From brewers to filmmakers, Columbus is My Neighborhood tells the compelling stories of our local leaders

Get ready to meet your neighbors, Columbus.

Now in its second year, Columbus is My Neighborhood–which is created by The Neighborhood Design Center—features 16 different local BIPOC “heroes” who either currently reside in, or have lived in, Columbus.

After fielding nominations earlier this year, the 2022 Columbus is My Neighborhood class was revealed earlier this month. It highlights individuals who continue to make a lasting positive impact on their community, and is represented by individuals hailingwide variety of fields, including brewery owners, refugee resettlement professionals, filmmakers and more.

“The program really wants to reward individuals for their everyday contributions and create opportunities to learn and engage with individuals you may not know on a day-to-day basis, but after a conversation, you feel like they are a friend and I think the fact that nominations come from peers adds to this,” said Neighborhood Design Center Project Manager Lisa Snyder.  “We all do a million different things in the day and may never know the impact that one interaction can have on someoneIt’s great to honor the individuals, and I hope in part, to re-energize them and their causes as they continue to support others – whether that is welcoming in a refugee, advocating on behalf of victims of abuse, or raising awareness around resources aimed to reduce health disparities.”

You can learn the stories of everyone featured in the class of 2022 here.

Portrait photos of leaders in this year’s program will also be featured in kiosks throughout the city until the end of September. This interactive map can help you locate each one.

New to this year’s class is an immersive podcast series called “Who’s Next Door?,” where each individual, referred to as a neighbor by Neighborhood Design Center, is given a platform to tell their story. Each neighbor has a podcast episode embedded into their Columbus is My Neighborhood profile. You can also find every “Who’s Next Door?” episode here.

“Last year we did interviews with everyone. This year, we wanted to let individuals share their own stories, and podcasts are the perfect format for that,” Snyder said. “It’s their story, in their own words.” 

Want to read more? Check out our print publication, (614) Magazine. Learn where you can find a free copy of our new September issue here!

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