Marina Lavender, Brett Johnson, Tera Hebert, Chapman Bettis
(Front row): Jete Thames, Dolapo Anyanwu, Gianna Scavo, Damilola Junaid, Melissa Jeanty, Anna Soukenik, Monica Wong, Carl Brooks, Rachel Kauffman, Josh Savides

More than 100 college students gathered at Gordon College from August 4 to 8 for the debut of Praxis Academy—an immersive event to catalyze a new generation of entrepreneurs to create impact and shape culture.

Representing more than 30 schools (including Harvard, Stanford, Westmont and Wheaton [IL]), students met in small groups with start-up founders and culture creators, appreciated live music by The Brilliance and Sleeping at Last, and pitched ideas. Every activity was unified by a desire to think deeply about what it means to be a Christian in the creative process of entrepreneurship.

The event was hosted by Gordon's Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) and led by Praxis Labs, an organization that has developed a reputation for accelerating organization growth using a network of Christian mentors. Some of these mentors served as faculty mentors at Praxis Academy, including Andy Crouch, executive editor of Christianity Today and author of Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling; Dave Blanchard, co-founder of Praxis Labs; Peter Greer, CEO of HOPE International; Jena Nardella, the founder of Blood:Water Mission; and Carter Crockett, the founding director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Gordon College.

Many students did not know what to expect when they arrived. By the end of the week, every student left with enough inspiration to fuel a culture-changing movement at their respective schools and around the world. “It was encouraging to see the speakers and leaders at Praxis had implemented their faith in forming their ventures,” Gordon junior Anna Obert said. “It revolutionized the way that I think about being a Christian in business, and I know my peers felt the same.”

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