Summit to Success

Shawn Smith is chairman and CEO of Dedicated Financial GBC located in Shoreview Minnesota. He has been married to his wife Stephanie for over 13 years and they have four children ages three to 17 years old. When Shawn founded Dedicated in 2015, his vision was to create a new kind of commercial loan portfolio management company, combining both a new model of connecting on a personal level with those in financial trouble and a new corporate philanthropy model.

Shawn created a model of philanthropy that leverages the resources of Dedicated Financial GBC to improve communities around the world, donating both money and time to help nonprofits achieve their missions. Shawn and his wife, Stephanie, have focused their personal philanthropy on children’s health and well-being, education, hunger, and other social issues. Shawn believes that businesses have the greatest opportunity to change the world and Dedicated is taking steps to prove that. He has embraced a multi-stakeholder approach to leadership, serving all stakeholders including clients, team members, business partners, and communities-to make the world a better place.

Shawn is a 20-year veteran of the financial services industry. Prior to launching Dedicated Financial GBC, he worked at various companies where team members were devalued and unappreciated, thus fueling his passion for justice and equality in business as well as in life.

JR Nguyen, husband and father of three, is the Founder and President of JRL Logistics, Inc. JR is a successful entrepreneur running a multistate logistics company partnering with industry giant FedEx. Facing adversity from a young age, JR’s diverse upbringing motivated him to work hard and stay focused.

An Ohio native and proud Tiffin University 4-year alumni athlete, JR received his B.S. in Marketing in 2004. In conjunction with being a successful business owner, JR serves as a Surgical Consultant for one of the top medical companies in the world. As an intrapreneur as well, JR has poised himself as a top-of-class leader among companies such as Abbott Labs, Stryker Orthopedics, and BD over the past 19 years.