BACKGROUND
A Louisiana native, Dr. Kraig Kinchen was born in New Orleans, raised in Lafayette, and educated at Tulane and Harvard. The son of a physician and two generations of educators, his closest mentors didn’t just talk about the importance of education—they lived it out in front of him.
After church on Sundays, his father would take Kraig and his brother on hospital rounds, making a lifelong impression. His father consistently stopped to talk with and encourage the academic and extracurricular pursuits of children visiting hospitalized family members.
“My dad actively sought kids out to encourage them, spoke at schools, and made it his mission to be involved—especially in the lives of young black people,” says Kraig.
His mother and paternal grandmother, both educators, also led by example. They trained others—and him—in the power and importance of academics, especially history and reading. Kraig remembers often seeing three books at a time on his mother’s nightstand.
After graduating from St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette, Kraig pursued a double major in biology and sociology at Tulane University in New Orleans, following the pre-med track he had set for himself. For his honors thesis, he studied healthcare for the homeless and, more broadly, how social factors impact disease treatment. This interest would persist and shape his focus on health services research and patient outcomes, rather than clinical practice.
Accepted to Harvard Medical School, Kraig was also awarded a Marshall Scholarship to Oxford University and deferred Harvard for two years. At Oxford, he earned a master’s degree in Social Research and Social Policy. He then took a second year’s deferment to work at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Health Policy, in Washington, D.C.
Once at Harvard, you might think his life was all work and no play. But somehow, Kraig made time for something he loved: encouraging, listening to, and teaching African American middle school students on many Saturday mornings through a mentoring program.
“I had enjoyed learning all along,” he says. “And I had those who encouraged me. It’s what I found fulfilling, so I naturally did it.”
During his final year of medical school, Kraig met his future wife, Tina Harris, who was starting her radiology residency alongside Kraig’s brother. Tina, a native of Indianapolis, became the reason the young couple eventually moved to Indiana—after Kraig’s internal medicine residency in Baltimore and a two-year health services research fellowship through the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. With young children and dual careers, having family support nearby was vital.
A natural alignment developed between Kraig’s interests in care delivery and outcomes and his new community in Indianapolis. That connection was Eli Lilly, where he spent the next 22 years—half in health outcomes research, and half as a medical director overseeing teams involved in clinical trials.
Despite a demanding career and home life, Kraig continued to prioritize mentoring youth. Through Lilly’s many volunteer opportunities, he spent a lunch hour one day each week for a decade mentoring students at local schools. He participated in Real Men Lead, reading monthly to fourth graders, and later facilitated Imani Summer Book Clubs through the Center for Leadership Development (CLD)—a volunteer effort he continues today.
“I think my most important God-given gift is the desire and ability to encourage—particularly students,” Kraig says. “My favorite scripture is Hebrews 10:24 (NASB): ‘And let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds.’”
Around the same time he became active with CLD, Kraig also connected with the nonprofit 100 Black Men. With more than 100 chapters nationwide, the organization was looking for volunteers in Indianapolis—and Kraig embraced the challenge.
As his children left for college, 100 Black Men became his primary outreach and ultimately the next chapter of his life. In August 2023, Kraig retired from Lilly and became Executive Director of the Indianapolis chapter.
With seven core programs, the organization involves local men in the lives of children and teens, focusing on leadership, financial literacy, history, reading, robotics, and STEM.
Like his mother, reading remains a special passion for Kraig. “We come across lots of very smart students whose progress is hindered by suboptimal reading proficiency,” he says.
Transitioning from medicine to the social-educational world of nonprofits, Kraig continues to grow as a leader. While he has loved direct interaction with students, his role now requires training and inspiring others to do the same. The organization’s motto, “What they see is what they’ll be,” guides his leadership. An invitation to serve on the board of Elevate Indy has also played a key role in his development.
“Aaron Story of Elevate Indy has taught me so much about how to be an executive director,” he says. “That’s been a big source of support.”
Together with Tim George, Kraig recently launched a C7 initiative called “Personal Growth and Development.” The two have recruited leaders and will soon offer small groups for C7 members interested in deeper personal growth.
Kraig and Tina are proud parents of Kourtney, 26, a lawyer, and Justin, 23, a graduate student at the University of Miami, where he studies both violin performance and studio jazz (trumpet). Tina has been a radiologist at Methodist Hospital since 2001. The Kinchens have attended Covenant Community Church since moving to Indianapolis 22 years ago.
KRAIG'S IDEAS FOR A BETTER INDY
- Encourage a Student Today. “Our young people have tremendous potential and face significant obstacles,” says Kraig. “The more we can provide caring adults to encourage students and help them navigate challenges, the more our entire community will thrive.”
- Seek to Provide Value Rather Than Extract It. “This is the kind of man I’ve found in C7, and it’s the kind of man I want to be,” he says. “Since my first Citizen 7 gathering, I’ve met so many men asking how they could help me—and that has made all the difference.”
KRAIG KINCHEN TRIVIA
- Favorite hobby (besides work): Photography
- Go-to snack & beverage: Honey-roasted peanuts & Sprite
- Favorite local restaurant: Athens on 86th Street - But Kraig adds: “My favorite meal is prepared by our close family friend, Mrs. Houston, when we go home to Lafayette. She’s in her 90s now, and she still makes a pot of red beans and rice every time we visit—for more than 30 years now. In addition to being the best red beans and rice in the known world, they remind me of love and generosity.”
- Favorite vacation spot: We’re a Disney family!
- Secret dream: "I think my secret dream is actually being fulfilled in my current role,” he says. “This is what I’m supposed to be doing. My purpose in life is to mentor and encourage. I am living my dream! I couldn’t draw up a job description that fits me better.”
Please reach out and connect with Kraig at: kraigkinchen@yahoo.com
