STEAM Cathedral is led by problem solvers who strive to patiently work from a state of rest; bringing huge visions to life by rolling up their sleeves and integrating thoughtful processes with diligent effort.
Sef DeChristopher – Executive Director
Sef hails from gritty eastern Pennsylvania, coming from a long lineage of highly successful artisans, builders, and entrepreneurs. Following college, Sef launched his own business devoted to designing and building out his client’s vision boards. For several decades he worked earnestly to bring other people’s dreams to life, all while God quietly cultivated the seed of a dream in his own heart. His seemingly disparate passions for youth, vintage vehicles, racing, story telling, faith, and mechanics merged together into one divinely appointed vision: Cathedral Land and Speed Company.
When Sef first opened his shop door to a few homeless youth in 2020 he didn’t realize teaching them practical hands-on skills was laying the groundwork for what would evolve into a timely educational movement. Yet STEAM Cathedral has grown into a community where craftsmen possessing knowledge from both the old world and new and a yearning to pass on their hard-earned trade skills and tricks intentionally mentor youth who are often aimlessly wandering and searching for belonging – resulting in a dovetail crafted by the Divine.
As Executive Director, Sef runs the show: from choosing the projects and selecting the materials to corralling the workers. He is the first one at the shop, the last one to leave, and often spends his weekends mopping the floors until they shine (usually with one of his two young daughters in tow).
Ryan Scott – Chief Operating Officer
Ryan grew up surrounded by crops in Northwest Ohio with a burning desire to race, but seemingly no opportunity. In 2008 he matured enough to quit bemoaning his situation and instead began stumbling his way into what has become a career as a professional racer. Now one of the most experienced active co-drivers in North America, Ryan has raced in everything from 1000hp Trophy Trucks, M-Sport WRC Fiestas, and even a vintage VW Beetle. He most recently won back-to-back national championships in Canada in 2023 and 2024 (Canadian Rally Championship, 2WD) and his next two personal racing goals are a class win in the Baja 1000 and entering his first Dakar Rally.
An entrepreneur since before it became a buzz word, Ryan has honed a gift for synthesizing disparate elements into solutions that solve problems and developing processes that de-risk opportunities. As COO, Ryan designs systems to make sense of chaos and strategically plots the trajectory to help Sef transform their vision for STEAM Cathedral into a sustainable reality.
TLDR; Sef keeps numerous antique porcelain plates spinning in the air and Ryan creates a lot of checklists with one eye always on the clock.
Board:
Keturah DeChristopher – President
Keturah has spent the last two decades serving non-profits, for-profits, and the municipal court system in the social justice field of human trafficking. Her past experience includes serving as a Director, grant-writer, and administrator. As President of the Board, and wife to Sef, she helps ensure the supremacy of the mission and vision of the organization.
Aaron McCaughey – Secretary
Aaron is a lifelong educator currently teaching at Northland High School and Columbus State Community College.
James Miles – Treasurer
James derives important insights from numbers as Sr. Business Intelligence Analyst at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Todd McClure – Member
As the founder and owner of The Stop Shop, Todd supplies brake components to the classic car industry, and is a respected member of the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO), a council of Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).