About Us
Our history
Lindsey Nicole Pilkington was sharp and witty and had an infectious smile and personality. She had a passion for numbers, computers, and conversation. Lindsey was active in Judo and had competed across the United States. But, on March 13, 2017, Lindsey was murdered by her, at the time, soon-to-be ex-husband.
Lindsey is survived by her mother Debbie Cothren and father Steve Pilkington, her sister Karista Van Nest, her Grandmother Shirley Langster, and numerous other family members and friends. As we all came together to remember her, we made a decision to not let her light fade but hold it up so others could be inspired by the things she stood for and had accomplished. Together we created the Lindsey Pilkington Memorial Foundation.
Our mission
Our mission is to help empower women. That is a broad mission statement but that simple but powerful word "empower" has allowed us to provide scholarships for Jiu-Jitsu training to women in abusive relationships, provide self-defense and firearms training to women who want to be better prepared, and provide critical mental health services to women in need. We do that through generous donations from others, based on our 501c3 nonprofit status.
We partner with vetted and verified teams from around the Midlands to help provide services based on availability and need. We have also volunteered our expertise and time to help other programs that support Lindsey's mission.
Our Staff and Volunteers
Olyn Sexton is the CEO of the Lindsey Pilkington Memorial Foundation. He is supported by his wife and Lindsey's family to make decisions regarding the direction and scholarships provided to help empower women.
NO donations are used to pay staff. ALL dollars are used for programs and support of the women granted scholarships and for the direct cost of operating the nonprofit.