Staff

Tom Hanley

Tom Hanley

Chief Executive Officer

“For me the bicycle was something I used to test limits. Long before I was racing a bike I was racing home for dinner because I had pedaled further than I told my parents I was going to. I just loved my bike so much from the first minute I was on two wheels.”

Tom founded Nine13sports in 2011 after a career as an elite-level track cyclist winning 4 national championships while attending Marian University. In the aftermath of the commercial vehicle accident that ended his cycling career, Tom decided to change the direction of his intended career path of becoming a lawyer. As the city of Indianapolis rallied around him, he made it his mission to give back to the city in the best way he knew how… using the power of the bicycle. Nine13 has grown from a one person operation serving about 1,000 kids in its first year, to an 11 person team serving over 50,000 kids annually. Tom started Nine13sports to make the lives of Central Indiana kids better and continues to lead the team making it happen.

When he isn’t working you can find Tom working out, cooking, and traveling. One of Tom’s other favorite hobbies is working with his hands designing and building things that can be useful in his work at Nine13sports as well as everyday life.

Aryn Coomes

Aryn Coomes

Chief Operating Officer

“My favorite memory of the bike actually came later in life. After I moved out of my parents house I bought a bike and rediscovered how much I loved riding. It reminded me what it was like to be a kid exploring my community on a bike, and I am so happy to be doing that again here in Indy.”

Aryn joined the Nine13sports team in 2017 after four years as the Merchandise Manager & Event Lead at Sun King Brewery. She brought her strong organizational & leadership skills to the Nine13sports team where as the Chief Operating Officer she oversees all Nine13sports programs and manages day-to-day operations. Quite simply, the kids are what brought Aryn to Nine13sports. For her there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the smile on a child’s face after succeeding at something that challenged them.

When she is not working you can find Aryn at a family gathering or hiking with her dog, both of which likely include or are immediately followed by eating pizza.

Nathan Smurdon

Nathan Smurdon

Chief Partnerships & Strategy Officer

“My first bicycle was a Huffy that had a banana seat and I rode the wheels off that thing – to school, to the park around the block jumping curbs along the way. Those rides are still strongly etched in my memory and having the opportunity to help create the same for kids today is extremely fulfilling.”

Nathan’s role is to identify & cultivate relationships with the variety of funding sources that fuel the program delivery and growth of the organization. Throughout his career he has leveraged his sales, marketing & entrepreneurial skills to improve the Indianapolis community. As the founder of ActiveIndy Tours he created a city tour company that specializes in biking tours of Indianapolis and now operates as a division of Nine13sports. Prior to starting ActiveIndy, Nathan spent nearly a decade working for VisitIndy as a leader on a convention sales team that drove unprecedented levels of growth for the local hospitality industry. He served as a trusted advisor to organizations looking to hold conventions, trade shows and sporting events in Indy and also served on local organizing committees for the 2006 & 2007 USA Track & Field National Championships, the 2006 NCAA Final Four and the 2012 NFL Super Bowl.

Nathan is a graduate of Butler University where he earned his BS in Chemistry and an MBA in Marketing & Leadership. While there he was also a student-athlete running on the Cross Country and Track & Field teams. He hails from Valparaiso, Indiana and currently resides in downtown Indianapolis with his wife Melissa and daughter Kendall. In his free time he enjoys working on DIY projects around the house and completing long distance endurance rides on his sport touring motorcycle.

Matty Bennett

Matty Bennett

Building Bikes Director

“My favorite memory of the bike is the feeling of flying off the end of the ramp and launching myself into orbit. That rush of adrenaline is something you never forget – and I still love to jump stuff.”

Matty joined the team in early 2019 with a list of experiences that could fill a book. From furniture design to merchandising, custom paint to interior design and architecture, racing bikes professionally and working in bike shops to building fully custom WWI era replica motorcycles under the National Moto name Matty has gone wherever passion has led him in life. This unending passion and the wealth of mechanical and custom fabrication knowledge made him an ideal fit to lead Nine13sports’ Kids Building Bikes team. The thing that drew Matty to Nine13sports was the fulfillment of imparting the knowledge he has acquired on others, and the opportunity to light the same spark for central Indiana kids that his Grandfather Bertie and father lit for him as child in his custom furniture workshop. For Matty, it isn’t just about teaching kids how things work, but also why they work.

When Matty isn’t working you can find him skateboarding, working on vintage motorcycles, collecting a wide array of historical memorabilia, doing something creative like painting, or participating in any form of racing he can.

Kevin Duitsman

Kevin Duitsman

Curriculum & Instructional Facilitator

“Most of my childhood memories revolve around the bicycle. I loved exploring the west side and getting lost with my friends. We were always looking for the next spot to session on our BMX bikes when we weren’t tinkering in the garage or riding shady ramps in front of my house. I embarked on countless solo missions as well. Riding always seemed to put things right.”

Kevin joins the Nine13sports team after a lifetime of riding and working in the biking industry, and more recently as an educator within IPS. He became an avid BMXer, both racing and riding skateparks as a kid. Naturally, when he was old enough to work, he looked for a job in a bicycle shop. That part-time hobby became a career choice, and he ended up a fixture in the bicycle business for 27 years. Kevin fostered a love for working with people and their bicycles during that time. The more he worked with people—especially children—the more he felt a pull toward teaching.

So, in 2018 he left the bicycle business full-time to become an elementary teacher. His most recent roll was as an elementary school teacher at IPS Carl Wilde School 79 where he was awarded Teacher of the year for 2020-2021 school year. For Kevin, Nine13 is where his love for bicycles and his desire to teach come together.

Outside of Nine13, Kevin runs a very part-time bicycle repair business and love to spend time outdoors. He enjoys visiting parks, learning about critters, and hiking trails. Most of the time, though, you can find him hanging out with my fun and ever-growing family.

Anthony Montor

Anthony Montor

Field Operations Specialist

“My favorite memory of the bike was learning how to ride in my front yard because we had a big hill that I loved riding down.”

Anthony joined the Nine13sports team in 2020 support our Nine13logistics efforts during the pandemic and then transitioned to a Field Operations Specialist for our Kids Building Bikes program. Anthony joined the team through the TeenWorks program which offers 6 weeks of community-based work and weekly professional development to teens each summer. He has continued to be a part of our team even after moving on from the TeenWorks program and entering his college career.

Anthony attends IUPUI majoring in Economics with an estimated graduation date of May 2024. His goal upon graduation is to become an Economic Consultant. In his free time Anthony enjoys working out, hanging out with friends, and going for drives.

Ashley Acuff

Ashley Acuff

Logistics Team

“My favorite memory on a bike is the days spent riding my purple Huffy around Paw Paw Dr. in Ohio. It was myself and 7 other kids in the neighborhood and we would build ramps, make chalk “streets” in the cul-de sac where I lived, and we would ride to the local ice cream and candy shops to spend our allowance money.”

When she is not working Ashley can be found scuba diving in various locations around the world (not much scuba in the Midwest), drinking craft beer, giving tours of Sun King Brewery, or taking her dog Starbuck on therapy visits to libraries, nursing homes, or juvenile corrections facilities.

Ella Nation

Ella Nation

Program Operations

  “My favorite memories of the bike are the many Saturday mornings exploring the trails of Indy with my parents and brothers. It was a great way to learn about my city and get some exercise all while spending quality time with family.” 

Ella joined the team in 2023 after graduating from Indiana University with her degree in Fitness and Wellness. During her time at IU, she had the opportunity to work with several programs (Healthy Hearts Active Live with the YMCA, Get Onboard Active Living with IU Health, Ready to Move with IU and Camp Ability with Easterseals Crossroads) and found that her true passion was working with kids and sharing her love of fitness.  

In her free time, she enjoys working out, hiking, reading, and spending time with family and friends.  

Mauricio Acosta

Mauricio Acosta

Program Operations

“My favorite memory on a bike is probably my first century ride. The realization that I could ride that far without stopping really meant a lot to me. Plus, there is no better way to sight see than from the saddle of a bike, and there is plenty to see over 100 miles of riding.”

Mauricio joined the Nine13sports team with a diverse set of experiences working with his hands. Whether it was working for his dad’s masonry business, theater production and set design, or his lifetime of working on and building bikes, Mauricio was an ideal fit for our operations team. This opportunity to spread his mechanical knowledge, specifically his knowledge of bikes, to central Indiana youth is what brought him to Nine13sports.

When he is not working you will no doubt find Mauricio riding bikes as a bike courier, racing bikes, or hanging out with his friends as they ride bikes around Indy. Noticing a trend?