Indianapolis LGBTQ+ Business Spotlight: Evren Elliott

Why did you choose Indy to launch your business?

I have lived in and loved Indianapolis for over a decade now, and I could think of no better place to continue to invest my time and passions into building community. Why wouldn't I choose Indy? I am obsessed with the magnificent joy of people discovering one another and working together to create something new, and there is no shortage of that here in our city. We show up for each other here. I want to caretake, challenge, and grow that for as long as I can.

How has the community embraced you and your business?

Indianapolis has been incredible to me since I took the leap into starting my business just around a year ago, making this year's pride month all the more special. When I knew it was time to trust my skills as a facilitator and collaborative strategist, I simply started meeting with people I cared about and sharing my ideas and vision for playful and deeply collaborative strategy. People are excited to make a change and show up for one another in new ways, and the connections I have built over my time in non-profit work in Indianapolis have opened the doors to exciting projects. I am beyond thrilled looking forward to what may come.

How can the Indianapolis community support you and your business during Pride month and beyond?

If you're interested in centering joy, play, and creativity in your change work, I would love to talk to you! We play games because they’re fun and silly. And those things are important. Making mistakes is important. Fellowship and togetherness are important. We also play games because it helps us free ourselves from patterns and access imaginative and inventive ways of being with one another. We have to be willing to think audaciously in order to invent new systems. Moving from playing to plotting helps us build power through collaboration and centered on joy. And in knowing one another, we’re better equipped to put our ideas into action. Using a participatory action research with liberatory theatre practices and poplar education principles, it is my goal to collaborate with you to develop practices and strategy deeply rooted radical joy and love for one another. Send me an email at [email protected] and let's stay connected!