Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Hanes.
Hi Kara, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We’re Kellie Hetler and Kara Hanes, two photographers, two mothers, and the co-founders of Hopelynd, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
We each built our own wedding and portrait photography businesses from the ground up, and between us we have over 18 years of experience in this industry. But the chapter of our story that matters most didn’t start with a camera. It started with our daughters.
Kellie’s daughter Gabriella Hope, Gabby, has limb differences and is profoundly Deaf. Kara’s daughter Naomi Lynne has Autism and ADHD. Raising each our girls gave us an education no classroom could replicate. We experienced firsthand what it feels like to navigate a world that isn’t always designed with your family in mind, including the world of photography. We met families who had no portraits at all, not because they didn’t want them, but because sessions felt financially out of reach, or because photographers simply weren’t equipped to meet their child’s needs.
We knew something had to change, and we realized we were the ones who could change it.
In 2025, we founded Hopelynd, and we named it as a permanent reminder of who this work is for. The name blends our daughters’ middle names: Hope from Gabriella Hope, Lyn from Naomi Lynne, and D for the disability community we serve.
Today, Hopelynd uses art and photography to celebrate the disability community and equip photographers to serve them with confidence and care. We’ve served over 105 people since August 2025, we run nine programs, and we’re actively building toward a permanent inclusive studio, wheelchair accessible, sensory-friendly, and designed for belonging.
We’re not just building a nonprofit. We’re building a home for every story that deserves to be seen.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth is not the word we would use! Balancing our own photography businesses, building a nonprofit from the ground up, and showing up fully for our families at the same time is no small thing. There are only so many hours in a day, and we are constantly navigating all three with everything we have.
But honestly, the hard days never make us question why we started. The moment we think about the families we serve, the children who finally have portraits on their walls, the people who told us they had never felt seen before walking through our doors, it puts everything back into perspective. The people we do this for are the reason we keep going.
That is the thing about building something rooted in real purpose. When the work is hard, you don’t have to search very far for your motivation. It is right there in every face we photograph.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Hopelynd uses art and photography to celebrate the disability community and equip photographers to serve them with confidence and care. We offer accessible photography sessions for families with disabilities, run community events and art shows, and provide education for photographers who want to serve this community well. Everything we do is built around one belief: everyone deserves to be seen.
What sets us apart is our approach. We are not trying to get a perfect smile or a posed shot. We are trying to show a family together, with dignity, in a way that says every single person in that frame matters. For so many of the families we serve, that has never been offered to them before. We meet people where they are, literally and figuratively. Whether that means a session in a NICU, in someone’s living room, or in a sensory friendly space, we go where the family needs us to be.
Some of our proudest moments have come from the most tender places. We photographed a family whose baby was not expected to survive delivery. She did, and for weeks her family sat in the NICU pouring love over her. Because of our donors, we were able to walk into that space and capture something irreplaceable for them. Those images are not just photographs. They are proof that she is here, that she is loved, and that her life matters.
We also had the privilege of serving a mom who had spent years wishing for family photos she could truly be proud of. Her son has Autism, and traditional sessions had never worked for them. We came to their home, let him play, and followed his lead. We captured their family in the middle of real life and real love. She told us it was life giving. That is exactly what we are here for.
This work is not about perfection. It is about presence, dignity, and belonging. That is what we do, and that is what we will keep doing.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
We are actually a pretty funny pair when you look at where we started and where we are now.
Both of us were shy growing up. Neither of us liked to speak publicly, and you would not have found us seeking out a spotlight or raising our hands in a crowd. If you had told us then that we would one day be running a nonprofit, speaking on behalf of a community, and advocating loudly for families who need a voice, we probably would not have believed you.
But something happens when you find a cause worth fighting for. Advocating for the disability community pushed us past every limit we thought we had. It does not ask you if you are ready. It just asks you if you care enough to show up anyway.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hopelynd.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopelyndofficial
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579098921542
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hopelynd
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hopelynd
