Congratulations to Jacob Crane and Celeste Edmunds!
Jacob Crane, Executive Director, Cultural Fire Events
In just a year and a half, Jacob has steadily grown Cultural Fire Events, organizing three powwows, hosting a fundraiser event, engaging in multiple public speaking opportunities on Indigenous people’s rights, and hosting several dance performances to uplift Indigenous and Tribal representation across the state.
Jacob hails from the Tsuut’ina First Nation in Alberta, Canada, and moved to Provo, Utah, at the age of 12. Growing up, he had to balance his Indigenous culture with being a minority in a new area, effectively navigating two distinct worlds. His story is one of remarkable determination and resilience, as he has overcome significant obstacles, including dropping out of high school and becoming a teenage father. After earning his GED and attending Utah Valley University, Jacob quickly rose through the ranks of the nonprofit sector. He led climate-focused initiatives as an Executive Director and was recognized at the United Nations Convention on Climate Change.
As founder and Executive Director of Cultural Fire Events, Jacob promotes the mission of creating community by fostering a sense of belonging and unity. Jacob is known for his exceptional character and integrity, and for the impact he has on others. He lives his commitment to supporting others through mentorship and traditional teachings and is known for his empathy and service to others. He takes his commitments seriously and follows through on his promises, ensuring trust and transparency in all his interactions. His courage is uniquely balanced with his humility.
Jacob received Congressional Recognition for from Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, for his efforts to develop a mentoring platform for Indigenous youth, called The Arrow’s Journey. In recognition of his work to feed and support tribal communities during the covid pandemic, Jacob was honored with the 7 under17 award by the Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy for working towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. And in 2023, Jacob was selected as an Aspen Ideas Festival Fellow.
Celeste Edmunds, Executive Director, The Christmas Box International
For the past 28 years, Celeste has been involved with The Christmas Box International, serving as a staff member, donor, board member, and for the past four years, as Executive Director. She helped build the nonprofit through the opening of its first crisis shelter and has overseen the organization’s growth to encompass three emergency children’s shelters, resource rooms across the state, and international programs.
As a child, Celeste was removed from her home and placed into State custody. Her early experiences have given her a profound sense of empathy and understanding for the experiences of these children, and she is committed to ensuring their stay at the shelter is filled with love, comfort, and a sense of stability. She does not let a child leave the shelter with their possessions in a garbage bag, which was all she had as a child to carry her things from one foster placement to the next. Her ability to work through her own trauma in order to provide for others in a similar situation sets her apart as a leader. She uses her own experiences to fuel her fight to help other vulnerable children.
Celeste’s leadership is characterized by passion, dedication, and nurturing potential in others. During her tenure as Executive Director, she has grown the donor base and expanded the recurring donation program, more than doubled the number of Resource Rooms available to case workers, and tripled the number of Community Partners supporting The Christmas Box International. In the first three years of her tenure as Executive Director, she has been able to serve an additional 5,307 youth experiencing abuse, neglect, and homelessness.
Celeste is known for making others feel heard, appreciated, and validated. These qualities have helped ensure the success of partnerships with public agencies that manage the shelters, Salt Lake County Youth Services, Division of Child and Family Services, and Grand County Family Support Center. She has written about her experiences in her book, Garbage Bag Girl, which has sold over 10,000 copies and provides additional revenue to the organization.
