Our Joy Project

Despi is an artist, marketing strategist, consultant, beekeeper, and amateur guitar player. For her, joy is being able to give kindness to someone else. She believes kindness is joyful because it’s an antidote to all of the ugliness and unkindness. She experiences joy a lot and appreciates it in all of its forms. She created Give and Take Indy – upcycled food pantry boxes stocked by neighbors, for neighbors – to share joy with others.

Jenn is the Head Broad in Charge at Brassy Broadcasting. She recently launched a podcast called the UkaDaily Dispatch – 365 days of affirming daily ditties and inspiration. She finds joy in singing, doing silly things, and putting good things out in the world. She believes joy is always there, but sometimes we lose connection to it and we need to reconnect with it.

Ann is the Executive Director of Duet AZ, an organization that provides vital services, free-of-charge, to homebound adults and family caregivers. Ann finds great joy in nature, her work, helping others, and being intentional and mindful in what’s going on around her. She believes deep joy moves us in life and that it radiates out of us.

Jenna is the Development Director for Indiana Milk Bank, the first and only donor human milk bank in Indiana keeping fragile infants alive and healthy. For Jenna, joy is a sense of connection and community. She shares joy in thinking about the people who have impacted her life and finding ways to let them know. She also gets joy out of sharing sweet pictures of the babies they help on social media. Follow @TheMilkBank

Lindsay is the President & CEO of Kids Voice, so it’s no wonder she finds the purest form of joy in watching her staff, board, and volunteers give willingly to help save children from abusive situations. For her, joy is about being present and in the moment. Lindsay sparks joy in others by mailing notes, making calls, or sending texts to people when they least expect it. She believes sharing joy can create a ripple effect by simply giving a little bit of your time.

Anne is the Market Director of Sales & Marketing at Marriott IndyPlace, a Purdue grad (go Boilers!), married to her high school sweetheart, and mother of two adult kids. She believes joy is an abundance of positive thoughts that culminate into happiness. For her, joy is also a feeling of calm, peace, and warmth. She finds joy in being intentional and winning over the struggle. She shares joy in taking action – when she’s thinking of someone or something, she takes action on it.

Jenica is a wife, mother to 3, the senior program manager at the Indiana Diaper Bank, and works in children’s ministry. She finds joy from within and in others. She believes we can share our joy by finding something we’re passionate about and sharing it with other people. Hear why she finds so much joy in a pile of diapers – and what you can do to help.

Taylor is the CEO at Barlele, a TEDx Speaker, podcast host (SOAR), and a hopeless optimistic. For her, joy is being in a state of mind where you don’t feel stress and everything just feels right. Joy is when you’re at peace. Taylor shares joy by sharing “nonsense” on her social media channels. She also finds joy in walking, talking, and thinking about things differently.

Kate is the Executive Director at Waste Not – a food rescue organization in Arizona focused on collecting and distributing food (fyi: 40% of food goes into the landfills; Waste Note AZ rescues 3 ½ million meals each year). For Kate, joy is purposeful, rooted in circumstances, and is the long-term result of what fulfills you. She shares her joy through expressing gratitude and being a positive force in her son’s life. For more information about Waste Not visit WastenotAZ.org

Trena describes herself as a communicator, a connector, and an enabler. She’s a lifelong Indy resident, a long-distance runner (50 miles in a day) and is someone who finds joy by being around other people and making things happen. For Trena, joy is a sense of contentment and a feeling of momentum. She experiences joy when there’s shared energy. She spreads joy by challenging people and helping them achieve perceived limitations.

Jessica is a mom of 4, yogi, chef, wine lover, podcaster (Mom, Slow Down), and self-love advocate. She finds joy in combining all her passions – yoga, cooking, and wellness – to help other women find their free-floating happiness. She shares joy by being mindful, present in the moment, and using her passions to help other women experience their joy.

Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge is an award-winning children’s mental health expert and author of Teletherapy Toolkit and It’s Gonna Be Ok! She’s the mom of a special needs teenager who knows how to have fun and bust a move on her “disco drive”. For Dr. Roseann, joy is a feeling from the inside when doing something that makes you feel good or feel happy – or when you bring happiness to another person. She shares her joy through humor, her smile, and going out of her way to be kind to someone else.

Dustin is a husband, father, runner, Ohio sports fan, lover of history, and is “aspiring to help youth thrive so they can solve our world’s wicked problems”. Professionally, he’s the 4-H Youth Development Educator for Purdue Extension Marion County. For Dustin, joy has three elements: surprise, a visceral feeling that emanates from our hearts, and it causes time to slow down. He shares joy by stoking people’s spark.

Keisha is the new Executive Director of the Indianapolis City Market. She finds joy in making a conscious choice to show up and be a part of someone’s life. For Keisha, joy is being able to make the best decision based on the choices she has in front of her. She shares her joy by letting people know she’s listening and giving people a sense of connection.

Samantha is the Director of Administration for IGT Indiana (on behalf of the Hoosier Lottery), a lifelong Hoosier, dedicated community volunteer, and an all-around great person. For her, joy is an emotion sparked by happiness. Samantha spreads joy by being more reflective and purposeful in her interactions with people, lending an ear, making people laugh, and having authentic connections. Joy is a mental exercise of gratitude that helps her be more present and centered.

Tamara talks about the joy of launching her latest book, “Dear Black Girl: Letters From Your Sisters on Stepping Into Your Power”, and the joy of giving girls their rightness right now. In addition to being an author, she’s the vice president of community leadership and effective philanthropy for CICF. For Tamara, joy is being open and receiving to all the good things that are available and reflecting on it. She shares her joy in having human connections and supporting, celebrating, and uplifting others.

Danielle attends Purdue University and runs a nonprofit that she started when she was 16. Through Danielle Cares for Chairs, she has collected and recycled 3,500,000 bread tags, and uses the proceeds to buy wheelchairs for people who need them. For her, joy means happiness. She spreads joy by spreading kindness: opening the door for someone, giving someone a compliment, and helping people who are struggling. Danielle encourages people to find their joy and their passion – and then do something about it.

Brittany is the Senior Regional Lead of Community + Marketing at Yelp. She spends her days loving on Indianapolis and Indiana, while cheering on Midwest community managers. For her, joy is finding the bright spots in the simplest things. During COVID, this extreme adventurer changed her travels and experiences and has found joy in creating adventures 30 minutes from home. Brittany shares her joy by picking up trash with friends, not taking things for granted, creating – and attending – the many virtual events hosted by Yelp, and pausing and putting things in perspective.

Carla is the Public Relations Specialist at the Indianapolis Zoo, where she is a storyteller and the voice behind the animals, exhibits, and people. She finds joy in moments of happiness and the things that move her closer to being her most authentic self. She’s a nature-loving, long-time photographer who spreads joy through the lens of her camera and on social media. She is mindful of the things she’s most thankful for in life and practices gratitude every day.

Kim, and his wife, founded The 24 Group after their son died. He’s a person in long-term recovery from the disease of addiction and enjoying life to the fullest in ways he didn’t think he would. Kim lost his joy after Dave died and that absence of joy was physically and mentally devastating. After recovering from addiction, he rediscovered joy by practicing self-awareness and rediscovering a lost faith. Today, he shares joy in giving back to people in various ways, including being a sponsor and attending 12 Step meetings.

Wendy is the executive director for Dove Recovery House – a one-of-a-kind housing program for women struggling with substance use disorder (“Doves”). For her, joy puts life into perspective and can be found when the women who enter Dove House broken become the women they are meant to be. Wendy shares her joy by being of service to others and meeting people where they’re at, not where she’s at.

Jennifer and her husband started and run the Alex and Ali Foundation – a nonprofit that empowers the lives of people with autism and other disabilities (her son is Alex). After their daughter died last year, Jennifer wasn’t sure she would ever find joy again, but she did. Jennifer believes that joy and sorrow can co-exist and sharing joy is part of the healing process. It’s a battle and she’s fighting for her joy, but it’s there. Today, she finds joy in doing the next right step.

Kristen is Vice President at Indiana Humanities and finds joy in the work she does. For her, joy is deep and emotional. Joy is contagious and something we can pass along to others. Kristen shares joy through a spirit of generosity, empowerment, and being present at Zoom meetings. Professionally, Kristen spreads joy through humanities every day.

Leslie is the Co-Founder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief of Indy Maven – a lifestyle media company for women. As a writer and a busy mom, she didn’t overthink the definition of joy. For Leslie, it means happiness and pleasure. She experiences joy daily through her kids, connections that are made through Indy Maven, and her joy jar. Leslie is more thoughtful about sharing joy and shares a lot of it on social media.

Beth is the Marketing & Promotions Director at Sun King Brewing Company. For Beth, joy has a sense of wellbeing, meaning and purpose. There’s something universal and contagious about joy. Beth finds joy in giving gifts, volunteering, baking, and most importantly listening to others. She’s everyone’s biggest cheerleader and spreads joy by lifting up her friends and bringing them back to where they need to be to experience joy. #MakeJoyContagiuos

Eric is a husband, father of 3, and president & CEO of Cancer Support Community. For Eric, Joy is something that makes him feel good, something that overwhelms him, and provides him the positivity that charges his batteries. Personally, he shares joy with others through texts, Zoom, Facetime, and Facebook. Professionally, he shares joy by delivering comfort kits and goodies to cancer patients.

Maggie is a wife, miracle mom, leader, singer, 17-year ovarian cancer survivor, and works to prevent youth abuse and suicide. For Maggie, so much about joy is in finding the tiny moments that can change the whole trajectory of your day. She chooses joy every day and she chooses to give hope to others by sharing her joy. Maggie believes there’s something good and joyful about every day we get to live on this earth.

As the Director of Indy Parks, Linda is living life to the fullest and finds great joy in lifting up the Indy Parks team. For her, joy is a rush of incredible positive experiences that are more heightened than happiness. Linda spreads joy by exposing people to new places and new ideas.

Tanner is the new board president for Indy Pride and the Corporate Engagement Associate at United Way of Central Indiana. Although he believes joy is complex, he experiences it a lot by being in different communities and connecting with so many different people. He finds joy in what makes other people happy and makes sure not to “yuck somebody’s yum”. For Tanner, joy is about going through life and finding reasons to be happy and optimistic.

Katie is the Chief Development Director for Boys & Girls Club of Boone County. She finds joy in the little things and the gift in every day. Katie reminds us that we can spread joy through relationships, never burning a bridge, and staying humble and kind.

Kerry owns Joyful PR and has found ways to spread joy personally and professionally through her new company. She grew up watching her parents love and accept everyone, which helped her become the joyful and kind person she is today. Kerry finds joy in connecting with people every day and bringing a smile to everyone she meets.

Melissa has found purpose in being a vessel to help people heal themselves through her business, Pasitive Solutions. She believes joy comes from within – it’s an inner bliss. For Melissa, service and helping others is the best form of joy. She finds true joy in transforming lives (and rolling down hills).

Ben is a health care entrepreneur, a business icon, a passionate philanthropist, a father to 3, a grandfather to 8, and a budding author (3 books in the works). He believes every moment presents a chance to shine your light. For Ben, joy is a force in nature, a spontaneous exuberance of existence, and the exhilaration of life itself. Joy is the wellspring of sustainable happiness.

Artist and philanthropist, Marianne Glick, talks about the joy she gets from painting, helping others, and by being a positive influence and mentor to teens through TeenWorks. For Marianne, joy is a deep feeling from inside. She believes joy is where your soul feels good.

Dave is an engineer, woodworker, and the founder of a new nonprofit called Socially Distant Woodworking. He experiences joy from seeing the genuine look in people’s faces when they do something different, like woodworking for the first time. For Dave, joy is a state of elation.

Melissa defines joy as a state of being. For her, it’s not a destination or something you get from an exchange; it’s synonymous with living in her truth. Melissa finds joy in sharing her experiences and gifts with others. She gets honest about not living in joy every day but going to that place in her mind to find joy.

Bart Peterson, President & CEO of Christel House International, talks about how joy comes from human interactions. Whether its transforming lives through Christel House schools, his work as former mayor of Indianapolis, or time with family, Bart experiences the most joy by helping others. He believes we can share and experience joy by slowing down and finding the things that make our eyes light up.

Andrea is a new mom, new fiancée, and the general sales manager for Radio One. For her, the meaning of joy changes over time and right now it’s defined by having a mellow heart. In this episode, she opens up about finding joy after a difficult delivery, PTSD, and therapy. She’s controlling one day at a time and using her platform to share joy with others.

Longtime meteorologist, Randy Ollis, has spent decades at WISH-TV forecasting the weather for viewers. In this episode, he talks about how he has discovered joy and peace through his faith. As a believer, he finds joy in giving himself to others and doing something for someone else.

Terri believes that everybody has something in their heart that they love and are passionate about. She feels joy more often than she doesn’t. For her, doing something for someone else is like a shot of a good vitamin and brings her so much joy.

Jen is a source of joy and believes in the Law of Attraction – if we’re joyful it inspires others to be joyful. She believes joy is contagious and benefits everyone. She’s always on the lookout for joy and for the opportunity to be joyful. She also talks about her “Year of Love”.

Jennifer is a partner at Borshoff, an integrated marketing communications agency in Indianapolis. For her, joy can be found in small moments of deep peace. She feels like joy is the thinning out where you get a glimpse of something better, beyond, and deep. Professionally, she shares her joy with clients experiencing crises and helps them through difficult times.

Erin and Elliott Mills work, play, and find joy at the JCC, a neighborhood and community resource in Indianapolis. This young couple believes joy comes from inner peace, that it’s a choice, and that we must seek it out. As an early childhood teacher, Elliott finds joy from the children at the JCC, while Erin talks about finding joy from grilled cheese.

Journey is 8 years old and a Little Sister. She and her mom talk about the joy they get through the one-to-one mentoring relationship she has with her Big Sister. Journey also talks about how we can share joy by helping others, like feeding our homeless neighbors on the streets.

Angela is assistant professor of practical theology at Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University. She believes now more than ever that the work of joy – understanding it and being open to it – is essential. Angela shares that joy is the feeling we get when we recognize and feel connected to what is truthful, meaningful, good, and beautiful. To share joy, she creates spaces where people are invited into joy and gives them permission to share their joy.

David is an Indianapolis native who heads up Unto Him Ministries – a ministry that addresses the various needs of people throughout the community. For David, joy is a mindset that transcends our circumstances. You may not be as rich, you may not be as healthy, your living conditions may not be as good as others, but we all one thing in common that brings us the ultimate joy (listen to find out more).

Cindi opened the only Baptiste Affiliate Yoga Studio in Indianapolis in the middle of the pandemic, yet she’s optimistic and full of joy. She finds joy in spontaneous and impromptu moments, including during a dance party that broke out at her studio. Cindi spreads joy one yoga class at a time (fyi: your first class is free) and by sharing of yourself.

In his soul he’s a singer. He’s also a 62-year-old dad, a husband, the host of Stolen Moments on WFYI, and a determined optimist and seeker of paths and solutions. For Steven, joy is a fleeting moment that happens when you are alert and ready for it. Joy comes in a quiet, subtle, personal way for him. He believes we must retool our mindset to allow joy into our lives.

Chrissy is a nonprofit leader, servant leader, fundraiser, volunteer, Ironman wanna be, cheerleader, advocate for the underserved and supporter of second chances. She finds joy in some of the simple things, including clean sheets and sun, sand, and surf. Chrissy shares joy by texting people who cross her mind, writing notes to friends and family, celebrating people on social media, and being kind.

Jenni describes herself as a complex human who believes joy comes from deep inside. Being a mother is one of her greatest personal sources of joy, while her work joy comes from being the founding director of Trinity Haven – a nonprofit that provides housing and stability for LGBTQ teens experiencing homelessness. She shares joy by creating brave spaces for women to gather and share parts of their lives with each other.

Kelly is a first-grade teacher, a 7-month breast cancer survivor, and a first-time grandma. She has a big heart and finds joy in volunteering for numerous organizations. Kelly shares joy by giving of herself to others. One of her best friends is a former homeless man who she met on a mission trip and is someone who brings her so much joy.