Chad Minor (BA Communications & Business, University of Akron ’04; MA Theology, Malone University ’15) has lived most of his life in Canton, OH. As an athlete (like most of his family), Chad played basketball in high school, before moving on to play at the University of Akron (varsity ’96-98). He remained in Canton to raise a family, eventually completing a graduate program at Malone University. His long-term connection with the Canton-Akron area led him to consider how he and his wife Jamie might live more intentionally as a part of the community of Canton. As a result, he and Jamie started Rising Hope Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization with the purpose of restoring hope to Canton by serving as a catalyst for positive change. Chad seeks to ignite this hope in others by encouraging unity, dreaming big, living intentionally, investing in others, and reminding people of their intrinsic value as human beings.