Team
Matt Pinto is the founder of The Genesis Group and Spark Catholic Communications and co-founder of the Theology of the Body Institute, Envoy Magazine, The Maximus Group, and CatholicExchange.com. He has been at the forefront of multiple Catholic initiatives since the early 1990s.
In 1998 he founded Ascension Press (Ascension), leading the Catholic publisher and media outlet to global prominence as its president and CEO until 2021.
Matt is a New York Times bestselling author who has written more than a dozen books. These include the Amazing Grace series, Did Adam & Eve Have Belly Buttons, Freedom: Twelve Lives Transformed Through the Theology of the Body, and A Guide to The Passion: 100 Questions About the Passion of the Christ. Matt is a founding member of the Catholic Marketing Network and a recipient of the Outstanding Catholic Leadership Award from the Catholic Leadership Institute He and his wife Maryanne have been married for 29 years and reside with their children in suburban Philadelphia.
David is an experienced entrepreneur and M&A advisor with over two decades of experience working with small to middle-market private companies. He founded Emerge Dynamics, a business value growth advisory company, and serves as CFO for a large family-owned portfolio of companies. With a background in aeronautical engineering and multiple business and finance certifications, David also teaches financial modules for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program and has taught economics and M&A courses at various universities.
David has been working for over twenty years with small and middle-market private companies in capacities ranging from entrepreneur to middle-market investment banker and M&A advisor. He has led numerous strategic planning, M&A valuation, financial analysis, and CFO engagements.
After beginning his career as an aeronautical engineer for Lockheed Martin, he made a transition to business by founding a flight training company and an air charter company. Since that time, he has worked as a partner or advisor with numerous businesses in the United States and internationally.
David founded the business value growth advisory company Emerge Dynamics and also works as CFO of a 400-person family-owned portfolio of companies. He facilitates the financial modules of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program, has taught economics courses at both Tulane University and Delgado Community College, and a Mergers and Acquisitions course at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. David holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University, an M.A. in Economics from University of Texas at Arlington, an M.B.A. with finance and international business concentrations from Tulane University, and the Certified Turnaround Analyst (CTA), Certified Merger and Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA), Certified Value Builder (CVBA), and the Certified Value Growth Advisor (CVGA) designations.
David’s diverse career is tied together by the unifying theme of identifying opportunities where others see problems and wrapping strategies of success around them. He resides in New Orleans with his wife and five children. He enjoys flying, sailing, hiking, visiting and learning from foreign cultures, and being an advocate for those discovering how a calling to business can lead to a fulfilling vocation of improving our world.
With over 40 years of experience in executive and financial functions, Eric has served as CFO in various industries and successfully led Pamlab, Inc. through a significant exit. He now advises on value growth M&A at Emerge Dynamics, LLC and contributes to the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program. Eric holds a B.A. in Accounting from Loyola University of New Orleans and certifications as a Value Growth Advisor and Value Builder.
Eric’s career includes over 40 years of deep experience across executive, administrative, and financial accounting functions. He has served in the role of CFO in several public and private companies in the pharmaceutical and oilfield services industries and has executed more than 30 M&A transactions. As CEO of Pamlab, Inc., Eric guided the company through a successful exit to the Health Sciences division of Nestle.
Today Eric works as a value growth M&A advisor to select small and middle market private companies throughout the region and internationally as a partner in Emerge Dynamics, LLC. In addition to working with Emerge Dynamics, Eric facilitates the financial models of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program.
He holds a B.A. in Accounting from Loyola University of New Orleans and holds the Certified Value Growth Advisor (CVGA) and Certified Value Builder designations.
Jim Gabriele is a tech savvy executive with more than 30 years of experience driving growth and leading organizational transformations as a CEO, Fortune 50 leader, and strategist. In his most recent CEO role, Jim led M2Gen, an oncology focused informatics portfolio company of the private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier and Rice, which focused on advancing precision medicine through the collection and application of clinical and molecular data.
Prior to M2Gen, Jim was Chief Strategy and Analytics Officer of Johnson & Johnson’s Global Medical Devices business unit. At J&J, he also held senior operating and strategy roles in the Pharmaceutical and Consumer units.
Previously, Jim was Managing Director and COO of Henry Rak Consulting Partners, a successful strategy and analytics company serving global pharmaceutical, medical device and CPG companies. He sold the business to McKinsey & Company, where he served as an operating partner.
Jim earned a B.A. in Economics & Government from the College of William & Mary and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He serves on the advisory board of Finpay Holdings and leads several professional and civic organizations in Valley Forge, Pa., where he resides with his wife Helen and their six children.
Tom serves as a writer and advisor at Genesis, with previous experiences at On Deck and Google. He is an active angel investor and has provided professional writing and consulting services to startup founders, venture capital firms, and F500 executives. An avid skier and bibliophile, Tom also authors a free weekly newsletter on books, behavior, psychology, and philosophy at www.whitenoise.email.
Tom works as both writer and advisor at Genesis. After stints at both On Deck and Google, Tom now works as solopreneur: writing, editing, researching, and ghostwriting professionally for a number of startup/F500 executives, VCs, and fund managers; advising and consulting on web3/growth/storytelling/customer psychology for a number of different international B2B and B2C startups; and penning a free weekly newsletter on books and behavior, psychology and philosophy: www.whitenoise.email. A bibliophile and avid skier, Tom is equally comfortable in a bookstore or out on the slopes.
John is a business executive and consultant, currently serving as the President of the Catholic Finance Association and Executive Director of the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference. His career includes significant roles within the Ave Maria Foundation family of non-profit institutions, driving record-setting business development outcomes, and he now advises numerous organizations including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Holding a B.A. in International Relations and Comparative Religion, a Juris Doctorate, and a Fellowship Certificate in Leadership, he is also an active real estate investor and hosts the “Faith and Finance Forum” program.
John Matthew Knowles is a business executive, advancement strategist, and consultant. He currently serves as President of the Catholic Finance Association, the membership organization for Catholic financial professionals; and Executive Director of the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference, the membership organization for COOs, CFOs, and other c-suite executives on staff of Catholic dioceses throughout North America and beyond. He also serves on a number of governing and advisory boards, and frequently speaks to conferences, corporate retreats, and symposia of all kinds.
Mr. Knowles worked as a divisional director and managing strategist within the Ave Maria Foundation family of non-profit institutions, all founded by the renowned Catholic philanthropist and former Domino’s Pizza Chairman, Tom Monaghan. Mr. Knowles served as the first Director of Development and External Affairs at Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, Florida and later Legatus Director for the Northeast and International, based in metropolitan New York City. He drove record-setting business development outcomes, and served on the four-person global strategic leadership committees for each organization.
He is the co-founder and current board Treasurer of Catholics At The Shore, an annual upscale conference retreat held each Spring in Stone Harbor, New Jersey; and is a governing board member for Array of Hope, a New Jersey-based multimedia firm. Mr. Knowles advises the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI), Aquinas Wealth Advisors, and provides informal, confidential, personal counsel to many prominent Catholic lay leaders across America. He is the Founder, executive producer, and host of the “Faith and Finance Forum” interview program, which is available monthly on YouTube and in podcast format on all major platforms.
Mr. Knowles holds a B.A. in International Relations and Comparative Religion from Western Michigan University; a Juris Doctorate from Michigan State University; and a Fellowship Certificate in Leadership from Michigan State University. His professional and philanthropic achievements in Florida earned him recognition from Gulfshore Business Magazine as a 2011 “40 Under 40” Award honoree. His memberships include Legatus, Union League of Philadelphia, The Steel Club of Bethlehem, and the Knights of Columbus. In 2009, he married Jennifer Knowles, the couple are blessed with two children.
Principals
Our Motivation. Our Mission.
Stewardship and industry are virtues praised in business. Not surprisingly, they are also praised in sacred scripture, most notably in the parable of the talents (Mt. 25).
In short, we honor God by utilizing the gifts He has given us in exemplary ways.
We believe the best secular businesses are those fueled by a missionary spirit, and the best ministries are those run with the diligence of a business.
To assist businesses and ministries in carrying out this dual focus, we have launched The Genesis Group.
The Genesis Group is a Catholic entity that creates or accelerates other Catholic entities. We provide capital and counsel to businesses and ministries, teaching them how to lead themselves in a dynamic manner.
This is our motivation and our mission.
We look forward to assisting your mission. May the Lord generously bless you in your pursuits.
Investors/AdvisorsThe Genesis Group
Dave is the Executive Chairman and co-founder of Best Version Media. Under his leadership, the company has become one of the fastest-growing media companies in North America. With a track record of building and exiting businesses, he has also founded non-profits and made his mark as a best-selling author, radio personality, and professional speaker, training over 150,000 people.
Ward is the CEO and Senior Managing Principal of EQT Exeter, a global real estate equity fund investment group, which under his leadership has raised over $15 billion in equity capital and made over 1,000 real estate transactions. Before Exeter, he was part of the senior management team at Rouse/Liberty Property Trust, a publicly traded REIT. Alongside his business roles, Ward holds board or advisory positions with several organizations and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and the University of Notre Dame.
Tim Irvine has been with Creative Financial Group since 1993 and is a Senior Partner. Tim is a specialist in a wide array of financial services and has received multiple professional awards from his financial industry peers. He is a graduate of St. Joseph’s Prep, Philadelphia, and the University of Delaware.
Euse is the Executive Chairman and CEO of Achristavest Developers and Icona Resorts, and Chairman of Mita Management, with a successful career spanning multiple businesses focused on real estate. Known for his ability to coordinate teams and his attention to detail, he has led Achristavest to develop picturesque waterfront properties. Beyond his business endeavors, Eustace serves as the first lay president of the Papal Foundation, extending charity globally in collaboration with the Catholic laity and clergy.
Matt is the founder and former president and CEO of Ascension Press. He is also the founder The Genesis Group and Spark Catholic Communications and co-founder of the Theology of the Body Institute, Envoy Magazine, The Maximus Group, and CatholicExchange.com. He has authored more than a dozen books and Catholic educational resources and served on a variety of boards.
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