Ignite Louisville Class of 2025 Completes Six-Month Leadership Program, Applying Core Skills to Deliver Over $80,000 in Services to Local Nonprofits
The Leadership Louisville Center proudly announces the graduation of the 30th Ignite Louisville class, a group of high-performing professionals who completed an intensive six-month program designed to strengthen key leadership competencies—including self-awareness, leading teams, collaboration, and innovation. These skills were put into practice through the Ignite Louisville Challenge, a capstone experience that served as a real-world learning lab. Working in Community Acceleration Teams, participants partnered with seven local nonprofits, contributing more than 2,000 volunteer hours and delivering more than $80,000 in professional services to support and strengthen their missions. Ignite Louisville, presented by Norton Healthcare, has now graduated over 1,200 high-performing professionals through the program that provides dynamic, real-world learning and a powerful network of peers and community leaders.
The Ignite Louisville Leadership Challenge was at the heart of this experience, an intensive, hands-on opportunity for teams to partner with local nonprofits and apply what they’ve learned in a high-stakes, high-impact setting. At the graduation on April 15, the seven teams presented their outcomes to a panel of esteemed judges. The winning team worked with The ACE Project, an organization dedicated to compassion and healing for underserved children and families impacted by gun violence. The ACE Project received a $6,000 prize, made possible by the Brown-Forman Corporation. While one team was selected as the winner, all seven nonprofit partners benefit from the expertise and energy of these Community Acceleration Teams, which each invest hundreds of hours with their nonprofit agency as they compete for donations.
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Ignite Louisville Challenge winning team and agency:
Team: Nikki Corbett, Dean Dorton; Quinones Corniel, Cure Violence Global; Will Ford, Yum! Brands, Inc; Joel Mwambayi, Edward Jones; Margaret Phillips, Louisville Free Public Library Foundation; Hannah Wilson, Adams Landenwich Lay, PLLC; Heather Wright, Louisville Metro Government
The winning team partnered with The ACE Project, an organization serving youth affected by gun violence. At its 10-year mark, ACE reached an inflection point—build capacity or risk turning young people away. The Ignite Louisville team responded with a bold capacity-building initiative.
They delivered a data management solution, replacing spreadsheets with TraxSolutions, a system that allows for customized enrollment tracking and impact measurement—and came in $500 under budget. To position ACE for long-term growth, the team also created:
- An internship pipeline with the University of Louisville,
- A job placement partnership with the Millwright Carpenter’s Union No. 175,
- A corporate binder of essential documents,
- A grant-seeking and fund development toolkit, and
- A commitment to ongoing volunteer support.
Additional Ignite Louisville teams and agencies:
Team: Alexis Belcher, Stock Yards Bank and Trust; Jon Byrd, PPL Corporation; Candise Caylao, Dentons Bingham Greenebaum LLP; Heather Fountaine, University of Louisville Health; Lance Lucas, Humana Inc.; Chris Miller, Malone Workforce Solutions | Malone Staffing; Brittany Pape, Seven Counties Services Inc.; Dulce Solorio, Metro United Way
Brightside challenged the Ignite team to find ways to attract more young adult volunteers. The result was the Brightside Environmental Ambassador Program (BEAP) – a structured volunteer initiative with a detailed handbook, onboarding guides, training tools, and corporate sponsorship templates.
The team also:
- Produced a volunteer recruitment toolkit with flyers, media contacts, and social media strategies.
- Secured a live WAVE 3 News interview that led to 25 new volunteers.
- Delivered a scalable engagement model to boost community stewardship among young professionals.
Team: Elizabeth Chun, Baptist Health; Kylie Faust, Schneider Electric; McKenzie Gary, RoamVista; Tia Gibbs, Suntory Global Spirits; Katrina Helmer, Kentucky Derby Museum; Crystal King, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP; Alex Parrish, Facilities Management Services, PBC | FMS; Harsh Upadhyay, Jefferson County Teachers Association
Focused on equipping Dogs Helping Heroes (DHH) for sustainable growth, the Ignite Louisville team delivered impactful tools and strategies, including:
- A long-term referral pipeline for healthcare professionals.
- A comprehensive marketing strategy with branded media assets.
- Volunteer engagement resources and internal communication tools.
- Strategic planning materials for the board and leadership team.
Their work resulted in over 250 volunteer hours and nearly $18,000 in value. Several team members remain actively engaged as volunteers and leaders, one is set to join the DHH board in June.
Team: Gregory Butorin, Midea America Research Center; Alexander Hunn, Messer Construction Co.; Jennifer Jackson, Stites & Harbison PLLC; Nicole McGill, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky; Miriam Nally, Greater Louisville Inc.; Chelsea Watson, Louisville Metro Government; Dawson West, Confluent Health
The Ignite Louisville team supported The Healing Place in reviving a neglected greenhouse/high tunnel that had fallen into disrepair during the pandemic. Despite delays and scope changes, the team pivoted with help from community partners like the Jefferson County Master Gardeners Association and a local food systems specialist.
They shifted focus from quick fixes to long-term sustainability by:
- Building raised beds and implementing a soil health strategy.
- Initiating a rainwater collection system.
- Planning a pilot gardening program centered around client engagement.
- Creating a partnership directory to sustain future collaboration.
Team: Helen Cooper, Dentons Bingham Greenebaum LLP; Kayla Deyer, Barlett Wealth Management; Casie Kichler, Norton Healthcare; LaDaya Kami Owens, Home of the Innocents; Rayshawn Payton-Kilgore, Brown-Forman Corporation; Stephen Rossetti, Jefferson County Teachers Association; Gus Young, Skillable
Tasked with amplifying young professional engagement, the team partnered with the Louisville Orchestra to establish a Young Professionals Advisory Board. The team:
- Surveyed local young professionals and received 39 expressions of interest in joining the board.
- Developed governance documents and funding proposals.
- Built connections to donors and young professional groups across the city.
The three-part strategy focused on elevating young voices, building long-term engagement infrastructure, and providing tools for sustainable funding.
Team: Jason Anthony, Long John Silver’s; Ellen Grimshaw, DBL Law | Dressman Benzinger LaVelle PSC; Zach Hudson, Norton Healthcare; Tamar Israel, Catholic Charities of Louisville, Inc.; Jamee Murphy, Park DuValle Community Health Center; Laura Schaaf, Muhammad Ali Center; Emily Taylor, Trilogy Health Services LLC; Hannah Williamson, Heaven Hill Brands
The Ignite Louisville team worked with The Pete Foundation to deliver a powerful, research-based Strategic Plan aligned with the organization’s mission and goals. Their contributions included:
- A formal Impact Report to track growth.
- A refreshed logo and branding guide.
- A peer-to-peer fundraising tool and expanded strategy for the “Teaming Up for Pete’s Sake” event.
Their work positions the foundation for long-term success by aligning message, mission, and community support.
Team: Chase Coleman, Valvoline Instant Oil Change; De’Andra Dooley, Louisville Urban League; Elizabeth Ethington, Frost Brown Todd; Allison Heidrich, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky; Courtney Neumann, Confluent Health; Gregory Rakers, Baptist Health; Aaron Yocum, PPL Corporation
The Ignite Louisville team partnered with Wilderness Louisville to enhance donor engagement and streamline operations ahead of the nonprofit’s $2 million capital campaign. Focused on sustainability and growth, the team divided into three workstreams—Donor Management, Marketing, and Process Improvement—to maximize impact.
They supported the organization’s goals by:
- Implementing Bloomerang, a donor database with integrated marketing tools, to optimize fundraising efforts.
- Creating targeted social media campaigns, donor flyers, and outreach letters to expand WL’s visibility.
- Streamlining internal operations and providing key legal and operational resources to support long-term campaign success.
Their collaborative efforts resulted in a stronger marketing strategy, improved donor infrastructure, and a clearer path forward for campaign execution.
About the Leadership Louisville Center:
The Leadership Louisville Center is the region’s most valuable resource for leadership development and civic engagement. With a purpose to inspire and equip leaders to be better and do better, it has graduated over 15,000 through its programs since 1979. The Center is recognized as a national best practice and is known for its dynamic programming and strong community connections. Programming includes five social impact leadership programs (Leadership Louisville, Focus Louisville, Ignite Louisville, Bingham Fellows, and Encore Louisville), the Alice Houston Women’s Leadership Program, leadership skills training courses presented through partner brand LeadingBetter™, and events designed to connect leaders and motivate positive change. Learn more at www.leadershiplouisville.org.
NOMINATE SOMEONE (OR YOURSELF) FOR IGNITE LOUISVILLE
Learn how nonprofits can work with Community Acceleration Teams