Entrepreneurship, Faith, and the Future: Tim Busch’s Vision for Cultural Renewal
Tim Busch is no ordinary entrepreneur. A practicing attorney turned hospitality investor, real estate developer, philanthropist, and Catholic thought leader, Busch’s life is a case study in integrating personal faith with public impact. On this episode of Going Big!, he sits down with Kevin Gentry for a sweeping conversation about business, culture, family, and the bold vision that drives it all.
A Childhood of Grit and Early Enterprise
Growing up in small-town Michigan, Busch’s entrepreneurial spark ignited early. At just seven, he was working in his father’s grocery store, sorting bottles for a few cents an hour. By eleven, when labor laws forced him to leave the store, he started his own business—delivering every newspaper in town and eventually creating a family paper-route dynasty. Those early experiences taught him discipline, customer service, and the value of hard work—long before he entered law school or launched his first company.
From Legal Practice to Real Estate to Napa Wine
After earning his law degree, Busch took a big leap—launching his own firm with limited capital and high uncertainty. As he built a client base, he began to venture into real estate, hospitality, and winemaking. Over time, this became the Busch Group, a diversified business operation that today includes luxury hotels, a winery, and other ventures. But it wasn’t just about making money. Busch saw his work as a way to bring excellence, beauty, and service into the marketplace—and to express his deeper values through entrepreneurship.
Bringing Faith into the Public Square
One of the most compelling aspects of Busch’s story is how he brings his Catholic faith into every sphere of his life. Through organizations like Legatus, which brings together Catholic CEOs, and through his founding of the Napa Institute and the Magis Center with Fr. Robert Spitzer, Busch has helped catalyze a renewal of faith-informed leadership. These institutions equip business leaders, clergy, and scholars to navigate the moral and cultural challenges of modern society with clarity and conviction.
Busch is unafraid to address the cultural currents he believes are eroding the moral foundations of American life—and just as unafraid to propose faith as the antidote. He encourages professionals of all backgrounds to lead openly with their beliefs and to recognize that expressing one’s faith at work is not only permissible but often welcomed.
Institution-Building and the Catholic University of America
Tim and his wife Steph didn’t stop at thought leadership—they invested in brick and mortar. In collaboration with leaders like Charles Koch and Art Ciocca, they helped establish the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America. Their collective $50 million gift helped breathe new life into the university, catalyzing an additional $450 million in follow-on giving and dramatically raising the school’s visibility and enrollment. It’s a signature example of how philanthropic vision can drive institutional renewal at scale.
A Message for Seekers, Leaders, and the Faithful
In the episode’s closing moments, Busch offers a message for anyone seeking purpose: be the best version of your faith tradition. Whether Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, or otherwise, he argues, living one’s faith with authenticity and courage brings joy, meaning, and a sense of shared purpose that our culture desperately needs. “If you don’t have a faith, get one,” he says simply—reminding listeners that a deeper spiritual life can often be the most transformative leap of all.
