Meet the women of downtown Indy
In honor of International Women’s Day, we’re highlighting three local icons who foster our city's success and growth daily. These women work hard in front of and behind the scenes to ensure downtown Indianapolis flourishes and brings people to our city center for years to come.
Taylor Shaffer speaking at a Public Safety Press Converence.
Let’s get to know the women of downtown Indianapolis:
Meet Casey Cawthorn
Vice President, Marketing and Communications with Indy Chamber
Photo captured by Faith Blackwell Photography
What does a typical day look like for you?
No days look the same! One moment I may act as a spokesperson for the Indy Chamber. Then I might prep our team for internal work such as media opportunities or email distribution.
I lead communications for our Business Equity Initiative (BEI) efforts, our entrepreneur services team, and our advocacy team to support their marketing and communications. That's my day job.
I just celebrated 10 years of teaching as an associate faculty member at IUPUI, where I graduated. I also have a freelance communications business and serve on a few boards. Much of my work is in equity and supporting small businesses; I especially love supporting badass women!
CHECK IT OUT…
We’re meeting more awesome women of Indy here.
Can you share an inside scoop on Indy Chamber's role in supporting downtown Indy?
The Chamber is involved in so much; the tentacles of what we do are deep and wide. There's a bit of a misnomer that Indy Chamber is only for big businesses, but we want to debunk that message.
We have an entire division dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs, with specific teams supporting female and Hispanic entrepreneurs, and we offer the Reentry Economic Development Initiative for people coming out of incarceration and considering entrepreneurship. The fantastic thing is all these entrepreneur support services are free!
You sound so passionate about your work. What's your favorite part?
All the paths for me lead back to the fact that I love public relations and am a huge underdog champion. I've been an underdog my whole life.
I was a mom before I was an adult, and I've walked backward since I was 17, and yet I was still able to get a bachelor’s and master's degree and build a career like this. My work with small businesses is so vital to me. Being able to play a part in telling their stories makes it all worth it for me.
Meet Judith Thomas
Deputy Mayor, City of Indianapolis
Photo courtesy of Judith Thomas
What's your favorite part of the work you do?
Everything is my favorite! I sometimes wish I could split in two and be able to do things a million times.
From collaborating with Indy Parks and Recreation on their recent funding from the Lily Endowment to my work with the Office of International Latino Affairs, I love all of it.
I'm so proud of all the support we give our veterans too. We have four veteran service officers that will sit down with veterans and walk them through benefit opportunities in the area and compensation for folks that need help.
WOMEN ARE CHANGING INDY:
What has surprised you about being in this role?
I could have never anticipated this work. I didn't come from a government background, so I had to learn very quickly how government works.
But when it comes to actually getting things done, using our passion, and working toward goals, these folks are committed.
What are you hopeful about seeing downtown in the future?
Downtown is going to change so much in the next couple of years.
The Bicentennial Unity Plaza at Gainbridge Fieldhouse will be an exciting and engaging outdoor space when it opens.
Elanco's global headquarters is moving to downtown near the zoo.
We are working on a cultural equity initiative to celebrate the history of Indy neighborhoods, emphasizing how we can help neighborhood residents and keep an eye on gentrification.
I can't forget Indiana Avenue's history and development and what that could look like in the coming years.
Meet Taylor Schaffer
President and CEO of Downtown Indy Inc.
Photo courtesy of Taylor Shaffer
Besides raising awareness around events downtown, what else does Downtown Indy Inc. do?
Downtown Indy Inc. exists to make downtown a safe, beautiful, and vibrant place. We work closely with the city's departments and agencies to supplement their services.
This may include graffiti and litter removal, increasing safety improvement services, or spending time directly with businesses and members to ensure that downtown is a beautiful place to live, work, and visit.
SHOW SOME LOVE…
…to some of our favorite women-owned eateries this International Women’s Day.
What are you most excited about seeing downtown in the future?
City Market is such a special place in our city's history; it has been a cornerstone of Indianapolis since the founding of our state capital.
I'm excited about the developments around City Market: adding residential living and street-level amenity space is the future of downtown to me.
What's your favorite part of the work you do?
I love working with members and stakeholders who are excited about all the opportunities to reimagine downtown. We are lucky; Indianapolis' downtown is filled with intentionality…But it was primarily built for visitors.
Now that we have more people living downtown, we can treat it as a neighborhood and increase amenities for residents.
When I moved here, I didn't intend to be here forever. But I fell in love with downtown. So I'm grateful to wake up every day and work on ways of giving more back to this community that I love so much.
MAKE CHANGE IN YOUR COMMUNITY:
Check out 7 ways to give back for family-friendly ideas.
We hope you’re inspired by the powerful work of these women as much as we are. The good news is: You don’t have to be Deputy Mayor to make a difference!
Learn more:
Downtown Indy Inc.’s newsletter is a must for keeping up with events in Indianapolis.
Stay up-to-date with all the newest Indy developments at Indy.gov and Downtown Indy Inc.
Judith’s top Indy rec: A new program called Visiting All Neighborhoods that highlights local businesses in neighborhoods across the city.
