Half of all U.S. teenagers say they already have a business idea they're passionate about pursuing. That's the headline finding host Justin Forman digs into with David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group, in this data-rich conversation about a generation quietly gearing up to build.

David has spent his career turning research into a roadmap for the church, and in this episode he brings fresh findings on entrepreneurially minded teens — their hope, their hunger for mentors, and the pressure they carry to succeed. Justin and David trace the thread from Lego sets and Shark Tank reruns to the Old Testament story of Daniel, building a case for what David calls a “theology of influence”: preparing young people for a level of impact none of us can fully predict.

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation exploring Barna's newest research on faith, identity, and the entrepreneurial generation — and what parents, pastors, and business leaders can do with it.

Key Topics:

• New Barna data: 49% of U.S. teenagers already have a business idea they're passionate about pursuing

• A “theology of influence” — what Daniel's story in Babylon teaches us about preparing the next generation

• Why entrepreneurially minded teens report 85% more hope about the future

• Growing up in “digital Babylon”: raising kids among tech built to capture their attention

• The mentorship gap — and why entrepreneurial teens are 88% more likely to already have one

• Identity formation in a world where AI is reshaping the whole idea of a career

• A practical next step for families: Faith Driven Entrepreneur for Teens

David Kinnaman is CEO of Barna Group, the research firm he has led for over two decades, helping churches, nonprofits, and business leaders understand cultural and generational trends through a faith lens. He is the author of several books on faith and the next generation, and continues to lead original research at the intersection of faith, work, and identity.

This conversation is for any parent, pastor, or entrepreneur wondering whether the next generation is ready to build — and whether the church is ready to help them.

Notable Quotes:

“We need to prepare this generation with a theology of influence that God can and will use them in their faithfulness.” — David Kinnaman

“We prepare a generation for success, but we don't prepare them for suffering.” — David Kinnaman

“I think we've seen the funeral of the lone wolf over the last decade.” — Justin Forman

Watch the full episode on YouTube or continue to stream audio on your favorite podcast platform.

Join host Justin Forman for a candid conversation with Stephen Ellsworth, co-founder of Poppi, the prebiotic soda brand that went from a Dallas farmers market stand to one of the largest exits in beverage history when PepsiCo acquired it for $2 billion. Stephen walks through the pivotal decisions that shaped Poppi's rise — rewriting the formula a week before Shark Tank, the branding fight that determined whether Poppi would be sold as a health product or a soda, and the negotiating table where his team turned down a $1 billion offer because it “didn't feel right.”

But the most striking part of Stephen's story isn't the exit — it's what came after. He opens up about the identity crisis, isolation, and unexpected grief that followed closing the deal, and how wrestling with purpose in the months afterward reshaped his understanding of calling, generosity, and what he calls this next season: not retirement, but “preferment.”

Throughout, Stephen traces how his faith — dormant since he was a teenager — was reawakened through the entrepreneurial journey itself, from a providential tax refund that arrived the week his mortgage was due, to the conviction that let him walk away from billion-dollar offers that didn't align with what he and his team believed was right.

Key Topics:

• From a Wyoming kitchen to Shark Tank to a $2 billion PepsiCo acquisition

• The branding pivot that turned an apple cider vinegar tonic into a prebiotic soda

• Why Stephen's team walked away from a $1 billion Pepsi offer and a $1.65 billion Keurig Dr Pepper offer

• The unexpected identity crisis and isolation that followed the exit

• Moving from a Mormon upbringing to a faith renewed through entrepreneurship

• Setting up a Donor Advised Fund and learning to give with the same rigor used to build a business

Notable Quotes:

“Sitting where we are now, a $2 billion exit from a farmers market stand is just wild.” - Stephen Ellsworth

“Pepsi is a huge system. If you're gonna buy us, buy us.” - Stephen Ellsworth

“The idea of coming to know God more fully through [the entrepreneurial journey] is one of the greatest side benefits of the whole equation.” - Justin Forman

Recorded live at FDE's annual staff retreat, host Justin Forman sits down with Mark Grunden and Addison Williams for a rare, on-the-ground look at what happens when entrepreneurs stop doing this alone. Rather than talk theory, the team shares real footage and real voices — from a London entrepreneur now supporting 260 fellow business owners, to a 57-campus church network in Nairobi, Kenya that has built the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Foundation course into its entire discipleship program.

This episode unpacks what actually happens inside a Foundation Group, why entrepreneurship carries a unique kind of loneliness that even a great small group at church can't always reach, and why leading one of these groups requires no certification — just a willingness to open a Zoom call, press play on a video, and ask a few honest questions.

Whether you're an entrepreneur longing for people who get it, or a pastor wondering how to serve the business leaders already sitting in your church, this conversation offers a simple, tested, ready-to-go path forward.

Key Topics:

● Why entrepreneurship doesn't have to be a lonely journey — and real stories that prove it

● On-the-ground FDE Group stories from the UK, Kenya, and across the U.S.

● What a Faith Driven Foundation Group actually looks like (video + Scripture + honest conversation)

● Why churches are uniquely positioned to reach entrepreneurs — no certification required

● The global numbers: 25,000+ entrepreneurs served, 250 partnering churches, and one Kenyan church network with 700+ graduates

● The simple next step: how anyone can start a group this week

Notable Quotes:

"When you get entrepreneurs in a group, community and depth happens really quick." – Justin Forman

"That's really where we start to unravel the fear of the enemy is isolation." – Addison Williams

"You gotta be faithful rather than willful. You know, you gotta think of yourself as a steward rather than an owner." – Mark Grunden