Business and economics faculty
David Befus, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Business
Ph.D., University of Miami
M.B.A., University of Michigan
B.A., Wheaton College
712-707-7203
david.befus@nwciowa.edu
Profile
Dr. Befus joined Northwestern's business faculty after spending two years overseeing a post-earthquake reconstruction program for Compassion International in Haiti. A former missionary kid who grew up in Puerto Rico and speaks Spanish fluently, he is an entrepreneur who believes business and economics can be a tool for Christian ministry.
Much of his career has centered on micro finance development: He served as president of Latin America Mission and international director of micro finance for World Vision. He is also the author of Where There Are No Jobs: Practitioner's Manual for Changing the World Through Enterprise, which has been listed as one of the top 25 books on social enterprise.
Befus has an MBA in international business and a doctorate in economic development. He has also taught at Azusa Pacific University and Westmont College.
Publications and presentations
- Where There Are No Jobs: Practitioner's Manual for Changing the World Through Enterprise, Baraka Press, Nigeria, 2011
- "Kingdom Business Revisited: The Case of Northern Colombia," Evangelical Missions Quarterly, Vol. 46, No. 2, April 2010
- Chapter: "Economic Development and Holistic Mission," in Business As Mission: From Impoverished to Empowered, EMS #14, 2006
- Chapter: "Transformation Lending: Helping Microenterprises Become Small Businesses," in The New World of Microenterprise Finance, Kumarian Press, 1994
Professional experience
- Manager of Income Generation-Haiti, Compassion International
- Venture Capital Manager, Asociacion Para El Desarrollo Integral, Sincelejo, Colombia
- President, Latin America Mission, Miami
- International Director of Micro Finance, World Vision International
- Regional Director for Latin America, Opportunity International
- Professor of Business Administration, Westmont College
- Management Consultant, Arthur Young and Company, Miami
