Dave Blanchard co-founded Praxis to prove that the best ventures in the world can also be the most redemptive—building the premier accelerator, fellowship, and intellectual framework for faith-driven founders.
Full name: Dave Blanchard
Role: Co-Founder & CEO, Praxis (est. 2011)
Base: New York City
Co-Founder: Josh Kwan (King #32 in Genesis constellation)
Education: Harvard Business School (MBA); prior undergraduate at a Christian liberal arts institution
Philosophy: "Redemptive entrepreneurship"—ventures that create economic value while restoring human dignity, community, and shalom
Non-equity relationship program for later-stage founders and senior leaders. 100+ fellows per year. Two-year cohorts. Includes C-suite executives from companies like Chick-fil-A, ServiceNow, and Redeemer Presbyterian networks.
Emerging leaders program for founders under 30. 50 participants per cohort. Pipeline development for future accelerator companies.
Dave Blanchard and Josh Kwan found Praxis in New York. Initial thesis: the best entrepreneurs can build ventures that are excellent AND redemptive—these aren't competing goals.
First cohort of Praxis Fellows launches. Early supporters include Tim Keller (Redeemer Presbyterian) and Andy Crouch (Christianity Today).
Accelerator program launches with first formal cohort. Focus on NYC-based ventures initially, then expands nationally.
Andy Crouch publishes "Strong and Weak" and becomes Praxis's strategic advisor. The intellectual framework of "redemptive entrepreneurship" gains currency.
Praxis Journal launches—publishing essays on faith, culture, and entrepreneurship. Partners with Comment Magazine and Cardus think tank.
Navigates pandemic pivot. Portfolio companies in healthcare and education see accelerated demand. Praxis itself shifts to virtual programming.
13th accelerator cohort. 1,200+ fellowship alumni. Recognized by Fast Company, Inc., and mainstream business press as a top-tier accelerator—not just a "faith" one.
"Redemptive entrepreneurship isn't about adding a Bible verse to your pitch deck. It's about building ventures whose core business model—the thing that makes money—is also the thing that restores something broken in the world." — Dave Blanchard, Praxis Annual Gathering, 2023
Not CSR: Redemptive entrepreneurship is not "make money then give it away." The redemption IS the business model.
Not charity: Ventures must be financially sustainable and venture-backable. No "ministry math."
Not exclusive: Non-Christian founders are welcomed if their venture's structure is redemptive. The filter is output, not identity.
Draws from: Tim Keller's "Every Good Endeavor" (faith and work theology), Andy Crouch's "Culture Making" (creative cultural participation), Cornelius Plantinga's "Not the Way It's Supposed to Be" (shalom as the standard), and secular thinkers like Michael Porter (shared value) and Muhammad Yunus (social enterprise).
EdTech companies serving under-resourced communities. Focus on workforce development and skills training for non-college pathways.
Fintech ventures serving the unbanked and underbanked. Alternatives to predatory lending. Earned-wage access platforms.
Companies providing re-entry services, alternative sentencing tech, and employer matching for formerly incarcerated individuals.
Blanchard's network is uniquely cross-cutting: Silicon Valley VCs (a16z, Founders Fund connections through alumni), Keller-adjacent Reformed intelligentsia, Harvard Business School alumni, and NYC cultural elite. This is rare—most faith-driven leaders are siloed in one of these worlds.
Praxis deliberately avoids culture-war alignment. They don't do politics. They don't take public positions on contested social issues. This is strategic—it lets them convene across ideological lines. Their events include both progressive social entrepreneurs and conservative family office LPs.
This "third way" positioning makes them accessible to a broader range of capital and talent than explicitly conservative alternatives, but it also means they lack the mobilization energy of more partisan networks. Trade-off acknowledged.
Praxis is differentiated by venture-grade rigor. Faith Driven Entrepreneur (Henry Kaestner) is broader and more accessible; Praxis is more selective and NYC-intellectual. They complement rather than compete.
Blanchard has built the definitive institution proving that redemptive intent and venture-scale ambition are not merely compatible but mutually reinforcing—creating a new category that didn't exist before Praxis.
Through Praxis application cycles (accelerator opens annually). Through fellowship nominations (requires existing network connection). Through Praxis events—annual gathering in NYC, regional dinners. Josh Kwan (co-founder) is equally accessible.
"Redemptive." "Shalom." "Creative restoration." "Not the way it's supposed to be → the way it should be." Blanchard responds to proposals that are intellectually rigorous, culturally sophisticated, and commercially viable.
LP capital for Praxis Venture Partners. Deal flow in healthcare, education, and AI ethics. Board-ready executives for portfolio companies. Strategic partnerships with mainstream VC firms seeking impact differentiation.
The man who created a new category at the intersection of Silicon Valley ambition and theological depth—proving that the most redemptive ventures can also be the most investable.