From Charity to Prosperity: Unleashing Human Potential Through Faith and Markets

In this plenary session, Matt Hangen, CEO of Water4, will explore how faith-fueled entrepreneurship can transform global challenges like that of safe water into opportunities for prosperity. Drawing from his journey—from rural Alabama to living in African villages to building a nonprofit that empowers local heroes through profitable piped water businesses—Hangen will argue that true human flourishing emerges not from pity or charity, but from unleashing the latent potential in overlooked people through market-creating innovation. He’ll connect Water4’s success in serving millions with affordable water to the principles of free markets and human dignity, offering a blueprint for blending operational excellence with spiritual purpose. Attendees will leave inspired to rethink aid, embrace tension as a catalyst for change, and apply entrepreneurial solutions to society’s toughest problems.