our team

Born and raised in northern Indiana, Aaron, Carrie, and their four children have lived in the Indianapolis area for 20+ years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Indiana Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in Biblical studies from Moody Seminary. He completed the Tobias Leadership Center’s Fellows Program at Indiana University. Aaron is the current city coordinator for the Indianapolis DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative cohort. Along with serving as Elevate’s president and CEO since January 2018, Aaron is an active foster parent, basketball coach, community developer, and Near Eastside resident. In his role with Elevate, Aaron provides leadership and direction to the staff and Board and cultivates like-minded partnerships to bolster Elevate’s impact as a youth-centered organization.

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Adam Johnson graduated from Arlington High School and then earned a Bachelor of Science in Urban Affairs from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. He and his wife have four children. His career includes working for the State of Indiana as a budget analyst and for Lutheran Child & Family Services [LCFS], a nonprofit specializing in the care, treatment, and counseling of youth who exhibit behavioral & emotional impairments, as a classroom teacher, mentoring program coordinator, and residential program supervisor. Currently, Adam serves as a member of LCFS’s Board of Directors and the vice president of the Board of Directors for Grit Into Grace. He is a member of Heartland Church. Additionally, he is an Indiana University Tobias Leadership Fellow. In his role, he provides direct leadership and guidance to all of Elevate’s program areas: in-school classes, mentoring, college and career preparation, and sports and adventure.

Amanda spent most of her childhood traveling back and forth between Alliance, Nebraska, where she was born and raised, and Mexico, making her fluent in both Spanish and English. Her work with youth began at age 15 and led to a passion for teaching and mentoring. In 2016, she moved to Indianapolis with her family. Her time with Elevate began in October 2018 as a teacher-mentor and pipeline lead on Arsenal Tech High School’s campus. In August 2022, she rejoined the Elevate team as the multicultural specialist after a one-year sabbatical. As a mother of two, she enjoys family camping and hiking trips. Amanda and her husband, Abraham, serve as the lead pastors of Esperanza Viva Centro Familiar in the Garfield Park neighborhood of Indianapolis.

Anyea returned to her hometown of Indianapolis after serving as a Student Success coordinator at Vincennes University. She brings a heart for helping people come back and finish what they started and the energy to push them forward toward their goals. After graduating from Ball State University with her bachelor’s degree in advertising, she worked as a program director with AYS, Inc. where she continued to work within her passion for elevating students. Anyea leverages her knowledge to help our students with integrity and empathy … and a smile on her face.

Braylon grew up on the northeast side of Indianapolis where he graduated from Lawrence North High School. During high school, he served as the president of Character Crew and captain of the soccer team. Braylon played soccer at Eastern Illinois University and transferred to Ball State University where he graduated with a communication studies degree. He now resides in Lawrence with his family and  trains youth soccer athletes. A member of the Elevate team since May 2019, he has worked as a teacher-mentor and pipeline lead at Arsenal Tech High School, Harshman Middle School, and Theodore Potter School 74. In January 2024, he stepped into the role of Community Engagement manager where he oversees and manages all partner relationships, both corporate and nonprofit. 

Jonathan, a servant leader who grew up in Indianapolis, graduated from Pike High School and is a proud alumnus of Indiana State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in African-American Studies with a minor in sociology. Raised in a family with a long history of sacrifically serving its community, Jonathan’s extensive history in nonprofit work paired with his youthful spirit led him to join the Elevate team.

With a longtime goal to be a positive influence in the lives of Indianapolis youth every day, Kara first served as a teen youth leader at her Indianapolis church. She then worked at Emma Donnan Middle School as a teacher’s assistant and mentor. In October 2019, Kara joined Elevate as a teacher-mentor at George Washington High School before moving into her current role as NorthWest Pipeline manager. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Indiana Wesleyan University.

Kennedie is excited to join the Elevate Indianapolis team. She is originally from Fishers, IN. After graduating from Fishers High School and continued her education at Purdue University, majoring in History, she graduated in 2019. The last few years Kennedie has been residing in Phoenix, AZ, working in Section 8/HUD

Housing.

Although Arizona was fun, and very hot she says, she decided to move back home to Indiana to be close to family and friends again.

In her free time she enjoy running, reading, watching movies, and volunteering at zoos. Looking forward to this next chapter in my life!

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A Hoosier native, Kris was born and raised in Fort Wayne and settled in the Indianapolis area 35

Years ago. Upon retiring from a 39-year accounting and finance career in January 2022, Kris knew she wanted to add value to organizations through part-time work and volunteering but with a non-profit focus. Kris is a CPA (inactive) with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of St. Francis. In her spare time when she is not playing with her grandchildren, you may find her hiking, biking, practicing yoga, reading, gardening, or volunteering at Second Helpings. In her role with Elevate, she assists the Leadership and Engagement Team and the Board’s treasurer with various development and grant-related tasks.

Ms. Mandy Schumerth, originally of Culver, IN, is a graduate of Anderson University with a major in Spanish and a minor in Education. She studied abroad in Mérida, Mexico, & loves traveling both internationally & domestically. She has over a decade of youth development experience and planted herself on the East side after a position called her to Indy in 2012.

Mandy serves our Eastside pipeline as a Teacher-Mentor, focusing on College Common Core programming and provides leadership as the Mentoring Lead.

Mandy enjoys being active and generally spends her time out and about at concerts, athletics, or community events. She’s a passionate Notre Dame fan (for better or worse), loves learning about different cultures, spending time with friends and family, and being outdoors (when it’s warm).

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A Broad Ripple High School and Indiana University graduate, Remus brings 18+ years of experience working with youth both in the educational arena and through Indy Parks. In his fourth season as the head coach of boys’ varsity basketball at Indianapolis Lutheran High School, he led the team to victory in the 2023 1A state championship. Remus and his wife, Charonda, a longtime educator in Indianapolis Public Schools, have three daughters.

Samantha’s 13-year career in the nonprofit realm focuses on supporting youth, families, and marginalized populations. Sam has bachelor’s degrees in international service program and Spanish, from Valparaiso University, and is a fluent Spanish speaker. She graduated in 2011 summa cum laude. Her career has taken her to various parts of Indiana and Austin, Texas. She is also particularly passionate about learning more about dismantling systems of oppression. Sam is a native Hoosier and loves Indy! She is an avid reader, mostly fiction, loves to bike, and loves to go on walks with her Chihuahua. Samantha is a mom to a sassy and sweet toddler and is married to her partner, Gabe. She also enjoys gardening, the outdoors, and meditation.

A Far Eastside native, Shareah earned her diploma from Arsenal Tech High School in 2018. While at Tech, she was both a member and a captain of its cheer team and participated in Capstone Leadership Initiative, a youth mentoring organization. Since graduating from Tech, Shareah has grown in her administrative career and enjoyed serving as the assistant coach of the Tech cheer team. She loves seafood and Starbucks. In her free time, you can find her driving around town for Lyft and Uber. 

In her role, Shareah supports the Leadership Team with various tasks and tracks both development- and programmatic-related SMART goals to ensure they are achieved.

Theo brings a passion for helping others and 10+ years of experience working with youth to his role with Elevate. Born and raised in Demopolis, Alabama, he attended Demopolis High School before moving to Indianapolis. After he obtained his Associate of Science in Human Services from Ivy Tech Community College, Theo attended Purdue University Global where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Human Services with a focus in youth/family services and administration. In his spare time, Theo enjoys working out, listening to music, and attending sporting events.

Working in the nonprofit sector for 30+ years with a primary focus on youth prevention and intervention programs, Tina holds a bachelor’s degree in general studies with a concentration in social sciences from Indiana University. She earned her master’s degree in organizational leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University in the winter of 2023. During her career, she has served as executive director, program manager, quality and compliance director, and center director for organizations such as the U.S. Dream Academy, Lutherwood, Community Health Network, Damar, Ben’s Ranch and the Shelby County Youth Center. Tina has two adult children and two grandchildren and lives on a small horse farm. She is also the guardian for her adult cousin who lives independently in the community. She enjoys all types of music and dance. She believes that children and families thrive through faith, opportunities, and relationships and loves watching young people find their passions and purpose.