In-person monthly creative gatherings to resume on September 24th
One of Louisville’s most well-attended monthly events for local creatives in the area will soon return, under new leadership. After starting and leading CreativeMornings for more than seven years, Ben Terry has announced he will be handing off leadership of the organization to Natalia Bishop, Founder of Story Louisville. A hybrid in-person and virtual event schedule will resume on Friday, September 24.
Started in 2014 by Ben Terry, Chief Creative Officer at Access Ventures, CreativeMornings quickly became one of the best-attended chapters in the world, averaging 300 attendees at each event. Over the past seven years, the local chapter, supported by multiple local partners, has helped strengthen Louisville’s creative economy, and now, with more than 10,000 people involved locally, Terry says the time has come for a new leader to take his vision to the next level.
“Early on, CreativeMornings was an integral part of our creative economy strategy at Access Ventures. I knew I wanted to help start a program to bring together local creatives in the Louisville area, and eventually, we would turn it over to someone with fresh ideas and interests to keep the momentum going,” said Terry. “CreativeMornings is more than just breakfast and a short talk each month. It’s a community, a place where everyone is welcome and everyone is creative. This chapter has become the front door to our city where people come to meet the culture makers and creatives that make Louisville so attractive. I’m excited to see CreativeMornings continue to grow and celebrate our city’s creative expression under new leadership.”
CreativeMornings has events, free of charge, in 198 cities across the world. Louisville was approved to become the 101st chapter in 2014, and its first event was held on January 16, 2015, at 21c Museum with Alice Gray Stites, the Museum Director and Chief Curator. Since then, there have been more than 60 national and local leaders to speak at a CreativeMornings Louisville event, more than 15 host venues across the city, and dozens of supporters and volunteers that have helped make this chapter a success locally. CreativeMornings was made possible through the continual support of Access Ventures, Kertis Creative, Community Foundation of Louisville and so many others that believed in the importance of investing in the creative community.
“These free events have inspired, challenged and encouraged creatives to be better as part of their re-investment back into their local creative community, and I’m so thankful for those that helped this vision of generosity and creativity become a reality,” said Terry.
“As the host of CreativeMornings Louisville, Ben Terry exemplified what true leadership is, whether it was through growing and nurturing an incredible team of volunteers, to hosting wonderful events for Louisville’s creative community every month,” said Tina Roth Eisenberg, founder of CreativeMornings. “He brought a certain magic sauce to his chapter and our global community learned so much from him throughout the years. We are in awe of how he consistently led with love, humility, and clarity, and always had his community’s best interest at heart. The joy he brought to his chapter was seen even from miles away.”
Starting this month, Natalia Bishop, Founder of Story Louisville, will now lead CreativeMornings. Bishop is originally from Columbia, and has lived in Louisville for the last 20 years, where she says she has “fallen deeply in love with the culture, food, and most importantly, the people.” In addition to her work with Story Louisville, she is the Founder and CEO of Level Up, an Entrepreneur In Residence at Amplify Louisville, and the Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Louisville.
“I’m so excited to jump in and start leading CreativeMornings with the help of our volunteers and the Story team, and to continue the great work that has been done over the years to strengthen creative conversations in our city,” said Bishop. “While we took a break from our monthly meetings to work on the transition, we will return to in-person events again on September 24th, and I’m excited to welcome our community back! I look forward to the same great community, welcoming new faces, new ideas, and continuing to foster growth for this amazing chapter.”
For more information on upcoming events, visit https://creativemornings.com/cities/lou.
