Ignite U1 exists because two very different journeys converged around a shared conviction: no life is beyond hope, and no story is finished. The friendship that emerged from that intersection continues to shape the mission and vision of Ignite U1 today.
Meet Katie Phipps
"The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy and the power to transform and resurrect."
Peter Levine
Raised in a fatherless home with her only consistent mentors the harsh trio of trauma, trial, and error, Katie Phipps personifies the power to overcome. As her mother battled severe addiction and alcoholism, Katie endured unrelenting trauma. While her peers prepared for college, Katie prepared to raise her second child. In her twenties, life went for the jugular when she was wrongfully charged with a significant crime. Katie spent 15 months in jail, unwavering in her innocence, until evidence the prosecution was sure would secure a conviction instead revealed the truth. Katie was released.
Though excruciating, that chapter of life brought Katie to an intersection with purpose and birthed a new future. Just over four years after her release, despite having dropped out of middle school, she broke a generational barrier as the first person in her family line to earn a college degree. Today, Katie is committed to helping others break the cycles that once threatened to define her life. In a powerful testament to both her innocence and character, the prosecutor who once pursued her case has publicly apologized and supports her aspirations.
Katie's case has been featured by Dateline NBC, Killer Affair (Oxygen Network), and other high-profile productions.
"Katie's story is neither a black nor white story.
It is a human story."
Noble Crawford
The epitome of a life redeemed, Katie is the inspiration behind Ignite U1 (Ignite You First). Her personal experiences offer strategic relevance, but it is her authenticity that leaves an undeniable impact and her compassion a residue of hope. Katie is a captivating communicator wrapped in gracious strength—a living reminder of the power of transformation.
In 2021, Ignite International honored Katie as the inaugural recipient of the Wynner of the Year award, recognizing her extraordinary example of hope.
I can see the perfect partnership where Judy brings the universal language of sport and then Katie carries the spirit of hope. And then together through Ignite U1, you're going to help break those cycles.
Sharon Braxton
Associate Producer and Host | Makeup Lessons For Life
Meet Judy Fox
"What you wish to ignite in others must first burn within yourself."
Aurelius Augustinus
A former NCAA Division I volleyball coach, Judy Fox founded Ignite International with a simple but enduring belief: every life counts, and every step has purpose.
For more than 35 years, she has mentored athletes, coaches, leaders, and everyday people to discover their potential and pursue lives of purpose. Since founding Ignite International in 2003, her fingerprint has extended across more than a dozen countries through national sports federations, Olympic committees, nonprofits, and community leaders.
Though her impact has led to four Hall of Fame inductions, Judy's greatest passion has never been chasing accolades—but helping people see what they cannot yet see in themselves, believe in what is possible, and take the steps necessary to become who they were created to be.
Today, that same conviction is the backbone of her leadership of Ignite International and for Ignite U1.
For Judy's full bio, click here.
Your cycle ends here.
Their future starts now.
Whether you are an individual ready to overcome the cycles of the past, an organization looking to empower your community, or someone who wants to support generational impact—there is a place for you here.
Break intergenerational cycles of trauma. Ignite cycles of hope.
Change begins when you ignite you first.
Ignite U1 an initiative of Ignite International, Inc. | EIN 06-1700583
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