Lighting the Way, Together
Small sparks,
when shared,
can light entire rooms.
Wicks supports community-led projects that mix purpose, creativity, and a touch of entrepreneurship. No grand promises, just steady, practical ways to turn good ideas into real outcomes.
What Wicks Does
Wicks is a small group of people using their experience, creativity, and a bit of funding to help local communities make meaningful progress.
We partner with people already doing the work in their communities—those building something meaningful who could use a hand. We fund and mentor local projects that might otherwise go unseen, providing practical guidance, tools, or connections to help ideas grow.
We believe technological progress should benefit everyone. New tools and capabilities are emerging faster than ever—Wicks helps ensure those advances reach the people and communities who need them most, not just those who already have access.
Then we share lessons learned—no gatekeeping, just passing the light.
What We Believe
The principles that guide everything we do.
Local First
Start close to home — Central Indiana. Scale when it feels right, not when someone says you should.
Purpose Over Profit
Measure success by impact, not revenue. The work matters more than the metrics.
Learning by Listening
Communities know what they need. We listen first, then act.
Tech With Heart
Technology should amplify humanity, not replace it. AI that proposes and humans that decide.
Privacy as Foundation
Not a feature — the bedrock. Client data stays theirs, minimal collection, exit-ready.
Why "Wicks"
A wick burns to shine; small, steady, and essential. That's what Wicks aims to be: a support that helps others shine brighter, one project at a time.
The name also nods to where it came from—something simple, personal, and human. It's about roots, effort, and quiet leadership that doesn't need attention to make an impact.
A single spark can spread warmth far beyond where it started.
How We Help
Four ways we support mission-driven organizations. Each serves a distinct purpose.
Enablement
In-source the capability back to the people who should own it. Build it, hand over the keys, teach them to run it.
Advisory
Strategic expertise from practitioners. Project-focused guidance, professional knowledge, no invoice.
Connections
Warm introductions and ongoing mentorship. Building the relationships that help ideas grow.
Playbooks
Open documentation of what works. Lessons learned, shared freely. No gatekeeping.
Projects in Action
Ideas we're actively building. Open by design, community by choice.
Wicks Local
Daily news intelligence for Hamilton CountyAI-powered local news digests that synthesize what's happening in your community. No ads, no algorithmic feeds—just the news that matters, written for neighbors by neighbors.
Philosophy
A few simple truths we operate on.
Meaning is built, not found.
Purpose comes from effort and intention, not from waiting for it to appear.
We learn by listening.
The best ideas come from the people closest to the problem. Our job is to pay attention.
Technology should amplify humanity.
Tools exist to make connections stronger, not to replace them.
A single spark can spread warmth.
Small actions, done with care, can reach far beyond where they started.
With capability comes responsibility.
The more you can do, the more you should consider who benefits. Use what you have to lift others up.
Optimism is a strategy, not a feeling.
Scarcity thinking breeds caution. Abundance thinking breeds action. We choose action.