Meet Nikki Galbraith. Nikki Galbraith is the Market President for Hylant in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She has been with the company for over 13 years focusing on business development, leadership, and overall performance efforts for the northeast and northwest Indiana markets. She is also the proud mom of three amazing kids that bring her … Read More
Meet Jill Hart. Jill is a marketing executive with more than 22 years of experience in her field. Her career has spanned various industries, including hospitality, publishing, automotive, government, and insurance. A perpetual learner, Jill strives to keep finding ways to grow and evolve alongside our ever-changing world. She earned her MBA in 2017 … Read More
Meet Megan Ryan. Megan Ryan was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She loves her community; her favorite zip code is the ’08! She graduated in 2005 from North Side High School, graduated from Ball State University in 2009 with her bachelor’s degree, and completed her graduate program as a Clinical Mental Health … Read More
Meet Mary Jo Hardiman. As the chief operating officer of Embassy Theatre, Mary Jo oversees the operations of Indiana’s largest historic theatre. Mary Jo provides day to day leadership and serves as second in command to the organization. Mary Jo spends much of her time working to ensure business efficiency and organizational strength and … Read More
Meet Chynna Presley. Chynna Presley is a woman on a mission to help heal and empower the world around her in the most impactful and intentional ways possible. She has served the community as a social worker and public speaker for fifteen years in various roles. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in social … Read More
Meet Malak Heiny. Malak Heiny is a first generation American, born and raised in Fort Wayne. After graduating from South Side High School, she attended Indiana University, Bloomington with a triple major in Religious Studies, Political Science, and Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. After serving as a Governor’s Fellow under Governor Mitch Daniels, Malak went to … Read More
Meet Julia Stambaugh. Julia Stambaugh, CFO of the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne, is an Allen County native. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Indiana University, Fort Wayne and an MBA from Saint Francis University. Julia has five years of experience in the nonprofit industry and over eight years of experience in the … Read More
Meet Carmen Cumberland. Carmen Cumberland, President and CEO of Community Harvest Food Bank, is a Fort Wayne native and graduate of South Side High School. Carmen is also a Veteran, having served four years in the United States Navy. She holds a bachelor of science in accounting from Western Governors University. Carmen has been in … Read More
Meet Heather Miller. Heather Miller is a licensed teacher and a business leader dedicated to serving children and adolescents, especially children who have experienced trauma. Heather is a survivor of childhood sexual assault and is dedicated to sharing the importance of integrating trauma-informed practices in all environments that serve children. As a classroom teacher, she … Read More
Meet Jenee Johnson. Jenee is a native of Fort Wayne, Indiana. She graduated from Purdue Fort Wayne with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interpersonal & Organizational Communications. During her time as an undergraduate student, she was elected Vice President of Student Body Programming for two terms. After graduating, she served as the Purdue at-large … Read More
Meet Amy DiNovo Hathaway and Angie Zelt Amy DiNovo Hathaway and Angie Zelt are co-owners of LetterPerfect Services, established in 1995. At LetterPerfect Services, they believe that it is through acts of service that lives are changed for the better. For this reason, LetterPerfect Services has dedicated its resources to serving organizations that serve others. … Read More
Meet Melissa Hall. Melissa is an interior designer and co-founder of Bona Vita Architecture. After working 17 years with Tom Salzer, a good friend and architect at a previous firm, they started Bona Vita Architecture in 2014. Melissa is one of few female firm owners in the male-dominated architecture industry and even fewer interior-designer owners of … Read More
Meet Tamyra Kelly. Tamyra L. Kelly is currently the Public Information Officer for East Allen County Schools, serving in that capacity since 2008. She is a member of the Steering Committee for Fort Wayne United and serves as a committee member for United Response (under the Fort Wayne United initiative). Tamyra was born and … Read More
Meet Dawn Clopton. Dawn Clopton is Vice President, Community Development at Premier Bank. She has over 20 years of experience in the banking industry and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Affairs degree through the O’Neill School Master’s Program at Indiana University. She is an active member of her community, serving as treasurer … Read More
Meet Rachel Blakeman. Rachel Blakeman, J.D., has served as the director of the Purdue University Fort Wayne Community Research Institute (CRI) in the Doermer School of Business since July 2017. At CRI she works with clients to provide impartial, contract-based research and analysis, with an emphasis on non-profit agencies, public health, economic development and workforce data, … Read More
Meet Andie Hines-Lagemann. Following a successful career in marketing and corporate event planning, in August of 2020 Andie Hines-Lagemann became an Emotional Intelligence Practitioner and launched Tidewater Coaching. Andie helps her clients to align their strengths and goals by leveraging their EQ. Andie is on the Global Entrepreneurship Committee for the US Department of State, … Read More
Meet Sharon Tubbs. Sharon Tubbs is an inspirational speaker, a nonprofit director, and an author of faith-based books. She has conducted workshops about faith, finding purpose in life, and women reaching their potential. By day, she is the director of HealthVisions Midwest of Fort Wayne where she leads a team of Community Health Workers … Read More
Meet Crystal Ortiz. Crystal is the founder of Socialhart LLC, a boutique SEO Consultant and Strategy Firm based in Fort Wayne, IN. She is most known for her work in SEO, and has been featured in SEO Testing, Sitebulb, Databox, and ContentKing, and has been a conference speaker for the SEO Mastery Summit. Throughout her … Read More
Meet Jennifer Hunter. Jennifer is the Co-founder of Gensyn Design, which she recently started after transitioning from a long career at Purdue University Fort Wayne. She has been focused on improving organizational outcomes, cultures, and leadership for over two decades. As a practitioner and facilitator of design thinking and Strategic Doing™, Jennifer thrives on … Read More
Meet Melissa Schenkel. Melissa Schenkel is VP, Director of Marketing & Communication for STAR Bank where she works to strategically build and leverage the STAR brand across Northeast and Central Indiana. Prior to STAR, she spent more than a decade in Public Relations at Vera Bradley. Throughout her career, Melissa has provided commentary on … Read More
Meet Leslee Hill. Leslee Hill has a corporate fashion background, has owned and operated small businesses, and is currently the Program Director for the WEOC Women’s Business Center. YWCA Asks: What does an ’empowering woman’ mean to you? Leslee: An empowering woman is someone who is bold, vulnerable, and supports others as she learns what … Read More
Meet Kimberly Wagner. Kimberly Wagner has served as Chief of Staff to the Chancellor at Purdue University Fort Wayne since April 2013. In her role, she serves as the primary aide to Chancellor Ron Elsenbaumer and assists him in policy development, community building and engagement, and legislative advocacy efforts. Kimberly also serves as the … Read More
Meet Jenna Leffers. Jenna Leffers graduated from IU Fort Wayne in December 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. She started with Vera Bradley as a Sales Associate in August 2010 and celebrated her 10 years with the company this past year. In 2013 she began her career in corporate in the marketing department and … Read More
Meet Amber Bouthot. Amber Bouthot is the executive editor and publications manager for glo and HOME Living magazines. She also owns Fort Wayne Food Tours and Red Bird Writing, a freelance marketing company. Friends and colleagues describe Amber as an effervescent, passionate, community-minded connector. A transplant from Illinois, she is a staunch advocate for northeast Indiana and gives back … Read More
Meet Lisa Pickerman. Lisa has been the Grants and Scholarships Specialist with the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne since January of 2017. She is responsible for the Community Foundation’s competitive grant cycle, scholarships, and acts as backup for administration. Lisa graduated from Indiana Tech with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She started … Read More