01
WALT MANIS, Co-founder and Executive Director
Walt has had a passion for visual arts since he was a child, and for the past 19 years he has used this passion as a filmmaker and photographer to serve several ministries. This work has taken him all over the world to create and share stories that connect with peoples' hearts. In 2019, Walt helped start Story Partners and today he serves as the lead filmmaker and Executive Director of the ministry. Walt is married to Annie and they have two children through adoption, Chloe and Naomi.
ANNIE MANIS, Co-founder and Director of Operations
Annie is a passionate worship leader, mother and administrator, she connects the dots and makes things happen! Annie is married to Walt and the mother of two daughters, Chloe and Naomi. Walt and Annie have served together in various creative ministry organizations where her background in ethnography and cultural research among unreached peoples makes her an invaluable asset. Annie helped start Story Partners and she keeps the train on the tracks handling a lot of the work that goes on long before the cameras start rolling.
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JOSH CURRER, Co-founder and President of the Board
Josh is passionate about using stories to connect with people and encourage their faith. He uses that passion in a variety of contexts; in filmmaking, in his work at a tech company, as a husband and father, as well as in his involvement in his local church in Austin. Josh helped Walt & Annie start Story Partners and serves both as a filmmaker and the president of the board.
CYNTHIA MATHIS, Secretary of the Board
Cynthia, a caregiver at heart, has worked nearly 3 decades as an occupational/certified hand therapist helping people use their hands to work and play again. “How people use their hands, tells their life story”, she says. “I am excited to work with Story Partners to see each story point to Jesus”. She enjoys using her hands to quilt, play music, pick her small orchard, or harvest honey from her beehive.
ADAM HEROD, Treasurer of the Board
Adam has been a CPA since 2009 and specializes in individual, business and nonprofit tax along with financial reporting. He serves as the deacon of finance for his church and teaches the young adult Sunday School class. He will be using his tax and accounting knowledge to help Story Partners be financially responsible and good stewards for the Kingdom of God. Adam lives in Mena, Arkansas and is married to Ashton. They have four children; Macy, Maddox, Makenzie and Myles.
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EMMY BLAKELY, Board Member
Emmy is a wife, mother, business owner, and founder of People Helping People Ministries, a 501(c)3 that supports people in seasons of grief. She and Nathan are high school sweethearts that have been married since 2000. Emmy is a dreamer and an innovator, constantly seeking to improve upon the status quo. In 2016 she was texted a link to a documentary made by Walt Manis that moved her so deeply she decided to track him and Annie down and beg them to come speak at her conference. Teaching people to share their stories in order to give God glory is a passion of hers, which is why she is thrilled to be on the Story Partners team.
NATHAN BLAKELY, Board Member
Nathan is a husband, father, Senior Vice President of Investments at the largest privately-owned real estate development company in the country, and is also a board member of People Helping People Ministries. He is passionate about supporting ministries that point people to Christ. He likes to say his spiritual gift is manual labor, so he's always willing to roll up his sleeves and help get work done. He brings to the table financial expertise and a practical wisdom, and loves to see the gospel spread through authentic storytelling.
CONTACT THE TEAM
Story_Partners
Story Partners
We are a team of storytellers.
Stories are everywhere. Stories are powerful. They engage our hearts in ways little else can. Increasingly, stories are being shared via visual media. Today more than ever before, we as a society are turning to videos to teach us, inspire us and keep us informed. Stories are everywhere, and videos are the language they speak.
We are a team of storytellers whose passion is to use visual media to tell the stories of how God is at work in the world around us. He is moving - everywhere, and in such dynamic and incredible ways. We want to point people to Jesus by sharing the stories of who He is and how He is active today.
Partnering with the Global Church, we tell stories from around the globe, post them online and share them for free with the world.