ABOUT US
The Luminous Fund was created a decade ago by Kathy and Dave Carrier and their family. Their original motivation was to pass the foundation of giving and service to their four children and their families. Through The Luminous Fund, the family is setting the stage for future service.
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Luminous is funded through the financial success of Briljent, a consulting firm that Kathy created in 1998. (You’ll enjoy that website, so if you are interested in more information, check it out!) Briljent provides training, writing and change management solutions to government and corporate clients nationally. The Luminous Fund actively awards grants to the social service and arts agencies that are meaningful to Briljent employees and the Carrier, Odum and McLean families.
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Serving others well with family wealth is complicated. It sounds like a like of fun, but honestly every corner we’ve turned, we learn more about what not to do, than what works. The National Center for Family Philanthropy has been the cornerstone of our networking. Through their forums and courses, we find fresh ideas and best practices.
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Most meaningful to us is the direct work we do for others. We do “living room work” which means we listen, learn and ask how we can help and we do just that. That sounds trite, but honestly few people have this tenacity. It’s a lot easier to send a check. We’ve also roped our older grandkids into service to widows, and art for the lonely. This is where the rubber hits the road and where we make a real difference.
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A recent philosophy shift is to veer away from family causes and establish donor advised funds for each of our kids and their spouses. Our interests and perspectives are radically different, so this provides a way for our kids to pave their own roads.
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We are proud to partner with the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne. Most people would probably say this, but we’ve piloted new software for them, tossed ideas over the wall and in all cases they have knocked it out of the park. We are a donor advised fund and we use the Community Foundation to streamline our investment process and the distribution of our grants. In all that we do and how we do it, we aim to be transparent and open.
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Want to talk about this? Let’s take a walk or schedule a Teams meeting and discuss what you’ve learned.
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The Luminous Fund
Kathy Carrier, Secretary
Tom Carrier, President
Tommy Carrier, President
Tom is an electrician with Genesis Electric, focused on wiring for new home construction.
He is an avid golfer, dog owner, a talented and gutsy chef and all-around handyman.
Dave Carrier, Vice President
​Dave is the owner of DXD Furniture, a custom woodworking and furniture business. He enjoys spending time with his wife, kids and grandkids, particularly if it involves going out to breakfast or working on the world’s largest treehouse. He is a talented builder and craftsman with an interest in gaining new skills (and tools.)
Kathy Carrier, CPA
Kathy Carrier, Generation 1 Funder/Founder/Secretary/Treasurer, is also the founder and CEO of Briljent. She is learning how to positively impact the lives of others with wealth and her own talent. “As for me and my house, we will serve The Lord.” Joshua 24:15.
Briljent
​Behind every successful work endeavor is a knowledgeable team. Briljent specializes in helping people learn, improving their workplace performance and supporting individual growth. We have deep expertise in adult learning, instructional design and training delivery.
We began our business in 1998, and have grown continuously ever since, developing strong relationships with public and private sector clients and partners. While our business success is important, what really drives us is our commitment to helping others succeed. We want to put our heads on the pillow each night knowing we’ve accomplished something worthwhile. We believe firmly that if this passion for making a contribution comes first, business success will follow
