Princeton Seminary | Shark Tank
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Imagining the Future

A Laboratory for Church Leaders

Winners of the “Shark Tank”

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First Place: Kristen’s Kitchen

Kristen Levens ’18 MDiv/MACEF and Chris McNabb ’16 developed Kristen’s Kitchen—a culinary training program for women who are released from prison. The initiative is designed to give them job training and an opportunity for work at a pop-up restaurant. They’ll prepare and serve meals to residents in the community, assist in hosting monthly cooking classes for community members, and prepare frozen meals for purchase.

The program, which will be run out of the social hall or kitchen of a church will also offer individual and group therapy and weekly worship.

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SECOND PLACE: HIGH GRAVITY

Michael Cartledge ’17 MDiv/MACEF, Sarah Logemann ’18, and Colleen Tolan ’16 designed High Gravity, a Christian ministry that creates fellowship through craft beer brewing classes. The project will target Christians who are passionate about “craft culture” and are interested in building meaningful relationships with their neighbors.

The developers of High Gravity believe that evangelism is as simple as walking alongside others and sharing in their spiritual journeys. In addition to offering brewing classes, High Gravity will also sell homebrew kits. During homebrew classes, participants will learn how to brew their own beer, and also how to live missionally. The hope is that participants will use the resources and training High Gravity provides to create communities where people can belong, share their stories with one another, and journey together.

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THIRD PLACE: CREATIVE KIDS

The third-place winners Daniel Amoako ’18 and Andrew Fairfield ’16 proposed Creative Kids, an affordable afterschool program for elementary school children. Designed for Princeton Seminary students who are living at the Charlotte Rachel Wilson Apartments, the program is designed to “bridge the gap” and provide childcare for children between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.

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HONORABLE MENTION: JUBILEE COLLECTIVE

Dontae Phillips ’16, Leanne Ketcham ’17, and Michael Reed ’18 developed the Jubilee Collective, a Christian financial ministry. It consists of a network of churches and families who will offer free debt relief counseling and financial and budget management services to help individuals and families get out of debt.

As a Christian charity, the Jubilee Collective is designed to help people win the struggle between life and debt, lift burdens, and find a life with new hope.

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“Not all seminarians have the opportunity to design their dream ministry and then develop it, but I wonder what the church would look like if they did.”

—Michael Paul Cartledge ’17 MDiv/MACEF, second place winner of the “Shark Tank

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Winners of “Shark Tank” micro-grants, Leanne Ketcham ’17, Sarah Longemann ’18, Michael Cartledge ’17 MDiv/ MACEF, Daniel Amoako ’18, and Kristen Levens ’18 MDiv/MACEF with Professor Kenda Creasy Dean

Educating faithful Christian leaders.

Senior Pastor, Asbury United Methodist Church, Atlantic City, NJ

Latasha Milton, Class of 2018

“My passion is doing what I can to empower and liberate people who are hurting. PTS has made me a better person and pastor because it’s given me the tools to better serve the oppressed and marginalized.”