7 young professionals selected as 2025 YPAL Award Winners

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 22, 2025) — Young Professionals Association of Louisville (YPAL) is honored to announce seven outstanding young professionals who were selected as 2025 YPAL Award Winners presented by Deloitte.

These seven young professionals are sterling representatives of leaders in Louisville and we’re ready to celebrate their contributions to the community. YPAL Award winners were nominated by their peers for connecting, engaging, and developing in their community. YPAL received almost 200 nominations to recognize the amazing work of young people in our community. The 2025 YPAL Awards presented by Deloitte will be Wednesday, June 26.

This year’s YPAL Award Winners are:

Mark Brown

Mark Brown is dedicated to transforming the lives of youth affected by gun violence through entrepreneurship and the arts. With over 20 years of experience as a tattoo artist and 10 years of being a mentor, he operates a well-known tattoo shop in downtown Louisville with his wife, Doree Woods. Their artistic journey began when they met at the Memphis College of Art, where they earned their degrees. In 2012, Mark and Doree created a mural for a group of kids at the Parkland Boys and Girls Club, an experience that showed how art could connect with and inspire the next generation.

After moving back to Louisville in 2014, Mark started teaching at the Neighborhood House in the Portland neighborhood. It was there that he began working alongside Dr. Eddie, Mr. Norman, and the team from No More Red Dots, which ignited his passion for empowering local youth.

As the Creative Director, Mark creates and manages programs for the nonprofit, and he also serves as a mentor, helping participants pursue careers in the arts. Currently, he employs two tattoo artists at his shop who started as participants in No More Red Dots programs. Mark’s mission is to guide disadvantaged youth toward sustainable opportunities and a brighter future.

No More Red Dots helps participants shift their perspectives and behaviors, steering them away from gang involvement and toward a path of nonviolence and creativity. By fostering an environment that emphasizes self-discovery and artistic expression, Mark aims to inspire young individuals to redefine their identities and envision lives free from the violence and incarceration that have impacted them. His work is a testament to the transformative power of art and mentorship in building resilient and empowered communities.

Olivia Evans

Olivia Evans is an award-winning business reporter covering major companies including Ford, UPS and GE Appliances and a variety of business industry trends for the Courier Journal in her hometown of Louisville, Ky. Evans has deeply covered the shortage of veterinarians in Kentucky, the growing EV industry and tense labor contract negotiations. Before landing at the Courier Journal in 2022, Evans interned with national outlets including Forbes and Politico during her time as a student at the University of Missouri. Evans was a four-year student athlete at Mizzou throwing hammer and weight for the track and field team. When she isn’t working, Evans is always in search of local coffee joints, quiet fishing spots, and her next book to read.

Tia Gibbs

Tia Gibbs is a dynamic professional with a diverse background spanning professional basketball, corporate leadership, and community service. A former University of Louisville basketball player, Tia balanced the demands of being a Division I athlete while earning her MBA from the University of Louisville, a testament to her discipline, resilience, and drive for excellence.

After a successful basketball career, she transitioned into the corporate world, where she has made significant strides in leadership roles. Currently, she serves as Senior Manager of Sourcing Center of Excellence at Suntory Global Spirits, a global leader in the spirits industry. In this role, she is responsible for developing procurement best practices, optimizing sourcing strategies, and driving efficiencies that support the company’s world-renowned brands. Her ability to combine competitive drive, strategic vision, and collaboration enables her to navigate complex business challenges while fostering innovation and inclusion.

Beyond her corporate career, Tia is deeply committed to mentorship and community service. As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she actively supports initiatives focused on
education, economic empowerment, and social impact. She also dedicates time to mentoring student-athletes and young professionals, sharing her journey to inspire and guide the next
generation.

Above all, Tia is a proud mother, balancing a demanding career with raising her son. Her experiences as an athlete, business leader, and mother have shaped her into a well-rounded individual who excels in high-pressure environments while staying deeply committed to personal and professional growth.

With a strong foundation in perseverance, strategic thinking, and leadership, Tia continues to make a lasting impact in the spirits industry and beyond, proving that success is about more than just titles, it’s about using your platform to uplift others.

Bansari Mehta, MHA

Bansari Mehta is a dynamic and accomplished healthcare executive with more than 17 years of experience spanning administrative, clinical, and research roles within both national and international organizations. Currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer at Dr. Black’s Eye Associates of Southern Indiana, Mehta brings strategic vision and operational excellence to the practice. She leads with a deep commitment to optimizing patient care, staff engagement, and financial performance. Her leadership is defined by innovation, adaptability, and a result- driven approach that ensures her practice runs seamlessly while maintaining the highest standards of care.

Beyond her professional role, Mehta is deeply engaged in advancing the field of ophthalmology through her active involvement in national professional associations. Locally, she
serves on the boards of Dress for Success Louisville and the Young Professionals Association of Louisville (YPAL). Since moving to Louisville four years ago all by herself with no links to the area, she has been a driving force within YPAL—first as an ambassador and later as a Board Member—where she introduced innovative programming to support the region’s young professionals. She credits YPAL with introducing her to the community and setting her up for social success within the region.

Mehta is also a passionate mentor, speaker, and community advocate. She offers guidance in professional development and leadership and has been recognized with multiple awards for her service and achievements. Known for her intellect, curiosity, and generosity, she inspires others through her dedication to both personal and professional growth.

In her free time, Mehta enjoys exploring a wide range of interests including airplanes, astronomy, archaeology, adventure sports, and reading publications such as the Harvard Business Review and Forbes.

Tony Mudd

Tony Mudd is a workplace safety advocate and innovator who has spent more than a decade helping people stay safe on the job. With hands-on experience across multiple industries, Tony understands that behind every incident report is a person—a family, a story, and a future that matters.

He earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Occupational Health and Safety from Eastern Kentucky University, and he’s a Certified Safety Professional (CSP). But his real education came from years in the field—listening to workers, walking job sites, and realizing that most safety problems aren’t just about policies—they’re about connection, communication, and culture. That belief led him to start Sensori Safety, a company built on the idea that safety should feel personal and proactive, not just a checklist.

Through Sensori Safety, Tony launched SafeEngage 360, a video engagement platform designed to meet workers where they are—with short, relatable content that makes safety stick. Tony doesn’t just build tools—he builds trust. He’s worked with more than 100 companies bridge the gap between leadership and the front line through storytelling, training, and technology. His work has been featured at national safety conferences, and he’s helped lead state-level initiatives, including the recognition of Worker Memorial Day in Kentucky.

At the heart of it all, his mission is to ensure no family suffers the loss of a loved one to a preventable workplace tragedy. Because every worker deserves to go home at the end of the day—whole, safe, and seen.

Paris Parada

Paris Parada is a Disabled Combat Veteran of the United States Army, serving two tours in Iraq during Operation Enduring Freedom. Since her time in the military she has furthered her education and earned a Masters of Business Administration and Six Sigma Lean Greenbelt Certification. She currently serves as the Enterprise Resource Planning Product Manager at the rapidly growing Galen College of Nursing.

She also enjoys serving on several boards and committees to further support her community such as; Vice Chair of Dress for Success Louisville Board and Kosair for Kids Advisory Council member. A YPAL member since 2017 and proudly served two terms on the board as Director of Diversity and Inclusion and Director of Recruitment. She was also recently accepted into the Honorable Order of the Kentucky Colonels and inducted as a Louisville Rotarian.

Dr. Charity Yelton Pugh

Dr. Charity Yelton Pugh is a Human Resources Professional at Humana and serves as Co-President of the enterprise Women’s Network Resource Group of over 11,000 members. A former educator with a passion for building inclusive, trauma-informed workplaces, she holds professional certificates in social and behavioral research, trauma resilience, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. As WNRG Co-President, Charity leads strategic initiatives that foster belonging, elevating diverse voices, and driving cultural transformation across the enterprise. She leads the planning and design of professional development programming focused on advancing women’s careers—aligning learning strategy with equity and talent development goals.

Charity owns a strategic consulting business specializing in trauma-informed principles, program evaluation, and organizational change. Her journey from the classroom to corporate business has been driven by a deep commitment to learning, equity, and wellbeing.

Charity completed her PhD in Education and Social Change at Bellarmine in February and served on the President’s Advisory Board on Equity and Inclusion in 2023 and 2024. Since its publication in April, her dissertation From Surviving to Thriving: Trauma-Informed Strategies for Survivors of Human Trafficking has reached nearly 20 countries across six continents.

Charity is a graduate of Louisville Metro Office for Women Ambassadors, Leadership Louisville’s Leader Accelerator, and Bridging the Gap KY. She currently chairs the Prevention and Education committee of Kentucky’s Human Trafficking Task Force and is a member of the YPAL Ambassadors’ Strategic Planning team.

Charity’s academic research in trauma-informed practice continues to shape how she approaches leadership, learning, and employee engagement. She firmly believes that when people feel seen, supported, and empowered, they thrive—and so do the organizations they’re part of.

Charity lives in Louisville with her husband Ian and their dog Hemingway.