Chief Philanthropy Officer, Godman Guild | Co-Founder, Justice Vault

As Chief Philanthropy Officer at Godman Guild, a longtime partner of Cramer & Associates, Solonas “Solo” Karoulla is advancing justice, equity, and inclusion for all individuals. He catapulted his efforts to an inspiring new level when he co-founded Justice Vault in May 2022.

If you know Solo, you know he has the most energizing personality. And if you don’t know Solo, we sat down with him to give you a glimpse into his passion for community advocacy. Learn more about him and the Justice Vault in our Q&A session below!

Q: How has your background and experience in the nonprofit sector shaped your drive and ultimate decision to further your community advocacy efforts as a founder of the Justice Vault?

A: Injustice and inequity have always been at the forefront of my personal motivations for working in the nonprofit sector.

Working to give everyone fair opportunities and equitable resources has been a mission of mine. The nonprofit sector has always felt like home to me, as I can focus on advocating for individuals and families that need a voice and use my privilege for the betterment of our community.

Traditional nonprofit structures, although critical to uplift people, often do not address the root causes of racism or structures that uphold the status quo. Justice Vault was born out of a desire to undo the effects of slavery, the greatest wrong in our nation’s history. We are focused on grassroots innovators with bold new ideas for restructuring our society—ideas that are not currently being heard or funded on a large scale. We aim to give those innovators the opportunity to execute their ideas, bringing us closer to a just and equitable future.

Q: What is the Justice Vault and why is it so important for our community advocacy efforts?

A: Justice Vault is a fund built to unlock local innovation to fight racism in Columbus. We’re committed to awarding sizable grants to innovators with great potential, so they can spend less time chasing funds and more time creating meaningful change.

Inspired by the senseless murders in the summer of 2020, Justice Vault’s founders had conversations about how the origins of today’s racism trace back 400 years. By supporting slavery, our nation declared that black people were less than human. This laid the foundation for centuries of oppression, racist policy, and racist culture. Unjust outcomes are the result of a racist system. To drive change, our community must replace racist systems with systems that support justice for all. We aim to be a cornerstone of a new, equitable foundation for our community.

Q: How can people get involved in the Justice Vault’s mission to fund compelling innovation that tackles “root cause” problems that perpetuate racism in our community?

A: We are building the Collective!

Creating equitable systems is not an impossible task, but it will take passionate people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and help. Justice Vault’s work is fully volunteer-based. We are always looking to connect with experts, nonprofit leaders, marketing and event organizers, and volunteers to spread the work that we do with the community.

To roll up your sleeves with Justice Vault, explore more ways to volunteer, and be a part of the change for equity, visit their website at www.justicevault.net/, or reach out directly at contact@justicevault.com.