Jacob Ciccarelli

I spent the last decade building a career in B2B tech, leading high-performing teams and helping scale three startups. It was rewarding, and I believe it prepared me for what was next. But more than my career, my life was shaped by profound encounters with faith—“moments of truth” that God placed in my path.

I explored different denominations and wrestled with questions of faith, only to find my way back to the Church. My wife’s conversion to Catholicism became a profound witness to me, and the birth of our first child, Gianna, at just 26 weeks was a defining moment. Those 90 days in the NICU challenged us in every way, but also deepened our trust in God’s providence.

Other moments followed years later—a pivotal experience at YCP, a transformative Cursillo retreat, and encountering the relic of St. Jude—all of which led me to embrace true surrender for the first time. In early 2024, I found myself at a crossroads: return to the corporate world or pursue what felt like a God-ordained mission. I chose surrender and let God lead. The result was Truthly.

Truthly was born out of my own struggles. I’ve always wanted to be a better evangelist, but I often struggled to find the right words to share my faith. Inspired by my wife’s conversion and my own reversion, we created Truthly to help Catholics learn, live, and share their faith with confidence. Truthly solves the problem I faced: taking the steps beyond belief.

Now, my wife and I have four children, I serve on the board of YCP, and I’m a lector at my parish in Charlotte. Looking back, I see how God used every moment of truth—every challenge and every grace—to prepare me for this mission.

2024 became the most Catholic year of my life, and through Truthly, I’m committed to helping others turn belief into action, one conversation at a time.