BACKGROUND
Born and raised in the Martindale-Brightwood community on Indy's northside, Immanuel Ivey graduated from Arsenal Technical High School and returned after college to sow into the soil of his community with a B.S. in Marketing and M.S. in Human Resource Development from Indiana State.
He jokingly says he is "the spitting image" of his parents – his father an entrepreneur who started the first hip-hop clothing store in Indy, The Joint Boutique, and his mother a case manager at what is now the John H. Boner Community Center. On the entrepreneurial side, he has owned a food truck, started an entertainment promotional business, and is currently developing an online retail clothing brand, "Ivey Style Clothing," a venture he will leave to his sons as they grow up.
On the community-minded side, he has worked with the Edna Martin Christian Center for 12 years, currently serving as executive director for Edna Martin CBDO, LLC, the community-based development organization subsidiary of the non-profit. From serving as a financial coach to both program manager and senior director of workforce development and entrepreneurship, to teaching entrepreneurship to youth, to coaching parents in life skills, Ivey has been uniquely prepared for his current position, which he began in April.
His job as executive director of the CBDO is complex, but a perfect bridge between his passion for community and entrepreneurship. He is tasked with developing affordable housing and the many activities that go with it, like writing and overseeing grants, rehabbing and building properties, and seeking funding to cover the gap between affordability and actual building costs. His remaining time is split between various social enterprises, which include Martindale-Brightwood Media Group (a venture to train juniors and seniors in high school in podcasting, recording, producing and other media opportunities), Henry Blair Farm (two acres devoted to community produce ventures beginning in 2024 like farm stands and farm-to-restaurant offerings), and a lawn care/maintenance venture (teaching youth in summer programs as well as out-of-school youth [ages 17-24] transferable skills and helpingout the elderly in the community with lawn care and basic home maintenance tasks). Finally, he will help implement and inform the community on the progress of the newly-revised Martindale-Brightwood Quality of Life Plan, the five-year strategy of the community for addressing safety, crime, housing, education and the many other needs inherent in the places we call home.
Somewhere in between the vocations he enjoys, he and his wife, Monique Ivey, are also active at Little Bethel Missionary Baptist Church where he serves as a deacon and trustee and works with an intergenerational ministry as well as youth in a monthly program called "Boy's Rites of Passage" in which his own sons, Manny Ivey, 6, and Jay Smith, 12, are involved.
IVEY'S IDEAS FOR A BETTER INDY
IMMANUEL IVEY TRIVIA
Favorite hobby besides work? Played football and ran track in high school and loves to watch all levels of football to this day.
Go to snack and beverage? Boston Baked Beans (the candy!) and water
What is your favorite restaurant, locally? Jamaican Style Jerk, right off 70th & Michigan Rd.
Favorite place for a vacation? Jamaica
Connect with Immanuel at iivey@ednamartincc.org.
Born and raised in the Martindale-Brightwood community on Indy's northside, Immanuel Ivey graduated from Arsenal Technical High School and returned after college to sow into the soil of his community with a B.S. in Marketing and M.S. in Human Resource Development from Indiana State.
He jokingly says he is "the spitting image" of his parents – his father an entrepreneur who started the first hip-hop clothing store in Indy, The Joint Boutique, and his mother a case manager at what is now the John H. Boner Community Center. On the entrepreneurial side, he has owned a food truck, started an entertainment promotional business, and is currently developing an online retail clothing brand, "Ivey Style Clothing," a venture he will leave to his sons as they grow up.
On the community-minded side, he has worked with the Edna Martin Christian Center for 12 years, currently serving as executive director for Edna Martin CBDO, LLC, the community-based development organization subsidiary of the non-profit. From serving as a financial coach to both program manager and senior director of workforce development and entrepreneurship, to teaching entrepreneurship to youth, to coaching parents in life skills, Ivey has been uniquely prepared for his current position, which he began in April.
His job as executive director of the CBDO is complex, but a perfect bridge between his passion for community and entrepreneurship. He is tasked with developing affordable housing and the many activities that go with it, like writing and overseeing grants, rehabbing and building properties, and seeking funding to cover the gap between affordability and actual building costs. His remaining time is split between various social enterprises, which include Martindale-Brightwood Media Group (a venture to train juniors and seniors in high school in podcasting, recording, producing and other media opportunities), Henry Blair Farm (two acres devoted to community produce ventures beginning in 2024 like farm stands and farm-to-restaurant offerings), and a lawn care/maintenance venture (teaching youth in summer programs as well as out-of-school youth [ages 17-24] transferable skills and helpingout the elderly in the community with lawn care and basic home maintenance tasks). Finally, he will help implement and inform the community on the progress of the newly-revised Martindale-Brightwood Quality of Life Plan, the five-year strategy of the community for addressing safety, crime, housing, education and the many other needs inherent in the places we call home.
Somewhere in between the vocations he enjoys, he and his wife, Monique Ivey, are also active at Little Bethel Missionary Baptist Church where he serves as a deacon and trustee and works with an intergenerational ministry as well as youth in a monthly program called "Boy's Rites of Passage" in which his own sons, Manny Ivey, 6, and Jay Smith, 12, are involved.
IVEY'S IDEAS FOR A BETTER INDY
- KEEP WORKING TO EVEN THE PLAYING FIELD: "With the disparities of poverty, lack of education and financial literacy, I see discrepancies even within neighborhoods," he says. "Gentrification can be helpful, but when you see a $400,000 home across from a $50,000 home, it's not. We need critical conversations with developers buying land cheap and turning around and selling it above what people who've lived here all their lives can afford. Affordability is critical for building generational wealth."
- REMOVE BARRIERS: Citizen 7 and their networks have been incredibly instrumental in the past two years with what Ivey calls "barrier busting funds" – helping Edna Martin Christian Center get funds to people who have a job but face a barrier to starting work. It could be transportation, the right clothing, money needed immediately for childcare, rent, or utility assistance. Whatever the barrier, Ivey is in the business of removing it, and C7 has been influential in the fight.
- PROVIDE HOPE: Ivey sees this as his mission, and it's not really all that hard, whether it's mentoring youth, teaching adults, helping someone get experience, or confidence, or a diploma, or a certification, or a job. "Skill up," he says, "and you can move forward on a track most of my clients have never even thought of. That provides hope."
IMMANUEL IVEY TRIVIA
Favorite hobby besides work? Played football and ran track in high school and loves to watch all levels of football to this day.
Go to snack and beverage? Boston Baked Beans (the candy!) and water
What is your favorite restaurant, locally? Jamaican Style Jerk, right off 70th & Michigan Rd.
Favorite place for a vacation? Jamaica
Connect with Immanuel at iivey@ednamartincc.org.
