“The combination of love, grief, and gratitude led to the creation of StoryFest”

— Maryanne Elliott, Founder

Our Origin Story

Maryanne Elliott found herself in a room full of strangers listening to stories. And something shifted. Not because the stories were polished. Because they were true. Because hearing other people speak honestly about their lives made her feel, for the first time in a long time, like a human being among human beings.

She wanted to build something from that feeling

StoryFest Louisville is a program of the Tommy Elliott Fund, created in memory of a beloved cornerstone of this community. The Fund carries his name. StoryFest carries his belief that investing in people is how a city grows.

The program brings nonprofit leaders together over several months to develop something most leadership trainings never touch: their own story. Not to perform, but to lead. To find the story beneath the mission and learn to tell it in a way that moves people.

Stories build trust. They mobilize supporters. They help organizations grow.

Louisville has always had stories worth telling. This is the stage.

Want to be part of this story?

Support Our Work →

Our Process

  • A spiral notebook with a hand-drawn line graph illustrating a story arc, labeled with stages: exposition, rising action, climax, and falling action, on a wooden surface.

    Shape the Story

    Leaders uncover a mission-rooted story and, with coaching and peer support, craft it into a narrative that inspires hearts and minds.

  • A black microphone on a stand against a beige background.

    Share the Stage

    Each leader steps into the spotlight at a live event before hundreds, with one top storyteller recognized and all receive grant funding.

  • A small rock in the middle of a calm body of water, creating gentle ripples around it, with a warm, blurred background.

    Extend the Impact

    Leaders carry their story forward—using it with funders, boards, and communities to drive lasting influence and growth.

What story has shaped your life’s work? Who helped you find it?

Our People

A smiling woman with brown hair, wearing a navy blazer and light blue shirt, sitting outdoors on a bench with blurred trees in the background.

Maryanne Elliott

Maryanne Elliott is the founder of the Tommy Elliott Fund and StoryFest Louisville. Guided by a deep commitment to resilience and connection, and inspired by Tommy’s enduring investment in community, she works to bring light and meaning to the stories that shape our lives. She believes our stories are always evolving and can help move communities forward.

A smiling young woman with blonde hair, wearing a blue blouse and a dark jacket, standing outdoors with trees in the background.

Mera Kathryn Corlett

Mera Kathryn Corlett is a community-builder and storytelling practitioner rooted in Louisville’s nonprofit and civic landscape. As Program Lead and Strategist for StoryFest Louisville, she helps bring the program to life through its structure, coaching, and cohort experience. She believes stories help translate values into action and build the trust that makes change possible.

Founding Board of Directors

This group brings diverse experience across public service, philanthropy, storytelling, and community leadership:

  • A professional man with glasses, wearing a blue suit and floral shirt, smiling against a neutral background.

    Dr. Muhammad Babar

  • A middle-aged woman with shoulder-length gray hair smiling outdoors with a city skyline and cloudy sky in the background.

    Ceci Conway Boden

  • Close-up of a man with dark curly hair, blue eyes, wearing a light blue shirt and gray blazer, smiling at the camera.

    John Y. Brown, III

  • A middle-aged man in a dark plaid suit, light blue dress shirt, and a multicolored striped tie, smiling in front of a neutral gray background.

    Mayor Greg Fischer

  • A woman with short blonde hair wearing a purple blazer and a patterned blouse, smiling at the camera.

    Leslie Geoghegan

  • A man in a gray suit jacket and white shirt speaking into a microphone while holding a piece of paper on stage with a dark background.

    Graham Shelby

  • Nicole Yates

A man in a suit and tie speaking at a microphone during a formal event, with pink balloons and decorative curtains in the background, and an audience listening.

Storyteller Spotlight:
Justin Davis

Vice President of External Affairs, The Center for Women and Families

"You come out of it not just with a story, but with a stronger sense of who you are and how you show up. And that's something that carries into every part of your leadership."

When Justin came to StoryFest, he knew his story in his head. The turning point came when he had to come off script and say it in front of people. It stopped being about getting the words right and became about telling the truth of the moment.

Since StoryFest, Justin has carried that shift into the biggest room The Center has. At Breakfast of Brilliance, the organization's largest fundraiser, he built his remarks around a narrative arc, asking where the emotion lives in the story and why the room should care and act.

Ready to help amplify Louisville’s changemakers?

Whether you’re a funder, a nonprofit leader, or a neighbor who believes in the power of story—we invite you to join us.

Nominate for the 2027 Cohort →
Support StoryFest Louisville →
Contact Us →