Mission:
Rising Hearts is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to amplifying community voices through kinship, movement advocacy, and storytelling. We empower communities by fostering intersectional collaboration, promoting cultural resilience, joy and creating meaningful change for the next generations. Through our programs, we inspire collective action, elevate Indigenous and community centered narratives, creating safe and supportive spaces, continuously learn and show up how we can, and mobilize support for those in need.

Much of the heart work we prioritize is cultivating kinship with brands, companies and groups, while creating meaningful collaborations with the Rising Hearts athletes, community partners and broader movement community.

Vision:
To foster a world where diverse voices and bodies are amplified, celebrated, protected, and empowered through authentic kinship, meaningful collaboration, and advocacy. Rising Hearts envisions a future where meaningful connections between athletes, community partners, and allies spark collective action, inspire positive change, and elevate the stories that unite and strengthen our diverse communities.

Our Programs:
Running On Native Lands Initiative
Running With Purpose Athlete Advocates
RH Charity Runners
Rising Hearts Stories | Filmmaking
Virtual Movement Events | Race Organizing
Consulting - DEI / Collab opportunities / Facilitating Connections

Donate AND HELP support the heart work!

 
 

MOVEMENTS FOR WELLNESS

 

Let’s build community.


 
 
 
 

 

WEAR THE HEART WORK

Be a good relative and celebrate the heart work with Rising Hearts - 9 YEARS!
Celebrate the heart work we do with community across the running and outdoor spaces through meaningful collaborations, kinship, advocacy, and community building through movement and stories.


Mark Your Calendars:

 
 
 

CELEBRATE TRUTHSGIVING THROUGH MOVEMENT!
WHEN: November 22 - 29, 2026
JOIN TEAM: Join Rising Hearts and 4 will have a chance to win a pair of shoes.

Rising Hearts and Women In Ultrarunning are excited to bring this community movement event to you in our 7th year!

Wooden Medals | First 100 registrants will receive a medal!!

BENEFICIARIES: HUṠWEJ

HUṠWEJ means “wish” in the Nisenan language — A wish for return, care, and continuity of Nisenan Land, Culture, and community, carried forward through collective responsibility and reciprocity.
As a Tribally-guided nonprofit, HUṠWEJ envisions a future where Land and Culture are reunited, where the wisdom of the ancestors guides innovative pathways forward, and where the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe thrives as sovereign stewards of their Ancestral Homelands.

Informed by Ancestral memory and animated by a sacred wish to carry ancient wisdom into a flourishing future, HUṠWEJ seeks to heal the relationship between people and place –

Restoring Culture to landscape, and landscape to Culture. 

Truthsgiving Shirts are available year round, grabs yours now and receive in time for Truthsgiving.

Print on demand, then takes up to 2 weeks to ship and receive.
All profits will be donated towards Rising Hearts.
Multiple options: T-shirts | Long sleeves | Hoodies | Youth T-shirts | Women’s Crop
Sizing: All Gender Sizes, Women’s, Youth

 

Representation matters! And when we were little, seeing an image like Hosava, crossing that finish line at The Marathon Project in December 2025, having just qualified for the 2028 March Marathon Olympic Trials and representing his communities, Hopi and Diné, it would have shown us not to be afraid, to give it go, to show up, to proud, and so much more!

We are raising funds for our Running With Purpose Athlete Advocate friend and runner, Hosava Kretzmann! At the 2025 The Marathon Project, we supported his journey in covering his race registration and provided a $700 travel stipend to help alleviate the financial costs this journey can accrue. Then a big surprise happened, Hoka, came in to support and elevate Hosava even more! 

All profits from the Bonfire campaign, will added to the Givelively link at the end of each month!
GOAL: $16,000 to help support this journey and costs!

Here is a estimated breakdown over 2 years: 
- Running shoes (training shoes and racing shoes): $6,000 ($3k per year)
- Registration and travel funds for the 2027 Berlin Marathon: $4,000 (or for the 2027 Tokyo Marathon as an alternative) 
- Registration and travel funds for the 2027 Chicago Marathon: $2,000
- Registration and travel funds for the 2027 Grandma's Marathon: $1,000 (or for the 2027 Chevron Marathon as an alternative) 
- Registration and travel funds for the 2028 Olympic Trials, hosted in St. Louis, Missouri: $3,000

IF YOU'D LIKE TO KEEP DONATING:
Givelively Fundraising Link for Hosava:

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/livelihoods-knowledge-exchange-network-inc/help-support-hosava-s-journey-to-the-2028-marathon-olympic-trials

INCENTIVE:
If you donate $250, you'll receive one of these shirts, with an autograph from Hosava and special little goodies!

 

WATCH + LEARN:

12/3/25 Rising Hearts | Building Kinship Panel

If you weren’t in person with Rising Hearts or at The Running Event, click image or button below to watch the full panel. Thank you to Chris Glover, Fleet Feet Columbus, Safe Space Running and Easton Run Club, for recording this discussion!

Panelists: Zachary Friedley (Born To Adapt), Carolina Rubio MacWright, Daryl ‘Stretch’ Murphy (Easton Run Club, Miles for Justice), Cal Calamia (Non-Binary Run Club, 2Hot4Hoodies), Jordan Whetstone (Rising Hearts) and moderated by Lex Saenz (Rising Hearts, Move Well)


5/28 Recording of Trans & Non-binary Allyship Training

If you missed joining us virtually for this special, much needed training with Cal Calamia, here’s the recording of it!

It’s Pride Month! This is one way (of many) we can show up for the 2SLGBTQIA+ and Non-binary community. Click the button to watch and give Cal a follow on IG and learn more at www.calcalamia.com.

 

The Running Industry Diversity Coalition presented Know To Run: Yatika, Hosted by Jordan Marie Whetstone (Rising Hearts), on October 3, 2023 at 3:30pm EST. It was such a great turnout, with great questions and hopefully, a new perspective for non-Indigenous participants! This is how change happens, even if it is little by little!

Here is the recording below, what to expect:
1. Watch KNOW TO RUN: YATIKA
2. Then view the RIDC recording of the discussion!
3. Learn about land acknowledgements, their importance, and what it means to go beyond
4. Understand the necessity of including local Indigenous communities in conversations on making the running and outdoor community a more accessible and equitable place, and what the consultation process looks like

Continuing the Conversation!
Watch the Trail Runner and Rising Hearts  panel discussion about the past, present and future contributions of Indigenous peoples to trail running.

The discussion will include Verna Volker, Dinée Dorame, Guarina Lopez, Jordan Marie Daniel and Dustin Martin. We will dissect and discuss harms caused by erasing the Indigenous foundations of trail running, and highlight the many ways that Indigenous athletes have changed and continue to lead the sport. The event will also spotlight specific ways runners can decolonize trail running.

Indigenous Peoples are still here. And thriving. Join us for a conversation that is sure to challenge, educate, and inspire.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH!