Rising Stars: Meet Angela Rudolph of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Rudolph.

Hi Angela, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story is one of resilience, service, faith, and purpose. My journey began with motherhood and an experience that changed my life forever. When I was told that my child might die, I discovered a strength within me that I didn’t know I had. That experience taught me to trust God, listen to my inner spirit, and keep moving forward even when I didn’t have all the answers.

Over the years, my career has taken me through several different industries, but each experience has prepared me for the work I am doing today. I have worked in banking and financial operations, including serving as a Commercial Participation Financial Analyst with Fifth Third Bank, where I worked with complex commercial loan accounts and financial transactions involving significant dollar amounts. I also worked as a Financial Operations Analyst with Anthem, gaining experience in financial processes, research, systems, and operational support.

My career then expanded into public service. At Hamilton County Job and Family Services, I served as an Eligibility Technician Case Worker, helping individuals and families navigate Medicaid, SNAP, and financial assistance programs. That position strengthened my ability to interpret regulations, review complex documentation, protect confidential information, solve problems, and work directly with people from many different backgrounds.

I also served as a 911 Communications Officer with the Hamilton County Communications Center. That experience taught me how to remain calm under pressure, listen carefully, make decisions quickly, and communicate effectively during some of the most difficult moments in people’s lives.

Today, I serve as a Customer Relations Representative with the City of Cincinnati Vital Records/Health Department. My responsibilities include assisting customers, processing birth and death certificates, handling documentation and corrections, responding to inquiries, and providing services to individuals experiencing difficult circumstances. I have also been appointed to work with the Freestore Foodbank’s homeless division to help provide free birth certificates to individuals experiencing homelessness. That experience has reinforced something I have always believed: sometimes a simple service can make a meaningful difference in someone’s life.

In addition to my professional career, I have always had a passion for the arts and community. I have worked as a front-of-house Floor Supervisor with the Cincinnati Association for the Arts, supervising ushers and helping ensure that patrons have a positive experience. Through theatre and acting, I discovered another way to connect with people and tell meaningful stories.

In 2023, I took one of the biggest steps in my journey by founding SISTAH’S ACTS OF KINDNESS INC., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. As Executive Director and Founder, I oversee programs, community outreach, marketing and communications, fundraising, grant writing, events, volunteers, and partnerships. Our mission is to uplift and support children, particularly children from underserved and minority communities, who face learning, behavioral, developmental, or emotional challenges.

I also became an author with my children’s book, William Wiggle Worm, which encourages children to understand their bodies, embrace their individuality, and develop healthy ways to calm themselves. My work as an author, entrepreneur, nonprofit founder, and actress may seem like different paths, but to me they are all connected by one purpose: helping people feel seen, encouraged, and empowered.

Looking back, I can see that every chapter of my career prepared me for the next one. Banking taught me financial responsibility. Government and social services taught me advocacy and compassion. Emergency communications taught me how to remain calm under pressure. The arts taught me creativity and storytelling. And motherhood taught me resilience and purpose.

Today, I am continuing to build on all of those experiences. I don’t have a perfect roadmap, but I have faith in the vision placed in my heart. I believe my experiences were not wasted—they were preparation. Whether I am helping a family obtain an important document, supporting a child through my nonprofit, writing a book, acting on stage or screen, or creating something new, I want my work to leave people better than I found them.

I am still building, still learning, and still walking in my purpose. Most importantly, I am grateful for the opportunity to use everything I have experienced to serve others and create something meaningful for the next generation.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has definitely not been a smooth road. Some of the hardest moments of my life have also been the moments that shaped me the most.

One of the most difficult experiences my family and I went through was being involved in a serious car accident with my daughter, Egypt, and my son, Bryce. My daughter suffered a traumatic brain injury, and I fractured vertebrae in my spine and ribs on my left side. Watching my daughter go through such a serious injury while dealing with my own physical pain was one of the most challenging experiences I have ever faced.

There were moments when I had to be strong for my children even when I was hurting myself. The physical recovery was difficult, but the emotional and mental part was just as challenging. As a mother, you naturally want to protect your children, and there is a different kind of pain that comes from seeing your child suffer and knowing you cannot simply take that pain away.

That experience tested my faith, my strength, and my ability to keep going. There were days when I didn’t have all the answers, but I learned to take things one day at a time and trust God through the process. It reminded me that strength doesn’t always mean that you aren’t afraid, tired, or hurting. Sometimes strength means getting up and continuing even when you don’t feel strong.

My professional journey has also had its challenges. I have worked in banking, finance, government, social services, emergency communications, the arts, and nonprofit leadership. Each position came with its own lessons and obstacles, but each one also gave me skills that I eventually brought into my work as an entrepreneur and nonprofit founder.

Starting SISTAH’S ACTS OF KINDNESS INC. while managing everything else in my life has not always been easy. As a grassroots organization, I wear many hats. I oversee programs, events, communications, community outreach, fundraising, grant writing, volunteers, and administrative responsibilities. There have been times when resources were limited and I had to figure things out as I went.

But I have learned that sometimes the struggle is part of the preparation.

The accident taught me resilience. Motherhood taught me advocacy. My career taught me discipline and professionalism. My experiences in the community taught me compassion. And my faith taught me that I don’t have to know every step of the journey to take the next one.

I have been knocked down physically, emotionally, and professionally, but I have never allowed those experiences to define the ending of my story. They became part of the reason I continue to serve, create, write, act, and build.

Today, when I look at my children, my nonprofit, my book, my work in the community, and the opportunities that continue to come my way, I realize that the road may not have been smooth—but it has been meaningful.

I don’t believe I went through those experiences just to survive them. I believe I went through them so I could use what I learned to help someone else keep going.

That is a major part of who I am today: a mother, founder, author, entrepreneur, actress, and survivor who continues to walk by faith and move forward with purpose.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My professional life is a blend of acting, writing, entrepreneurship, and community service. I consider myself a storyteller at heart, and creativity has always been one of the ways I connect with people and make an impact.

As an actress, I have had the opportunity to perform in both theatre and independent film. My theatre experience includes productions such as The Color Purple, Dreamgirls, Memphis, Playing by Life’s Rules, All Things Made New, and Murder Mystery Company. I have also had lead roles in independent films, including Hopeless Romantic and The Unbreakable Marriage.

I love the stage because there is an immediate connection between the performer and the audience. Hearing people laugh, seeing their reactions, and knowing that something I said or portrayed connected with them is incredibly rewarding. Acting has also taught me discipline, memorization, collaboration, confidence, and the importance of being willing to step outside of my comfort zone.

I am also an author. I wrote the children’s book William Wiggle Worm, which was created to encourage children to understand their emotions and bodies, develop ways to calm themselves, and embrace their individuality. Writing allows me to reach people in a different way than acting does. Instead of bringing someone else’s words to life, I am creating stories and messages of my own.

My creativity also extends into my work as the Founder and Executive Director of SISTAH’S ACTS OF KINDNESS INC., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. I create community programs, events, educational activities, outreach campaigns, fundraising initiatives, and partnerships designed to support children and families. I have learned that entrepreneurship requires creativity every day—especially when you are building something from the ground up.

What sets me apart is that my creativity is rooted in lived experience and purpose. I don’t create simply to be seen. I create because I want people to feel something—to laugh, think, heal, become inspired, or recognize their own potential.

My experiences as a mother, entrepreneur, author, actress, and community advocate have shaped the stories I tell and the work I create. I have faced significant challenges in my life, but those experiences have strengthened my ability to find meaning in difficult situations and turn them into something positive.

I am most proud that I have continued to pursue my creative dreams while also creating opportunities for others. Whether I am on a stage, in front of a camera, writing a children’s book, developing a nonprofit program, or creating an event for my community, I want my work to leave people with hope.

Ultimately, I believe my greatest strength as a creative is my ability to combine storytelling with purpose. I am not afraid to reinvent myself, try something new, or use my experiences to create something that can positively affect someone else’s life. For me, creativity isn’t just something I do—it is part of who I am.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is making a meaningful difference in the lives of other people, especially children and families. I believe that every person has a purpose, and I want the life I live and the work I create to reflect mine.

My children and family matter deeply to me. Being a mother has shaped who I am more than anything else. The experiences I have gone through with my children have taught me strength, patience, compassion, and the importance of advocating for the people you love. They have also reminded me not to take life or the people we love for granted.

My faith is another foundation of my life. There have been moments when I didn’t know how I was going to get through a situation, but I learned to trust God and keep moving forward. My faith gives me the courage to continue pursuing the vision placed in my heart, even when the path isn’t clear.

I also care deeply about children who are struggling or may feel overlooked. That is one of the reasons I founded SISTAH’S ACTS OF KINDNESS INC. I want children to know that their challenges do not define them and that they deserve support, encouragement, kindness, and the opportunity to succeed.

Creativity matters to me because it gives me another way to communicate and connect with people. Whether I am acting, writing, creating a program, or developing an event, I love seeing something that started as an idea become real and bring joy or encouragement to someone else.

Ultimately, what matters most to me is purpose, family, faith, and impact. I want to leave people better than I found them. If I can make a child smile, encourage a family, inspire someone to keep going, or create something that makes someone feel seen and valued, then I know I am doing what I was put here to do.

I don’t measure success only by titles or accomplishments. For me, true success is knowing that my life has brought light to someone else’s life. That is what matters most to me.

Pricing:

• https://pay.sistahsactsofkindness.org/donate
• Donations are welcome

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sistahsactsofkindness.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rudylynn44/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087869546349
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-rudolph-45471635/
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/wpM-Onx0Kus
• Other: https://pay.sistahsactsofkindness.org/donate