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There are few people in the public sphere who can effortlessly navigate the space between faith, politics, and finance. One person that comes to mind is Jesus, second to that might be a close second. We speak with Dale Fickett, he's the President and Co-Founder of Open Trellis, which is an online community of business founders, volunteers and sponsors with a shared philosophy. A shared view about the power of the individual, and the strength in our joint efforts towards a sustainable economy. To Dale this is more than just a job, it's a passion, and one that he takes into his politics and his faith. The guys discuss all things finance, economics, politics and non-profit statuses for churches. It's a pretty wide ranging discussion that will surely have something for everyone!
To learn more about the work Dale does checkout the following links:
Open Trellis: https://opentrellis.org
RVA Works: https://www.connectva.org/groups/rva-works/
Guest Bio:
Mr. Fickett is a co-founder of Open Trellis, and the RVA Works initiative in Richmond, Virginia. He holds overall responsibility for the organization’s pursuit of its mission to help more people become business owners. Through the support of over 50 program sponsors and volunteers, Open Trellis provides education, technology, capital and consulting.
Fickett has previously worked in Capital Markets and Transactions Banking during his tenure with Accenture. As a senior strategy consultant, based in Dublin and London, he developed new client relationships, led strategic planning, and IT transformation programs in multinational banks. In the areas of developmental economics, impact investing, and social entrepreneurship, Fickett has lectured and conducted related research at Trinity College Dublin, The Wharton School - University of Pennsylvania, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Northwestern University.
He has authored "Faith & Sustainable Economic Development," “Towards a More Just Economy” and co-authored both “Developmental Entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa: Assessing Financial and Social Returns” and "RVA Works - Empowering Entrepreneurs for Big Change." He served in economic advisory roles on the Governor's Social Enterprise and Impact Investing Working Group (Virginia), the U.S. Senate Small Business Productivity Award Panel, the Virginia Business Incubation Association, and the Virginia Catholic Conference.
Fickett also serves as Chairman of the Haiti Committee - a humanitarian mission of the Catholic Church, providing microloans, education and health care in Carissade, Haiti. An entrepreneur at heart, earlier in his career he launched a venture in the retail chocolate industry. He holds an MBA magna cum laude, Villanova University, and a BSBA cum laude, LaSalle University. He is also holds a Series 65 securities license in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and serves as a Registered Investment Adviser (RIA).
Support Sarah Stankorb’s work and preorder Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion, Releases September 15, 2026. Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/112456/9798889837091
Website: https://www.sarahstankorb.com/
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