Our monthly gatherings aim to offer an informational and positional advantage for attendees, whether de-risking investments or servicing deals. Our events are free, thanks to our strategic partners. We invite you to the next topical session.
August 18th, 2026 | 2 PM - 3:30 PM CST
The Fort Worth Club, 12th Floor, Sunset-Trinity Room
306 W 7th St, Fort Worth, TX 76102
Free to attend, thanks to our strategic partners.
Comped parking in the Fort Worth Club building.
Overflow comped parking at Cowtown Place Garage - 733 Throckmorton Street
Capital Flow for Rescue & Recovery Missions: Faith & Humanitarian Security
A professional gathering and panel offering insights on battling human trafficking, with touchpoints relevant to regional lending and broader capital markets.
Free to attend, thanks to our strategic partners. Newcomers are welcome.
Featured Panelists
Wes Lyons
General Partner at Eagle Venture Fund
Wes Lyons leads Eagle's investment theme of combating human trafficking. Wes has previously been a co-founder in two private equity funds focused on real estate and venture capital, helping to lead over $1B in real estate and venture deals. Wes was also a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy, where he was the officer in charge of the US Navy detachment to the Philippines in 2018, assisting the Filipino military in re-taking a city from ISIS.
Wes’s passion for freedom was born during his service as a naval aviator fighting ISIS in the Philippines, where he witnessed the devastating impact of exploitation on children and communities. That experience fuels his commitment to market-based solutions that dismantle trafficking and build pathways out of poverty.
Jamie Fraser
CEO
Xcheck1
Jamie grew up in a career military family, where service seemed like a family business. Following college, he embarked on his own military journey in the 1990s, piloting helicopters for the United States Army. In 2000, he made a significant transition and joined HCS-5, one of the two Naval Special Operations Helicopter squadrons in the entire Navy. Over the course of nearly a decade, Jamie had the profound honor of serving 10 tours in Iraq from 2003 to 2012, working alongside some of this nation’s finest Warriors.
People often ask him, “What do you miss about the military?” Jamie's response is always the same: “TEAMS.” He doesn't long for the deployments, the late-night brownout landings at the X, under zero illumination, and wearing Night Vision Goggles. What he genuinely misses is the sense of camaraderie and the bond with the “TEAM”, incredible men who faced those challenges alongside him.
Now, at XCHECK, he has discovered his next team – a group of true professionals who share a commitment to excellence. The name “Xcheck” originates from our final checklist; it was the moment when, outside the wire, the aircraft was ready, and the weapons were hot, and the “Xcheck” was complete. This ethos of thoroughness and dedication to the mission continues to drive XCHECK every day.
Paul Slough
District Director for
Texas State Rep. Jared Patterson
Paul Slough embodies service, sacrifice, and earned credibility.
He is a veteran of the Iraq War and a principal figure in Raven 23, the HarperCollins-published book chronicling the wrongful prosecution and imprisonment of American warfighters. Paul has lived through extraordinary personal and institutional trials.
Rather than being defined by that injustice, he has gone on to serve with distinction in the Texas Legislature, including leadership roles in the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives.
His background gives him a rare combination of battlefield-tested resilience, public-sector leadership, and firsthand understanding of risk, responsibility, and consequence.
Invocation Leader
Pastor Lance Cashion
CEO, Forge Room Foundation
Lance Cashion | Founder & CEO, Forge Room Foundation | Elder & Lay-Pastor, King's Cross Fellowship
Fort Worth, Texas native with 25+ years of integrated leadership across ministry, business, and community service.
Lance is the Founder & CEO of the Forge Room Foundation and an elder and lay-pastor at King's Cross Fellowship in Fort Worth. From 2014–2023, he served as a Local Outreach Pastor, overseeing domestic outreach, grant funding, and strategic partnerships at a Fort Worth church.
Before ministry, Lance built a diverse business career — owning a wealth management firm and insurance agency, serving as CTO and VP of Marketing at one of the nation's largest privately owned insurance agencies, and building a successful career in the electronic music industry as an artist, label owner, and promoter.
A commissioned Colson Fellow, Lance received the Charles W. Colson Medal in 2022 for pioneering Colson Fellows programs in the local church. He serves on several nonprofit boards, the Tarrant County 5 Stones Taskforce, and Texas Governor Abbott's GRACE initiative. His anti-trafficking work has taken him to Northern Iraq and opened direct communications with the White House.
Lance holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Rollins College. He hosts the Revolution of Man Podcast and Blog, and speaks on worldview, culture, and leadership.
He and his wife, Kathryn, have two children and a rescue dog — and enjoy time at their ranch.
U.S. and Texas Pledge Leader
Dr. Sasha Ortiz
Private Banker at First Horizon Bank
Dr. Andrea Sasha Ortiz is an international award-winning clinical psychologist, author, TED speaker, and the reigning Miss World International 2024. She specializes in trauma recovery, PTSD, depression, and anxiety, serving veterans, women, and children through evidence-based clinical practice.
She holds degrees from Spelman College, Columbia University, and the University of North Texas, along with an honorary doctorate in Judaic Theology. Dr. Ortiz is also the Chief Beauty Officer of Golden Goddess Beauty Corporation, a global beauty brand she leads as a recognized industry mogul.
Her advocacy centers on economic empowerment for women through her E3 Program and reducing stigma around intimate partner violence. Previously named Internationalist Texas 2022, she has earned multiple state and international pageant titles and serves on several nonprofit boards. She has been honored as one of the New York Journal’s 30 Women Under 30 for her contributions to psychology, women’s leadership, and global community impact.
Private Equity Liaison and Veteran Community Leader
Alexia Tuttle
Managing Partner, Tuttle Equity
Acknowledging a private capital community leader with a heart for supporting veterans and connecting them to capital communities, which God Bless Retirement is honored to facilitate.
We are proud to support the following veteran foundations as official partners with God Bless Retirement events.
The Special Forces Foundation is a non-profit organization supporting U.S. Army Special Forces Green Berets and their families by providing programs and resources for their mental and physical well-being, aligned with the Preservation of The Force and Family (POTFF) program.
The organization offers immediate and ongoing assistance for psychological and relationship challenges, including crisis support, transition assistance, and support for Gold Star Families.
About the host, God Bless Retirement
Syndication & Deal Flow Support
We raise capital. Connecting private equity funds to accredited families with active deployment schedules and a range of investment theses.
Events for Private Capital
Enjoy panel gatherings and deal rooms where private equity funds offer term sheets for accredited families alongside service providers and civic stewards.
M&A Brokering
Offering both buy-side and sell-side services, which include certified valuations and effective targeting of private and public marketplaces.