Susan Blackenbaker Noyes

Susan June (Blakenbaker) Noyes was born in Corpus Christi. Raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, Noyes attended Shortridge High School, graduating in 1974, before enrolling at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She received her B.A. in economics in 1978. After graduating, Noyes spent two years in Washington, D. C., working as a caseworker and legislative assistant to Ohio congressional representative Clarence E. Miller. In 1980, she returned to Indiana and enrolled at the Indiana University School of Law, receiving her JD in 1983. After law school, Noyes spent six years practicing labor law with Sidley & Austin in Chicago, before leaving the firm to raise her six children. In 2007 she founded Make it Better Media, “a multi-platform publishing company, serving similar demographics throughout Chicagoland and the San Francisco Bay Area — with a vibrant digital ecosystem, print magazines, custom publishing partnerships, videos, awards and signature events.” Today the company includes print magazines, events, social media, and a website with millions of page views annually. She established the Make It Better Philanthropy Awards in 2012 and the Make It Better Foundation in 2013. Noyes serves on numerous boards including the board of the American Red Cross of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Susan Blankenbaker Noyes was awarded a Distinguished Service Award from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2017.https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/notablealumni/1209/thumbnail.jp