Our History
One Legacy LLC was formed in 2013 by Mike and Sonja Stith, from Edwardsville, IL. Our mission is simple yet powerful. We want to collect stories from around the world about personal history and legacy. We are a family-owned and operated organization designed as a social enterprise. This business structure is vital to us.
A social enterprise is a business where social objectives are the primary goal, rather than maximizing profits. Unlike a charity, social enterprises pursue endeavors that generate revenues, which fund their social causes. Being a non-profit was an option, but we preferred not to become a charity or 501c3. We didn’t want to rely on government funding or public grants. To put it simply, we want to be funded by people and organizations that benefit from what we do.
Our social enterprise generates revenue by selling services and goods. As we were designing the business, I couldn’t help but reflect on my great grandfather “Pop” Becker starting a family-run grocery store in Covington, KY. Following his retirement in the late 1920s, he wanted to help the community by offering groceries and home goods during the great depression.
My vision for One Legacy has always been to help the community by providing stimulating programs that inspire better mental health. Everything we do at One Legacy is intended to encourage people to share stories that will benefit others – stories that will be handed down to future generations.Who works at One Legacy? Although our LLC has remained small (we want to grow!), Sonja and I are the only board members so far. But we have had dozens of outstanding contributors, volunteers, and part-time employees helping us every step of the way.
Tim Dunn (Mike’s nephew) – Lead Minister at LifeSpring Christian Church in Cincinnati, OH. Tim was instrumental with input on the original website and logo design for One Legacy.
David Stith (Mike’s cousin )- Photographer from Lancaster, OH, created our early website design and was vital in collecting many of our original stories for One Legacy.
Cynthia Correll – communications architect from St. Louis, MO, and author of “THE LAND OF AMPERSAND.” Cynthia and I worked together in launching the Guided Story Sharing program in the St. Louis area. A long time friend, we’ll never forget the loving and inspirational energy from participants at our story-sharing events. She also helped us design and produce our first decks of Story Starter Cards, which we still use today.
Jo Ann May from Maryville, IL, Director at Illinois Small Business Development Center at SIUE (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville). She assisted us at just about every phase during the initial startup of One Legacy LLC, and still works with us today.
Carrie Kolodov – a work-from-home mom (at the time) from Cincinnati, OH. Carrie did a fantastic job coordinating staffing and operations when our company started. She did everything possible, including website design, editing, and sharing stories. Her master’s degree in Psychology came in handy!
Ann Powell, from Maryville, IL, was instrumental in coordinating staffing and resources for the Guided Story Sharing program rollout throughout the St. Louis metro area. She was the organization’s anchor while we visited over 50 retirement communities in the St. Louis area.
Caren Libby – Photographer, and founder of Image Media LLC. Caren played a key role in designing our marketing brand images and website, and took amazing photos at our story-sharing sessions.
Glen Justis – Senior Partner at Experience on Demand in St. Louis, MO. Glen believed in our cause and guided us through all legal aspects of establishing our first business plans. He taught me how to create a big-picture business view for One Legacy.
Carolyn Hall – President of CL3 Agency , from Naugatuck, CT. Carolyn is a marketing expert and entrepreneur who provided us with marketing collateral and a nationwide vision as we grew our business. Carol has a passion for collecting stories from seniors, but she also believes One Legacy should collaborate with children and student organizations, teaching them valuable skills in writing and communications. We look forward to creating cross-generational programs soon.
Robert Stocker – Pastor at Plainview Baptist Church in Carlinville, IL. Robert helps manage our website and social media platforms while providing invaluable spiritual guidance on our journey.
Angela Ridenour – Founder of NewMintMedia has been a great videographer and co-facilitator for Guided Story Sharing events. She and I experienced many terrific sessions at events and in communities, and met many new senior friends along the way. Angela also produced some great video stories for our One Legacy You Tube channel.
Alicia Woodman – is a social media and website manager/ consultant from Shipman, Illinois. She helps us out with our social media.
I’m sure I’ve missed the names of many other people who were vital to the design of our program. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to the success of this meaningful project. We all had (and still have) this in common: we love what we’re doing. Capturing stories about personal history and legacy is important! Important for the storyteller and the reader alike.
And finally, when it comes to ABOUT US at One Legacy LLC, we can’t forget our appreciation for everyone who has submitted stories. From topics ranging from favorite people to favorite pickles, they all represent heartfelt memories and feelings from people who know the importance of capturing those special moments in time. Thank you all for your contribution and taking part in this is Legacy.
If you would like to learn more about collaborating with us at any level, please get in touch with me at [email protected]. We’re always looking for more stories, contributors, and investors to help keep One Legacy growing. Thanks so much for dropping by.
My Best,
Mike Stith
Founder – One Legacy LLC
[email protected]
618-960-7252