Alumni Stories

The Believers in Business (BiB) 2022 conference was led by Sam, a graduating second-year student at the Yale School of Management. While Sam had known of InterVarsity during college, his first real connection came when he attended BiB 2021 online. After a season of prayerful reflection that summer, Sam stepped into the role of Student Advisory Board director for the 2022 conference, held in New York City that February. At Yale, Sam was actively involved in student government, where he worked alongside faculty to strengthen the school’s leadership curriculum and helped students think intentionally about their own approach to leadership. A growing theme in his life was clear: God was nurturing in him a vision for developing stronger, more thoughtful leaders. That theme carried into his summer internship at Korn Ferry, where he focused on hiring and developing leadership talent in the tech industry. “When Mark Washington reached out about BiB, it felt like a natural fit—it aligned with what God had already been doing in my life.” Sam approached his leadership of BiB with deep intentionality, especially when it came to prayer. “Mark reminded me early on that this conference ultimately belongs to God,” Sam shared. “That shifted everything—we started each step of the process by lifting it to the Lord.” From team meetings to planning details, Sam led with a posture of dependence on God. Through the process, he also began to grow in personal prayer practices. He shared three simple but meaningful ways he trained that “muscle of intentionality in prayer”: Beginning the day in Scripture, using devotionals like Search the Scriptures by Alan Stibbs. Inviting others to pray with and for him, leaning on the support of friends, family, and the BiB team. Practicing moments of praise throughout the day, whether through music, art, or quiet reflection. Sam found these rhythms not only strengthened the conference planning experience but carried into other areas of life—his classes, internship, and conversations with peers. After graduation, he joined Korn Ferry full time, continuing his passion for leadership development and staying rooted in the values that shaped his time with BiB. As an undergrad at Harvard, Shang was involved with the Harvard Radcliffe Asian American Christian Fellowship (HRAACF), a ministry of InterVarsity. Like many students, she was focused on achieving professional success, believing that her potential was limitless. However, HRAACF challenged her to consider a different path: “What if God doesn’t want you to be all that, but instead, He wants you to pursue Him?” This mindset shift was a turning point. After graduating from Harvard, Shang attended the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she sought to integrate her faith with her career and was a student leader of the InterVarsity MBA chapter there. By the time she arrived at Booth, she was determined to live a purpose-driven life. Shang’s passion project, Save My Cents, teaches everyday Americans the principles of personal finance and its relationship to mental health, sharing practical financial advice rooted in a spirit of service. She and her husband made the deliberate choice to live off one income, freeing them from the "two-income trap". Through social media, Shang’s personal finance tips resonated with a growing audience, which organically grew. After years of pouring into this project, she leaped to make it her full-time vocation in mid-2023. Published January 14th, 2025, Shang's journey came full circle with the release of her book “Wealth is a Mindset: Change Your Mind and Change Your Money”. From her book bio: "Drawing upon scientific research on psychology and neuroscience, as well as many mental health experts, Saavedra has developed a methodology called “Trigger, Action, Reward,” which identifies the root causes of unhealthy money behaviors, provides concrete suggestions on how to break those cycles, and guides readers toward an abundance mindset that leads to financial success and security. Through her online classes and coaching lessons in investing, saving for retirement, debt freedom, and more, she has helped thousands of clients implement the TAR strategy and achieve transformative change in their lives." While not overtly Christian, its principles are steeped in biblical wisdom. Shang encourages readers to confront their money problems and the mindset issues that fuel financial anxiety. She hopes that her story and teachings will inspire others to reframe their approach to wealth and walk in greater freedom.