To see the rest of our 50 Over 50 feature, click the links for sections A-D, L-R, R-S, and S-W.
EVERY SINGLE PERSON in this handpicked group proves it’s never too late to shine. Whether launching new careers, chasing passions, giving back, or shaking things up, our bold and brilliant cohort has us awed. In a world fixated on youth, these inspiring individuals defy expectations every day. Thirty under 30? Pshaw. Meet Indy’s cool crowd right here.
Stephanie Eppich Daily, 52
An unexpected death of a friend spurred Eppich Daily to examine how she might give back. When her sister mused about how great it would be to send a friend lasagna, a light bulb went off. Eppich Daily launched a home kitchen as the pandemic began. “Everyone wanted to share comfort. What better than lasagna?” she asks. Now, Send a Friend Lasagna is a full-on business, and helping others remains central.
Denise Herd, 59
As owner of communications company Herd Strategies, Herd lives life with “a heightened awareness of and confidence in who I am because of the lessons through the years.” She is quick to note, though, that she’s found ageism is very real. “It’s up to us to step around the stereotypes and define our course,” she urges. “When I was already considered ‘old,’ I learned how to ride a Harley. I found my soulmate. I found my voice. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you don’t matter. You do.”
David Hochoy, 71
Born in Trinidad, Hochoy joined Dance Kaleidoscope in 1991 after years as a contemporary dancer in places from New York to Tokyo. He retired in 2023 but remains their artistic director emeritus and an active dance instructor (check out @davidhochoy to see just how active). He also works hard to engage younger generations in the arts. “We must find a way to attract those out partying on Mass Ave into the theater,” he says. “The arts are the key to humanity. That is how we know that we have evolved.”
Martha Hoover, 70
“I have always possessed an unwillingness to believe that failure is a real potential,” says Cafe Patachou founder Hoover. That attitude explains why the former attorney with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office ignored the fact that Indianapolis was dominated by chain restaurants when she opened her first spot in 1989, kicking off a Midwestern revolution. Since then, she’s turned her attention toward juvenile food insecurity, launching the nonprofit Patachou Foundation in 2013 (she remains board president). This year, she left the business she built and launched the M.S.H. Collective, a mentorship system for women business owners.
Joan Hostetler, 64
A zealous photo archivist and historian, Hostetler is the founding director of The Indiana Album, a nonprofit online catalog dedicated to preserving the state’s visual history. Many Indiana history buffs have her to thank for their intel, as the Cottage Home resident generously shares her deep knowledge of all things Hoosier with them. (Check out her fascinating library of Then & Now retrospectives on the Historic Indianapolis site.) She combines meticulous research, community outreach, and a good amount of what she describes as “detective work” to track down not only faded photographs but also the stories behind them. “Someone once told me history doesn’t have an end date,” she says. “I try to keep that in mind.”
Tony Kanaan, 50
Of the many drivers who have fired up Gasoline Alley, few are more beloved than Kanaan. Of the nearly 300 IndyCar Series races in his 23-year career, none is more memorable than when he placed first in the 97th Indianapolis 500. “When I started racing, it was my goal to be an IndyCar driver. I lost my dad to cancer when I was 13. He made me promise to win the Indy 500 for him one day,” Kanaan shares. “It means the world to me, and this place is always going to be special.”
Amanda Kingsbury, 54
Mirror Indy’s managing editor of innovation since its inception in 2023, Amanda Kingsbury encourages creativity and innovative storytelling for the digital nonprofit news organization. Following 12 years at IndyStar, Kingsbury stepped away from media to cofound Indy Maven in 2019 and led Indy Arts Council’s marketing efforts before rejoining the journalism realm, all the while keeping her finger on the pulse of emerging technologies, new product development, and startup launches. “Honestly, I never thought I would get back into journalism,” she says of her current post. One of Kingsbury’s newfound superpowers in this decade is redirecting insomnia. “I get up and I write a lot of things in the middle of the night, and I have some of my best ideas. … Insomnia turned out to be a brutal thing, but also a blessing.”
Eric Klee Johnson, 56 Marc Johnson, 56
These twin brothers are rocking their way through their 50s. Aside from playing in several local bands, they are co-owners of recording studio The Pop Machine, where they both mentor new musicians and work with rock veterans from They Might Be Giants to The Avett Brothers. Their biggest labor of love is co-curating The Jim Irsay Collection. The instruments, owned by the likes of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Jimi Hendrix, along with related memorabilia, are valued at $1 billion. Their role has taken on greater meaning since Irsay’s passing. “It’s truly an honor,” Marc (below right) says. “I see the collection as a reflection of Mr. Irsay’s brilliant life and his tremendous passion for music and the arts.
Rita Kohn, 91
Art criticism has disappeared from most newspapers, but that hasn’t stopped Kohn from being a staple at local arts events—and thoughtfully writing about them. Her history includes work as a playwright, editor, and professor, but it’s her gentle but passionately learned opinions on theater, dance, poetry, music … and beer that have endeared her to both artists and readers. Since 1990, she’s been contributing pieces to NUVO, continuing with it as it moved from print to online. As this was being written, another review—of an Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Pops concert—from the prolific Kohn popped online.
Walter Kuhn, 65
His name may not be instantly recognizable, but his work surely is. Kuhn, director of education and special projects at Roberts Camera, has been taking Indy 500 images for going on five decades. After earning the coveted spot in the flag stand, he has perched there for the last 15 races. “Every year after turning 50, I’ve been in the best photo location at the greatest race in the world. Of 400 photographers, I’m the only one who can say the cars go underneath me. My latter years have an amazing view.”
