Today we’d like to introduce you to Katelyn Barbier-Mueller.
Katelyn, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I moved to Dallas a little over five years ago right after graduating from Auburn University with a degree in Rehabilitation and Disability Studies. I held a six-month internship with the ministry called Joni and Friends, which seeks to assist churches and families with special needs children and adults. After my internship, I worked as the instructional specialist at a day program for adults with special needs called Connecting Point of Park Cities, after getting married, I switched from working at Connecting Point to a smaller private school serving children with special needs called Cornerstone Achievement Center.
I loved my time spent in both programs getting to know and love the students and families. I saw first hand the need for funding for these special needs programs. My husband and his family are owners of a wonderful venue in uptown called Happiest Hour, so one night, my husband and I were talking and decided we wanted to use the resources we have to support the causes that we love. Thus, Hope Fest was born!
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not always been a smooth road, in the first year of putting on Hope Fest I was mainly assisted by a wonderful lady, who four months before the event, left for a different job, which left me anxious and unsure if we should still have the event! With my husband’s support and encouragement, we went forward and ended up finding Katherine Sundby to help us which has been the biggest blessing.
My advice to other women is finding a good support system. Find other women who are driven and motivated and team up with them! With our second year of Hope fest happening this past weekend, we faced 100% chance of rain and thunderstorms for our totally outdoor event, but with Katherine’s help, and the help of a few other key players at Harwood International, we were able to transform the event in a matter of two days and make it even more successful than last year! Once again my advice would be to team up with others who share your dreams, visions, and ideals!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Founder of Hope Fest story. Tell us more about the business.
I work in the special needs community. Serving as a teacher for the past five years until my son was born, and now working primarily on Hope Fest to raise funds for special needs programs in our community. I am most proud of the impact we had on the organizations since the inception of Hope Fest last fall. With the funds raised last year, Connecting Point was able to purchase a new bus, Cornerstone was able to update their playground and hire a new teacher full time. We also were able to help two individual families with the expenses of having a child with special needs.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
I’m not sure if you would say this pertains to a career, but as far as having a philanthropic mindset, my mother in law told me: “Even if you can just give $50, that’s $50 more than they had before.” Making the point to always give what you can, it may not seem like much to you but can make a world of a difference to someone in need.
Contact Info:
- Website: Hopefestlive.org
- Email: hopefestlive@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Rocket brand, Natalie Yates photography
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