Shawn Smith is chairman and CEO of Dedicated Financial GBC. When he founded the company in 2015, his vision was to build a different kind of faith-based commercial loan portfolio management company—one that connects personally with those experiencing financial hardship while also redefining how a business can serve its community. Under his leadership, the company has grown between 50% and 200% year over year in nine of its first eleven years.
Dedicated’s approach has earned strong team member loyalty, deep industry relationships, and a growing client base of like-minded companies, including organizations within the Fortune 500.
Shawn has also built a philanthropic framework that leverages the resources of Dedicated Financial GBC to improve the lives of people in need locally, nationally, and around the world. The company contributes both financial support and volunteer time to help nonprofit organizations advance their missions. Shawn and his wife, Stephanie, along with their four children, focus their family’s philanthropy on children's health and well-being, education, hunger, and other pressing social issues—areas that closely align with Dedicated’s broader commitment to serving those in need.
Shawn believes business has the greatest opportunity to change the world—and at Dedicated Financial GBC, he is working to prove it. He leads the company with a commitment to serving all stakeholders, including clients, team members, partners, and communities. He also encourages other business leaders to pursue meaningful impact by joining him and others on service trips to underdeveloped countries such as the Dominican Republic and Haiti, while promoting equal pay for comparable work and a culture where everyone feels welcomed, respected, and valued—both at Dedicated and in any organization.
Shawn is a 20-plus-year veteran of the financial services industry. Before launching Dedicated Financial GBC, he worked at several organizations where team members were often undervalued and unappreciated—experiences that helped shape his commitment to building a company grounded in fairness, dignity, and respect.
Cory Svihla is the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at Dedicated Financial GBC, a faith-based “for-profit charity" that donates over 20% of its annual profits to various non-profit organizations. In his role, Cory leads the company’s revenue strategy and growth initiatives. An experienced entrepreneur, he previously co-founded Intellex Forensics, a forensic accounting and investigative services firm, and Staylight Fitness, a health and wellness marketing company.
Cory graduated from Bethel University in 2011, where he studied to be a teacher, but quickly realized that God had a different plan for him. While at Bethel, he played football and had the opportunity to continue playing for a couple of years after college. His diverse background in financial services, marketing, and business start-ups has made him a dynamic leader with a proven track record of success.
Cory is also deeply involved in the music scene, where he has found success across multiple areas, including publishing, booking, concerts and festival management. With a non-conventional path into entrepreneurship, Cory is passionate about mentoring students and ambitious entrepreneurs.
He currently serves on the boards of the Life Time Foundation, the Jenika Francois Foundation, and previously on the associate board of Folds of Honor, demonstrating his commitment to making a positive impact in both business and the world.