APPROACH
Our posture
We are rooted in Christian philosophical convictions about the human person and committed to public reason: careful argument, intellectual hospitality, and the refusal of partisan capture. We pursue work that can be criticized, strengthened, and shared across differences.
WHO WE ARE
The people shaping NOVUS
Brandon Rickabaugh, PhD
Founder & President
Brandon Rickabaugh is a philosopher, award-winning author, and public intellectual working at the intersection of consciousness, human nature, technology, and human flourishing. Educated at Baylor University and a former professor of philosophy, his training includes analytic philosophy, phenomenology, neuroscience, and spiritual formation. He has given talks at Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Berkeley, and UCLA. His research explores the nature of the human soul, mind (thought, emotion, desire), the will, embodiment, and what human flourishing requires in a technological age.
As Founder and President of NOVUS, Brandon provides vision and strategic leadership, developing public resources and consulting work that translate soul-level reality into applied wisdom for decision about contemporary life, especially amid accelerating technology and AI.
James Catford
Founding Chair, Vice President
James Catford brings decades of global leadership at the intersection of publishing, culture, and spiritual life. During a publishing career in London with Hachette and HarperCollins, James was responsible for a number of high-profile biographies and the adult work of C.S. Lewis. In 2006 he launched and chaired Theos, the UK’s leading think tank on religion and society. He went onto strengthen cross-party work in Parliament and to contend for the credibility of Christian resources in the media and arts.
For ten years, James served as vice-chair of the Amity Printing Company in China, the world’s largest provider of Bibles. He has chaired the renewal movement Renovaré and SPCK, the UK’s third-oldest publisher (1698) and served as Chief Executive of the British and Foreign Bible Society. A frequent visitor to the United States, he is a consultant in education, business, ministry, and public life, Chair of the Center for Christianity and Public Life in Washington, D.C., and literary advisor to the estate and family of Richard Foster.
Tomas Pfister, PhD.
Founding Board Member
Tomas Pfister (PhD, Oxford, BA, Cambridge) is Head of Cloud AI Research at Google, where he leads the invention of cutting-edge AI solutions. Before Google, he cofounded Apple’s central AI research group. His work has shaped significant technologies, including Face ID (iPhone X), autonomous driving, sign language translation, and state-of-the-art models for forecasting and data prediction. He completed his PhD in deep learning at Oxford and a BA in computer science at Cambridge. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, his work has been featured in Forbes, Wired, and Business Insider. Tomas is passionate about spiritual formation in the Way of Jesus and is a graduate of the Renovaré Institute. He brings to NOVUS the rare combination of someone at the leading edge of AI who understands, from the inside of a living faith, what is genuinely at stake for human beings in its development.
Aman Mengistu
Founding Board Member
Amanuel Mengistu is the founder and managing director of Uppermost Media, a custom publishing and strategic communications firm serving mission-driven organizations across four continents. Uppermost delivers editorial, design, and communications strategy for clients, including Alpha International, Ethiopian Airlines, and United Bible Societies. Aman formerly served on the editorial team of Prison Fellowship and was the founding project manager of the African Biblical Leadership Initiative. Amanuel holds an MA in Public Policy from George Mason University's Schar School and is a graduate of the Renovaré Institute for Spiritual Formation.
Sue Radford
Founding Board Member
Sue Radford is a communications, PR and media consultant, coach and trainer, with senior leadership experience across the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. Over a 30-year broadcast career, Sue worked with the BBC, Sky News, and ITV as a journalist, reporter, and newsreader. She now coaches leaders in key messaging, clear communication and confident presentation skills. Sue has served as Chair and Director of Jerusalem Productions/Four8 Media and was the inaugural Executive Director of Intermission Youth, a charity using theatre, Shakespeare, and film to expand opportunity for disadvantaged young people. Sue is passionate about theatre and cinema and has been a voting member of the British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA) for nearly 30 years.
Laura Rickabaugh
Founding Board Member
Laura Rickabaugh serves as Treasurer of NOVUS. With B.A. degrees in Education, French, and dance (Chapman University, Orange, CA), and an M.Ed. (Concordia University, Irvine, CA). She has 19 years of experience as a professional educator and currently teaches 4th-grade at Jupiter Christian School in Jupiter, Florida. She has received several teaching awards and education grants, including a grant for technological applications in education. In the classroom, she is known for her thoughtful care for students and her commitment to forming both minds, hearts, and character. Her work keeps her close to the lived realities school administrators, educators, families and children face as they navigate an increasingly technological world.
Eff Martin
Advisory Board Member
Eff W. Martin is founding partner of Anthos Capital and a retired Managing Director and Partner of Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he helped build the firm’s High Technology business. Over three decades in investment banking, he advised leading technology companies—including Apple, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft—on strategic transactions and long-term growth. He has served on major boards, including the Pepperdine University Board of Regents, the San Francisco Symphony, the Stanford University Athletic Board, and the advisory board of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. He chairs the Advisory Board of the Martin Institute at Westmont College, co-founded the Center for Conscientious Leadership, a values-based community that mentors young professionals in character, purpose, and integrity.
Watch Eff’s two-hour interview on his work in early Silicon Valley, helping Apple navigate a crisis, and backing Steve Jobs from NeXT back to Apple.
Derek Holser
Founding Board Member
Derek Holser (M.Ed., M.Th., J.D.) is an author, educator, and attorney whose work sits at the crossroads of educational leadership, nonprofit governance, and the moral imagination. He has served in executive roles across higher education and charities, including Executive Vice President and Vice Chairman of Wave Leadership College, Executive Director of the Common Good Foundation, and President of Advocatus, LLC. His legal practice focused on nonprofit formation, compliance, and intellectual property, including work as Of Counsel with Anchor Legal Group. Derek has ghostwritten more than a dozen books for global leaders and writes fiction for young readers. From Bainbridge Island he hosts The Plunge with Derek Holser podcast, exploring formation through the Inklings. At NOVUS, he helps translate soul-knowledge into public wisdom.
MadelineMarie Nettles
Research Associate
MadelineMarie Nettles is a Research Associate at NOVUS and an adjunct professor of philosophy at Palm Beach Atlantic University. She holds a B.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies and an M.A. in Philosophy of Religion from Palm Beach Atlantic University, where she studied with Dr. Brandon Rickabaugh. Over the past four years, she has assisted Dr. Rickabaugh’s research and writing, supporting peer-reviewed publications and academic book projects. Her interests include philosophy of mind, philosophy of technology, personalism, and spiritual formation.