• Indianapolis Business Executive
• Operating Partner, Water Street Healthcare Partners, LLC — www.waterstreet.com
• Former President & CEO, Priority Healthcare, LLC
• Former Executive, CoreSource, Inc. & IBM Corporation
• Co-Founder & Former Board Chairman, Elevate Orlando
• Purdue University Graduate

Rochelle A. Woods
Chief Clarifier/President
Rochelle A. Woods LLC

Mrs. Rochelle Woods is a seasoned corporate leader with a lifelong commitment to excellence in leadership, personal growth, and development.   She retired from a successful 22-year career with The Dow Chemical Company in 2014. Most of her corporate career was spent in various positions in R&D where she held technical and leadership roles in approximately 7 different businesses units.  During her tenure at Dow, she participated in national recruiting efforts to recruit underrepresented minorities in technical roles. Since her retirement, she has become an entrepreneur where she strives to help people achieve their fullest potential.  She is a John C. Maxwell certified coach, speaker and teacher.  Her clients include corporate professionals and small business owners.  Rochelle is the wife of Leon Woods and has been happily married for over 30 years.  The Woods have 3 wonderful adult children, Saul, age 27, Mariah, age 24, and Alexis, age 23.  She holds a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and an MS in Polymer Engineering from University of Akron. 

• President, Sagamore Institute — www.sagamoreinstitute.org
• Indiana, Regional & National Public Policy Expert
• Former Deputy Advisor to President George W. Bush
• Former Director, White House Office of Community & Faith-Based Initiatives
• Distinguished Senior Fellow, Baylor University; Author, The Quiet Revolution
• Eureka College Graduate; Honorary Doctor of Laws, Indiana Wesleyan University

Ms. Ford graduated from Pike High School and is a contemporary violinist, alumnus of Butler University’s Jordan College of Fine Arts. She resided in Brooklyn for almost ten years and served as the Artistic Director for the Noel Pointer Foundation. Since 1996 she has served as a participant and teacher of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra. In 2015 she relocated back to Indianapolis to become the Director of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, a family youth and development program of the Indianapolis Symphony. Together, with her fiancé Quinton, they officially adopted their 2yr old daughter Zoe in July.

• Vice President, Commercial Lending, Community First Bank of Indiana
• Community volunteer and board member for myriad nonprofit organizations
• Board member, Indianapolis Aquatic Masters, competitive swimmer and coach
• University of Evansville graduate (swimming Academic All-America, All-Conference & Team Captain)
• MBA in Accounting, Indiana Wesleyan University

• Founder & CEO, Morales Group — www.moralesgroup.net
• Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Business & Top 100 Hispanic-Owned Business in U.S.
• Formerly with Proctor & Gamble, Union Carbide & Donaldson Corporation
• Serves on Numerous Community, Hispanic & Latino Organization Boards
• Immigration Lecturer Throughout United States; Advocate for Hispanic Community
• Purdue University Graduate

Shadreck Kamwendo
Regional Population Health Manager
IU Health

Shadreck serves as the Regional Population Health Manager for IU Health. He holds bachelor’s degree in Health Services Management from Indiana University and an MBA from Anderson University. His community engagement includes; board treasure The power of 1. He previously served on the board of Westminster neighborhood services. Prior to joining IU Health, Shadreck worked at Special Olympics of Indiana, as the Director of health and as a Program Director at the Kidney foundation of Indiana. Shadreck attends Second Presbyterian church, where he has served in many capacities as an elder and as a volunteer for the Indianapolis Great banquet community. On his spare time he like to spend time outdoors and workout with November Project Indianapolis.

• Indianapolis Business Executive & Community Leader
• Executive Vice President | Office & Healthcare Services, Colliers International – www.colliers.com
• Lead for firm’s Indianapolis Office Team & Healthcare Practice Group
• Clients include hospital systems, private physician groups, healthcare REITs, and MOB owners and users
• Lead advisor for firm’s Human Resources & Culture initiatives; expert in commitment to ethics and positive corporate culture
• University of Cincinnati Graduate; International Marketing Accreditation, Oxford University, England

Julie E. Welch (CPA)
“Accounting & Reporting Manger, Distributed Energy, The AES Corporation. Certified Public Accountant with twenty years of progressive financial accounting experience, with expertise in internal and external reporting and analysis.”

• Indianapolis Business Executive & Community Leader
• Founder & Managing Partner, Honey Creek Capital, LLC — www.honeycreekcapital.com
• Adjunct Professor, University of Indianapolis & Indiana Wesleyan University
• Former COO, Heartland Film Festival & President, Palmer Automotive Group
• Purdue University Graduate; MBA, Xavier University
• Honorary Doctorate Degree, Indiana Wesleyan University​

• Indianapolis Business Executive
• Founder & CEO, Cornerstone Companies, Inc. — www.cornerstonecompaniesinc.com
• Medical Facilities & Property Management Developer
• Community, Charitable & Education Advisor/Supporter
• Indiana University Graduate; MBA, Indiana University
• Veteran & Officer, United States Army

Pete Watson
Pete retired from Eli Lilly in 2017 after nearly 34 years with the company, having held numerous leadership roles over the span of his career – retiring as a Senior Director in the Medical Division of Lilly Research Labs. He is now a part time Senior Consultant with CHORUS, Inc., a local strategy/management consulting firm. His passions are servant leadership and mentoring, thus he’s involved in a number of local ministries including EDGE Mentoring, Citizen 7 Indy, Shepherd Community and now Elevate. He looks forward to working with urban youth in helping them realize their full God-given potential. Personally, he’s married and father to four adopted children, and has four grandchildren. He resides in Zionsville.

Vincent Ash
As Director of Indianapolis Economic Development at the Indy Chamber, Vincent and team focus on all economic development initiatives in concert with City of Indianapolis and Mayor’s Office. A native to Indianapolis and graduate of Arsenal Tech High School, Vincent is passionate about the city and economic development. Vincent graduated from IU Kelley School of Business with a bachelor’s in Finance. He loves staying involved with the community and serves on the board of Reconnecting to our Waterways and Indianapolis Park Foundation. As a resident of Speedway, in his free time Vincent loves attending concerts, sporting events and games nights with his fiancé Ashanti and two kids, daughter Noelle and son Grayson.

He is an attorney with Kroger Gardis & Regas and practices primarily in the areas of Municipal Law, Corporate Law, Real Estate, and Intellectual Property. With an extensive background in both government and the private sector, Ted serves a number of public and private clients in a wide range of corporate and municipal transactions, including real estate and construction projects, business formations, and minority and women owned business certifications. Ted additionally advises clients on political issues, including campaign and lobbying laws, and currently serves as counsel to the Republican caucus of the Indianapolis City-County Council. Prior to joining Kroger Gardis & Regas, Ted served as Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City of Indianapolis under Mayor Gregory Ballard, as well as Special Counsel to the Chief of Police. Also a member of the Patent Bar, Ted received an industrial engineering degree from Purdue University and worked as a manufacturing engineer with the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics prior to beginning his legal career.

Lezlie Heath

Non-Profit Leader and Educational Arts Advocate

Lezlie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Purdue University and a Master’s Degree in Education from Ball State University. She has taught many grade levels in both public and private school systems over the past 40 years.

Lezlie’s current community engagement activities include Kaleo Indy – Management Team Vice President, Heart Change Ministries – preschool teacher, Discovering Broadway – Board of Directors,

Actors Theatre of Indiana – Board of Directors, and curriculum writer for ThinkBig Ministries.

Lezlie is a member of Grace Community Church where she has served in many capacities including Christian Ed. Director, Elementary Worship Director and curriculum writer for Vacation Bible School.

Aaron Story
Aaron@elevateindy.org
President & CEO

As an active foster parent, basketball coach (through the BALL 46201 program he founded), community developer, pastor and near eastside resident, Aaron has served and mentored youth living in economically disadvantaged communities for nearly 15 years.

Aaron was born and raised in northern Indiana, and Aaron, Carrie and their 4 children have lived in the Indianapolis area for 20 years. With a history of developing and sharing vision to bring people and organizations together to make community impact for the most marginalized in our city, Aaron has a passionate servant-leader approach.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Indiana Wesleyan University, Master’s Degree in Biblical Studies from Moody Seminary, and numerous certificates in leadership, fundraising and organizational management. In 2019, Mr. Story was recognized as a Leadership Fellow by the Tobias Fellow Program of Indiana University Kelly School of Business.

Amy Goldsmith
Amy@elevateindy.org
Operations Manager

Amy Goldsmith studied Biology at the University of Evansville and earned a Master’s Degree in Health Administration from Indiana University. She and her husband Scott have lived on the eastside of Indy for 25 years and have five children.

Amy began her career as an administrator at the Marion County Health Department, then shifted her focus to education as the Vice President of Operations at Artrageous with Nate, an art education video production company. She is passionate about supporting students and teachers as they learn from one another and grow together. She serves on the board of Love Guatemala, a trade school and ministry in Magdalena, Guatemala, and is a long-time volunteer at Indianapolis Public Schools.

Olapegba “Ola” Akinyemi
Olapegba@elevateindy.org
Teacher-Mentor
Harshman Middle School & Matchbook Learning at Wendell Phillips 63

Mabel Moreno
Mabel@elevateindy.org
In-School Program Coordinator 

Mabel is a visionary leader that loves to serve and encourage others. Her heart for the next generation has led her to serve diverse students in California, Texas, and Indiana.

She has extensive mentoring experience in youth service organizations and universities, and has enjoyed being able to support and mentor students to achieve their academic and life goals. Mabel looks forward to serving alongside the Elevate team in Indianapolis, a city that has become her home.

Braylon Myers
Braylon@elevateindy.org
Teacher-Mentor
Arsenal Tech High School

Braylon Myers is from the North Eastside of Indianapolis where he graduated from Lawrence North High School. During high school Braylon was the president of Character Crew and captain of the soccer team.

Braylon went on to play college soccer at Eastern Illinois University where he continued to develop his life skills with local mentoring and volunteering. He transferred to Ball State where he graduated with a Communication Studies degree and seeks to continue to invest in the lives of Indianapolis’ youth.

Adam Johnson
Adam@elevateindy.org
Pathways to Purpose Manager, Teacher-Mentor

Adam Johnson is a graduate of Arlington High School, with a BS in Urban Affairs from IUPUI. He is married with four children, ages 12-23.

Adam has worked for the State of Indiana as a budget analyst and also for Lutheran Child & Family Services (a non-profit specializing in the care, treatment and counseling of youth who exhibit behavioral and emotional impairments) as a Classroom Teacher, Mentoring Program Coordinator, and Residential Program Supervisor. Today, Adam serves on the Board of Directors for LCFS. He also serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors for Grit Into Grace, a non-profit that provides counseling, resources, and hope for sexually exploited women in the Indy area.

Kara Simmons
Kara@elevateindy.org
Teacher-Mentor
George Washington High School

Kara Simmons has served her home community of Indianapolis throughout her career to help develop youth. Kara began working within her local church, where she served as a teen youth leader for two years. She then took her skills to the IPS school system, where she has worked for three years with middle school youth at Emma Donnan as a teachers’ assistant and mentor. Her main goal is to be an aid in positively influencing the lives of Indianapolis youth every day.

Kara is pursuing her BS in Psychology at Indiana Wesleyan University. She plans to utilize her degree to better understand the specific needs and challenges youth face with the hope of making a difference in the lives of all she encounters.

Daniel Jones
Daniel@elevateindy.org
Teacher-Mentor
George Washington High School

Daniel Jones was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a graduate of Pike High School and an alum of the University of Illinois where he studied communication.

Daniel has worked with youth for the past 8 years through coaching, teaching, case management and mentoring services and has developed a deep passion for helping youth discover their potential and accomplish their goals. He has a wife of two years and is passionate about photography, track and field, and teaching and learning.

Jackson Gutierrez
Jackson@elevateindy.org
Engagement Coordinator

Jackson Gutierrez is an Indianapolis Near East side resident, originally from Southern California. After attending Bible college at Life Pacific University in San Dimas, CA, and the Emerging Leaders Network in Decatur, IL, Jackson moved to Indianapolis in 2016 to pursue bi-vocational ministry and is currently an active member of Soma Downtown Church, where he met his newly married wife Jessica. In his free time, Jackson enjoys going to concerts at the HiFi in Fountain Square, and even works shows there from time to time. As a life-long learner and someone who enjoys knowledge, Jackson is also pursuing a Communications degree through Purdue University Global along with working on obtaining a Certificate in Fund Raising Leadership from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Ben Klinge
Ben@elevateindy.org
Teacher-Mentor
Harshman Middle School & Matchbook Learning at Wendell Phillips 63

Ben Klinge is a native Hoosier returning home from 7 years out in Denver, CO where he spent the last 3 years working for our sister organization, Colorado Uplift as a Teacher-Mentor. Ben holds a Youth Ministry degree from the University of Indianapolis and has served urban youth through many platforms and even in another country.

His passions encompass an array of activities and hobbies, but the heart at each of those is loving people.

Allison Banks
Allison@elevateindy.org
Teacher-Mentor, Lead for Elevate Beyond
Arsenal Tech & George Washington High Schools

Allison Banks is a proud alumna of Arsenal Technical High School, where she played both volleyball and basketball. She continued her education and has received a B.S. from Indiana State University and an M.S. from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Joshua Mendoza
Joshua@elevateindy.org
Teacher-Mentor
Arsenal Tech High School

Joshua is a native of Denver, CO, where he found his passion for working with youth at the young age of 15. Since then, he has worked as a Paraprofessional, Restorative Practice Coordinator, and Teacher-Mentor. As a leukemia survivor, Joshua learned early on the value of life, which has been his motivation since in working with youth. Joshua was honored as an MBK Honoree in 2019 by Mayor Hancock in Denver for his work with youth; he brings that drive and passion for servant-leadership with him to Elevate Indy. Joshua is pursuing a B.A. in Communication Studies.

Aside from spending time with his wife, Ashley, and two beautiful daughters, Milah & Addie, Joshua enjoys playing sports (mostly basketball), watching the Denver Nuggets, writing, and doing outdoor adventure activities.