We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michelle Jones a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle , appreciate you joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

When I was a senior in college, my brother Pete had recently moved back to town and started a master’s degree in industrial engineering. We were 5 siblings and we were all very close. Pete was funny, kind, and light-hearted. He was always the life of the party, aiming to makes others laugh, and was always smiling. He was social and had lots of friends, always making sure everyone around him was happy and comfortable. On top of all that, he was by all measures smart and successful. He had attended the University of Alabama with a full scholarship and graduated with a 4.0 in mechanical engineering. He started a master’s degree back home at the University of Louisville as soon as he graduated. During his second semester however, things started to change for him. He came down with a serious case of depression. He didn’t feel like hanging with friends or family, and he started struggling with school for the first time. He told me, “Michelle, I’m depressed”. And without knowing what else to say or do, I just said “I know. I’m sorry,” and I hugged him like I always did. He started seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist, and he always had the full support of his family and friends. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to help Pete overcome this illness. In December of 2016, he tragically took his life at the age of 23. Our family was stricken with grief, but we were also inexplicably shocked by it. Even though we knew Pete was struggling with depression, we never for a second considered that he might be contemplating suicide. We had no idea his feelings of sadness, loneliness, and guilt were so strong that he felt he couldn’t overcome them. We were shocked to learn that Pete wasn’t unique in that way – that so many young people struggle with mental illness, and that suicide is a leading cause of death in the US. My other brothers and I immediately decided to start a non-profit in his honor to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention, not only because Pete deserved to be honored in a magnificent way, but also because we wanted to help others who might be going through the same thing.

Michelle , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was in the middle of applying to medical school when I lost my brother to suicide in 2016. When my other brothers and I decided to start a non-profit in his honor, called the Pete Foundation, I put my medical career on pause and poured all of my energy into building this organization to address the mental health crisis that I didn’t know our country was facing. We set out to reduce suicides by normalizing the topic of mental illness, raising awareness about the issue, and promoting education. I started sharing Pete’s story publicly and meeting with as many people in the field as I could. We had an outpouring of support from our community, from letters to donations to friends, family, and complete strangers asking if they could join our cause. Together, we worked with build the organization by putting together a Board of Directors and a strategic plan for how we would tackle our mission. Before long I was invited to sit on the board of Louisville’s chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Louisville Health Advisory Board. I was invited to talk at schools, at public events, fundraisers, and even a press conference at our mayor’s office. I joined workshops on suicide intervention skills, and before long was asked to give trainings at schools, businesses, and community centers around town. In addition to all this, perhaps our boldest idea was to start a music festival that aimed to raise awareness about mental health. In 2017, we successfully put on our first festival and called it PeteFest. It’s our nation’s first and longest running music festival centered around that mission. Now, 7 years later, and with the help of so many dedicated team members and volunteers, the organization and the music festival have grown exponentially. Now called The Big Stomp, the festival draws thousands of people every year from all over the country and features multiple days national performers, visual arts, food trucks, camping, and prominent speakers and educational opportunities. 100% of proceeds go toward the Pete Foundation to help us tackle our mission of “stomping the stigma”. In 2020, we spearheaded the development of a mental health awareness flag to serve as a symbol for support for all efforts in the mental health field and for all people affected by mental illness. It was quickly endorsed by organizations and members of our community, including the University of Louisville and the Mayor’s Office. It has been adopted throughout the country as the official global mental health flag, and it has been used in all 50 states and many other countries. In March 2024, it will be available as a specialty Kentucky license plate. I’m now in my last semester of medical school. Throughout my medical training and alongside a wonderful team of passionate individuals, I have continued to dedicate my time and energy toward The Pete Foundation and The Big Stomp. Now, 7 years after its conception, our team continues to grow the organization and maximize our impact to communities across the country.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I think for any profession, nonprofit or otherwise, the key to success is an unwavering passion for your subject matter and unconditional love for the people you serve. What has kept us going at the Pete Foundation is a true passion for our work – dismantling the stigma associated with mental health issues and ending suicides. During the pandemic when everything shut down, we doubled down on our efforts to impact the community because we knew it was more important than ever. The same has been true for my medical career. After much introspection, I decided to specialize in Obstetrics and Gynecology over Psychiatry because I discovered another passion in women’s health. I realized that doesn’t mean I’m parting ways with mental health advocacy, but rather I’m bringing that passion and experience with me as I serve my patients in new ways, and I’ll continue to work on The Pete Foundation no matter where life takes me.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I lost my brother to suicide when I was in the middle of applying to medical school. When we decided to start a nomprofit in his honor, I temporarily abandoned my dream of studying medicine to follow a newer dream of honoring my brother and helping others in a different way. I worked full-time to grow the nonprofit for years. I finally revisited my med school application years later, and I’m a stronger, smarter, better person for having followed my passion and for taking risks.

Contact Info:

• Website: thepetefoundation.org // thebigstomp.com
• Instagram: @petefoundation // @thebigstompfest
• Facebook: @petefoundation // @thebigstompfest