Alli O'Malley
Alli O'Malley who has spent her life learning to name what others were determined not to see. A survivor of both family and intimate partner violence, she is an author, coach, speaker, and founder of ThistleRise Coaching & Consulting, LLC. Her debut memoir, More than a Crime: One Survivor's Mission of Hope in the Shadow of Domestic Violence, is a story of survival, healing, and hard-won hope. It draws on over a decade leading RESOLVE of Greater Rochester — where she championed holistic, trauma-informed care and pushed healthcare and community systems to treat intimate partner violence as a social determinant of health.
Brief:
One survivor's inside-out argument that domestic violence demands more than justice – it requires healing.
In this memoir, Alli O'Malley takes readers inside an experience that rarely gets told. Not the sensationalized moments that make headlines, but the ordinary terror, the complicated love, and the invisible barriers that make leaving so much harder than outsiders imagine. O'Malley offers what she calls an inside-out perspective: the view from within, told with raw honesty and compassion by someone who has lived it. It's a perspective rarely found in the broader conversation about domestic violence – one forged through her own journey from survivor to advocate, leader, and CEO of an intimate partner violence organization committed to breaking intergenerational cycles of abuse.
More Than a Crime is not simply a story of survival. It is an argument. O'Malley challenges the way we've been taught to think about domestic violence – as a criminal problem best solved through prosecution and punishment. She makes the case that justice and healing are not the same thing, and that confusing the two has left too many survivors behind. Her conclusion is both urgent and hopeful: domestic violence is not inevitable. It is preventable. And the systems built to respond to it will keep missing the mark until they learn to see survivors not as cases, but as people.
Whether you're a survivor seeking your own way home, a loved one trying to help, or a professional working to change the systems meant to protect survivors and hold offenders accountable, More Than a Crime invites you to rethink everything you believe about domestic violence – and what true healing requires.
Knucklehead Farms
Knucklehead Farms, a name you’re going to want to remember. Their story is rooted in passion, hard work, and a deep connection to our community—and it’s one that reminds us why supporting local matters now more than ever.
You’re going to hear a powerful perspective that might just change the way you think about where you spend your dollars—and why it matters.
Knucklehead Farms began in 2021 with two brothers, a backyard field, and a big dream. Brandon was a junior in high school and Mitchell was in sixth grade when the boys decided they wanted to become farmers. Before investing thousands of dollars into an agriculture college education for Brandon, the family decided to give them an opportunity to try farming on their land.
The boys started the old-fashioned way—by hand. They woke up at 4:30 every morning to head out to the field and pick rocks. After a full day at school, they would come home and spend another two or three hours each night clearing more rocks and preparing the soil.
That first year they planted pumpkins, corn, and flowers. Everything was planted by hand because they only had one small tractor. Not long after they started, they were gifted a small farm stand to place in the front yard so the boys could sell what they grew.
When the community learned about what the boys were doing and saw the hard work they were putting in to reach their goal, the support was incredible. Because of that support and belief from our community, Knucklehead Farms has continued to grow. Today they have expanded their operation and added a 10 × 12 farm store, planted additional crops such as asparagus, black raspberries zucchini and so much more. They also offer handcrafted spa, homemade baked goods, plants and farm fresh eggs.
Knucklehead Farms is more than a small family farm—it’s a place where hard work, determination, and community support come together to grow something special.
Their daughter McKenna is currently living in Colorado where she is working towards her Ph.D in Ecosystems and sustainability. Her research is Ag related. Currently she is reaching the water tables in Colorado and the amount of water consumption per acre a certain crop requires and will recommend to local farmers which crop would consume the least amount of water for their fields.
They want to encourage kids to be entrepreneurs and to work hard. They would also like to encourage community members to support local businesses, because so many of them are going out of business.
Together Including Every Student
Ties!
Founded in 1997 by two parents of children with disabilities, TIES is dedicated to creating inclusive opportunities for students and young adults with developmental disabilities. Through the support of trained student volunteers, they help individuals participate in extracurricular activities and community programs—building friendships, confidence, and a true sense of belonging.
This is more than a conversation… it’s a powerful look at inclusion, connection, and the impact we can all have when we come together as a community.
