Master's Degree In Waiting On God

What if the greatest impact comes not from making waves, but faithfully riding the ones God sends?

In this inspiring episode of Leveraging Success, Jeff Gerhardt sits down with Vip Vipperman — missionary, entrepreneur, investor, and Managing Director at Eagle Venture Fund. Vip shares his remarkable journey from a bullied kid in Virginia to college ministry in Taiwan, underground church work in China, and now leading redemptive venture capital in DFW.

Together they explore breaking down the sacred/secular divide, earning a “master’s degree in waiting on God,” the power of collaboration and prayer, and the beautiful biblical story of Barzillai — a picture of passing on wealth, influence, network, and knowledge (WINK) to the next generation. Expect honest stories of transition, identity, faithfulness in business as mission, and hope for revitalization starting in the DFW area.

In This Episode:

[00:00] Episode Intro & Welcome

[03:30] Vip Vipperman: Name Origin and Early Life

[08:45] From Bullied Kid to Faith in Christ and Student Ministry

[14:20] Missionary Years in Taiwan and Underground Church Work in China

[22:10] Returning to the US, Real Estate, and Bridging Business & Mission

[29:50] The Sacred-Secular Divide and a “Master’s Degree in Waiting on God”

[37:15] Identity Transitions, Dependence on God, and Riding His Waves

[45:40] The Story of Barzillai: Passing On WINK to Others

[52:30] Future Vision, Family, and Fighting Human Trafficking

[55:40] Closing Thoughts & Prayer

Notable Quotes

“We don’t make waves. The Lord makes the waves. We just try to ride the ones that He sends.” — Vip Vipperman

“Business and missions work moves at the speed of trust.” — Vip Vipperman

“I got a master’s degree in waiting on God… What is better than having that for all of our life?” — Vip Vipperman

“God saw the whole plan from the very beginning… It was all this one journey that He had.” — Vip Vipperman

“Barzillai… passes it on.” (The power of relationships and generosity) — Vip Vipperman

Our Guest

Vip Vipperman is Vice President at Eagle Venture Fund, where he helps back entrepreneurs building scalable solutions to address human trafficking, child exploitation, and other systemic challenges. With a background spanning mission work, entrepreneurship, and venture investing, he has helped raise tens of millions in capital, cultivated networks across founders, funds, and family offices, and co-founded The Lion’s Den DFW. He also serves as Executive Director of Clapham Accelerator, convening leaders across technology, non-profit, and government to combat trafficking. Previously, he helped launch strategic initiatives with Faith Driven Entrepreneur and Faith Driven Investor. Having lived nine years in Asia and worked in Mandarin, Vip brings a global perspective to impact investing and hosts the Backing the Bold podcast, featuring entrepreneurs transforming the world. He enjoys teaching Sunday school, Boy Scouts trips, and family time in Dallas, TX.