These creative leaders are at-risk emotionally, relationally, and spiritually. Higher than average instances of anxiety, depression, divorce, and suicide make entrepreneurship a harrowing choice.
Conversely, the capacity to create jobs, produce wealth, establish cultures, and transform communities and industries make entrepreneurship an attractive path and a critical function of the economy. Combining this capacity with faith and entrepreneurship will help you along the journey.
OCEAN exists to serve entrepreneurs at this critical intersection of their faith and their entrepreneurial journey. There is a deep belief among OCEAN’s founding partners, leadership, staff, and passionate volunteer base, that the world needs more healthy founders launching healthy businesses and creating healthy cultures, and that the path forward toward that reality is training that integrates biblical principles and marketplace acumen.
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History
The Beginning
Established as a 501c3 in 2014, OCEAN opened its high-tech accelerator in 2015. The launch attracted national media attention given it was one of the earliest Global Accelerator Network (GAN) recognized programs that integrated faith into the content. The publicity attracted founders seeking OCEAN’s unique combination of spiritual and commercial training. Applications more than doubled the subsequent year and dramatically diversified with 33% coming from outside the US, and 40% from states beyond Ohio.
Early Years
OCEAN evolved from a singular high-tech focus to also include main street entrepreneurs in 2017. We launched Genesis: Small Business Training and also assumed ownership of the Unpolished Faith & Entrepreneurship Conference (Now called OCEAN Conference). OCEAN Conference attracts close to 1,000 leaders from across the country for a two-day focus on the intersection of faith + entrepreneurship. The Genesis content was designed to meet the needs of local start-ups. The program is designed for groups of 10 to 15, runs for 4 hours once a week for 8 weeks. We follow that with 6 months of group-based mentoring.
Today
OCEAN launched the Church Economic Accelerator (CEA) in January 2020. This is a partnership program with Mark DeYmaz, co-founder of the Global Mosaix Movement, and author of “The Coming Revolution in Church Economics”. The CEA program addresses a looming reality that in order for churches to not only survive but thrive in the future, leaders must learn to leverage assets, bless the community, empower entrepreneurs, and create multiple streams of income to effectively fund the mission.
