Working Together To Build
A Better Kentucky
We are a non-partisan organization of Kentuckians dedicated to improving the lives of all Kentuckians by engaging with our communities to inform changes to local and state policy.
Join our next event
Friday, August 29th, 2025 @ 6:30pm
đź“ŤUnitarian Universalist Church of Lexington
3564 Clays Mill Rd Lexington, KY 40503
Practicing Presence: Showing Up Through Story, Care, and Culture
with Steven Michael Carr
What does it mean to really show up—for others, and for ourselves?
In this 90-minute session, storyteller, deacon, and cultural anthropologist Steven Michael Carr invites us into a conversation about community, belonging, and the roles we carry with us. Drawing on decades of work across nonprofits, ministry, and neighborhood spaces—including co-owning a brewery rooted in community connection—Steven explores how presence—deep, intentional, ongoing—can be a powerful alternative to polarization.
Through personal stories, reflection, and open discussion, we’ll examine how we engage with people who hold different values, how we care without burning out, and how the stories we tell (and listen for) can shape the world we share.
Registrants will receive pre-event questions and a post-event recap. Registration is not required.
Meet Our Speaker:
Steven Michael Carr
Steven is a Storyteller, a Community Curator, and an Ordained Baptist Deacon (and not necessarily in that order). His superpower lies in telling powerful stories, and in helping other people find and tell their own. He is a tireless advocate for giving deep and careful attention to each other’s stories.
As a Storyteller, Steven has participated in The Moth Radio Hour, Expressing Motherhood, Double-Edged Stories, and the Louisville Fringe Festival. He is the creator of Tales from the Jukebox, a storytelling/music based show based in Louisville, KY, and Come Out Lou.
As a Community Curator and Non-Profit Leader, Steven has worked within the Louisville community through organizations like Highlands Community Ministries, IDEASxLab, and Mattingly Edge. He is a co-owner of Old Louisville Brewery, which puts “Community On Tap”. He is a co-founder of Louisville’s Beignet Bash, a beloved Mardi Gras celebration that is seven years running.
Steven is an Ordained Baptist Deacon at Highland Baptist Church and has been a member there for over 10 years.
Contact Us
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!