Storytelling changes hearts.
Leadership changes systems.

At StoryFest Louisville, we believe the two go hand in hand.

Louisville's nonprofit leaders carry the city's most important work, and every part of that work runs on the same skill: moving people. StoryFest exists to make that skill a craft. Each year, a cohort of leaders learns a repeatable discipline, how to find, build, and deploy personal story as a leadership strategy, and carries it back into their organizations. It's a way of working that compounds for years.

Nominations for the 2027 cohort are open.

The 2027 cohort begins with nomination: someone who knows a leader's work tells us about them. Anyone can nominate, and any leader can be nominated, including ones who'd never put themselves forward. Some of Louisville's best leadership happens where nobody's applauding yet. Help us see it.

Nominate a leader

How the process works

Nominations open now through September 20. Someone who knows a leader's work tells us about them. Every nomination is read by two reviewers.

Invitations to apply, August 20 through September 30. Nominations where we see the fit become invitations. Nominators hear back from us either way.

Applications close October 30. Our selection committee reads every application and builds a cohort of no more than six leaders from across the city.

Cohort invitations, November 20. The 2027 cohort is named, and the work begins December 2026.

Who should be nominated?

StoryFest cohort members lead established organizations doing Louisville's work.

A strong nominee:

  • Works for a nonprofit organization focused on creating solutions for the City of Louisville

  • Holds a leadership role empowered to make decisions, engage stakeholders, and represent the organization

  • Leads an organization at least five years old, with an annual operating budget of at least $150,000 in each of those years. Organizations whose budgets don't tell the whole story can demonstrate scale of service in measurable terms instead.

Not sure whether an organization's scale qualifies? Nominate anyway and tell us the numbers you know. Scale shows up in more ways than a budget line, and we'd rather see a leader than miss one.

You may be a great fit if you’re:

  • Willing to Be Real in Front of Strangers

    You're carrying a challenge that a stronger command of story could move. We're not looking for professional speakers; we're looking for honest voices. StoryFest Louisville is a space for courageous storytelling, where the work of revision becomes the work of leadership.

  • Curious and Coachable

    You're open. You're still growing, and you want a place that takes your growth seriously. You're excited to learn not just how to tell a story, but how to use it, to connect, to inspire, to lead. And you're ready to grow alongside leaders whose paths look nothing like yours.

  • Seeking a New Tool for Connection and Action

    You've mastered the data. Now you're ready for the harder, better craft of moving people. Through story, you can rally donors, mobilize volunteers, energize staff, and shape the future of this city.

  • Leading with Community in Mind

    Your mission serves more than a cause; it serves people. You're building trust and holding influence where it matters, and you want your story working as hard as you do.

  • In It for the Long Haul

    StoryFest Louisville isn't a one-time workshop; it's a multi-month, in-person experience. We ask experienced leaders, including accomplished public speakers, to begin again as learners, because that's where the good work starts. You'll walk away with more than a story; you'll leave with a new way to lead.

Storyteller Spotlight:
Prasanthi Persad

Executive Director, Wilderness Louisville

“We added two new board members as a direct result of our StoryFest participation. The experience also taught me the importance and value of storytelling in personalizing information shared with potential funders, as opposed to merely sharing facts and statistics.”

Prasanthi’s story traced her journey from a rural town she once longed to leave to a life in the city—only to find herself unexpectedly drawn back to the trees, trails, and landscapes of her youth. Through that story, she uncovered something deeper: nature had always been a source of healing.

Since StoryFest, she’s begun using personal storytelling in donor meetings—not just to convey facts, but to help funders understand what drives the mission of Wilderness Louisville and why it matters. That shift has already led to two new board members joining the organization.

  • What to Expect → The Journey, Step-by-Step

    Explore the rhythm of the cohort—from workshops and coaching to the moment you take the stage.

    Click Here

  • 2025 Outcomes → Where it Began and What it Sparked.

    A look back at the leaders, partnerships, and momentum that shaped our first chapter.

    Click Here