Tell us your name, where you’re from, how long you’ve lived in Louisville, and how you’ve been involved in the Jewish community recently.
Shane OKoon Shaps. I’m from Louisville. I lived here until I was 18. Then I went to college, lived in a couple other places, and I came back in 2002. So, I’ve been here almost 24 years in August. I have been involved in the Jewish community lately through the JCL, through Women’s Philanthropy, and as a member of the upcoming Momentum trip that was supposed to go in October, 2023.
Can you tell us a little bit about your brand Big Voice Social?
Big Voice Social is an outsourced social media engagement agency. We work with companies and organizations as the outsourced voice of their brand on social media platforms. We develop their brand message, we work with their web developer, their PR firm, and we partner to create their online voice. We like to say we make their voice sparkle. I’ve been doing this since 2008.
How does your professional work tie into how you show up for the Jewish community?
So as the name of my company might describe, I have a big mouth. And my understanding of social media and how it works has helped me to speak up for the Jewish community. In the beginning of the war, as of October 7th, I spoke up probably a little too much for my family’s comfort, so I reined it in a little bit and found that I was better on a writing platform. I mostly post on Facebook, sharing, amplifying other people who are out there speaking out.
Can you tell us a little bit about the podcast you have with your daughter and how it came about?
Yes, so the Social Dialogue podcast is a podcast about the world we live in today and the fun part of it, fashion and trends and friendship and career and how social media impacts all of it. Jenna is 22 years old, and so we bring our Gen Z versus Gen X point of views to this. And it really was the kind of thing where I knew a podcast was a good adjunct to my business, but I didn’t really have a way to implement that. And then my daughter, who is also working in the world of social media right now, said we should do a podcast. We’ve brought on a ton of guests that also work in social or use social to give breath to and build their business. And so it’s been a ton of fun, and everyone who comes on gives Jenna life advice, which is awesome.
What’s the best episode to get us hooked onto your podcast?
One of our favorite, and most-listened to, episodes features two other native Jewish Louisvillians: Kate Shapira Latts and her daughter, Lindsey.
Any advice for young moms like me on developing a really close relationship with your daughter? Or son- with your children in general.
I think I have really good relationships with both of my kids, and I think a lot of it comes from my parents – the way that my parents parented me. I grew up in the ’80s, so I’m a Gen X kid, and my parents were pretty hands off, you know. I was out playing in the neighborhood until the street lights came on. My role in raising children was to create independent humans. I did not want to know everything. I did not want to manage everything, and now I don’t want to manage anything. We have moved into the role of coach and cheerleader, and not manager of our children, because they’re 22 and almost 20. I think that that’s an important piece – you can’t micromanage everything they do. I have a lot of respect for my children. I think they make very good choices. I think they’re very particular about who they spend time with. They are loyal, sometimes to a fault, but they also know, if this person isn’t giving me what I need, I’m not going to give them quite as much.
Looking back at your career and engagement with the Jewish community, what is something you’re most proud of?
Oh, I think last year’s Women’s Philanthropy event with Lindsay Pinchuk. I was really proud of that. I had been in a place since about 2022, where my first child was graduating and leaving, and I was trying to figure out who am I in this community? And, you know, my parents are pillars in the Jewish community. I did not feel that I found my way. There was sort of a record scratch and a pivot, I was in this place where I’m, like, who am I, and where do I belong in the Jewish community? I don’t have little kids anymore. And now, you know, if you’re not the mom, what will you do? How do you fit in? How do you find a place? I got involved with the event for last year, and my relationship with Lindsay Pinchuk is so strong, and I felt so passionate that when Daniele said, Will you lead this event? I said, I will do it if Lindsay can be our speaker. And we made that happen. And I’m really proud of how that went. I especially loved that we invited so many non-Jewish allies to that event, people I know who have shared the content I have shared, who have literally stood with me, hand on my back, holding us up.
You are so knowledgeable on the best Jewish influencers and businesses. Which do you want to shout out to for this newsletter? Who should we follow or support?
Ah, Jonah Platt. hands down. He has the best podcast – Being Jewish with Jonah Platt I think that his mentality about where we are in the world right now is just so refreshing, and I enjoy him so much. And the other one I would say, is Noa Tishby, I think that she gives great education, knowledgeable information, and facts. And her book, Israel is just full of good quality information –anyone who hasn’t read it should read it.
Looking forward, what are your hopes for the Jewish community?
What I hope for the Jewish community is that we can let go of our silos — I think that maybe that’s why I’ve decided to give more time to the Federation and JCL because it’s neutral territory. It’s the whole community working together. And I appreciate that. In this kind of situation, more is more. I want Jewish kids to know Jewish kids, so that when they grow up, they have more of a similar situation to what I had, where you have this big group of Jewish kids outside of your school friends, and then you grow up and you seek that out. And, you know, I talk about this with my dad a lot. My dad is 85. He grew up here. As did his father. And the way that I grew up is exactly the way he grew up. You know, you went to the J on the weekends, and we went to services, and we did Shabbat dinner, and, you know, we had Sunday school, and we had Hebrew school twice a week, and this is where I saw my friends, and my friends’ parents were my parents’ friends. They all grew up together. We all grew up together. Every weekend in 1986 was at least one bar or bat mitzvah. It was a blast, and I loved it. Today it’s much more segmented. We’ve assimilated and we are all so involved in our schools. But even within the Jewish community, we don’t work as one. We are territorial about our synagogues. My hope for the future is that we see the value and beauty in being one strong Jewish community.
Do you have anything else you want to share about? What are you looking forward to in your next chapter?
Well, I am excited and nervous for Jenna. She’s graduating college. She’s not going to grad school, so she has to get a job. She is moving to New York. So she’s got to figure it out. And then Ryan, you know he is finding his way freshman year and I can legitimately say I’ve never seen him happier than he is at the University of Florida. He selected his school in a post-October 7th world. He didn’t want to become an activist. He wanted to just go to college and have fun and to that I say “Go Gators.” You know, I just want them to be happy and healthy and part of a Jewish community. That’s it.
Click HERE to go back to the Women’s Philanthropy April 2026 Newsletter.