So often mission and purpose driven folks have fascinating stories about where they draw their inspiration from. Often it’s a historical figure and so we’ve highlighted some of those conversations around historical figures and what some of the best and brightest have learned from them.

Stephanie Burt

I am very inspired and influenced by many people, and I seek out that kind of passive mentorship, that inspiration. I need examples of people “living their passion” to light my way. One such person is very recent history, but historical at this point — Eudora Welty. She was at once a documentarian, a storyteller extraordinaire, a literary figure and mentor to others during her own life, all with a sharp wit. She wrote “slice of life” fiction, which is a label that has been used in the past lessen the importance of the elegance and beauty of her work (and probably wouldn’t have been applied if she were male.) Read more>>

Andrea Knies Mimi Cirbusova

As a woman-owned company, we draw strength and inspiration from the many pioneering female entrepreneurs and community leaders that came before us. Our role as historians means we both get to literally stand in the places they stood, and figuratively stand on their shoulders as we build upon their vision for our community. Though their stories are often misconstrued, forgotten, or purposefully left out, our duties to share these womens’ stories continually inspire us. Read more>>

Kristen Wimberly

I use strong, black women that have made a name for themselves in whatever industry that they are in as motivation to my goals for Miss Kupid, LLC. They may not be considered “historical” but instead “strongly impactful” in how I move when it comes to growth for the business. Some women that I truly enjoy learning from are Taraji P. Henson, B. Simone and Megan Brooks, Khadeen Ellis, and Melissa Fredericks. Read more>>

Kate Grasso

Almost all of my creative work is deeply rooted in the history of the Disney parks and the brilliant Imagineers who created them. And many are well-known, like Walt Disney, Tony Baxter, Marc Davis, and Joe Rohde. But my favorite stories are those that don’t get mentioned nearly as often: The women of Imagineering. One of my personal heroes is Alice Davis, who was the wife of Marc Davis but who you don’t often hear much about. She was the principal designer behind the costumes of Pirates of the Caribbean and It’s a Small World, as well as the creator of the reference footage costume for Sleeping Beauty, among others. Read more>>

Haley Glass

There are many figures I deem to be “historical” in the sense of history books from High School, many of which are incredibly admirable. But there are some who I feel should go down in history, in present times, as some of the most admirable of all. Hila Klein, owner of Teddy Fresh & Co-CEO of the H3 Podcast, as well as her Husband, Ethan Klein (and their intelligent, hilarious crew members) have taught me lessons about myself I could have never anticipated. Read more>>

Toccara Samuel

A historical figure I look up to is Madame CJ Walker. She never gave up on her brand and she kept pushing. Read more>>