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.

Zuzana Rogers

Building a high‑performing team Runners’ Edge Alaska is a niche sports physical therapy clinic dedicated to Alaska’s active community, from everyday movers to Olympic and elite athletes. I opened the clinic in 2019 as a solo practitioner because I saw a growing gap in access to high‑quality, sports‑specific, goal‑oriented physical therapy in Anchorage. Read More>>

Mairead Buschtetz

I had been trying to get into the wholesale business for seven or eight years. I always presented our food to fellow restaurateurs, and I always had successful meetings. However, I never managed to sign up a customer. Read More>>

Sarah Snyder

As an LCSW in Hawaii, I was taught that “best practices” in counseling include treating every client from a strengths-based, person-centered approach. This essentially means that it’s our kuleana (responsibility) to highlight our clients’ internal resilience rather than focus on their deficits and meet our clients where they are rather than from where we want them to be. Read More>>

Charles Almonte

I started my journey with a firm. I was born and raised in the Philippines. My first job was working for a small architectural firm in Manila right out of college. I worked there for a couple of years. After passing the exams and getting registered as an architect, I decided to go to grad school. Read More>>

Shashank Shekhar

When I started my career, I made a choice to join a firm first. It wasn’t because I lacked ambition. I had actually tried entrepreneurship during college days but it didn’t work out. That failure taught me something important – I need a stronger foundation before I could build anything that lasts. So I preferred to a firm. Read More>>

CJ Haynes

Signing with an agent is one of the biggest hurdles in this industry; it takes time, resources, and the right person to believe in you. What makes my journey special is that it began with prayer. I’ve always loved the arts and the power they have to inspire, and my first speaking role was in a film called *Empty Nets*. Read More>>

Christian Lozan

The mission really comes from something personal. Over the years, through the work I’ve done with businesses, technology, and media, I started realizing that many of the most important things happening around us simply go unnoticed. There are people and organizations doing incredible work, but their stories are rarely told in a way that reaches a wider audience. Read More>>