Solving Poverty with Business, Not Charity: The Water4 Story

Mike Baer sits down with Matt Hangen, CEO of Water4, for one of the most challenging and inspiring Business as Mission conversations to date. Matt shares his story—from a rough childhood in rural Alabama to becoming a missionary in West Africa, where limited resources sparked a radically different approach to solving poverty. What began as “doing what they could with what they had” has become one of the most scalable and spiritually fruitful BAM models in the world.Now leading a water utility serving over 1 million people, Matt explains why water access is more about time than health, how a for-profit model outperforms charity, and how 30,000+ Discovery Bible Studies emerged organically from empowered local staff. They discuss the role of capitalism, the danger of Western assumptions, and what real disciple-making looks like when it’s embedded in business and led by the people themselves.This episode is a masterclass in sustainable impact, Kingdom entrepreneurship, and honoring the dignity of the poor by unleashing their capacity—not replacing it.📚 Explore Mike Baer’s Books:https://books.by/mike-baer📚 Matt Hangen's website:https://www.matthangen.com/📚 Water4:https://www.water4.org/To learn more about Business as Mission, visit Third Path at https://thirdpathinitiative.com where you will find many free and premium resources available to you. You can also learn more on our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@BAMwithMikeBaer.