Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Founder
Mike Halloran
Sponsor
TBD
Speakers

TBD

Key Topics

TBD

Description

It takes courage to step across the threshold and start a new business. Over 600,000 leaders make this big step in the United States each year. How many people dream of launching, but are unsure of the right next steps or lack the connections necessary to thrive? Making those essential connections to get started and identifying your strengths are keys to a successful business launch. This learning community provides insight into how to launch, feedback on your idea, practical lessons from entrepreneurs who have left their day job to pursue their dream job, and how to find your purpose through it all.

Business Owners

Founder
Jerry Haselmayer
Sponsor
TBD
Speakers

Jerry Haselmayer

2nd Speaker

Key Topics

TBD

Description

Small business is the lifeblood of the American economy…” that’s what they say, right? If that’s true, then it’s critical to care for and build into these business leaders. The small business learning community is your opportunity to connect with a community of like-minded peers, find inspiration, and gain the tools needed to build your company & culture with purpose. Experts will provide tangible resources and practical ideas to take your business to the next level while still thriving outside of the daily grind.

Church Leaders

Founder
Luke
Sponsor
Made To Flourish
Speakers

Rev. Mark DeYmaz

Key Topics

TBD

Description

It’s almost 2020, and we’re officially living and leading in the future. We’re on the threshold of a new moment in the American church. The old is gone, and the new must come in order for the local church to continue thriving and impacting culture with a redemptive and sustainable vision. The entrepreneurial church leader is not a “nice to have,” it is a “must have.” This learning community is designed to equip and challenge pastors and staff to think like an entrepreneur when it comes to critical mandates of church leadership for our cultural moment.

Nonprofit Leaders

Founder
TBD
Sponsor
Kindful
Speakers

CityLink

MudLove

Flywheel

Social Venture Partners

Social Entrepreneurship Alliance

Key Topics

TBD

Description

Whether you own a nonprofit, work for a nonprofit, or dream of launching a new organization to respond to a cause you are passionate about, you’re in the midst of complex work. Nonprofits often struggle with missional alignment, financial sustainability, and growing a community of support. With a foundation grounded in principles of entrepreneurship, we address those issues so that you can apply practical techniques to sustain and grow your organization to solve critical problems facing your community.

Creative Entrepreneurs

Founder
Arian Armstrong
Sponsor
TBD
Speakers

Kick Lee

Arian Armstrong

Artworks

Key Topics

TBD

Description

The phrase “Creative Entrepreneur” is not always easily embraced. Many creatives feel left out of entrepreneurial conversations, often times rightfully so because the content doesn’t speak to the unique demands of being a practitioner of creative work passionately pursuing a career rooted in the arts and creativity. This learning community welcomes musicians, artists, photographers, designers, authors, or anyone who wants to learn about embracing creativity daily while simultaneously building a sustainable business model.

Faith + Work

Founder
Kathy Book
Sponsor
Women in the Marketplace
Speakers

Kathy Book + Crew

Key Topics

TBD

Description

This learning community tackles the challenges surrounding the integration of faith and work for everyone in the marketplace. God designed us to work and this track is designed to help bridge the gap between church on Sunday and work on Monday. If you’re looking for a space to learn and grow as both a follower of Christ and a professional, this is for you.

OCEAN Conference is a 2-day event that helps you explore how to be an entrepreneur rooted in the Christian faith. Gather with like-minded leaders to gain insight, wisdom, and practical tools.

Speakers

Liz Bohannon

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Liz Bohannon

Liz Bohannon

Liz Bohannon
Liz Bohannon
Biography

Liz Is the founder of Sseko Designs. Sseko is an ethical fashion brand that works to educate and empower women. By providing employment and educational opportunities, Sseko enables women to continue their education and become leaders in their country. In four years, Sseko has grown from three women making sandals together under a mango tree, to an international fashion brand that provides employment, educational opportunities and entrepreneurial training to over 50 women in East Africa.

Using her unlikely story of a journalist-gone-shoe-maker, Liz shares her passion for social enterprise, conscious consumerism, social justice, creative leadership, gender equity, risk-taking, and empowering women. She believes deeply that business is a powerful platform for social change and that girls are our future.

She now splits her time between Uganda and Portland, Oregon, where she and her husband Ben run Sseko Designs.

Scott Beck

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Scott Beck

Scott

Beck

Scott Beck
Scott Beck
Biography

Scott Beck has spent 40 years learning about scaling businesses and supporting Champions that are helping people grow in relationship, spirit and wellness. As the CEO of Gloo he is putting that experience to work by serving Champions, helping them scale and supporting their core processes with exponential technology. Some of his experience is as follows

  • Vice Chairman and COO of Blockbuster Entertainment Corp, store 1 thru 4,000, sold to Viacom in 1994
  • Chairman and CEO of Boston Market Inc
  • Founder and Chairman of Einstein/Noah Bagel Corp
  • Founding Investor and Board member of Ancestry.com
  • Founder Investor in HomeAdvisors.com
  • Partner and investor in over 50 venture technology companies
  • Founder and CEO of Waldo’s Dollar Mart De Mexico
  • Partner and Vice Chairman of Pacific Dental Services
  • Served as a Board Member and Advisor to many Not-For-Profit enterprises over the past 30 years in the education, amateur sport, family... ecosystems
Propaganda

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Propaganda

Propaganda

Propaganda
Propaganda
Biography

With LA flowing through his veins & armed with a bold message, Propaganda has assembled a body of work that challenges and guides. Propaganda’s ideas stem from where he sits at the intersection. He sees how cultures cross and inspire one another, and can see the oneness of us all. Propaganda will cause you to nod your head, but more importantly he will stretch your mind & heart.

Todd Henry

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Todd Henry

Todd

Henry

Todd Henry
Todd Henry
Biography

Todd Henry teaches leaders and organizations how to establish practices that lead to everyday brilliance. He is the author of four books (The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Louder Than Words, and Herding Tigers) which have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and he speaks and consults across dozens of industries on creativity, leadership, and passion for work.

His book Die Empty was named by Amazon.com as one of the best books of 2013.

His latest book, Herding Tigers, is about what creative people need from their leader, and how to give it to them.

Rebekah Lyons

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Rebekah Lyons

Rebekah

Lyons

Rebekah Lyons
Rebekah Lyons
Biography

Rebekah Lyons is a national speaker and bestselling author of You Are Free: Be Who You Already Are and Freefall to Fly: A Breathtaking Journey Toward a Life of Meaning. An old soul with a contemporary, honest voice, Rebekah reveals her own battles to overcome anxiety and depression—and invites others to discover and boldly pursue their God-given purpose from a place of freedom. Finding joy in raising a special needs child—Rebekah wears her heart on her sleeve, a benefit to friends and readers alike. Her work has been featured on Good Morning America, CNN, Huffington Post, The Tennessean, Publisher’s Weekly, and more. Alongside her husband, Gabe, she serves as co-founder of Q Ideas, a nonprofit organization that helps Christian leaders winsomely engage culture. Gabe and Rebekah are raising their four children and two toy poodles in Franklin, Tennessee.

Josh Garrels

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Josh Garrels

Josh

Garrels

Josh Garrels
Josh Garrels
Biography

A native of Indiana, singer/songwriter Josh Garrels has built his career on deeply personal, introspective lyrics and exploratory sounds that range from pastoral indie folk to hip-hop.

Francis Tao

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Francis Tao

Francis

Tao

Francis Tao
Francis Tao
Biography

Francis Tao is a Sr. Product Manager at Mailchimp, and is currently leading the effort to make graphic design instant, beautiful, and on brand for Mailchimp's users. Francis is the former Founder and CEO of the startup Sawa, an automated graphic design platform. Sawa graduated the OCEAN Accelerator and Techstars programs, and was acquired by Mailchimp in February of this year. His current focus is helping Mailchimp's small business users punch above their weight, and create marketing that looks world class with the click of a button. He is married to his wonderfully supportive wife Joanna, and they have a 3-year-old daughter, Lydia.

Brian Tome

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Brian Tome

Brian

Tome

Brian Tome
Brian Tome
Biography

Brian Tome is the founding and senior pastor of Crossroads Church, 2017's fastest-growing church in America. Brian has authored three books including his latest best-seller, The Five Marks of a Man. He also hosts The Aggressive Life podcast. As an entrepreneur, Brian helped start other non-profits including CityLink Center which focuses on generational poverty, OCEAN the first faith-based business accelerator, and the largest AIDS hospice in South Africa. An avid adventure motorcyclist, Brian rides tens of thousands of miles and camps more than 30 nights a year. He is married with three children and lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Learning Communities

Business
Owners

Mike Halloran

Aspiring
Entrepreneurs

Jerry Haselmayer

Church
Leaders

Luke

Nonprofit
Leaders

Kindful

Creative
Entrepreneurs

Arian Armstrong

Faith
+ Work

Kathy Book

Register

Early Bird Admission

$139

Student Admission

$49

About Us

OCEAN Conference is hosted by OCEAN Accelerator Inc, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization based in Cincinnati, Ohio that serves entrepreneurs by providing access to training, community, and a foundation of faith on which to launch new organizations.  

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