As the holiday season arrives, we’re reminded of how much there is to be thankful for. From family milestones to everyday moments of kindness, our team is celebrating the connections and experiences that made 2025 meaningful.
Brad
Family is always first when I think about gratitude, and my family has been very supportive this year. My older daughter just started learning to drive, which reminds me to be grateful for every moment the girls want to spend with me. Abbey and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary this year, and I’m so thankful for her commitment to me and to our family. I am blessed with a great partner aligned on what’s most important to us even though we are different people with different personal interests (tech vs. art, busyness vs. rest, etc.). She’s an amazing partner in life, and I’m grateful she stays with me through all the twists and bends of life.
This year has been one of business challenges mixed with great opportunities and milestones. The economy hasn’t provided the easiest environment for growth, but we’ve made the most of our available capacity this year. We built several of our own products, including a Portal for clients to monitor the health of their websites, a volunteer management system for nonprofits, a raffle and silent auction system, and even a Disney World menu search tool at MyMouseMeals.com. I’m grateful for a talented team that’s dedicated enough to our mission to persevere through tough times. They’re talented, interesting, and ambitious people with diverse talents and experiences. They come together to help our clients narrow equity gaps, and they’re doing amazing work.
I’m halfway through my term as board chair for City Year Columbus. This opportunity has opened my eyes to the varying experiences kids and families have in our Columbus community. The needs are great, and the helpers are everywhere. I am grateful for the dedication of the City Year staff here in Columbus, led by Ruth Lomax and the City Year team around the country. They’ve been through a very challenging year with the abrupt (yet temporary) end of their Americorps funding mid-year, along with slashed educational funding at all levels. The Americorps members serving in our schools, rather than taking an easier path in school or the private sector, deserve much gratitude. I’m so impressed by the dedication they show, and I’m glad to have an opportunity to support them in my own way. The Columbus Foundation has also been a trusted partner for decades but stepped up in a big way this year to lead funding to restore services at Champion Middle School. Chastity Edwards, Dan Sharpe, and the rest of the TFC team does very important work supporting nonprofits in our community, and City Year Columbus couldn’t do our work without them.
Buckeye Innovation would not be here without those world-changing clients who are doing the hard work in our community serving people. We continued to work with Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML), including offering a new website workshop series with 2 cohorts this year. We launched the ConnectUs Digital Skills Hub that’s now served over 2,000 students, thanks to Smart Columbus and the partners teaching classes, including CML, Goodwill Columbus, Jewish Family Services, Columbus State, and more. Besa continues to lead valuable service learning opportunities for companies in our community, and we love supporting their volunteerism and community engagement work that changes lives. Thank you to our many clients doing important work to ensure everyone in our community has access to information and opportunities to help them thrive. You are amazing people.
I’m also grateful that we get to continue this work for yet another year. I look forward to big things in 2026. I hope you’ll get in touch with me to share what makes you feel grateful and where you want to make a difference in our neighbors’ lives in the coming year. Let’s work together to make good things happen.
Melanie
Here we are again already!! I feel like I say this every year, but I can’t believe how quickly this year has flown by, it feels like I was just writing for last year’s Thanksgiving blog! As I look back on 2025, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for so many things. I’m incredibly thankful for my job and the amazing team I get to work with every day. Brad’s leadership continues to inspire me and make Buckeye Innovation a place where I feel supported, challenged, and appreciated.
This year brought some big personal milestones, too, Lucas and I moved into our new home, and it’s been such a gift to be closer to family and friends. After a year filled with unexpected loss and health challenges, I’m especially grateful for the healing and good health of my loved ones. And, of course, I’m endlessly thankful for Lucas and my best little beagle buddy, Hank, who both always make me laugh so hard and feel so unconditionally loved.
I’m looking forward to all that 2026 will bring and feel so lucky to be surrounded by people both at work and at home who fill my life with purpose, laughter, and love.
Tony
I am thankful for so much, but this year I’d like to give a special shout out to my senses. The ability to see, the ability to hear, the ability to smell and taste and touch. I think it’s easy to take these things for granted. Seeing the artwork I am still able to create, despite my vision issues. Hearing a new album on vinyl for the first time. The smell of my dog’s fur when he snuggles up next to my face in bed (I swear, he smells like a mix of cereal and clean carpet). Being able to taste each meal I am blessed to have in front of me. Feeling my wife squeeze my hand 3 times to say “I love you” silently when my anxiety starts to rise. These are truly amazing, beautiful experiences. And I’m deeply grateful for all of them.
Lorraine
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday filled with lots of food, family, and friends. However, being thankful is something I try to do every day. I’m thankful for my health and the health of my family. Health is wealth! I’m thankful for my family. Although we live far apart from one another we stay very close with daily conversations and travel to see each other as often as we can. I’m thankful for the life my husband and I have built in Arizona and the new friends we’ve made. I’m thankful for my worklife and my wonderful and talented team mates. To be able to work remotely from Arizona and travel to visit my family while continuing to work is priceless to me.
I try not to take anything for granted as I know that things can change quickly. I try to consciously stop to appreciate each moment and remember that even in challenging times it’s important to stay positive and to be thankful.
Scott
I am thankful for my family. Our son is now a year old, and learning how to be a dad has been a blast. I’m so thankful for my wife and for the opportunity we have to learn and grow together as parents. It’s one of the most exhausting—and most fulfilling—jobs I could imagine.
I’m also thankful for my extended family, who have been so helpful to us over this past year. Much of my family still lives close by, and I’m grateful that my son gets to grow up surrounded by so many loved ones.
Finally, I’m deeply grateful for my church family. I truly can’t imagine what life would be like without their support, encouragement, and prayers.
Madeline
This year, I’m grateful for the opportunities to learn, build, and collaborate. Working alongside a team that is driven, thoughtful, and supportive is something I never take for granted. I’m thankful for challenges that have stretched me creatively and professionally, and for the trust our clients place in us every day. And on a personal note, I’m grateful for the balance and joy that come from staying active, trying new things, and continually striving to grow both at work and in life.
Andrew
I’m grateful for having stability in my life. The world seems to be full of chaos right now, but I’m still here, and I’m trucking along. Thanks, life!
Stacy
What a year it has been! Through all the ups and downs and uncertainties in the world around us, I don’t take it for granted that I have the safety and security of knowing that all my needs are met. I am so grateful to be in a position where I can try to make a positive difference to others, personally and professionally. It’s very rewarding to work for a company so well aligned with my values, and I love the way the Buckeye team supports, encourages, and challenges each other to be our best. I’m excited about continued opportunities for learning and growth, and I look forward to seeing what we’ll accomplish together in the new year.
Outside of work, I’m so grateful for my community of friends and family, especially my husband, Darrell, who is my perfect life and adventure partner.
Margo
At this moment, I am thankful that our team is asked to write these posts each year. It’s so easy to get trapped into an infinite loop of ingratitude – especially at times like these when it seems nine out of every ten news headlines are absolutely abysmal. Small positive shifts, even when temporary, seem to have lasting effects. Whether it’s inching towards closing the digital equity gap or writing a couple of sentences about what we’re grateful for, each small seed we sow has the potential to grow into something much greater. Thinking about what to write for this post has been a nice reminder of such.
Brian
I’m thankful for sheer dumb luck, insurance, and social safety nets. Our car caught fire this summer while turned off and parked in our garage. Thankful that my fiancée was in the garage at the time, or our whole row of townhouses may have gone up. Thankful that we have plenty of well-funded fire departments, 5 vehicles, and 40-some firefighters showed up within minutes. Thankful that we had car insurance and rental insurance, so it was just a huge hassle and financial setback instead of a devastating event that would take a decade plus to recover from.
Kaylyn
I recently found out that I have Celiac disease, which is manageable with a strict gluten-free diet. This means that I have become a difficult person to eat meals with for the rest of my life (including but not limited to Thanksgiving dinner). And amidst that inconvenience, I find myself incredibly thankful:
- For my husband, who changed our eating habits without complaint. He’s been re-working holiday recipes like rolls and gravy to make sure I don’t feel left out.
- For my 3-year-old son, who has been shockingly understanding about not sharing mom’s water. It’s always funny to hear the word “cross-contamination” come out of a preschooler’s mouth.
- For my mom, who has searched the internet high and low to find blogs that rank the best gluten-free alternatives to my favorite foods.
- For my friends, who send me links to coffee shops that specialize in gluten-free pastries with messages that say, “let’s go!”
- For my co-workers, who have been very accommodating of all my medical appointments. A special shoutout goes to: Melanie, who added me to the Hot Girls Hate Gluten group chat; and Margo, who is developing an app that scans packaging labels to identify allergens (which makes my life much easier).
I am so grateful to my family, friends, and coworkers. I have never felt more loved.
Noel
Looking back on this year, I’m so grateful for the people I’ve had the pleasure of surrounding myself with. I found friends who are endlessly generous, raucous, and warm. The communities I’m a part of welcome me with openness and genuine concern for how I’m doing. And on top of that, I have the great pleasure of working alongside some of the most diligent, creative, and brilliant people I’ve ever come to meet.
In a social landscape that feels increasingly isolating, I move with the confidence that I am celebrated. I move with the excitement of getting to share my world with these lovely individuals. And I’m thrilled to have so many opportunities to create memories, drive change, and grow with such splendid company.
