Recorder Media Group has announced the honorees for the 19th Annual Champions of Impact Awards. All winners will be formally recognized during the awards dinner on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, at the JW Marriott Indianapolis from 5:30-8:30 p.m. EST. This annual celebration honors individuals and organizations whose leadership, service, and innovation have brought about meaningful change and propelled communities forward.
Now in its 19th year, the Champions of Impact Awards recognize individuals and organizations whose work fosters lasting change in business, health, education, culture and community leadership. This annual gathering brings together trailblazers from across the state to recognize those who step forward, challenge limits and move their communities forward through their actions and examples.
“I am proud to see the Champions of Impact Awards continue to grow,” said Robert Shegog, President and CEO of Recorder Media Group. “This year marks a new chapter for what this event represents. People are looking for more than applause and titles; they want to stand behind something that has meaning, something built on real work and real outcomes. Champions of Impact is not about recognition for its own sake. It’s about documenting the people who roll up their sleeves, take risks, and leave things better than they found them. Our goal is not just to honor them, but to set a marker for what leadership looks like in this moment in history. These honorees remind us that legacy is not given, it’s built, decision by decision.”
2026 Champions of Impact honorees
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Award – Marianne Glick, Board Chair, Glick Family Foundation
- Rosa Parks Trailblazer Award – Brandi Davis-Handy, President, AES Indiana
- William G. Mays Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award – Mamon Powers III, President and CEO, Powers & Sons Construction
- Lifetime Education Achievement Award – Kevin Teasley, Founder and CEO, Greater Education Opportunities (GEO) Foundation)
- Amos Brown Community Advocate Award – Eunice Trotter, Director, Black Heritage Preservation Program, Indiana Landmarks
- President’s Choice Award – Indy Black Chamber of Commerce, Larry Williams and Anita Williams, Co-Founders
- Visionary Leader Award – Dennis Murphy, President and CEO, Indiana University Health
- Impact Leadership Award – Alderick “Al” London, President and CEO, Generations Community Bank
- Legacy Award – Madam Walker Legacy Center, Kristian Stricklen, President and CEO
- Breaking Barriers Award – Vince Wong, President and CEO, BioCrossroads and Indiana Seed Funds
- Bridge to Impact Award – Dr. Cameual Wright, President, CareSource Indiana
- Industry Leader Award – Connor Painting, Janmarie Connor, President and CEO
- Master of Finance Award – Matthew B. Murphy III, Founder and Chief Financial Officer, Obsidiant Partners, LLC
- Changemaker Award – Tonya Sisco, Executive Director, Corporate Responsibility, Cummins, Inc.
- Civic Engagement Award – Recycle Force, Gregg Keesling, Founder and President
- Distinguished Business Achiever Award – Darrell Johnson, Owner and President, Diversity Press
- Stewardship Young Leader Award – Jarvis Jointer, Founder and President, JQOL Quality of Life
- Rising Star of Excellence Award – Casey Harrison, CEO, Polished Strategic Communications
- Voices of Culture Award – GANGGANG, Alan K. Bacon Jr., Co-Founder and Chief Strategist, and Malina Simone Bacon, Co-Founder and Creative Director
- Empowerment Service Award – Tracey C. Jackson, MHRM, Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Impact, 16 Tech Innovation District
- Voice of Hope Award – Dr. Russell Ledet, MD, PhD, MBA, Triple Board Resident, Indiana University School of Medicine
- Community Impact Award – Shepherd Community, Jay Height, Executive Director
- Trailblazer Champion Award – Charlotte Hawthorne, Executive Director, Social Impact, Lilly and Vice President, Lilly Foundation, Eli Lilly, and Company
- Social Innovation Mastermind Award – Jimmy Rayford, Chief Executive Officer, Dealers Wholesale
“Recorder Media Group has always believed that progress begins when people decide to act,” Shegog said. “Champions of Impact is one of the ways we document that spirit in real time. These honorees demonstrate what it means to lead with conviction and build something that endures beyond the moment. We invite businesses, community leaders and partners to stand with us, not just to applaud achievement, but to invest in the kind of leadership that strengthens futures.”
For more information about the event, sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets, click here or visit www.indianapolisrecorder.com. Contact us at ChampionsofImpact@IndyRecorder.com or (317) 924-5143.
