Meet Vop

Vop is a fifth-generation Hoosier.

Vop's Preschool graduation at Christamore House in Haughville

Vop Osili’s story is rooted in Indianapolis.

Born in Nigeria to a mother born in North Carolina and raised in Indianapolis, Vop returned with her to Haughville to live with her parents when a civil war erupted. Surrounded by a family defined by hard work—his grandfather a plumber, his grandmother a substitute IPS teacher, and his mother a special education teacher—he learned the values that still guide him today: fairness, respect for others, and the responsibility for the place you call home.

Growing up, he saw how much a neighborhood’s future depends on whether people feel invested and whether they believe their block matters as much as anyone else’s. That lesson shaped his leadership. Every neighborhood deserves to be seen, heard, and served.

Vop with his mother and sisters in Indianapolis

He came home to start a business and a family.

Vop with wife Una, son Arinze and daughter Tasia

Vop’s path has taken him around the world, but it always led back home. After time in Nigeria, doing volunteer work in Haiti, and earning a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Carnegie Mellon University and a master’s degree in architecture and urban design from Columbia University, he returned to Indianapolis to build a career, start a business, and raise a family.

Vop is married to his wife, Una, and they are proud parents of two children, Arinze and Tasia. His faith and his family keep him grounded and inspire him to show up for others.

The seeds of public service were planted in Vop at an early age.

Vop with Congresswoman Julia Carson and Congressman Patrick Kennedy

Vop’s commitment to service was shaped early, and it deepened under the mentorship of Congresswoman Julia Carson. Her encouragement helped him see public leadership as a way to deliver real change for real people, and it remains a guiding influence in his life.

Before serving on the City-County Council, Vop was appointed to the Indiana Fire and Building Services Commission (2001–2005) and later served as Chairman of one of Indianapolis’ Boards of Zoning Appeals (2005–2008). In 2010, he became the Democratic nominee for Indiana Secretary of State, another step in his journey of public service.

He has also served on civic and nonprofit boards across Indianapolis, including the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis, United Way of Central Indiana, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, and Indiana Black Expo.

His background in architecture gives him a unique perspective on how to build a city that works for everyone.

Architecture taught Vop to start with people, listen carefully, and build with purpose. A great city doesn’t happen by accident. It’s designed through choices about safety, opportunity, affordability, and how we invest in people and neighborhoods.

He co-founded an Indianapolis-based architecture firm that was among the first LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) firms in the nation. Over the course of his career, he has led urban design and architecture projects across the United States and the globe. That experience informs how he approaches the work of building a stronger, more inclusive Indianapolis.

He’s devoted the last 14 years of his life to bringing positive change to Indianapolis.

Vop speaking to a crowd at Wheeler Mission

For nearly 14 years on the City-County Council (and 8 years as President), Vop has focused on the fundamentals and delivered results that people can feel in their daily lives.

Ensuring the basics

Vop has fought to protect the basics that working families depend on: safer streets, affordable housing, and infrastructure that works. As Council President, he helped pass budgets that invested in public safety strategies and contributed to declines in homicides and overall violent crime. He also backed investments that make neighborhoods healthier and stronger with quality-of-life improvements.

Vop worked hard to see SEA 46 (2023) pass in the state legislature, and then helped Indianapolis launch a pilot program designed to keep longtime homeowners in their homes and reduce displacement as tax bills climbed. In addition to this work, Vop has also made sure responsible and fair development is the baseline in our city. That's why he worked to better ensure that city dollars benefit all residents. Vop championed the policy requiring that any city-incentivized residential development set aside a meaningful share of units for affordable housing. 

Breaking down silos

Progress is not possible when city government, nonprofits, philanthropy, and businesses work in isolation. Vop has consistently built coalitions with neighborhood groups, civic partners, and employers to move shared priorities forward. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped lead Indianapolis through crisis with timely investments that protected residents and kept small businesses afloat to accelerate recovery.

Vop with Civil Rights Hero Congressman John Lewis

Opening doors of opportunity

Vop has fought to expand opportunity for people who have been locked out for too long. He helped establish Indianapolis’ first city-funded microloan program, aimed at residents and entrepreneurs in neighborhoods with household incomes well below the area median. He has also pushed initiatives that encourage fair wages and create pathways to stability for working families.

Vop led the effort to "Ban the Box" in City of Indianapolis hiring, helping hundred of employees who might not otherwise have been able to be hired, and partnering with major employers to expand second-chance opportunities. He has long championed reentry programs rooted in dignity and accountability, so people returning home can rebuild their lives and strengthen their communities.

Now, he is ready to meet the moment for the people of Indianapolis as your next Mayor.

Vop Osili is running for Mayor to deliver a city that works for working people and where everyone can belong. At a time when trust in our institutions is eroding, Vop will lead with transparency, collaboration, and a focus on outcomes that improve daily life.

Vop is the former President of the Indianapolis City-County Council and the current Councilor for District 12. Since 2012, he has worked with community leaders across the city on public safety, affordability, housing and homelessness, mental health, infrastructure, and inclusive development.

He is running for Mayor because building a world-class Indianapolis starts by strengthening neighborhoods and keeping the promise of opportunity for everyone.