Meet the IBAM Leadership Team
STEVE ADAMS
Founder & CEO
TOM CARTER
VP of Development
JEFF SAMUELSON
Director, Third Fish Academy
DANIEL L.
VP, Global Operations
Steve Adams is the Founder of International Business as Mission (IBAM), a global movement equipping Christian entrepreneurs to launch redemptive businesses that fuel church planting and disciple-making. After leaving a successful banking career, Steve built a thriving business but longed to use his unique skills for God’s Kingdom.
In 2007, he led his first business-as-mission trip to Russia, training local believers to start sustainable businesses as platforms for discipleship. Since then, IBAM has expanded worldwide—accelerating new churches and Kingdom businesses in some of the most challenging contexts. Steve’s passion: to see business used as a powerful tool to disciple nations.
Tom Carter is the co-host of the Kingdom Impact Summit and brings over 30 years of leadership experience spanning corporate, government, political, and non-profit arenas.
A seasoned executive and consultant, Tom has built a reputation for aligning organizations with their mission, delivering large-scale projects on time and under budget, and creating lasting strategic partnerships. He is recognized for his ability to develop top talent, build winning teams, and form alliances that advance both business and Kingdom impact.
With a heart for ministry and a deep belief in the power of business as mission, Tom partners with IBAM to equip leaders and entrepreneurs to steward influence and resources for sustainable, Gospel-centered transformation.
Jeff Samuelson has spent over 35 years at the intersection of business, missions, and discipleship. Together with his wife Julie, he served as a field missionary for 13 years across China, East Asia, and Singapore, including as Pioneers in Asia Director, leading field strategy and team development across the region.
That experience laid the foundation for 17 years within the business-as-mission movement, including eight years full-time with iBAM. Jeff now serves as Director of Third Fish Academy, a free online platform equipping followers of Jesus to launch small businesses as tools for Kingdom impact.
Jeff’s passion is multiplying disciples through marketplace ownership — connecting business training with church-planting movements reaching unreached people groups across Indonesia, Central Asia, and Central Africa. Jeff and Julie live in the Pacific Northwest as self-funded missionaries.
Daniel L is responsible for establishing a sustainable environment and process that supports IBAM's global partners in achieving their goals of sustainable Christ-centered business success. His teams consist of local, native-speaking business experts linked with seasoned business executives. Daniel also leads IBAM's EOS Leadership and curriculum/software development teams.
Born and raised in North Africa, Daniel meshes his 30+ years of executive-level experience in the automotive, banking, and consulting fields with his background in business ownership and passion for multiplying disciples. His work has taken him to over 20 countries on 4 continents.
Meet the IBAM Advisory Team
CAREY SUMMERS
Advisory Council
JIM BATTEN
Advisory Council
DAVE PAVLIN
Advisory Council
BRAD SYKES
Advisory Council
Cary Summers is the founder of the Nehemiah Group, established in
1998, which has led numerous global projects and initiatives. Widely
recognized as a leader in Israel tourism, he also serves on several
U.S. nonprofit boards and continues to advise organizations on faith-
based development worldwide.
As President Emeritus of the Museum of the Bible, Cary helped
spearhead its creation alongside Steve Green—overseeing the
planning, construction, and launch of the Washington, D.C. museum.
Jim Batten is a business professional with current roles as director for
QCR Holdings, Inc., chair of the board for Guaranty Bank, and
president of H2D2, LLC. His past experience includes serving as CFO
for O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. and International Dehydrated Foods, and
his community involvement includes boards such as AG Financial Solutions and Foundation Capital Resources. He holds a BS in business administration and accounting from the University of Central Missouri.
Dave Pavlin is co-founder and finance secretary of CityServe
International, a ministry that mobilizes churches to live out the Gospel
through community service, relief, and compassion initiatives.
Brad Sykes is the Founder of the Northeast Florida Christian
Chamber and Co-Host of SWAT Radio, a daily broadcast equipping
men to live out Biblical truth in business and life. A seasoned
entrepreneur and ministry leader, Brad has spent over 25 years
mentoring men and families to integrate faith and leadership.
Through his work with the Chamber, he’s helping business owners
across Northeast Florida discover that
business can be one of God’s most powerful tools for discipleship
and transformation.
Meet the IBAM Admin Team
MARIE BERG
Marketing Operations
REYNARD BALANOBA
Video & Media
IRIS VALIENTE
Project & Operations
A Word From Our Founder, Steve Adams
Hey there! I'm Steve
The motivation for International Business as Mission began when I went to Bangkok in 2004 on a mission trip with my church. Over the next ten years, we planted 30 churches and saw 1500 new believers come to Christ. It was a disciple-making movement. But something was missing.
I was a businessman. Having left a comfortable career in banking at God's urging, I started my own business and was having great success. But I couldn't see myself working as a traditional missionary in a way that would use my very particular strengths and passions. Most missionaries bring skills from medicine, education, social work, those sorts of things.
My pastor suggested I go on a business-driven mission trip. So in 2007 I got trained and went to Russia, where I launched new business startups led by entrepreneurs I had trained, who were also believers. Our aim was to build God's Kingdom by making disciples through business. When I saw the incredible impact, I realized that this is what God wanted me to do.
I started developing a program and a business training curriculum, and tested my vision in Serbia in 2009, and again in the Middle East in 2011. From there, it grew to where it is today, touching nations all over the world and accelerating new church plants alongside newly launched Christian-owned local businesses.
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