Who We Are
Kara M. Zone
Designer, social media marketing coordinator, and co-founder
Kara Zone is a Mahoning Valley native. She spent most of her time growing up in Austintown and Canfield.
After she graduated high school she moved to Pittsburgh, PA and discovered the freedom a diverse culture can bring to an area and it its residents. In Pittsburgh, Kara went to Pittsburgh Technical Institute (Now The Pittsburgh Institute) and earned an associates degree in graphic design.
After having two children and moving back to the Mahoning Valley, Kara sought to further her education in editing. She attended YSU and received two BAs in five years. The bachelor's degrees are in professional and technical writing and religious studies.
With her degree, Kara found a writing and editing job online with the company WITI—Women in Technology International. There she led the creation of the editorial department and developed a content structure that now houses two newsletters, a digital magazine, and the entire WITI website.
While she found success with her writing degree, Kara wished to do more for the community she grew up in. While she started volunteering around the Mahoning Valley, Kara saw the lack of diversity and remembered the freedom of cultural diversity there was in Pittsburgh.
With a desire to bring the same benefits of diversity, inclusion, and a strong family atmosphere to the Mahoning Valley, Kara teamed up with Andrea to build the MVFC.
Andrea Bailey
Co-founder and director
Andrea Bailey resides in Youngstown, OH with her husband and two amazing children.
She attended Malone College where she played and was captain of the softball team. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work.
She is an L.S.W. and works as a Foster Care Case Manager. She assists community foster families and empowers children in the foster care system enhancing social and life skills of these loving, resilient children.
She spent many hours volunteering for the community and its youth with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Youngstown’s Afterschool Alliance, and Inspiring Minds.
She also coached the East High School Softball team.
She lives her life by the Gandhi quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” She teamed up with Kara to develop the MVFC to help combat an area of concern she saw in our valley. In the midst of all the technology today, she saw a distancing in family relationships and the negative outcomes that occur due to the lack of family connections. Her desire is to help our valley return our focus to quality time as a family.