Dave Steward

Mr. Steward began his journey with Concordance in 2015 when he was asked by Founder and former Chairman, Danny Ludeman, to join the mission as an investor. He was appointed to the Concordance Board in 2016 and became Chairman in June 2024 when Mr. Ludeman stepped down to focus on his health.

One of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, thoughtful humanitarians and generous philanthropists, he has been an active supporter of Concordance since its formation.

Mr. Steward attributes his legacy of selfless generosity to his parents, Harold and Dorothy Steward, and to the deep Christian faith they instilled in him from his youth. Growing up on a small farm in rural Missouri in the 1960s, he watched as his parents shared their humble bounty with others, often with people who did not look like them. This reflects his personal commitment to finding an eternal return on investment in the spirit of, “To whom much is given, much is required.”

With 100 million people in the United States affected in some way by incarceration, Mr. Steward sees the issue as one of the most significant challenges facing society today. He believes it imperative that the mission of Concordance and the generational impact the program has on participants and their families continues to expand to more communities across the United States.

Launched in 2020, Mr. Steward leads the organization’s First Chance Campaign, which is tasked with raising $200 million to further the goal of expanding Concordance beyond its base in Missouri.

Mr. Steward is the Founder and Chairman of World Wide Technology, the largest Black owned company in North America with more than $20 billion in annual revenue and over 10,000 employees.

A global business leader renowned for his faith based approach to business and his inclusive, values driven leadership, Mr. Steward started World Wide Technology in 1990. His vision, ambition and determination are widely responsible for catapulting WWT from a small government contractor with a handful of employees into a global technology solutions provider.

Mr. Steward holds an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Washington University, as well as Honorary Doctorates in Humane Letters from numerous colleges and universities. He is a graduate of Central Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in business management.

He and his wife, Thelma, have been married for 48 years. They have two children and two grandchildren.