A native of rural Tennessee, Tim Forbess has enjoyed a lifetime of work that has involved adventure, innovation, and entrepreneurial curiosity as a motivation to improve the lives of individuals and communities. Growing up watching his dad master complex printing presses to perfection and benefiting from a mother who has modeled servant leadership for decades, it was organic to take an interest in complex issues with an eye on the neighbor known and unknown.  

With a background in both journalism, psychology, and finance, Tim’s life work has involved being the youngest Vice President of a Theological School in the United States and Canada (United Theological Seminary, Dayton, OH), building a charter school for non-reading urban children, building childcare for teen moms attending school, adding 6 cell phone towers to a church steeple to fund the parish, and for 5 years the CEO of a national foundation in Washington, DC researching non-pharma health care options for persons where pharma was not available, traveling to 31 countries during that tenure.  Budapest is a favorite.  

While attaining a bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Memphis, a Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary, and work done on a Ph.D. in impact investing at Antioch University, a constant theme continues to emerge.  It involves seeing the avenues to connect transformative issues to the resources to initiate them and sustain them.  It makes the topics of “impact investing” one of the most exciting fields to learn and engage.  It’s the capstone to a life’s work.

Tim & Co. are developing a new model of housing that is sensitive to climate change, environmental impact, energy efficiency, minimal maintenance, and attainable for persons who are working hard (or have retired from working hard!) and now desire an affordable, well constructed and attractive home. The models that are being built have roofs with a 50-year warranty, a steel structure with a 40-year warranty that is designed to withstand 150 mph wind, a safe room inside, built-in interesting and innovative envelopes. Currently, a lot of focus is on areas affected by tornado activity in the Miami Valley and in neighborhoods where investment makes sense for the community and profit for the investor.  

Tim is also working on an aqua farm project that brings eco-sensitive growth methods into controlled environments that eliminate chemical uses.  Using fish as the nutrient provider and controlled lighting, the healthiest foods desired can be raised in a fraction of the time as work in the fields. The first installation is on-line for the 3rd quarter of 2020.  It has been a two-year journey of learning, training, and educating.  

For fun, Tim reads a lot (curiosity breeds research) and when working on projects is prone to listen to classical music too loud to be ignored.  At the core of life is faith, love of God, and a lot of laughter.  When designing GFB, Tim decided to be in a working relationship among friends and to spend more time with Lukas and Frankie, canines by birth, and sojourners in a thousand ways.  Tim is often in Tennessee with parents and family and travels a bit to spend time with friends whose stories matter to him. 

On New Years Day, 2021, Tim's canine companion of a dozen years, Lukas, died at home surrounded by the family that he loved and loved him.  He is sorely missed.  A new member has since joined the family, Clemmer, a puppy that brings a lot of energy to every day and a lot of love to his new family.