Stephanie Bothun is the Principal and Founder of Avalon Talent Strategies LLC, where she specializes in supporting organizations in building high-quality education and workforce pathways. Prior to launching her own consulting effort, Stephanie co-founded Ascend Indiana, a non-profit intermediary committed to making Indiana a place of economic opportunity for all. At Ascend, Stephanie supported employers and education partners in building pathway programs to scale the number of registered nurses, behavioral health clinicians, early childhood workers and life sciences technicians. She also started and led a youth apprenticeship movement in Indiana including a pilot in Indianapolis and a statewide Community of Practice to address policy and system barriers.
Prior to co-founding Ascend, Stephanie served as the Director of Education Initiatives for the City of Indianapolis leading forward early childhood, STEM and workforce efforts. Prior to joining the Mayor’s office, she served as a human capital analyst with Deloitte Consulting LLP in Chicago and as a Teach for America Indianapolis charter corps member, where she was named Teach For America’s Indianapolis Teacher of the Year. Stephanie earned her Bachelor of Science in Finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and a Master of Arts in Education from Marian University.
In 2020, Stephanie was named to the Indianapolis Business Journal’s (IBJ) prestigious Forty Under 40 list. In 2023, she was named one of 60 Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS). PLS serves as a catalyst for a diverse network of leaders brought together to collaborate and create meaningful change in the United States and around the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Lyndon B. Johnson and their administrations.
Stephanie lives in Indianapolis with her husband and twins Caleb and Charlotte.
