Over the years as we connected with incredible from folks from almost every imaginable industry we realized that every nook and cranny of our economy is full of small business owners, artists and creatives who live and breathe what they do – and their stories are nothing short of heroic. It’s the immigrant parents who overcame the odds and kept their small business alive for decades allowing their next generation to thrive and the artisans who pour their passion into every piece and refuse to let even the most common items remain mundane that make our communities come alive. The stories below will inspire you and we hope you’ll take the time to read and connect with these incredible folks.

Joyce Medeiros

I’m Joyce, co-founder and CEO of Investrio, and my journey has always been shaped by resilience and finance. I was born in Brazil and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, by a single mom who instilled in me the value of hard work and perseverance. Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the challenges of stretching every dollar, managing debt, and planning for the future when resources were scarce. These experiences sparked my lifelong curiosity about how money works. Read more>>

Tiziana Gouveia Tamara Schindler

The idea GAEA DESIGN started in 2015 (then under the name Cake & Confetti Events) and we went online on February 14th 2016 targeting initially the national market in Switzerland. We realized very fast that there is a demand for destination weddings in the Swiss Moutains and we started targeting couples that appreciate Swiss Nature at its best. Read more>>

Spencer Hill

My name is Spencer Hill and I am a first generation race car driver from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I caught the racing bug early, diving into the sport head first at just 8 years old, driving go karts, before I even had a driver’s license. From that very first race, feeling the rush of speed and the thrill of danger, I was hooked and immediately knew that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Today, I’m grateful to have raced and won hundreds of races and numerous championships across various car types and series’ throughout the U.S. Currently, I compete in Sprint Car racing, which involves incredibly powerful, lightweight cars built for short tracks on dirt. These cars actually carry a power-to-weight ratio similar and sometimes more than that of Formula 1 cars. Read more>>

Tanisha Frazier

My journey into modeling wasn’t something I initially saw for myself. Growing up, I didn’t see many plus-size, African American women being celebrated in the fashion industry, so I didn’t think modeling was an option for me. But deep down, I always had a love for fashion, creativity, and self-expression. One day, I decided to step in front of the camera, just to see what would happen and that one decision changed everything. Read more>>

Tamara Turkai

This past year has been nothing short of transformational, and the year ahead promises even more growth. Up until November 2023, my life looked picture-perfect from the outside—solid relationship, financial security, and the polished image of happiness. But the truth? I was surviving, not thriving. Read more>>

Takira Victorin

My journey into counseling began in high school when I became a peer mediator as a sophomore. This role introduced me to the transformative potential of conflict resolution and the power of empathetic communication. Through that experience, I honed valuable skills in problem-solving, decision-making, and active listening, all of which laid the foundation for my passion in therapy. It was through helping others navigate difficult conversations that I realized how fulfilling it is to be part of someone’s journey toward resolution, healing, and growth. Read more>> 

TETSUYA FUKAZAWA

The moment I realized that I could make people happy with my illustrations was when a friend was delighted by the drawing I had made on their favorite cassette tape. That was when I first became aware of the idea of becoming an illustrator. Read more>>

Tanja Jeftenic

Tanja Jeftenic’s journey is a testament to her entrepreneurial spirit, creative vision, and unwavering dedication to the art of hospitality. Armed with a degree in marketing, Tanja embarked on a path that would lead her from the world of marketing to the vibrant realm of hospitality. Read more>>

Stanislav Moshkivskyi (Stasser)

My path in the world of 3D art began with what seemed like a simple decision—the purchase of a graphic tablet. Yet, in retrospect, that moment was pivotal. It was the instant I chose to pursue my passion and shape my artistic vision in my own way. Initially, my goal was to become a digital 2D artist, perhaps a concept artist, crafting imaginative worlds and characters. But fate had other plans—I discovered 3D, and everything changed. Read more>>

Tanya Lashley

I started my journey in advertising sales, spending many years as an advertising executive. I thrived in the industry, consistently ranking as a top performer, and I loved the impact I could make. I helped businesses grow from a single location to as many as 25, which was incredibly fulfilling. But deep down, I also had a passion for film and a deep love for my community. I knew there had to be a way to bring these three elements together—advertising, film, and community. Read more>>

Suani Meneghetti

I’m Suani Meneghetti, a jewelry designer, and I’m very happy to be able to share a little bit of my story with you.
I’m from a small town in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul, which is in the South of Brazil. My story begins when I was very little. I started playing at home with my mother’s necklaces. I would just touch and feel the stones, pearls, and chains with my hands. I didn’t even know it, but I was fascinated by all those materials. I really liked fashion and architecture magazines. Read more>>

Old Man Liver

I moved from Louisiana to Los Angeles years ago to do music and business. I spent 20 years in Los Angeles, starting my band, Earlydawn, which I still play guitar in to this day. I also started Venice, CA-based good luck charm retail company, Venice Voodoo, which I still have as well – although it’s now called Vegas Voodoo. Somewhere in there, I started a medical agency, called Platinum Healthcare Staffing, which I sold in 2010, and got into the record industry with a couple friends. When I moved to Las Vegas, about 11 years ago, I started more businesses including a real estate business, a septic & concrete business and a live entertainment company. Read more>>

Susan Aquila

I started out as a classically trained violinist. I spent years making a name for myself in the free lance world. I gradually got opportunities to work for celebrities as a sideman soloist. I was able to add more and more skills to my tool chest breaking out in to Rock, Blues, Jazz, and learning to improvise. I finally wanted my own voice so I went out on my own. Writing, producing and performing, I put out several albums and am touring the world in concert .Here is my bio: Read more>>

Sydney Roa

My entrepreneurial journey began in 2022. I was introduced to digital marketing through a mentorship program at my university. I worked with my mentor to maintain social media accounts for a small management software business. At first, I expected it to be simple as I was tasked to create content. However, there was no growth and I lacked experience in brand awareness and account engagement. It slowly became tedious. I took a break from digital marketing to focus on my school and career pursuit. A couple years later, I decided that I want to pursue a degree in communications. As I learnt new techniques within my communication classes, I decided to take digital marketing seriously. Read more>>

Thomas Angenbroich

The idea of Nostalgia was born over a decade ago, as just a dream. 2 1/2 years ago, it became a reality. A bar/experience dedicated specifically to the greatest decade in history, the 90’s. Me and one of my partners used to work at this local music venue and we used to come up with plans & ideas & how to implement it if it ever became a reality. Read more>>

Tevy Khou

Much of my work is informed by my hometown Long Beach, CA and the general Los Angeles area. In high school I would go to punk shows, take the metro to Hollywood and just bum around the streets chain smoking cigarettes and getting into all kinds of shit. You could never catch me out of a leather jacket. I’m still the same, but I don’t smoke anymore. I sketched a lot ever since I was little, and gravitated toward more outsider art like graffiti, inky sketches, and tattoos. In high school I became more serious about pursing an art career and eventually graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. After college I did freelance illustrations and had design jobs along the way. Read more>>

Kasper Park

I started making music in high school. I had a passion for poetry before. I found interest in the meaning behind words. Back in high school, I had to take a train across the city to get to and from. To pass the time, I would often just listen to music and relax. More times than not; the music I was listening to would pump me up or cool me down. I grew curious in what it would be like to make my own. Luckily, there was a producer in my grade wh allowed me to experiment, from there I just kept making music! Read more>>

Ailise Beales

I grew up in England and knew I wanted to be an actor before I even started school- I just loved stories. I used to drag a dining chair into the living room and use it as a pedestal to perform for my (very patient) parents. My Dad had been an actor in his early twenties, so I was never told it was an unattainable dream, only that I’d have to be willing to work hard for it, develop a thick skin, and believe in myself enough to drown out anyone who didn’t. And hey, that’s only three things. Read more>>

Abigail Goodin

From before I can remember, I had always had a keen interest in storytelling. I was the kid who created imaginary worlds for myself for hours with my dolls, I was a total theater kid, I’ve always loved writing. Child me of course could’ve never expected my love of storytelling to be able to intersect with design, business administration and social research. Working in the entertainment industry first-hand throughout my childhood as an Opera Singer and Musical Theater Performer, I began to notice feedback loops in the poorly designed systems that were unnecessarily disenfranchising artists and creating ruinous power struggles between production executives and artists. I wanted to be a part of ending this cycle by implementing systems design strategies to equally benefit both artists and executives. Read more>>

Anthony Piccione

I was diagnosed with autism when I was 18 months old. The doctors at the time predicted I would never talk or live independently. I like to think everyone knows now that not all autistic people require that much support, but in the early 90s, it was hard to imagine a young child growing up to be a playwright, screenwriter & theatre producer living in New York City as an adult Read more>>

Arohi Sawant

My journey as a creative really took off when my friends gifted me an iPad, reigniting my childhood passion for drawing. That simple gift opened up a world of possibilities—shortly after, I landed my first commissions for a portrait and a wedding card. It was the spark that led me into digital illustration, and I haven’t looked back since. Read more>>

Alyse Gamson

I had the opportunity to share my journey in my recent Bold Journey interview, where I talked about my transition from the accounting and corporate world to becoming an artist and the founding of ARO + STAR. Rather than retelling that story, I’d love to expand on what drives me today. Read more>>

Zachariah Crooks

Absolutely! My journey into the world of mental health and healing started long before I became a professional counselor. From a young age, I found myself naturally drawn to listening, supporting, and holding space for others. It wasn’t just a skill—it felt like part of my soul’s purpose. Read more>>

Zaey De La Sol

What started out as a hobby in 2018 turned into a passion and quickly became a every day part of my life when i was finishing my last year in high school from that point on I’ve been creating music putting together one a timeless discography of music for people to listen to and enjoy. Read more>>

Alaska Gaxiola

I always was someone who was curious, and asked themselves the same question everyone does — whether consciously, or unconsciously, “What is my purpose?”. I always knew I wanted to be a Boss. But how? of what? How was I going to get there if I didn’t even know what career path was ahead of me. I took some years to live life without the social pressure of going right into college after high school. One day, I was fed up, I finally listened to that little voice in the back of my head, and I enrolled in Beauty school. Beauty school was exciting, it was rewarding, it reassured me a hair design license can open doors to other opportunities. Read more>>

Tripp Aquadro

Feel free to go through and edit as you need. The story of our beginning and launch is actually pretty awesome, and it’s super hard to cram everything into a few paragraphs, so I’ll give you the highlights. Read more>>

Excel Ansong

The Grace Vision was born from a deep desire to bring people’s creative visions to life. My journey began as a small business owner for We Are Crown’d, where I learned the ins and outs of building a brand from scratch. Along the way, I realized how much I loved helping others succeed—whether that meant guiding them on brand strategy, helping them design a cohesive identity, or simply sharing tips to make the overwhelming world of business feel a little easier. Read more>>

Paul Zeidman

I’ve been a writer as long as I can remember. Writing and coming up with stories has always been a part of my life.

My love of writing and love of movies seemed like the perfect combination, so being a screenwriter made perfect sense.

I didn’t go to film school, and I’ve never taken a screenwriting class. Everything I learned about screenwriting came from reading scripts, watching movies, and writing. Read more>>

One Mic

My story begins in the south east section of The Bronx, NY. Castle Hill to be exact. Or as I like to call it, Castle hell. Which is exactly what it was at times, but I wouldn’t rather be from anywhere else on earth. My start to this journey was not what I initially had planned. After failing to make the football team my senior year of high school I was pretty much lost. And like many others who find themselves lost in this environment, I turned to the streets. Doing whatever I could to make a few dollars no matter the risk. With no direction and no purpose, however, I always knew that I had a calling. Read more>>

Randall Holloway

My journey began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where a deep passion for singing and acting took root in me from a young age. Growing up I was surrounded by the arts, my parents frequently introduced my siblings and me to a variety of plays, musicals, and symphonies, igniting an early spark that propelled me to perform in community theater and with professional companies in the city. After high school, I took a significant step by enrolling at Howard University’s Division of Fine Arts, which provided a solid foundation for my career. Following my studies, I took a leap of faith and moved to New York City to pursue my dreams in the industry. Read more>>

Racquel Ambersley

From a young age, I had a clear passion for teaching, but I initially faced significant academic challenges. However, giving my life to the Lord transformed my perspective. I began to pray about everything, and my hope blossomed as I embraced the truth that I could achieve all things through Christ. This newfound faith propelled me through high school and university, where I excelled academically. Read more>>

Rex Lee

I’ve been tangled up in the world of theater for quite some time—not always by design, but perhaps by fate. I wouldn’t call myself a “theater kid,” though I suspect others would happily pin the title to my chest. The idea of becoming an actor and theatermaker took root in me the way a seed settles into the earth—quietly, persistently. I remember sitting in the audience of my high school’s theater production as a wide-eyed middle schooler, watching the stage glow like some sacred space, the actors dancing with no care in the world (or so I thought). I thought to myself, “I could do that.” And as the years unfurled, I did. Read more>>

Rikki Van Brackle

My life has been a plot twist wrapped in a revolution, dipped in divine intervention. Once upon a time, I wore an NYPD badge for 17 years, 2 months, and 25 days. My last role was the Intimate Partner Violence Officer—doing my best to hold space for survivors in a system not built for softness or healing. Then came my unexpected retirement, courtesy of an on-duty injury. One minute, I was in the fight, the next – Spirit was throwing me a cosmic curveball. Read more>>

Rick Warner

Well my life has been definitely quite the journey. My position both as an Executive Director and founder for ERC- Extraterrestrial Research Center and my other position as Lead Investigator and Director of Client Relations for Phantom Detectives Paranormal Research Center among other titles all started out with my first experience as a child seeing what appeared to be as what is called a UFO but more commonly known now as UAP-Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon. I was with my mother and her friend at the time when I saw the flying object that quickly moved fast across the sky at lightening speed but then I realize that it move way to quickly to be a made made craft and there wasn’t any heat source what so ever. I didn’t tell kids at school at the time in fear of being ridiculed. Read more>>

Rashid Matthews-Hall
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I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I grew up in a two parent household and i was raised by both parents who were immigrants from Jamaica, West Indies. I’ve always tried my best in school even though many people considered me to be highly intelligent, I’ve always had my weak areas that I continue to work on to this very day. When I was in elementary school I was in a special program for gifted children called the “torch” program. My mom also enrolled me in Karate classes, Swimming classes and Baseball. She was always concerned about my development. I wound up being enrolled in private school from my middle school years all the way through my university days. Read more>>

Rachel Gardner

I am a musician, a record store owner, and a passionate supporter for the arts and nature. I have a degree in Botany and yet I’m terrible at keeping house plants. I love performing music on stage and yet have stage fright. I am an extrovert who loves people and yet I struggle with social anxiety. A constant contradiction and yet I have clarity on my path and what I can offer my community. Read more>> 

Valisca Joseph

It’s my pleasure to walk down memory lane about where it all started for me. Long story short, I was tired of having to be at work so early, and being a single mom and not able to have enough time to prep breakfast for myself, it was hard to focus in the morning on a empty stomach. I decided that I wanted to be that person who was able to offer breakfast to those who aren’t able to get it done themselves. Read more>>

René Bagwandeen

My journey into graphic design started unexpectedly with a simple project—I created a custom chip bag for my aunt. At the time, I had no idea that small moment would spark a passion that would grow into my business, RenéGraphicsStudio. Intrigued by design, I started watching YouTube tutorials, experimenting, and practicing whenever I could. What started as a fun hobby quickly turned into something more when people began reaching out for custom designs. Read more>>

Amy Thurman

My story didn’t begin with a grand vision or a five-year plan. It began with a fall. A simple accident that, unbeknownst to me, broke my neck and changed the entire course of my life. For six months, doctors missed the diagnosis. And for the next ten years, I lived with a broken neck, unknowingly carrying damage that would cascade into a storm of medical chaos: a sheared brainstem, traumatic brain injury, autoimmune disorders, fatigue and pain so intense I could barely lift my head. At my worst, I was confined to a wheelchair, unable to take myself to the restroom, unable to care for my family, and unable to recognize the woman in the mirror. Read more>>