About the Speaker: Dave Hataj | President – Edgerton Gear, Inc.
Dave Hataj, president and co-owner of Edgerton Gear in Wisconsin, has spent over 35 years transforming a second-generation family business through God-centered principles. A journeyman machinist with degrees from UC Irvine, Regent College, and Bakke Graduate University, Dave created Craftsman with Character—a program introducing high school students to the trades while building character and life skills. The U.S. Navy has recently partnered with him to expand this initiative nationwide.
He is also the author of Good Work: How Blue Collar Business Can Change Lives, Communities, and the World (Moody Publishers, 2020). Dave’s journey from wanting to escape the broken machine shop of his youth to embracing God’s call to lead has reshaped his company’s culture, empowering employees and demonstrating how faith can transform workplaces and communities. His story offers encouragement to business leaders and anyone seeking meaning in their work.
Event Details:
Dave’s journey reminds us that our workplaces are not separate from our faith but central to it. His vision, expressed in Good Work and through his Craftsman with Character program, shows how God can redeem even the most ordinary labor to change lives, communities, and the world.
This City Connect it’s an invitation to encounter how God moves in the marketplace, to be encouraged in your own calling, and to share fellowship with believers around the table.
Gather with a community that values both excellence in business and a commitment to values that guide and uplift. Each event combines the chance to share a meal with meaningful discussion and a faith-driven keynote whose talk is designed to build connections and offer practical insights that align with your faith-centered goals.
Craftsman With Character Workshop:
Immediately following our KC City Connect luncheon in Kansas City on Thursday, February 5, 2026, we’re hosting a hands‑on Workshop designed specifically for those in the blue collar sector.
Building on insights from Dave Hataj—president of Edgerton Gear, founder of Craftsman with Character®, and author of Good Work: How Blue Collar Business Can Change Lives, Communities, and the World—this practical session will translate “A Blue‑Collar Theology of Work” into concrete steps you can apply the next day on the floor.
What to Expect:
- Faith-Driven Networking: Engage in conversations with other business owners who share your commitment to purpose-driven work.
- Inspiring Keynote: Hear from faith-centered business leaders and thought leaders who offer wisdom on navigating the intersection of faith and professional growth.
- Takeaway Resources: Leave with ideas and tools to integrate faith principles into your business approach and strengthen your network of like-minded peers.
UBN’s City Connect Luncheon is ideal for business owners, executives, and leaders seeking to deepen their faith connections in the business community. Experience an environment that refreshes your spirit, sharpens your insights, and empowers you to grow your business with purpose.
