Making Your Money Match Your Faith w/Matt Johns
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Episode Description
On this episode of the On The Rise Podcast, host Nick Stromwall talks with Matt Johns, managing partner of Honey Hive Capital, where he helps Christian investors put their capital to work in ways that line up with their faith. Matt traces his path from a soup kitchen and Catholic Charities into private-market finance, and explains why ESG left him searching for real, measurable outcomes. He breaks down the framework from his book Purpose Driven Capital — stewardship, empowerment, and alignment — and shows how the "spirit behind" a real estate deal shapes how residents are treated. A thoughtful conversation on impact investing, community, and why no investment is truly neutral.
Summary
Private markets are where the foundation gets set.
Matt argues that private investments are where "the ground is tilled for the foundation of the world." Injecting values early — when a company or project is being built — shapes everything that follows, far more than buying into an already-established public company.
ESG promised impact but couldn't prove outcomes.
Coming from the nonprofit world, Matt was struck that ESG initiatives directed enormous dollars toward "impact" without demonstrating real results. The disconnect between activity and outcome became the spark for his entire framework.
Borrow the nonprofit logic model for finance.
Nonprofits track inputs, outputs, and outcomes to prove they're achieving their mission. Matt applies the same discipline to investing: it's not enough to house people (output) — the real question is whether their lives are materially changed (outcome).
The spirit behind a deal shapes the outcome.
Two sponsors can run the same property very differently. One squeezes every dollar and evicts quickly; another hires from within the community and serves residents. That intent flows directly into management decisions and the lived experience of tenants.
What you call people matters.
Naming reflects intention — "residents" instead of "tenants," "community managers" instead of "front office managers." Matt highlights a stat that many people in multifamily housing have only about 1.6 friends, and sees programming as a way to build real connection.
Serving residents can also strengthen returns.
Community events, services, and connection aren't just feel-good extras. They reduce vacancy, improve lease renewals, and lift financial performance — so serving people, while not the main motivation, tends to come back around as a financial benefit.
Three forces in tension drive purposeful capital.
In Purpose Driven Capital, stewardship (preserving and best-using resources), empowerment (affecting others), and alignment (your mission) work in tension to guide spending, investing, and giving toward intended outcomes rather than a one-size-fits-all standard.
No investment is neutral — especially in private markets.
Matt cites a Wells Fargo finding that 94% of investors want their money to align with their values, yet under 10% know what their dollars actually fund. In private markets your capital materially enables an activity, so you're creating an outcome whether you intend to or not.
Resources
Website: https://www.honeyhivecapital.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewbjohns/
Book: https://a.co/d/09xFWWMB
