Whitney Austin

Impassioned after surviving the Sept. 6, 2018, mass shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio, Whitney Austin cofounded Whitney/Strong with her husband, an organization focused on finding common ground to end gun violence through data-driven, responsible gun ownership solutions. Under her leadership, Whitney/Strong has executed on several responsible gun ownership solutions including securing the first two hearings on gun safety legislation in Frankfort in over a decade.

Austin joined Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to announce the STRONG Ohio legislation, a response to the community call of "Do Something" after the Dayton Oregon District shooting in 2019. She helped assist in distributing over 13,000 gun locks across Kentucky and Ohio thanks to a partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics and with the support of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. She also trained over 1800 people in neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by gun violence in methods to reduce gun violence. And most recently, Austin worked to ensure passage of the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Prior to her calling, Austin was employed by Fifth Third Bank for 15 years as Vice President, Digital Lending Product Manager. In 2018, Austin and her team launched the first omnichannel digital lending application in the industry.

A wife and a mother of two, Austin resides in Louisville, Kentucky where she earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Louisville. She enjoys traveling to new locations with her family, musical theatre, the Bengals, college basketball, and getting outdoors.