Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation

10/16/2026

Three leaders. Three well-deserved honors. One extraordinary network of Hoosiers making a difference. 💚

We are thrilled to celebrate three members of the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation Fellowship who have been named 2027 Champions of Impact by the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper!

🌟 Lauren Petersen James, MDLF Executive Director — Rising Star of Excellence Award, Class I Fellow

🌟 Sharla Osuna Rios, CSSGB Osuna Rios, Class IX Fellow and Vice President and Community Development Officer at The National Bank of Indianapolis — Community Impact Award

🌟 Lindsay Gramlich, Class II Fellow, representing Girls Inc. — Transformational Change Award

Congratulations to these three women who are putting MDLF's values to action in the community, creating opportunities, and helping move Indiana forward.

Read the full announcement: https://indianapolisrecorder.com/recorder-media-group-announces-2027-champions-of-impact-award-honorees/

10/09/2026

What is education for?

On October 6, the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation's Class IX Fellows gathered at Liberty Fund for a day of challenging assumptions about education in Indiana.

We began with first principles. What should government provide? What responsibilities belong to families and communities? How do we balance individual freedom with our collective interest in an educated citizenry?

With Pat Lynch guiding our discussions, we explored these questions before turning to one of today's most pressing debates: What makes higher education worth the investment?

Thank you to President Marty Pollio of Ivy Tech Community College, President Geoffrey Mearns of Ball State University, Dr. David Umulis of Purdue University in Indianapolis, Dr. Chris Plouff of the University of Indianapolis, and Dr. Michelle Ashcraft, Ph.D. Ashcraft of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education for an engaging and candid conversation.

Thank you to Liberty Fund, our speakers, and the leaders of Class IX for another day of thoughtful disagreement, good questions, and forward momentum.

Special thanks to Central Indiana Community Foundation photographer Miguel Dominguez for capturing the day so beautifully.

09/24/2026

Each year, MDLF recognizes Hoosiers whose leadership, service, and generosity have strengthened Indiana over the course of their lives and careers. This year, we were proud to present the Daniels Prize to Dr. John and Sarah Lechleiter for decades of leadership across business, science, philanthropy, the arts, and civic life. Congratulations, John and Sarah!

09/23/2026

At our MDLF Annual Event on September 10, we had the privilege of recognizing two outstanding MDLF Fellows whose leadership and Capstone work are creating meaningful impact across Indiana.

Casey Crouse (Class VII) received the 2026 Driving Change Award for the advancement and impact of his Capstone Project, which focused on evolving New Shoe Day into Indiana’s Shoe Bank. What began as a local effort has grown into a statewide network creating access to new footwear for Hoosier youth through schools, shelters, athletics programs, and community centers. Under Casey’s leadership, New Shoe Day has deployed more than 18,000 pairs of new shoes and operates 14 Shoe Pantries across Indiana. Congratulations, Casey!

Scott Massey (Class VIII), Founder and CEO of Grow Anu, received the Outstanding Fellow Award. Chosen by his peers, Scott was recognized for his leadership, engagement, and Capstone Project, Nurturing Hoosier Hearts and Minds from Cradle to Career. statewide Food is Medicine initiative connects education, healthcare, and private enterprise through on-site cultivation of nutrient-dense produce, with the goal of improving Hoosier health, workforce readiness, and technical literacy. Congratulations, Scott!

09/15/2026

We’re grateful to the nearly 400 community members, business leaders, Fellows, alumni, partners, and friends who joined us for the 2026 Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation Annual Event on September 10 at the Indiana State Museum.

Gov. Mitch Daniels joined Nate Feltman to reflect on the stories and lessons behind his new memoir, Impatience Is a Virtue: A Life Where the Buck Stops, followed by a thoughtful conversation with Jonathan Rauch on leadership, public service, institutions, and trust.

We were also proud to recognize Dr. John and Sarah Lechleiter as our 2026 Daniels Prize Recipients, Scott Massey as our Class VIII Outstanding Fellow Award Recipient, and Casey Crouse as our 2026 Driving Change Award Recipient.

Thank you to every guest, sponsor, partner, volunteer, and member of the MDLF network who helped make the evening possible.

To purchase your copy of Gov. Daniels’ memoir, Impatience Is a Virtue: A Life Where the Buck Stops, visit: https://www.globepequot.com/9781493096121/impatience-is-a-virtue/

📸 Thank you to Rob Banayote for capturing the evening! banayotephoto.com

09/15/2026

09/09/2026

Tomorrow is the big day.

The Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation Annual Event is almost here — and this year’s program is one we’ve been looking forward to for a long time.

Tomorrow evening at the Indiana State Museum, we’ll gather Fellows, alumni, partners, and leaders from across Indiana for a night centered on leadership, ideas, and impact.

And we’ll have a few memorable moments along the way:

📘 Mitch Daniels will unveil his new book, Impatience Is a Virtue, ahead of its official release.

🎤 He’ll sit down for a conversation with Jonathan Rauch.

🏆 We’ll celebrate John Lechleiter and Sarah Lechleiter with the Daniels Prize.

👏 We’ll recognize Casey Crouse with the Driving Change Award and Scott Massey as our Class VIII Outstanding Fellow.

Most of all, we’ll celebrate the growing network of people across Indiana who are putting leadership into practice.

Tomorrow is the big day. We can’t wait to see you there.

09/03/2026

There's just one week left before MDLF's biggest event of the year! Secure your ticket and ensure you don't miss this historic gathering of inspiring leaders and thought-provoking ideas!

https://www.mdlfindiana.org/annual-event

08/27/2026

Five days before the rest of the country can buy Mitch Daniels’ new memoir, Impatience Is a Virtue: A Life Where the Buck Stops will officially launch at MDLF’s Annual Event.

Join us September 10 at the Indiana State Museum for the first opportunity to hear Governor Daniels share the stories and ideas behind the book.

The evening will also feature a separate conversation with special guest Jonathan Rauch, nationally recognized writer and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, on the state of our institutions, the responsibilities of leadership and what it takes to turn ideas into action.

And you will not have to wait for the national release. Guests will be able to purchase a signed copy of the memoir on site and take it home that night.

Nearly 400 Hoosier leaders will be there. Will you?

Reserve your tickets now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-mitch-daniels-leadership-foundation-annual-event-tickets-1988944620902