Workmatters Institute
Work with purpose. Live on mission.
The Workmatters Institute is a faith and leadership development program for young professionals interested in integrating their faith and work. Regardless of industry or sphere, embracing the whole story of God is the key to conquering the practical challenges of growing a career and growing leaders who have eternal impact on the world.
Through three months of weekly classroom training and twelve months of mentoring provided by an executive leader, the Workmatters Institute provides a unique discipleship and career development experience based on biblical principles. At the intersection of theology, leadership and community, it is 100% spiritual formation and 100% professional development.
Past participants have gone on to create design concepts that empower those who lack privilege, drive initiatives that support the local community, and lead startups built on workplace authenticity.



Theology
Community
Leadership
The Workmatters Institute brings clarity to the purpose of work, and the personal and professional development is mind-boggling. You can never approach your work the same.
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Spiritual Formation
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Professional Development
Hear real stories of life change from the participants themselves.View Videos
Executive Leaders on Call
Connect with world-class speakers and mentors.
Uniquely positioned in Northwest Arkansas—home to three Fortune 500 companies, including the world’s largest retailer, and with a corporate presence of more than 1,300 national brands—Workmatters draws from executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders from every industry you can imagine, each with a unique faith story and calling to serve Christ in the marketplace.
As a participant in the Workmatters Institute, you will have the opportunity to take part in a mentoring group with one of these leaders for ten months. Build life-long friendships and a career-anchoring faith foundation for work.

Cheryl Bachelder
Former CEO of Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen

Donnie Smith
Former CEO of Tyson Foods

Shelley Simpson
EVP; Chief Commercial Officer; President, Highway Services at J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc.

Henry Ho
Cofounder & Partner at Field Agent

Elise Mitchell
Three-Time CEO, Leadership Strategist, Executive Coach, Author and Speaker

Mitch Bettis
President of Arkansas Business Publishing Group
Live Digital Experience
Join early-career professionals from across the country.
As a participant in the Workmatters Institute, you will take part in a weekly Zoom classroom experience to discuss topics covering the theology of work, addressing brokenness in the workplace, and what it means to be a Christ-centered leader.
You will also hear from top-level executives, leadership experts, and entrepreneurs as they share their own stories and how they have integrated faith into not only their day jobs but the rest of life.
Each weekly two-hour class session contains a teaching, group discussion, and Q&A. In addition to the class sessions and your mentoring group, you will also be charged with developing a project that addresses an area of brokenness in your own workplace.

Project Highlight
: Lunch on Purpose
Uncertain about his calling and where God wanted him to be, Nic Taylor spent most of his time as a senior art director at Walmart speeding from one task to the next. Nic took what he learned at the Workmatters Institute and began having “lunch on purpose” with individual coworkers. His intentionality around work and with those he leads helped him realize that God was at work around him all along. This has created lasting impact on his team and how he leads.
Schedule and Cost
One year to jump start a whole new take on work
Join the Mission
The Workmatters Institute is growing.
We believe that God desires to redeem and renew all cultures, and that every work of renewal happens at a local level. For 16 years, Workmatters has seen global impact while cultivating deep roots in Northwest Arkansas. We deeply desire to make the Workmatters Institute experience available in other places, joining other influencers in cultivating and stewarding faith-and-work movements in their cities.
The vision for Workmatters Institute is to equip a generation for biblical leadership, confident that leaders who are connected to God’s purposes will transform the marketplace and strengthen the community fabric of their city.
If you are interested in joining our mission by planting the Workmatters Institute in your city, contact Ben Kirksey at bkirksey@workmatters.org.