The Foundation for the Tri-State has selected the inaugural class of its Innovation Fellowship, a new leadership development initiative created to invest in the people and organizations working every day to strengthen the region.
Beginning September 11, the 17 Innovation Fellows will take part in an intensive learning experience designed to challenge traditional ways of thinking, encourage collaboration and equip local leaders with practical tools to better understand and address community needs.
“We see incredible leaders working throughout our region every day who care deeply about their community and the people they serve,” said Kathryn Lamp, President and CEO of the Foundation for the Tri-State. “The Innovation Fellowship is about investing in those leaders and giving them new tools, new connections and the opportunity to step outside of their day-to-day work to really explore the challenges they are seeing in their community. We believe that when we invest in people, give them room to think creatively and bring them together to learn from one another, the impact can extend far beyond any one organization.”
The Foundation selected the inaugural cohort following a competitive application and review process. The 2026 Innovation Fellows are:
Kentucky:
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- Kim Jenkins, Executive Director for Highlands DO!zeum
- Mike Maynard, Executive Director for Hillcrest-Bruce Mission
- Lisa Phelps, Executive Director for Hope’s Place Child Advocacy Center
- Marshall Tyson, CEO for United Way Northeast KY
- Mark Wilson, Chief Development Officer for Ramey-Estep Homes Inc./Re-group
Ohio:
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- Mandy Carte, Accessibility Coordinator for Third & Center
- Matthew Delong, Chairman for Ironton aLive
West Virginia:
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- Megan Archer, President & CEO for Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation
- Aaron Arnold, Strategic Business Development & Policy Maker for Facing Hunger Foodbank
- Stephanie Hurley Collier, CEO for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Tri-State
- Destini DelPapa, Program Operations Coordinator for Huntington Rising Inc.
- RL Ely, Outreach Coordinator & Adventure Park Manager for Heritage Farm
- Michelle Goodman, Director of Marketing & Community Engagement for United Way of the River Cities Inc.
- Lauren Kemp, Executive Director for RenewAll
- Raine Klover, Executive Director for Huntington Children’s Museum
- Jamie Saber, Program Manager for Compass
- Brittany Trippett, Executive Director for Southside Preservation and Enhancement Alliance
Throughout the Fellowship, participants will learn to look beyond the first or most obvious solution to a problem and instead spend time understanding the people affected, asking better questions and identifying what the community truly needs.
Working alongside other nonprofit leaders from across the region, Fellows will participate in hands-on workshops, individual coaching and collaborative learning experiences. The program will introduce Fellows to Intuit’s Design for Delight methodology through the Foundation’s partnership with Marshall University’s iCenter, giving participants a human-centered framework for identifying challenges, testing ideas and developing creative solutions.
“Community impact doesn’t always begin with having the answer,” Lamp said. “Sometimes it begins with listening more closely, asking a different question or being willing to look at a familiar challenge from a new perspective. Our hope is that these Fellows leave the program not only with ideas they can put into action, but with a way of thinking they can continue using throughout their organization and community.”
The Fellowship is part of the Foundation’s broader commitment to strengthening the Tri-State by investing not only in charitable projects, but also in the people, partnerships and ideas that help the community thrive.
As the region’s community foundation, the Foundation for the Tri-State connects charitable resources with community needs and opportunities. That work includes traditional grantmaking and charitable funds, but it also means bringing people together, encouraging collaboration and creating opportunities that build the capacity of organizations serving the region.
The Innovation Fellowship is one example of what that investment can look like.
At the conclusion of the program, Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in a pitch competition to present the ideas they have developed throughout the Fellowship to a panel of judges. Prizes totaling up to $35,000 in unrestricted funding will be awarded to help bring ideas to life and create meaningful impact in the community they serve.
The pitch competition will be part of the Foundation’s Celebration of Philanthropy on November 5, an evening designed to bring together Fellows and the community they serve. More than a celebration of the Fellowship, the event will recognize the many ways philanthropy, leadership and collaboration come together to strengthen the Tri-State.
For the Foundation, the inaugural Fellowship represents more than the launch of a new program. It represents an investment in what is possible when local leaders are given the tools, support and opportunity to explore new approaches to the challenges facing their community.
“We know there is no shortage of people in our region who care deeply about its future,” Lamp said. “Our role as a community foundation is to help connect that passion with resources and opportunities that can create lasting impact. We are incredibly proud of this inaugural group of Fellows, and we cannot wait to see what they discover, develop and bring back to the community they serve.”
The Foundation for the Tri-State Community, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) community foundation located in Ashland, KY and Huntington, WV. The Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life in the Tri-State area by encouraging, raising, administering and distributing gifts for charitable, cultural, educational and scientific purposes.
