Glean: Investing In Spiritual Entrepreneurs And New Models Of Faith In Action
At a moment in which roughly 4,000-7,000 churches and synagogues close each year, there has been a promising upswell of emergent models of spiritual connection that has gone largely unnoticed, overshadowed by the headlines of institutional religion’s decline. While the success of these new models is promising, the lack of support – training, funding, coaching, and in-kind services – available to them is alarming. Should the faith-based philanthropic world continue to funnel funds primarily into sustaining legacy institutions, not only are these entrepreneurs and their ventures at risk, but so too is the ancient wisdom upon which they are founded.
Glean is the world’s first incubator and network for spiritual entrepreneurs. We not only provide the entrepreneurship education of a leading venture incubator, but we also incorporate an integrated layer of spiritual development for our multifaith cohort that is largely absent from this emerging field. And through a one-of-a-kind partnership with Columbia Business School, Glean equips its entrepreneurs with the highest-level training to seize the abundant opportunity in this time of great change in American religion, and build sustainable ventures that will flourish for years to come.
About Glean
Who We Serve
Glean is designed to build and grow a network of spiritual entrepreneurs.
Spiritual entrepreneurs are leaders seeking to embrace the abundant opportunity in today’s shifting religious landscape by building new ventures that work toward character formation, human flourishing, and communal wellbeing.
How We Serve
Glean SHIFT: A 7-week intensive equipping participants with the mindsets and tools to embrace the realities of American spirituality today, and the skills to build for tomorrow.
Glean START: A 10-week Certificate in Spiritual Entrepreneurship course with Columbia Business School taught by CBS faculty and other field experts.
Get Involved
Are you a faith-rooted leader, seminary student, or spiritually-integrated entrepreneur? Learn with Glean.
Are you an affiliate with an organization or denomination looking to spark new models? Partner with Glean.
Are you a professional with skills and wisdom to offer our network? Share your expertise with Glean.
Glean And Clal
Glean was founded in January 2017 by Clal: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, a think tank and resource center that is building a world where Jewish wisdom is a public good accessible to all.
Championing Clal’s commitment to religious pluralism, Glean sees its unique positioning in a multifaith space as one of its most valuable assets.
Our Team
Executive Vice President
Rabbi Elan Babchuck
Rabbi Elan Babchuck is committed to leaving behind a world that is more compassionate and connected than the one he found. In pursuit of that commitment, he serves as the Executive Vice President at Clal, the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, and the Founding Executive Director of Glean Network, which partners with Columbia Business School. He was ordained in 2012 and earned his MBA that year, as well.
A sought-after thought leader, he has delivered keynotes at stages ranging from TEDx to the US Army’s General Officer Convocation, published in The Atlantic, The Guardian, Washington Post, and Religion News Service, has a column for The Wisdom Daily, contributed to Meaning Making – 8 Values That Drive America’s Newest Generations (2020, St. Mary’s Press) and is the co-author of the forthcoming book Picking Up the Pieces: Leadership After Empire (2023, Fortress Press).
President Emeritus
Rabbi Irwin Kula
Rabbi Irwin Kula is a disruptive spiritual innovator and rogue thinker. A 7th generation rabbi he is Co-President of Clal–The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership a do-tank committed to making Jewish a Public Good. A thought leader on the intersection of innovation, religion, and human flourishing, Irwin has worked with leaders from the Dalai Lama to Queen Noor and with organizations, foundations, and businesses in the United States and around the world to inspire people to live with greater passion, purpose, creativity and compassion.
Glean Faculty
Jack McGourty, Ph.D.
Jack McGourty Ph.D. (Columbia) is Director of Community and Global Entrepreneurship at the Columbia Business School and a faculty member teaching courses in entrepreneurship, venture creation, and product innovation. Prior to joining the Columbia Business School, Jack was Vice Dean for Columbia’s Engineering School.
Our Partners
Glean Alumni Ventures Include:
