September 23: Bridging the business transition divide

75% of owners plan to transition in 5–10 yrs. Is your business, and your faith, ready? Join us for a faith meets business experience.

About 6 million business transitions are expected over the next decade alone. Yet most transitions fail. And Christian business owners face the same odds as everyone else — even though what’s at stake for a faithful steward is so much more than a sale price.

What does a successful, faith-driven business transition actually look like? What can we learn from the transitions that work? And how do we genuinely seek what the Lord wants — before, during, and after we let go of what He’s entrusted to us?

Jesus’ teaching in Luke 12 offers two very different pictures of stewardship: the rich fool who planned for his possessions without considering God, and the faithful steward who remained ready for his Master’s return. Business transition presents Christian owners with a similar opportunity—to approach one of life’s most consequential decisions not simply as a financial event, but as an act of stewardship.

What We Will Explore

Terry Looper, CEO of Texon and author of Sacred Paceopens in a new tab, will join other subject-matter experts for an evolving panel of conversation, practical discussion, and audience Q&A.

Together, we’ll explore questions such as:

• How do I genuinely invite the Lord into the process of preparing for a business transition?
• What is my business worth today—and what could it be worth in the future?
• What are buyers looking for in a business that can successfully transfer to new ownership?
• What are the essential pillars that should remain in balance as I prepare for a business transition?
• How should my spouse and family participate in the preparation process?
• What ownership-transfer and monetization options should I understand before I need them?
• And perhaps most importantly: Who is God calling me to become – and what might He be calling me to do – after I am no longer operating the business?

Drawing from biblical principles and real-world experience, this event offers a unique opportunity to address one of the most important stewardship decisions a business owner will ever make.

Whether you are considering a future sale to private equity, an internal or management transition, a transfer to the next generation, or simply want to understand your options before making a decision, this experience is designed to help you prepare with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose.

This invitation-only event is open to Christian business owners and professional advisors. There is no cost to attend, and no solicitations of any kind. This gathering is simply part of the ministry of NCF North Texas as we seek to encourage faithful stewardship and Gospel impact.

Speakers

Terry Looper | President & CEO, Texon, and author of Sacred Pace

Terry Looper is President and CEO of Texon, a Houston-based energy commodities trading company he has led for decades, and the author of Sacred Pace, a book on hearing God’s leading in the midst of high-stakes decisions. As the event’s featured speaker, Terry will draw on his own experience building and leading a company through decades of change to talk about pace, discernment, and trust in the decisions that define a business’s future — including the decision to transition. His message speaks directly to owners wrestling with when, how, and whether it’s time to let go.

Joel Smyer | President & General Counsel, NCF North Texas

Joel Smyer serves as President and General Counsel of NCF North Texas, where he helps business owners and their advisors navigate the legal and financial complexities of charitable giving. As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), Joel brings specialized expertise in helping owners plan a values-driven exit or ownership transition — one that protects the business, provides for the family, and multiplies Kingdom impact. Joel will help frame the day’s conversation, connecting sound transition planning to a deeper sense of purpose and legacy.

Kevon Saber | Founding Partner of Legacy Outcomes

After selling two companies, Kevon realized that business owners were being underserved by a system built for buyers. He teamed up with his mentor, Matt Gilbert, whose 95% close rate is 3x the industry average. Together, they founded Legacy Outcomes, a sell-side M&A firm built to deliver extraordinary outcomes for owners. Before Legacy Outcomes, Kevon was the CEO of GoCheck Kids. During his leadership, GoCheck became the vision screening platform for 20,000 healthcare providers in all 50 states, and its valuation grew by over 100x. He holds an MBA from Stanford University.

Sean Hutchinson | Ready for Next USA

Sean Hutchinson serves business owners through Ready for Next USA, a firm built around a single mission: helping owners make their businesses worth more before they sell. Known for his sharp approach to valuation and “what if” scenario planning, Sean guides owners through goal identification, risk reduction, and value acceleration — work that has helped clients see meaningful gains in enterprise value. He’ll bring that expertise to the panel, helping owners understand what buyers are really looking for and how to close the value gap before it’s time to transition.

Justin Dorrah | Leap Development

Justin Dorroh is a co-founder of Leap Development, a company built to help business leaders solve people problems “from hire to retire.” Drawing on experience ranging from startups to Deloitte, Justin partners with leadership teams to build healthy culture, sound financial systems, and clear strategic focus — the same organizational health that determines whether a business is truly ready to transition. Leap’s work spans organizational development, people development, and leadership development. Justin will speak to how strong people systems make a business transition-ready long before a sale is ever on the table.

Chuck Gschwend | Co-Founder & Director of Culture and Spiritual Formation, The Eden Project

Chuck Gschwend is Co-Founder and Director of Culture and Spiritual Formation for The Eden Project, a Dallas-based ministry devoted to building healthy Kingdom leaders who reflect the loving presence of Jesus in the marketplace. Chuck leads Eden’s ten-month Eden Lead Cohorts, which have graduated more than 150 leaders from ministry, marketplace, and military backgrounds. Having tasted God’s undeserved delight and forgiveness firsthand, Chuck’s deepest hope is to help leaders experience the Father’s love as fully as he has — and to bring that same soul-work to the deeper, spiritual dimension of business transition. He and his wife, Lindy, share life together with their three adult children, Charlie, Billy, and Kate.

Duke Revard | Certified EOS Implementer™ | Co-Founder, The Eden Project

Duke Revard is a Certified EOS Implementer™ who coaches entrepreneurial leadership teams to build self-managing companies using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). He is also the co-founder of The Eden Project, a leadership development program which trains Christian leaders to connect more deeply with God, self and others. He works with privately held companies across the DFW Metroplex and beyond. Duke will speak to why operational health and leadership alignment are essential groundwork for any successful business transition.

Michael King | V.P., Charitable Wealth Strategist, National Christian Foundation

As a charitable wealth strategist and attorney at NCF, Michael King works with generous families and their professional advisors, sharing and strategies that allow them to leverage the impact of their giving by minimizing their income and estate tax liabilities.

In his role with NCF, Michael’s primary focus and expertise is facilitating charitable gifts of complex assets including closely held businesses, real estate, and intellectual property assets. He also helps families to plan their estates in a manner that dramatically increases their charitable giving, and in most cases avoids estate tax completely—regardless of the size of their estates.

Prior to joining NCF in 2006, Michael spent over ten years with an international tax and accounting firm, and a wealth management firm/multi-family office. In these roles, he counseled affluent families on a broad range of wealth management issues including both financial and non-financial aspects of wealth.

Michael received his undergraduate degree in finance from Penn State University, and his law degree from the U.C.L.A. School of Law. Michael and his wife, Tammy, were high school sweethearts and have been abundantly blessed with five children.

Agenda

7:30 AM - 8:00 AM: Registration and breakfast

8:00 AM: The problem & the opportunity – the faith-driven pathway to prepare

9:30 AM: The faith-driven pathway to transition