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.

Maycon Pimentella

I’ve always loved music and creating things, but I didn’t take it seriously until later. I moved to the U.S. in 2019, and in 2023, I finally released my first song, **“All Your Fault.”** It was a personal song, almost like an unsent letter to an ex, and that was the moment I realized I wanted to really pursue music. Read  more>>

Lyra

I have always loved imagining. My mother bought me a lot of wonderful picture books. My favorites were One Thousand and One Nights, Brothers Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and Chinese folklore and mythologies. I read these books over and over, made up stories, and acted them out with my toys. I remember that somehow a sushi roller mat came into my possession, so I used it as a bamboo boat for my protagonist to travel on as she escaped the chase from a monster. I started drawing little comics as soon as I learned how to write. The joy of creating a world that can be anything, with its own rules and infinite possibilities – has been simply intoxicating. Read  more>>

Fatemeh Fani

I immigrated to the U.S. right after the Women, Life, Freedom movement started following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who was killed by the morality police for not wearing the “proper” hijab. Mahsa wasn’t the first and only victim of this violence since this has been happening every single day. Since I’ve arrived in the U.S., my studio practice has been dedicated to raising awareness of these horrific events, as the people in Iran are denied the media platforms needed to have their voices to be heard. More than half of the news from my country is either censored by the regime or silenced by foreign media. I have chosen to create art and speak about my personal trauma, which is part of a collective trauma, because in my own country, I never had the freedom to express my feelings or protest. Read  more>>

Debbie Zolan And Jacquelynn Rossiter

Debbie Zolan – I started my career in advertising and PR right out of college, working my way up from an assistant to VP, Director of Client Services at a European branding firm. After five years there—and right after getting married—I realized I was working so hard for others when I really wanted to build something of my own. So, I took the leap and launched my own marketing consultancy. Helping other brands grow was incredibly rewarding, but I wanted to take everything I had learned and create something of my own. That’s when I started Cherry Tee, an online-only t-shirt business at cherrytee.com. Read  more>>

Brittany Hall

I was raised in Seaford, Delaware. The first state of America. People usually know us because of our limited number of beaches, since we are also the smallest state. However, this state is what has grown me into the person that I am today, with the help of 2 great loving parents, Toni and Mike who have taught me the ways of life and how to be a good person to everyone that I am around, but also the importance of Work ethic and having a drive. My father is a 5-time world Champion in powerlifting, so as a little girl, I was always taught how to become the best or to be the best in everything that I’ve ever wanted. His drive is what has taught me to understand the true meaning of “faith” and what it means and how to carry that spiritual mentality wherever I step I take. Read  more>>

Her Eminence Archbishop Dr. Eloisa

My journey began in the United States Air Force, where I served as a Chief Master Sergeant during the Vietnam War. Those years were formative for me; not only did I have the privilege of flying planes, but I also learned invaluable lessons about leadership, resilience, and the importance of service to others. Read  more>>

Lucky Agbontaen

Basically, before I successfully got to the stage I am in art, I had challenges that could have made me given up in my dreams,feel relunctant in the pursuit and even feel depressed., but I was and am my only motivation, I know I owed it to my conscience and my destiny,plus, the encouragement I got from my mum and from some of my friends made my fired up my relentlessness. Read  more>>

Del Kary

I started filmmaking back in 1996 with my first feature, titled ‘Video Psycho’. After taking a long break from filming movies due to my mother developing dementia and becoming her caregiver, I re-entered the entertainment field once again in 2021. ‘Video Psycho’ was re-released on Blu-ray, DVD and streaming for the first time in 25 years and I completed my next film, ‘Cheater, Cheater’, which had a theatrical premiere in September of 2024 and is now out on DVD and streaming services nationwide. Read  more>>

Brandon Mullen

My journey in healthcare spans over two decades, beginning with my roots as a Registered Nurse, where I gained valuable experience in ICU, Med/Surg, and outpatient environments. My early career was marked by hands-on patient care, particularly in the abdominal transplant space, where I developed a deep understanding of complex healthcare delivery systems. Read  more>>

Cari Byers

For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a professional dancer.
I started dance class at 3 years old and from that point on that is all I ever dreamed of as a career.
I danced in local companies in Albuquerque, NM in high school. I then continued my education as a Dance Major at ASU.
After graduating I worked in a show in Japan, after returning to the US I auditioned for a Showgirl spot in The Folies Bergere. Read  more>>

TheZachMichael

I started my journey as a music producer when I was just a kid who was always online. I spent a lot of time exploring different corners of the internet, and one day I stumbled upon FL Studio. From the moment I opened it, I was instantly hooked. It felt like a video game, and I could get lost in the sound for hours, experimenting, learning, and creating. It was my escape, my way of expressing myself and exploring the world of music in my own way. Read  more>>

Anna Peck

I started wreath making as a hobby when I was healing from ankle reconstruction surgery, I needed an outlet that kept me busy but also could do while sitting with my ankle propped up. After I was pretty well healed from surgery and I was walking again with help of a surgical boot I had to wear, I learned that I really enjoyed the wreath making and continued. After a few months I had friends and family asking me to make them wreaths for the upcoming holidays. After some time I had a good friend that was hosting an online vendor event type thing and asked if I wanted to take part with my wreaths and I was like sure! Why Not?? So I came up with a name and it was not Created Haven at this time. Read  more>>

Vasjan Zisi

Vasjan started his club career in highschool. He was the president of his school and used to throw events with the teachers. After graduation, he started selling tickets for big clubs in Albania such as cinco cavalli, magic, lollipop and more. In 2018 Vasjan moved to Boston where he continued his club promoter career and making more connections. In 2020 he also dropped his first music video with over 3m streams currently. He was nominated for a Grammy for his role as an artist and songwriter in “The Fury” in album in the contemporary blues category by Antonio Vergara. Read  more>>

Michelle Lam

I started Bklynite Media in 2019, but my journey in public relations started long before that. Growing up in New York City as the daughter of immigrants from Guangdong, China, I spent a lot of time helping my family navigate language barriers—translating English into Cantonese and making sure they understood everything from business documents to everyday conversations. Looking back, that’s where my love for communication and storytelling really began. Read  more>>

Samantha Simmons

I’m Samantha Simmons, co-founder of Dream Forge and founder of S\&S Services, two ventures close to my heart that focus on empowering women to achieve their dreams. My journey into entrepreneurship began out of necessity and resilience. When my husband became permanently disabled, I went from being a stay-at-home mom to navigating the complexities of being a caregiver, breadwinner, and planner for my family. It was overwhelming at first, but my faith, determination, and the support of my community became my compass through it all. Read  more>>

Ang Richard

There’s been a lot packed in to just a few years. It was only four years ago that I graduated college and set out on my greatest adventure yet—navigating the world of work and pursing my entrepreneurial goals.

In those four years, I’ve had two different full-time jobs, completed one advanced degree, enrolled in another advanced degree, launched my LLC, pursued content creation, and moved to a new city. Now, I’m comfortably situated in Boston where I work in career services part time, pursue my Ph.D. full time, and work on growing my brand and business during the moments in between. Read  more>>

Anisha Jain

I was six years old when I told my dad, “I want to go to America! I want to go to Disney World in Orlando!.” In my head, America was where girls had double lives as pop stars, Disney World was a real place, and dreams came true. Most parents might have laughed it off. But my dad? He took it seriously. Read  more>>

Zahra Premji

Like so many moms, I was juggling work, family, and endless to-do lists, always feeling like there wasn’t enough time and that I had to do it all myself. I was working full-time, running a small business, raising three kids, and my husband traveled weekly for work. On top of that, I was navigating perimenopause, which brought a whole new set of challenges. I was stretched so thin—constantly stressed, exhausted, and always feeling like I was falling behind. I wasn’t sleeping well, my health took a backseat, and I felt resentful, angry, and unappreciated. Read  more>>

Trang Hoang

I began my journey as an art student at Seattle Central College in 2019, where I first experimented with oil painting. I instantly fell in love with this medium and decided to make it a tool to focus of my work. After moving to New York to study illustration, I immersed myself in various forms of art through galleries, museums, and interactions with others on similar paths. Stepping out of my comfort zone, as I do now, was something I never thought I could achieve before. However, having faith in myself and continuously creating more art, training, and learning has significantly boosted my self-belief. Read  more>>

Franceta Lopez

In 2015, I experienced one of the most devastating moments of my life—the stillbirth of my daughter, Gabrielle. That loss left me broken, questioning everything, the pain was so severe i wanted die. I walk to cross road waiting for car are bus to end my suffering when  three young women approached me told me they were on outreach and asked if they could pray with me.. that day i gave up on myself but God didn’t give up on me. He sent three young lady to remind me I have a purpose. I started encouraging moms who were going through similar struggles.  Writing poems and encouraging posts. Read  more>>

Raquel Arnette

Hi, I’m Raquel Arnette, the founder of RA ImageZ. My journey began as a passionate hobbyist with a camera in hand, capturing everyday moments that told their own unique stories. Over time, what started as a simple curiosity evolved into a deep love for photography and storytelling. Read  more>>

Ella Grace

I was drawn to music from a very young age, banging on pots and pans and making up songs as a toddler. Blessed with supportive parents, I cycled through private piano, guitar, and drumset lessons in elementary school and played drumset and bass in my middle school jazz band before trying the trumpet and instantly falling in love. It came easily to me and as my passion for jazz music simultaneously developed, musical studies quickly became my primary focus. I started studying with Steve Strand, Prince’s longtime lead trumpet player and joined the top band, orchestra, jazz band, and pep band at my high school. I auditioned into several state-wide honors ensembles and formed my own quartet to begin gigging professionally. Read  more>>

Melody Ybarra

My story is an unexpected journey with twists, and turns on my path. Describing this, may take me a minute!
Professional goals when I was starting out in my adult life included studying in college to become a Police officer. (It never happened). I did get myself on a hiring list for Pierce County Sheriff’s department in Lakewood, WA. There was a hiring freeze due to some internal issues within the department, and I was not hired. Later that year I did welcome my first child into my life. I changed my focus to a less dangerous career and became an interior designer.  Read  more>>

Tiffany Hayes

My passion for travel and cultural immersion sparked the idea of creating my company. I wanted to offer others the same enriching experiences that have profoundly impacted my life. Over time, this vision expanded to include not only immersive cultural adventures but also engaging, educational experiences. These experiences tackle common challenges people face and connect them with experts who can help them find solutions. My goal is to provide opportunities for personal growth and transformation through meaningful and enjoyable journeys. Read  more>>

John Parra

I grew up in Southern California, where I began drawing at a very young age. My father, an amateur artist, was one of my earliest influences and mentors. He would captivate my brothers and me with stories while sketching, nurturing my love for art. My mother, an educator with a passion for books and art, also played a significant role in shaping my creative journey. She often took us to libraries and museums, fostering my curiosity and appreciation for culture. Read  more>>

Paul Williams

Since I was very young, I’ve always been intrigued with how the mind works, and human consciousness. There were certain aspects of human behavior and it’s relationship to spirituality that I always had so many questions about, and I really struggled to find answers that resonated with me. In college I studied world religions, and that led me to explore so many of them along with psychology, and eventually the history of spiritual systems from all over the world. It was something that I became deeply passionate about, and I’ve been independently studying them for almost 20 years now. Read  more>>

Kayla Engeman

At the risk of being pretentious I’m going to start at the very beginning. From the earliest I can remember I would wake up every day to a freshly laundered Dorothy costume hanging on my bedroom doorknob and I would put it on and turn on The Wizard of Oz on the TV. I would then mirror all of Judy Garland’s blocking, performing the entire film in front of the screen. At some point my mom told me I could go to a summer camp where I could audition to play Dorothy on a real stage. Read  more>>

Jaya Mallik

My path into consulting and coaching wasn’t a straight line, but in hindsight, it all makes perfect sense.

I spent years as a DEI leader at Amazon, Meta, and Tandem Diabetes Care, where I had the privilege of mentoring and coaching underrepresented professionals as they navigated complex workplaces. While I loved the work, I also saw how often people—especially women of color—were left without the support, advocacy, and leadership development they deserved. Read  more>>

Tony A

Imagine a single question: a fleeting moment, altering the course of your life forever. That’s how The Pharaoh came to life. A name whispered into creation during a summer evening. A name that would slowly reverberate across countries all over the world. From that spark, a journey began – a whirlwind of encounters with titans like DJ K-Yung and Troy Taylor. Each a key moment, each a catalyst. Every handshake, every late-night editing session fueled a relentless pursuit. I kept pushing the boundaries of what I could do while trying to form some type of global connection. Read  more>>

Raney Antoine Jr.

Music has been part of my life since I was 7 years old. I’ve played drums and piano live, improvised on my old Yamaha keyboard with the built-in speakers in my childhood bedroom and learned songs I loved on the radio by ear. Between drum and piano lessons, church, concert and marching band in school, my foundation has been firmly built. I then sought to learn what to do with the skillset I’d built. Making records and producing recording artists was the goal once I saw Jermaine Dupri and Bryan Michael-Cox on TV doing it. Under their names, it said “Producer.” That’s when the dream was really solidified. Read  more>>

Anya Zhang

My name is Anya Zhang. I am a non-binary artist based in the tri-state area. My artistry includes performance, modeling, visual arts, and literacy. In all, I love all kinds of art, and I want to explore every possibility. I mainly work as an actor, both on stage and on camera. I’m also endevor to create my own projects by writing original scripts, design for my own project, and eventually to perform for my project. When it comes to my work, I would like to participate in every stage possible to maintain its originality, and to show the world my vision. I like to creat, and I like the spotlight. In this year, I would like to be more actively participate in the art world, and I would like to make become more professional in the industry. Read  more>>

Maria Roberts

My journey started in childhood, first with dance at 7 years old and then singing at 10, which led me to join a girls’ group and step into the world of performing arts. Over time, I expanded into acting and filmmaking, which gave me a deeper understanding of storytelling and creative expression.  Read  more>>

John Jiang

Hi everyone, my name is John Jiang and I’m from Xinjiang China. I recently graduated from American Academy of Dramatic Arts’ company program, and I am expressly lucky to say that I am also casted in an original off-broadway show that goes up at the end of April in the Flea Theater. Read  more>>

Veronica Cianfrano

It’s hard to know where to start. Professionally, I got started after graduate school. At the time, I didn’t think of it as a profession though. I was putting on pop-up exhibitions throughout Philly with Jessie Clark, who co-founded CHER with me. We just kind of threw ourselves into it and learned by doing. Around that same time, I began teaching at various universities which worked out to be pretty symbiotic with the gallery because the students would key me in to things that I hadn’t thought of and that would present itself in my curatorial practice. Read  more>>

Haley

My name is Haley Knaub—soon to be Haley Sterling—and I was born and raised in Portland, Maine. Wellness has always played a big role in my life. I was an active kid, training in sports throughout childhood and into college, which instilled a strong work ethic early on. Read  more>>

Jalene E. Murphy

Hi! I am Jalene E. Murphy. I am the author of Modern Day Courage.

I grew up in a sheltered household with my Catholic parents and 5 siblings on the Prairies of Canada. My Dad was a teacher and my Mom was a professional league stay-at-home parent. I grew up in a Catholic household; attended Catholic school, and attended church each Sunday. I married my very loving husband at 24 years old in the Catholic church. Through our marriage journey, I left the Catholic church and became more comfortable in my body and my curiosity about sex grew. Read  more>>

Fernanda Bertrand

My story begins in 1986 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where I spent my childhood in a small one-bedroom apartment. Though my world was physically confined, my mind was always reaching beyond it, filled with questions about life, purpose, and what else was out there waiting for me. Read  more>>

Meghan Wolfgram

If you had told me years ago that I’d be running a pet enrichment company, I may not have believed you! SwiftPaws wasn’t something I set out to create—it all started with a simple problem I was trying to solve for my own dog, Pretzel.

Back in 2011, I discovered the sport of lure coursing, and I knew Pretzel would absolutely love it. But there was one big problem—the equipment was expensive and nearly impossible to get. So, with my dad’s help, I built a homemade machine just for him. Read  more>>

Hannah Claire

I have been creating art for a long as I can remember but what I would consider the first spark of my passion for art would be school project when I was 10. We had been given an assignment in class where were assigned an historic individual which we were to create a small presentation to show in class. I was assigned George Washington Carver. Knowing most kids were just going to write a few paragraphs to read a loud. I of course had to be different so I decided to draw a portrait of George Washington Carver to go along with my presentation. That was the first freehand drawing I had took any pride in. Through the years my grandma would encourage and help flame my passion for art. Read  more>>

Allison Ivy

I grew up knowing I wanted to be a published author one day, and my journey really started after college. I joined a writing group, and they helped me polish my first book – The Dragon and the Double-Edged Sword. After that, I went into retail and customer service jobs just to pay the bills, but they didn’t feed my creative soul. I switched gears to working from home, which required a lot of multitasking. I had to edit, ghostwrite, produce podcasts, write grants, and learn many other skills on the fly, I soon found myself writing and publishing my second book – Inked in Blood and Memory. The audiobook will be out in March. Read  more>>

Lina Hagstrom

Originally from Finland, I moved to New York City to pursue a Master’s in Film and Media at The New School. Before founding my own production company, I spent a decade in branding and marketing—most recently as a brand marketing executive at a leading AI company, where I helped some of the world’s biggest brands elevate their digital marketing and creative production. Read  more>>

Jessica “Cha Cha” Tanselle

My journey into spirituality really began in 2009 when I received my first Mediumship message. I was taking a shower when a deceased loved one talked to me and asked me to deliver a message to my mom. The timing of the message was about 8 months prior to her passing. In 2016, I started studying with wonderful mentors in Louisville, KY; Lily Dale, NY; and at Arthur Findlay College of Psychic Sciences in England to understand and develop my gifts as a psychic, medium, and healer. I began my own business offering spiritual guidance to many across the world. Read  more>>

Paulette Perhach

I started by telling my best friends at the bus stop when I was 10 that I wanted to be a writer.
“Do you have any idea how hard that is?” said my best friend.
I did not.

I did the tiny journal to middle and high school yearbook to journalism degree path. Then I interned at Health and Coastal Living, worked at a newspaper in St. Augustine, FL for three years, then did Peace Corps. While in South America, I realized I wanted to be a more creative writer than I had been.. Read  more>>

Reuben Walton

My journey has been anything but linear—full of hard-fought battles, unexpected twists, and resilience through trauma, financial struggles, and mental health challenges. I’ve bounced between LA and Massachusetts, growing up in suburban poverty while navigating life on the spectrum. My approach to opportunities has always been a mix of randomness and intention, following my instincts and my passion for music wherever they led me. Read  more>>

Brandon Bal-Lance

From a young age, beauty was my obsession. I spent hours styling Barbie dolls, playing with hair, and experimenting with makeup, completely immersed in the art of transformation. My mom never held me back—she encouraged my creativity, letting me explore every avenue of self-expression. While some saw it as just play, I saw it as a glimpse into my future. Read  more>>

Dtrap_

Hi, im Deep Chakraborty, known professionally as dtrap_ & on social media it’s @1dtrap_

I’m a 26 year old music producer and sample maker from Kolkata, (West Bengal), India. My musical journey has been nothing short of a beautiful adventure. It all started when I was around 5 or 7 probably, learning Indian classical music. Read  more>>

Becca Locke

There was a time in my life when it felt like everything was unraveling, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get ahead. I had my first son and was pregnant with my second, a marriage that was going through its own struggles, and the weight of the world on my shoulders. It felt like life was happening to me, not for me. My husband at the time had just discovered a secret family in Texas—family members he never knew existed, and it hit him like a ton of bricks. We were named in a frivolous lawsuit, an amount so large that it felt like we’d never be able to recover. On top of that, my sister-in-law was going through a mental crisis that was tearing apart our family dynamics. Read  more>>

Lorenzo Leyva

So, I started my professional video career as an unpaid intern at two different editing houses in Chicago. One was for a non-profit called Kindling Group which made small, personal documentary features about all kinds of social causes. And the other was The Colonie, which was a commercial editing post-house, that were editing commercials for Wal-Mart, Toyota, McDonalds. Because of these two internships, I got to learn how to do it professionally when you’re making actual documentary features and how it all works and is organized, and then I got to how professional commercial editing works. Read  more>>

Danielle Munday

A positive mindset is probably one of the most important factors, when building a career. We’re growing up listening to our parents and grandparents telling us, “you can do anything you put your mind to.” It’s super annoying to hear repeatedly, while also being very true. Read  more>>

Noelia Sevillano

Since elementary school I loved art and creativity a lot, it’s something always have been with me. When I reached highschool I realized that I wanted not only to be better and learn more about illustration, I wanted to be a professional. Of course that wasn’t an easy path, I had (and I still have) a lot of work to do, so I started going to an art school. Read  more>>

EVERGIB Rachel Scott Everett & Brian Gibson

EVERGIB began as an experiment in creative freedom. After spending over a decade at ad agencies, we wanted to pursue a different way to live and work – one that provided more flexibility, fulfillment, and inspiration. Read  more>>

Matthew Corozine

Created Matthew Corozine Acting Studio & Theatre 25 years ago in NYC. Helping actors “get outta their head”, using the transformational Meisner Technique, students are currently on Broadewy, TV, Film and creating a meaningful life as creative artists. Authored the book “if you survived 7th grade, you can be an Actor—applying the Meisner Technique to get outta your head in Acting and in life”. Expanded studio to sold out classes in DC, LA. Currently teaching in Miami, on line and New York City. Read  more>>

Muiz Jimoh

I began my journey in music around 2020, initially experimenting with different sounds and styles. By 2022, I had developed a clearer artistic vision and released singles like “Amnesia” and “Summer Vibes,” which helped me gain traction and connect with a growing audience. Read  more>>