# Steve Gatena

> Steve Gatena is the founder and CEO of Pray.com, the world's #1 app for daily prayer and faith-based audio content. A former NCAA football champion who won a Rose Bowl at USC, he built and sold a fast-growing video agency (REP Interactive) and ran a $150M aerial production company (Helinet) before the death of his business partner in a plane crash redirected his life toward faith. Launched in 2016, Pray.com became a leading destination for prayer, sermons, Bible stories narrated by celebrities, and faith community, raising more than $30M from investors including TPG Growth, Greylock Partners, Spark Capital, and Science Inc. In 2025 Gatena received the LA Times Executive Leadership Award.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Pray.com
- **Organizations:** Pray.com, REP Interactive, Helinet, USC Annenberg (faculty)
- **From:** Thousand Oaks, California, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Attended (honorable discharge after training injury), United States Air Force Academy, Football (Great West Conference Championship 2005), UC Davis, Football, Rose Bowl Championship 2009, University of Southern California, MS in Entrepreneurship, USC Marshall School of Business
- **Known for:** Founder and CEO of Pray.com, the world's #1 app for daily prayer and faith-based audio content, Won a Rose Bowl Championship at USC (2009) and a Great West Conference Championship at UC Davis (2005), Built REP Interactive into one of the fastest-growing video agencies in the US (recognized by Inc. Magazine)

## Career timeline

- **2005** — Won Great West Conference Championship playing football at UC Davis.
- **2009** — Won Rose Bowl Championship as a walk-on at USC under coach Pete Carroll.
- **2010** — Earned MS in Entrepreneurship from USC Marshall School of Business.
- **2012** — Founded REP Interactive, a video agency that became one of the fastest-growing in the US.
- **2014** — Named Entrepreneur of the Year at the United Nations EMPACT showcase (sponsored by Dell and Intel).
- **2015** — Sold his first two businesses; became CEO of Helinet, a global aerial surveillance and video production company.
- **2016** — After the death of business partner Alan Purwin in a plane crash, left Helinet and founded Pray.com.
- **2017** — Raised $2M seed round from Science Inc., Greylock Partners, and Spark Capital.
- **2018** — Raised $14M Series A from TPG Growth, Science Inc., and Greylock Partners.
- **2020** — Appointed as a non-partisan advisor to the White House.
- **2025** — Awarded the LA Times Executive Leadership Award in the Small Business Founder category.

## Achievements

- Founder and CEO of Pray.com, the world's #1 app for daily prayer and faith-based audio content
- Won a Rose Bowl Championship at USC (2009) and a Great West Conference Championship at UC Davis (2005)
- Built REP Interactive into one of the fastest-growing video agencies in the US (recognized by Inc. Magazine)
- Won 100+ awards in video and broadcast media for brands including Coldwell Banker, the LA Dodgers, and Marriott
- Named Entrepreneur of the Year at the United Nations EMPACT showcase in 2014
- Became CEO of Helinet, a global aerial production company, in his late 20s
- Appointed a non-partisan advisor to the White House in 2020
- Awarded the LA Times Executive Leadership Award in 2025

## Latest updates

- **2025-12** — Appeared on The Powers Podcast (#400) discussing faith, a revival, rescuing lost men, and building a generational company.
- **2025-01** — Honored with the LA Times Executive Leadership Award in the Small Business Founder category.

## Links

- Website: https://pray.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevegatena
- Twitter/X: http://www.twitter.com/pray
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/praymedia/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/steve-gatena
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-11