Start your morning with purpose and connection at Coffee with a Cause, our monthly community conversation series that brings people together over coffee and shared impact.
This month’s program — Celebrating Community Impact in 2025 — shines a light on the people and organizations making a difference across Central Ohio. Join us for an inspiring conversation featuring leaders who are fostering connection, amplifying local impact, and reimagining what service and collaboration look like in our city. Whether you’re active in the nonprofit space, lead community initiatives, or simply want to make a difference, this discussion will leave you inspired to keep the momentum going into the new year.
Featured Panelists:
Amy Holihan, Deputy Director at Music Columbus
Ariana Hoet, Executive Clinical Director at The Kids Mental Health Foundation
Nick Linkenhoker, Executive Director at Worthington Resource Pantry
Phillip DiSilvestri, President at Capital Choice Office Furniture
Vernae Taylor, Five-time award-winning international bestselling author, coach, performance artist and community builder
Moderated by Aditi Bhatiya, Founder/Executive Director at Divercity614 and CYProgramming Council Ambassador
Agenda:
• 7:30am: Arrival, Networking, Complimentary coffee & breakfast
• 8:00am: Welcome, Panelist introductions
• 8:15am: Coffee with a Cause panel discussion, plus audience Q&A
• 8:55am: Closing announcements
Free coffee and light breakfast provided. Free parking. Open to all. Bring a friend and join the conversation.
Speaker Bios
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Aditi Bhatiya, is a cross-sector leader who blends strategy, creativity, and community impact. At The Ohio State University, she drives business operations that strengthen the university’s innovation and commercialization efforts. She’s also the CEO of The Spice Age Group, a digital marketing and events company, and the founder of Divercity614, the nonprofit behind Passport 2 Fashion and Passport 2 Flavor—platforms that use cultural storytelling to advance belonging and representation.
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Amy Holihan is the current Deputy Director of Music Columbus, having joined the staff full-time in 2022 following work as a project consultant.
Her work in the arts spans genres and cities. A former professional ballet dancer, she performed with Pennsylvania Ballet and New York City Ballet during a seven-year career as a working artist. She then worked in development and marketing for organizations such as The School of American Ballet, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and Columbus Metropolitan Library.
Amy is passionate about working closely with musicians to improve access and opportunity. As Deputy Director of Music Columbus, she led the creation of the Better Together Music Incubator as well as the 2023 Greater Columbus Music Census. She also spearheaded the economic development study, “Sound Investment: The Economic Impact of Music in Columbus,” released in 2025.
She earned a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in Arts Policy and Administration from The Ohio State University. In her spare time, you can find her at a show, walking her dog Scout, or working on her sewing skills.
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Ariana Hoet, PhD, executive clinical director of The Kids Mental Health Foundation, is the driving force behind our mission of providing educational resources that make sure mental health is a vital part of every child’s upbringing.
Dr. Hoet believes all children and families should have a fair opportunity to be as healthy as possible. That enthusiasm extends into her desire for making sure that people of all backgrounds are accepted and celebrated – a passion born from her own experience as an immigrant to the U.S. from Venezuela.
Her work in this arena led her to being recognized as a Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan by the Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs for her work within the Spanish-speaking community. She also received the American Psychological Association Early Career Award for Outstanding Contributions to Benefit Children, Youth, and Families and the William Oxley Thomson Alumni Award by the Ohio State Alumni Association. Dr. Hoet was also recognized as a Columbus Business First 40 Under 40.
Dr. Hoet works in Pediatric Primary Care where she serves primarily immigrant children. She is also a clinical assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatric Psychology and Neuropsychology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University, with a role in training the next generation of behavioral health professionals who will tackle the emerging mental health crisis in children.
Dr. Hoet has become a go-to national expert for outlets including Axios, USA Today, CNN, Good Morning America, and Newsweek because she is a vital public voice for youth mental health, and also because she has made an impact on countless young lives in her clinical practice.
The work of The Kids Mental Health Foundation and Dr. Hoet helped draw U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy to Nationwide Children’s in October of 2022 to discuss the county’s growing pediatric mental health crisis. The following year, Dr. Hoet and The Kids Mental Health Foundation lead a roundtable discussion at the White House focused on mental health in the entertainment industry.
Dr. Hoet is the proud mom of two toddlers and enjoys traveling, dancing and Ohio State football. She is also involved in Latino community events, both personally and professionally. Dr. Hoet is the co-founder and vice president of Parenting Culture, a national non-profit for culturally responsive and inclusive parenting resources.
She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from The Ohio State University and a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. She completed her residency at The University of Colorado School of Medicine and a post-doctoral fellowship at Akron Children’s Hospital.
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Phillip DiSilvestri is a second-generation leader at Capital Choice Office Furniture. Serving as President, Phillip represents Capital Choice in client engagements, in local organizations, and in the community at large. Growing up in the commercial furniture industry, Phillip has a 20-year history (aka 4/5ths of his life) in all things office furniture and commercial interiors. Using this knowledge and experience, he works with local organizations to empower their physical culture and workplace wellbeing through right-fit, intentionally planned workspace design. Working with thousands of organizations, big and small, in Central Ohio, Phillip is excited to share how his industry is making an impact in the region.
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Vernae Taylor is a five-time award-winning international bestselling author, coach, performance artist and community builder passionate about using creativity for healing and connection. As creator of "Life is Poetry," she helps individuals transform their life experiences into creative expression through workshops, 1:1 coaching, and public events. Her Life, Love, Loss Poetry Collection has sparked conversations around mental health, grief and resilience. Vernae's work has been supported by the Greater Columbus Arts Council and reaches 8,000+ people through digital platforms, showcases, and community partnerships. Follow @vernaetaylor on social media and visit linktr.ee/vernaetaylor for more info.