A First Fridays Event: June 13, 8 a.m. to noon, at Electric Works - Fort Wayne
See below for Vendor and Sponsorship Opportunities
Leadership is more than just a title—it’s a lifelong journey of growth in mind, body, spirit, and finances.
That’s why we created Lead Well, an annual leadership and networking event designed to equip professionals with the tools and insights they need to lead effectively.
This four-hour event brings together expert speakers and panelists, engaging discussions, and valuable networking opportunities—all while enjoying a delicious breakfast with fellow leaders.
At Lead Well, you'll gain practical strategies to enhance your skills, no matter where you are in your career. With thought-provoking sessions on mental resilience, physical well-being, spiritual growth, and financial wisdom, you’ll leave inspired and empowered to lead with confidence.
This summer, join us for Lead Well—a unique opportunity to learn, grow, and connect with like-minded professionals who are passionate about becoming better leaders.
General Admission
$55
Tickets are limited.
Speaker Details
Financial Panel
Sydney Cale, CFP®, CEPA®
Sydney Cale is a Senior Wealth Advisor at Mariner. With over a decade of experience, Sydney has a passion to bring peace of mind to her clients by providing clarity and confidence in their financial futures. Sydney serves on the board at First Fridays Fort Wayne as well as Board Treasurer for All for One Productions (faith-based theatre).
Moderator
Austin Thoms, CFP®
Austin Thoms is a committed Certified Financial Planner® at Wealth Advisors Group with a passion for helping individuals and families achieve their financial goals. Beyond his professional endeavors, Austin is a devoted family man, happily married, and the proud father of three young daughters. Austin also serves as an Airbnb host, sharing his hospitality with guest from all over the world. In addition, Austin is a podcast host of 2300 Reasons Why where he helps bridge the gap between faith and finances. Furthermore, Austin is deeply involved as the Deacon of Stewardship at Northeast Christian Church, where he helps guide and support the congregation in matters of financial stewardship and charitable giving.
Panelist
Steven Gilbert, CFP®, APMA®, RICP®
Financial Planner | Gilbert Wealth
A Northeast Indiana native, Steven graduated from Cedarville University, receiving a double major in accounting and finance with a Bible minor. Upon graduation, he moved to DC for an opportunity at Accenture Federal Services. In 2014, he started his career in personal finance, quickly becoming a branch operations leader. After earning his CFP designation, Steven transitioned to advising clients with a focus on retirement. Steven moved back to the Fort Wayne area in 2018 and continued providing comprehensive advice to clients in all walks of life. In 2021, Gilbert Wealth was launched, a financial planning and wealth management practice to serve clients preparing for and transitioning into retirement. In our community, Steven is active at Blackhawk Ministries and Junior Achievement.
Panelist
Gwen Ruppert, AAMS™, MBA
Nexus Financial Solutions at Raymond James
Gwen has a Bachelor’s of Criminal Justice at Indiana University - Fort Wayne, a Master’s of Public Affairs from Indiana University – Fort Wayne, and an MBA from WGU. She previously worked as a Probation Officer in Huntington County, Kosciusko County, and Allen County. She founded the Boys and Girls Club of Huntington County and was a founding member of POPAI (Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana). In Spring 2017, she became a financial advisor. Gwen currently is part of the team at Nexus Financial Solutions at Raymond James, where she works in an all-encompassing wealth management team. Prior to joining Nexus Financial Solutions, she worked at Edward Jones for seven years. She is actively involved in community service, serving as a committee member of the Women's Fund, an Active Council member of the GFW Women's Network, and currently serving as a committee member on the finance team of Four-10 Ministries.
Panelist
Spiritual Panel
Keith Edmonds
Career Coach & Motivational Speaker
Moderator
Keith is a 1983 graduate of Simpson College (Iowa) where he received his Bachelors degree and completed his Masters in Secondary Ed in 1989 and his 2nd Masters in 2010 in School Administration. He taught and coached in Fort Wayne Community Schools for 28 years eventually becoming a High School Principal for 7 years before retiring in 2017. He currently works as a Careers Coach, a Writer for Fort Wayne InkSpot, and a broadcaster for SummitCitySports and recently received his certification as a Motivational Speaker from the Vera Jones Perseverance Speakers Academy.
Joe Jordan
President & CEO, Boys & Girls Club of Fort Wayne
Joe is a lifetime resident of Fort Wayne with over 26 years experience at the executive management level with the primary focus on youth and family development. He received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Indiana Institute of Technology and a Masters of Management from Indiana Wesleyan University. He is a BGCA Advanced Executive Leadership graduate, a graduate of Leadership Fort Wayne and is the recipient of the 2017 BGCA Professional of the Year award and the 2019 BGCA Heart & Soul Award. Joe sits on numerous boards including Fort Wayne United, a high profile effort to reduce street violence between law enforcement and youth.
Panelist
Senior Pastor, County Line Church of God
Pastor Stuart Kruse
Stuart Kruse is the Senior Pastor of the County Line Church of God in Auburn, IN. He attended Indiana-Purdue University in Fort Wayne and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1995. Sensing a call to vocational ministry, County Line Church called him to serve as an Associate Pastor in 2001. He later received his Master’s in Pastoral Ministry from Huntington University in 2004 and was ordained by Indiana Ministries in 2005. In 2009, Stuart became the Senior Pastor at County Line Church.
Panelist
Physical Health Keynote
Kelley Marvin
Kelley’s expertise is backed by years of training in holistic health, nutrition, and integrative wellness: Certified Holistic Health Coach – Institute for Integrative Nutrition (2014), Certified Natural Health Professional – Trinity School of Natural Health (2014), A.S. in Computer Applications & Programming – International Business College (1997), B.S. in Business Administration – MIS – Indiana Institute of Technology (2006).
Her ability to combine data-driven biohacking with ancient healing traditions makes her approach truly unique. She helps women track, measure, and optimize their health using tools like metabolic scales, pH tracking, personalized nutrition, and functional lab markers.
Certified Holistic Health Coach & Owner, Inspired Nutrition by Kelley
Kelley's Approach & Philosophy: Your body is not broken—it just needs the right environment to heal. Kelley’s work is centered around understanding the unique needs of each woman’s body and providing the tools, knowledge, and support needed to heal and thrive.
Science-Based: Kelley teaches women how to use biohacking tools to track their progress, optimize metabolism, and support hormonal balance.
Food as Medicine: She helps clients understand how to use real food to nourish their body, reduce inflammation, and restore energy.
Holistic Wellness: From detoxing your home and environment to balancing stress and mindset, Kelley’s approach is truly inside-out healing.
Mental Health Keynote
Missy Blackmer, LMHC, LMFT
CEO, Co-Founder, & Clinical Director of Unboxed Grace Counseling
Missy holds the titles of Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in the state of Indiana. She is also certified in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT).
She’s had the privilege of working in various roles, both as a therapist and as a clinical supervisor, at institutions like Park Center, Meridian Health Services, Lifeline, and Easterseals ARC of Northeast Indiana. These experiences have provided her with a deep understanding of the diverse challenges individuals face in their quest for mental well-being.
She is also the owner of "The Mental Health Chick," a platform dedicated to providing mental health education, transformative courses, comprehensive training, and motivational speaking services.
Missy’s passion lies in helping women overcome anxiety, mood disorders, and trauma-related challenges. I also work with parents, teenagers, and young adults dealing with issues such as behavior disorders, anxiety, depression, developmental disorders, and the challenges of life transitions.
Joshua Raines
Star 88.3 Radio Host & Director of Strategic Partnerships at Destiny Rescue
Panelist
Joshua Raines is an accomplished strategist, communicator, and movement leader with a proven track record of driving transformational impact across media, for profit, nonprofit, and community sectors. He is the host of the top-rated "Josh and Friends" program on STAR 88.3 and serves as Director of Strategic Partnerships at Destiny Rescue, an international organization committed to eradicating child trafficking.
Joshua is also the co-founder of United Front, Connect FW, initiatives designed to foster meaningful dialogue and community engagement. He also co founded ACTS 17 Collective, partnering with influential leaders nationwide such as Peter Thiel (founder of PayPal, Trae Stephens( Managing partner of Founders Fund) and others to advance conversations around faith and tech. His work with ACTS 17 has caught national attention from Vanity Fair in an article named "Christianity was Borderline illegal in Silicon Valley. Now it's the new religion." He also manages international artist IhearCanvas, helping grow the artist's platform to millions of followers through innovative strategy and relationship-building.
Date and Time:
Friday, June 13
8am - 12pm EDT
Location:
Do It Best Foundation Room
1626 Broadway
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
See our Sponsorship Opportunities for Businesses & Organizations:
Wellness
Leader
$750
Includes:
Tickets for 8 guests
Community
Wellness
Leader
$1,500
Includes:
Tickets for 8 guests
Logo on table tent
On-screen promotion
Life
Changer
$3,000
Includes:
Tickets for 8 guests
Logo on table tent
On-screen promotion
Verbal day of recognition
World
Changer
$6,000
Includes:
Tickets for 8 guests
Logo on table tent
On-screen promotion
Verbal day of recognition
60 second verbal or video airtime at event
Vendor table
Limited Vendor Tables Available
for Businesses and Non-profits.
Businesses
$150
Includes:
One six-foot vendor table
2 chairs
2 event tickets
Non-profits
$100
Includes:
One six-foot vendor table
2 chairs
2 event tickets