Elaine Lindy
President

Elaine Lindy is an experienced storyteller who founded the award-winning website, "Stories to Grow By" in 1998. Elaine also founded "Fiesta Schoolyards" in 2018, a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming 100 barren elementary schoolyards in Philadelphia within 10 years.  She serves as a Board Member on these nonprofit organizations: The Lindy Foundation, Philadelphia Jewish Film + Media, The Lindy Scholars Advisory Board, First Person Arts, and The Last Call Foundation. Elaine holds an MBA from Simmons College and owns three U.S. patents. She cherishes her two grown daughters Ariel and Hannah, three granddaughters, and beloved family and friends.

Joshua Tull
Executive Director

Joshua is an educator and advocate for children's literacy and theater. He has worked in traditional classroom settings, higher education, and theater throughout his professional career. He holds a Master's degree in Education as well as in Stage Direction. Joshua joined Stories to Grow By after leaving higher education administration during the COVID-19 Pandemic to focus on supporting missions that align with his values.

Jamie Brunson
Advisory Board Member

Jamie Brunson is an artist & activist using storytelling to build community and catalyze dialogue around important issues. Producer of the annual First Person Arts Festival, Host of #US, the new podcast by First Person Arts, WHYY’s Commonspace Radio Hour, and COVID Stories. She is a Creator of FPA’s Applied Storytelling division where storytelling aids trauma informed services. Jamie is a member of the Strategic Planning Committee of Philadelphia’s DBHIDS and is a four-time NEA grantee, produced playwright and published poet. Brunson holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and BA from Temple University.

Lon Fredric Palitz
Advisory Board Member

Lon Fredric Palitz is a former CPA auditor and technical writer with a particular interest in process mapping and organizational strategy. He serves on several other nonprofit boards besides Stories to Grow By: the Last Call Foundation, the Won Institute of Graduate Studies, and Fiesta Schoolyards.
For the Last Call Foundation, Lon was honored to manage a science and engineering research team to successfully develop a much-needed, more durable fire hose that can better resist flames in extreme heat conditions in order to save lives. Lon lives in downtown Philadelphia with domestic partner Elaine Lindy and lives near his grown son Ben. For over five years, Lon has been a hearty and dedicated supporter of Stories to Grow By.

Alan Lindy
Advisory Board Member

Alan Lindy serves as President of Lindy Communities, a fourth generation, family-owned Philadelphia based property management company. Alan Lindy personally serves on the Boards of many nonprofits, including Philadelphia’s After School Activity Program, Legacy Youth Tennis and Education, the Urban Affairs Coalition, Jewish Family and children’s Service, the National Liberty Museum and the American Jewish Committee among others. Through the commitment of the Lindy family, Lindy Communities provides quality homes. strengthens neighborhoods, promotes environmentally friendly lifestyles and supports “giving back.”

Jeremy Lindy
Advisory Board Member

Jeremy Lindy is currently the Marketing Manager at Lindy Communities, after working with small business for 6 years prior. Jeremy lives in New York City, where he enjoys trying out new restaurants, seeing museums, or going for a run along the pier. Growing up with Stories To Grow By, he is excited to continue seeing it grow and being a part of it's evolution.

Sari Follansbee
Advisory Board Member

Sari is an internationally regarded expert in language and literacy development, a digital education innovator, and an entrepreneur. In her latest company, English Learning Network, she enables young professionals globally to communicate their best selves as they advance their English fluency in order to get ahead in their career and level up their lifestyle. Further, she is launching a movement for people affected by traumatic situations such as the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. On her Brave Speaking platform they write their experiences and empathetic responders around the world discuss with them in one-on-one instant chat for emotional support and shared understanding. Over the course of her career, Sari has been a pioneer in transforming teaching and learning and school curriculum. As Publisher and Vice President of AGS Publishing/ Pearson AGS Globe, she led their $30MM high interest/low vocabulary textbook and supplementary product lines into digital versions. As Director of Business Development for The Jason Foundation, she expanded the reach of their real-world science expeditions run by Bob Ballard, discoverer of the Titanic, through education company collaborations. As Director of Strategic Relations for Pearson’s Family Education Network, she initiated digital learning app subscriptions as a first for their #1 consumer education site. While serving as CAST’s Curriculum Director, she and her colleagues pioneered the framework of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) enabling learners of diverse abilities, needs, and interests to succeed from their strengths with flexible learning materials. Sari was CAST’s lead with Scholastic in creating WiggleWorks (beginning reading and writing system) and The Role of Online Communications in Schools (a national study showing that Internet resources improve student performance). Sari holds a Masters and Doctorate degree in Reading, Language Development and Learning Disabilities from Harvard University.

Frank Lindy
Advisory Board Member

Judith Gorgone
Advisory Board Member