One of the most important ways to have a large impact in life is by focusing on communities that are ignored and overlooked. These communities are often the ones most in need of help, tools, and services but for a variety of reasons the largest players in most industries chose not to work on serving them. We’ve been so touched by the thousands of members of our community who are working on serving the underserved from tackling food deserts to building empowering solutions for the neurodiverse. Each week, you’ll find us highlighting folks serving underserved communities.

Sharon Moon

Most of my yoga teaching career has taken place in studios around the world with more affluent clientele. In 2012 I was given the opportunity to live for a year in Nairobi, Kenya and teach and train young people from the slum settlements. At the time there was an 85% unemployment rate in Kenya. My job was to select ten hearing and four deaf people from among 55 who showed up. Everyone wanted; needed a job. The non profit that sent me hired the 14 to be trained as yoga teachers and then return to teach in schools, orphanages, and youth detention centers they selected. My job at this point was to observe, guide and make any needed changes. I spent most of my time in these slum settlements. Read more>>

Tia Zatonya Brightwell

Yes, my business serves underserved communities, and this is a story that resonates deeply with my journey and the mission of Through It All, INC (TIA). After my diagnosis with Lupus and Fibromyalgia in 2013, I faced unimaginable challenges that left me feeling isolated and vulnerable. The struggle of leaving the workforce, going through a divorce, and experiencing homelessness with my four children was a dark time in my life. It was during this period that I realized how many families like mine were grappling with similar hardships, often feeling lost and without support. In Savannah, Georgia, where I now run my small businesses, many families in marginalized communities face barriers to education, resources, and basic opportunities that others take for granted. Read more>>

Amos Hobson

Yes my brand serves the community of creatives from all walk in life beginners to business owners have a place to go to learn create and grow. The art and entertainment industries are the most diverse but most over looked due to knock off or short cut practices like Ai or Template based art software. But there are some of us who went to school for art or entertainment where is the support for individuals like that. For myself I’m self taught because as a person who works in the IT field I saw these prototype softwares coming. For those who didn’t imagine being in school debt for something Ai could do with a push of button. Read more>>

James Lott Jr

I work in “Hollywood” or the Entertainment Business. One of my mottos has been to give people who are often overlooked, a chance to be a part of the business. During the pandemic I started writing and producing audio dramas. I cast them with non union talent and everyday people who wanted to try it. Also, I started working with people, schools, businesses that were outside of LA and NY and help them create podcasts. My main area is Clinton, Indiana, a small town in rural Western Indiana, and we have had major success and changed peoples lives. The locals love it and feel seen. Read more>>

Deandria Simpson

Underserved community:
First-time homebuyers, individuals with credit challenges, or families in underrepresented areas.

• Why it matters:

Homeownership can be a significant stepping stone to generational wealth, stability, and community building. However, these groups often face barriers like lack of access to resources, misinformation, or systemic inequities in the housing market. Read more>>

Mehek Bapna

For millions of women and gender-diverse individuals, accessing birth control that works seamlessly with their lives remains a significant challenge. Manglovo Health is on a mission to change that. Through our groundbreaking once-weekly, non-hormonal oral contraceptive, we are tackling the barriers to reproductive healthcare head-on—offering a safer, more effective, and accessible solution for those who need it most. Read more>>

Noelle & Rian Goins

We are a husband and wife team of pest control owners as well as our nonprofit foundation that provides impoverished communities and underserved communities with free pest control services if they are severely infested. Read more>>

Vicki L Jones

I took a mission trip to Kenya in 2006, my first international trip. I fell in love with the country. I met women of all ages. I returned to the States with new insights about the substandard living, working and health care conditions that a major percentage of Kenyan women faced on a daily basis. I wanted to do more that get off a place and hand out baggies of personal items. A few trips…a few years later, and after much prayer, I established Bahari Sisters Inc., a Baltimore based non-profit which works to uplift Kenyan women and girls by offering programs focusing on education, healthy living and career training. Read more>>

Nicola Ballard

Rudeboyz Artworks is a woman-owned business co-run with the owner’s husband, focused on serving underserved Black and Brown communities. The company specializes in creating airbrushed memorial items, such as portrait clothing, to help clients grieve or celebrate the lives of loved ones. These custom pieces, which can take up to four hours to complete, become cherished heirlooms. In addition to memorial work, Rudeboyz Artworks hosts art events, including summer camps for kids and arts and crafts activities for adults, to foster ongoing relationships with customers. Located in an economically disadvantaged area, the company keeps its prices affordable to ensure accessibility to the local community. Read more>>