Neighbor Power Indy

Celebrating the power of neighbors to shape change

What is Neighbor Power Indy?

Neighbor Power Indy is a free, full-day conference that brings together residents, community leaders, and local officials to explore strategies, share stories, and ignite new ideas for vibrant neighborhoods across Indianapolis.

Hosted by INRC each year, NPI is a celebration of grassroots power and collaborative spirit.

Show Your Neighborhood Pride!

Choose from a t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, and hoodie showcasing Neighbor Power Indy 2026 and all the vibrant neighborhoods of Indianapolis. Prices range from $24.99-$38.99.

It’s the perfect way to celebrate your community and remember the energy of Neighbor Power Indy!

Grab yours today and wear your neighborhood pride with style.

Get your merch

Each Year, You Can Expect:

  • Workshops

    Hands-on sessions on community engagement and leadership

    A group of people sitting at tables in a conference room, listening attentively. There are men and women of diverse ages and backgrounds, some with notebooks and purple tote bags on the table. A quote from Father Boniface Hardin is projected on the wall behind them.

  • Resource Tables

    Local organizations, city agencies and small businesses

    A woman standing behind a Citizens Energy Group booth at an indoor event, with tables displaying informational materials and giveaways, in a large room with other booths and people in the background.

  • Community Panel

    Thoughtful discussion with community leaders on timely topics

    A woman standing at a podium raising her hand during a panel discussion. Six adults seated behind her on stage, some also raising their hands. Audience members seated at tables in front.

  • Neighborhood Awards

    Recognizing outstanding local leaders creating change

    A woman and man standing together, smiling. The woman has shoulder-length dark hair and is wearing a black and white striped blazer, black pants, and black shoes. The man is bald, wearing a navy blue T-shirt with a graphic, dark jeans, and black shoes, holding a trophy. They are in front of a brick wall with empty chairs behind them.

  • Networking + Lunch

    Meet neighbors and changemakers over a meal

    A group of three people sitting at a round table in a large conference room, eating lunch and smiling at the camera.

2025 Recap

Theme: Many Communities, One City

  • Date & Location: July 25, 2026 | University of Indianapolis

  • What We Featured:

    • Opening remarks from Kathy Souchet-Downey

    • 12 workshops on topics like art, neighborhood engagement, grant writing, and pedestrian safety

    • Resource tables featuring local nonprofits, city agencies, and entrepreneurs

    • Awards celebrating community leaders

    • A powerful community panel discussion

2026 Honorees

Celebrating neighborhood leaders shaping their communities.

Rising Leaders are emerging changemakers who are actively shaping the future of their communities. They are connectors, problem-solvers, and advocates, often leading from within their neighborhoods to create more vibrant, resilient places to live.

Whether through grassroots organizing, creative solutions, or everyday acts of leadership, Rising Leaders are the ones others look to as catalysts for change.

Rising Leaders

Mads Gullion

Mads has led and inspired a movement of reuse and underconsumption in Indianapolis over the past couple years since launching "SwapSesh," a free community clothing item swap that now occurs monthly at the Garfield Park Arts Center. Mads has also taught many Indy neighbors how to mend their clothing through classes and her platform "Sew Darn Radical”.


Teddrick Hardy

Through his leadership at Belmont Beach, Ted has helped create opportunities for fitness activities and water safety education. He also collaborates with community members to host the Haughville Mini Expo series, where youth basketball tournaments, free meals for youth, local vendors, and family activities create opportunities for neighbors to build relationships and support small businesses.

Tucker Born

Tucker saw a need in the Fountain Square neighborhood, spearheaded a tactical urbanism project on Calvary Street, and brought two neighborhood associations together to make it happen. That initiative led him to join the board of the Fountain Square Neighborhood Association, where he is now serving his second term.

Greatriarchs

Inspired by the Harrison Center’s concept of the “Greatriarch”—a neighbor who embodies the history, heart, and spirit of their community—INRC honors three Greatriarchs each year during Neighbor Power Indy.

Greatriarchs are the mentors, steady presences, storytellers, and caregivers in our neighborhoods. They are the ones who’ve quietly nurtured generations of connection, belonging, and love.

Angela Drake

Angela is a beacon of hope and helpfulness in Trailside on Mass, an affordable housing development on Mass Ave. Angela has lived in the building for more than a decade, and she is the neighbor that makes sure to meet and get to know everyone. She can be counted on in times of need, she takes people to appointments, will pick up prescriptions, or just lend a listening ear when someone needs to talk.

Lauren Peterson

For nearly 30 years, Lauren has quietly and consistently invested in the people and neighborhoods of Indianapolis by building relationships, developing leaders, and strengthening the organizations that make our communities thrive. Whether through her service to local nonprofits, churches, community boards, or the countless individuals she has mentored and encouraged, Lauren has left an enduring mark on our city.

Mike Clemens

Mike Clemens has lived in West Indy for over 40 years. During that time he has served as a volunteer for FIDO, Raise and Restore, and the Westside New Day Center.

He has also been a board member of West Indianapolis Development Corporation since 2017. Mike's passion, in addition to helping those in need, has been to keep the neighborhood clean.