About Us
Who We Are
The Vocation Project is a Pittsburgh-based collaborative of philosophy and business professionals working to develop and share a deeper, more thoughtful approach to happiness, meaning, and purpose.
We believe these concepts demand an approach rooted in both reason and experience. To that end, we pursue a philosophical approach that looks for objective truth without losing sight of our everyday experience.
What We Do
We focus on the underlying ideas and common misconceptions surrounding happiness and vocation and try to bring these complex ideas down to earth.
We have developed original content covering the fundamentals, which are rooted in a solid foundation of reasoning and delivered through educational courses, articles, and other media. We also offer practical guidance for reflection on your own life and discerning how to achieve personal fulfillment. Our goal is to avoid thoughtless action or one-size-fits-all recommendations. Instead, we want to offer you the framework to learn what is best for your own life.
To help bring these ideas to more people, we also support grassroots groups looking to discuss these ideas within their communities.
For more information on bringing this conversation to your community, please see our Host a Group page. To sample our work, please visit our Substack or blog to see articles addressing some of our fundamental questions. To see our educational offerings, please visit the Courses section of our site.
Why We Do This
We want to reclaim an idea of work that is dignified and purposeful, done for the good of yourself and for others. We want work that is more than simply utilitarian and mechanical.
Ultimately, we want to find an idea of work that emphasizes the dignity of the human person. Work should not be an obstacle to living life fully: It should be a tool that helps us. Above all, our goal is to find a way to make sure we never lose sight of who we are in our life and our work.
The goal of our project is to learn how it is that work can be made to fit this vision and how it is that we can live that out in daily life. We are driven above all by a respect for the worth of every person and a drive to maintain a holistic vision of what it means to be human today.
Meet Our Team
Chris Farls
Co-founder
Chris Farls is a seasoned business executive who brings a real-world perspective to our work. From his diverse 35-year career spanning both corporate America and small business, he understands the dynamics of the workplace, from the shop floor to the boardroom. As a business leader, he’s also realized personally the non-financial rewards of helping teams succeed and observed first-hand the positive impacts dignified work can have on the human person. Chris is a proud Catholic, husband, father and Army Veteran, and holds Engineering and MBA degrees from top-tier programs.
Patrick Koroly
Co-founder / Lead Content Writer
Patrick Koroly is the lead writer for the Vocation Project. He holds a degree in Philosophy and German language. In philosophy, his interests include ancient philosophy, German idealism, and the philosophy of language. His research has included work on Aristotle’s elitism and the distinction between practical and theoretical reasoning. Outside of philosophy, he has published fiction and is an active member of his local Catholic community.
Matt Zagrocki
Software and Online Development
Matt Zagrocki handles the technological aspects of The Vocation Project. He is a senior engineering student at the University of Notre Dame, where he actively participates in campus ministry and his dorm community. With an interest in the tech industry, Matt aspires to build a career in this field. Lastly, he has a passion for software and web design and is excited to contribute to the project.
