We go farther together

Blake Tidwell is currently serving as Sr. Manager of Strategic Initiatives at PayPal. Blake has previously held multiple executive positions including CFO of a boutique legal consulting firm inNashville, TN and CFO of a healthcare services firm in Franklin, TN. Blake holds his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and BBA from BelmontUniversity

Dr. Cate Loes is an Assistant Professor of Management at the Jack C. Massey College of Business Administration.Dr. Loes has taught courses in management, services marketing, non-profit marketing, service learning, business communications, and multi-culturalism in business. She is also an instructor for the Center of Executive Education at Belmont University, specializing inBusiness Communications, Listening, and Writing, Generations.

After 15 years ministering to youth, Randy Draughonlaunched into men's ministryat ChristPresbyterian Church. His five years there led to the planting of a new congregation in the heartof downtown Nashville in 2000. Meeting in the original Rocketown skate park, MidtownFellowship attracted college students, musicians and artists. Years later, Randy would lead thegrowing church through the transition from a megachurch model to their new mission--gospeltransformation through multiple congregations. Currently, the Midtown movement consists offour congregations throughout the city, as well as an urban farm and ministry in the Napiercommunity. Two more church plants are anticipated in the next 18 months. Randy passionatelyspends his time and energy recruiting and mentoring young pastors and leading the staff andthe Granny White congregation in Midtown's vision of discipleship--following Jesus, beingchanged by Jesus, and going on mission with Jesus.

Zoe is a marketing professional with a B.B.A. in International Business and anEntrepreneurship emphasis. While she was attending college, she was introduced to Enactus, an international organization for students interested in developing sustainable social enterprise. Through this organization, she had the opportunity to work on projects inGuatemala and Ethiopia and eventually served as international project manager and president of the organization at her university. After a trip to Ethiopia to develop business and marketing plans alongside Dr. Cate Loes, and the team at Women at Risk, she was able to experience the work African Leadership was doing with local community partners to drive sustainable, asset-based development across the entire continent.

Stephen Gause is originally from Columbia, SC but has lived in Nashville since 1993, working professionally in the music business for 20+ years as a studio producer, mix engineer, and songwriter. He studied at Belmont University for his first four years in Nashville, graduating in1997. After graduation, Stephen toured full time with various musical acts. His longest tenure was with the band Jars of Clay with whom he crossed 48 states, Canada, Europe, and Africa. By the early 2000s, Stephen had come off of the road to settle into his studio business.