Everyday Leaders 50 In 50

It’s no coincidence that Suzanne Castle remembers almost every line of Schoolhouse Rock. As a deeply creative spirit with sparkle in her soul, she recognized early on the importance of art to capture our attention – how a small twist on an old idea can inspire us to consider government, grammar, or gravity through the memorable lens of rhythm, melody, and rhyme. This joy-filled ability to recreate the world and allow it to glimmer anew – the “sparkle factor” – is a necessary and too often neglected piece of our humanity and thriving. Suzanne’s desire is to call to life the creative spirit in herself and others, to invigorate and honor artists and creatives as they lend their essential vision to the way we see the world. Her road, like that of most artists, has been neither straight nor narrow. Early years packed to the brim with dance and acting classes, coaching sessions, film and theater roles, teaching, and music set an unsustainable pace that was stopped abruptly short by family tragedy. Suzanne’s plans