Our stories are often hard to understand until folks understand our true motivations, our true drivers and the stories behind why our mission or purpose truly matters to us.  We’ve asked some inspiring folks from the community to talk to us about why they do what they do and have shared some of our favorite responses below.

Nathan Martin

I started Go Forth Goods to bring back high quality American made goods. I had a duffle bag break on me while packing up for a family vacation and when I couldn’t find what I was looking for in a replacement bag, I decided to make my own. I set out to make leather goods, the way products used to be made, 100 years ago. Ones that stood the test of time and you could pass down to the next generation. I also wanted to build a brand based upon giving back, as that is a personal passion of mine, that I feel is a key to a happy life. I hope that through Go Forth Goods I can inspire others to Go Forth and Do Good. Read more>>

Maria Elena Headpieces

The story behind Maria Elena Headpieces is not just the story of a business, but the story of a family. Over a decade ago, Maria Elena created her very first headpiece as a mother’s gift to her daughter Marile to wear on her wedding day. This headpiece was not just an accessory, but was and is a precious family heirloom that would be passed down through the generations of their family. Today, Maria Elena and Marile wish to share this gift with brides everywhere to sell headpieces that were created with the same love and commitment that Maria Elena had when she created Marile’s bridal headpiece. Read more>>

Fernando Alvarez

Our mission is to provide a workplace sanctuary that promotes progress, serves the community, and a better life for its’ families. To treat its co-workers and all those who walk through the door with humility, respect, honesty, and integrity and honor the culture of furniture and, above all, God. Knowing that my brothers and I contribute to the success and happiness of all of our employees and their families is the greatest accomplishment we can achieve. Read more>>

Emily Schroeter & Jake Junda

We were just two kids who dreamt bigger dreams right after college. We each made the bold move to move 1000’s of miles away from our hometowns to become “ski bums” and not pursue the regular path after college (get a degree, get a good-paying job, and work your way up the totem pole, etc). We both felt the mountains calling us. Jake & I later met working at the same restaurant. We’d go skiing/snowboarding on our weekends off together, and when summer hit, we’d go on a camping adventure almost every weekend. Read more>>

Yura Lotonenko

Our mission is to create, shape, and restore the landscape and urban environments for the sustainable continuation of life. With every project, we aim to live in balance with nature, close the cycle of clean water, fresh air, ready to plant soil, and preserve vital resources for future generations to come. WHY? As a global community, we are facing an existential crisis caused by global warming and carbon dioxide emissions, the urban heat island effect, ozone layer depletion, rapid extinction of wildlife species and decreasing of biodiversity, pollution of the world ocean by microplastic and heavy metals, Arctic ice melting, and the projected increase of world water levels. New viruses, bacteria, and diseases threaten human life. Read more>>

Tony Blauer

I was attacked when I was 12 years old, I can still remember the fear I felt. It was 1972. I was able to intuitively improvise my way out of danger and made it home. Shortly thereafter I began studying martial arts. I felt such a strong calling that I told my mom when I was 15 that I was going to develop my own self defense system with the goal to help people learn to manage fear and live safer lives. That even violently ignited my journey into personal safety and self-defense. Now almost 50 years later we run one of the world’s most trusted self-defense and empowerment programs. Read more>>

Cross Rivera

My mission was in front of me but not clear. That is how we start off telling you about Cross Rivera or better known know as Dj Stavros of Global Powerhouse Music Group, lead by Wu-tang Manager Vega Don. 80 Generations was the goal but not the mission. Originally we started off as Christians trying to reach the youth and make a cartoon drawn around faith. But that soon changed and evolved into the story of a musician trying to find his faith again. Having had 2 failed marriages and false crime accusations brought up on him and his wife with a ferocious court proceedings, let’s just say it took lot to be where we are. But what is our mission, you may ask. Read more>>

Jacob Niemeier

I founded Vera Aqua Vera Vita in 2017. Although, it all began during a foreign mission trip in 2011 with a team of students from St. Thomas Aquinas’ Catholic Newman Center at Purdue University to Haiti a year after its devastating 2010 earthquake that opened my eyes to the world’s biggest problems such as poverty, the food crisis, and the global water crisis. This trip combined with my studies at Purdue in Agricultural and Biological Engineering with a focus on water resources, inspired me to respond to a calling from God that started me on the the journey to be more actively involved in the Global Water Crisis which eventually led me to found Vera Aqua Vera Vita. Read more>>

Dalton England

The story behind my mission comes from my passion for team sports. Up until I started my journey as an entrepreneur, I was nothing more than a kid who played baseball. Baseball taught me resilience, discipline, accountability, respect, and so much more. Through my coaches, teammates, and the game itself, baseball helped me develop many of the skills I possess today. However, I didn’t realize the most important aspect of the game until I made it to the college level–team chemistry. I played my first two years of college baseball at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona as a walk-on following a 2-year break after high school when I essentially “quit” playing until I decided I didn’t want to go the rest of my life thinking “what if I kept playing?” Read more>>

Toni O’Dell and Julie Terrazas

The mission of Bloom Handmade Market is to provide an experience for our fellow small businesses that they can look back on and appreciate. We want our small businesses that join us to know that they have our 100% support and we’ll work diligently to make our event a success for them. We also want them to know that we see them, the person behind the business. As small business owners ourselves, we know the time, energy, and heart that goes into being successful. On the flip side, we want our guests that come to our event to enjoy everything that local small businesses have to offer. We want them to get to know the person that made their favorite hand cream or earrings. Having that human connection between the business and the customer is something that large box stores can’t offer. We want them to rally their friends and family to support local small businesses as well. Read more>>

Thomas Oberbauer

The hills east of El Cajon were my playground as a child. Visits to Mount Laguna and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park as well as Anza Borrego Desert State Park were regular occurrences. The diversity of wildlife and plants for those areas is truly great due to the unique environments that exist in San Diego County. My brother and I studied migratory and resident birds, discovering a rare one that was far out of its natural range, we had native toads, lizards, and deermice as pets and I learned to appreciate the wide variety of plants that are native to the region. Through an education at San Diego State University, my interest in the natural resources of this region continued to grow. My Master’s Thesis examined vegetation patterns in San Diego County, focusing on grasslands. Read more>>

Megan Cardet

A tiny miniature horse orphaned in the slaughter pipeline started my journey of saving America’s horses. We named her Peanut and A Place for Peanut was born. The mission of A Place for Peanut is to educate the public and bring joy to children, veterans in hospitals, and special programs through equine therapy with our miniature horses that have been rescued from the slaughter pipeline. Read more>>

Peggy Houchin

From a young age of 5 years old, my creative journey began with my first design that sold! I designed and crafted these cute little fish from fishnet, fish eyes and beads. My mother took them to work and sold 10 of them for .50 cents each. I was hooked. However, my desire to express myself with my hands began prior to that. You see, my parents were Deaf and I was their voice. Sign language was my first language so communicating for my parents and being able to express came through my hands. Read more>>

Sukhee Suwal

Story behind my Mission is to build a community of Brow Artists and together create a healthy market in the industry. I want to share my experience and provide education to those who’s dedicated to become Brow artist. If we have expert Brow artists in the industry then we won’t have any Bad Brows stories no more. Read more>>

Jeff Robbins

We know first hand that having plants inside and out can improve our health and benefit the environment. Plants purify our air, beautify our living spaces, and provide a general sense of healing and well-being. Although not everyone has the luxury of a front or backyard, almost everyone does have a shelf, windowsill, or office desk that can support a house plant. Our goal with instant plant food™ is to keep our soil-dwelling companions healthy and well-fed and ultimately help people have a positive plant experience. Read more>>

Allie McRae

Tilt Creative was born out of a desire to fuel the dreams of others. The dreams of entrepreneurs and small business owners that are following their passions and providing important products and services to their communities. Above all else, I do this work to help others succeed and live a fulfilling life. Community is a significant driving force for me. My business manager (and best friend of over 10 years) jokes that I want to be able to buy my pottery from a ceramicist down the street and get my eggs from the neighborhood, family owned market. But those human connections are what makes me feel the sense of belonging in my own community and what sparks my own creativity and happiness. Read more>>

Jackquelina English

The story behind the mission for AfroReelz Productions comes from a personal place of deep appreciation for the art and science of wellness and personal self care. During the pandemic I found solace and relaxation going to the resort, the beach, the lazy river, getting therapeutic massages and picking seashells at the beach at some of my favorite vacation spots in and around Florida. Self care is not a complicated concept, it just involves a consistent commitment to self care practices that promotes the health and wellness of women as an essential practice to healthy living. Read more>>

Nile Fortner

Nile Fortner works as a South Florida community columnist writer for various publications and platforms. Nile, whose written work has been featured in Sun-Sentinel, MIA/Legacy, and more helps to bring awareness, understanding, news, and features on people, interests, businesses, and events. He believes to learn about people is to learn about the community and to learn about the community is to learn about yourself. Over the years, he’s learned so much about himself, the people around him, the areas, and so much. Read more>>

Breakfield and Burkey

Our work exposed us to multiple corporations across multiple business verticals. This helped on our professional career journeys and opened doors to write technical white papers. Technical white papers of the time centered on piracy of software and music being copied by folks using the library method of borrowing rather than paying. Technology had nothing in place to present this outside of trying to compel people to purchase what they needed. We continued to write additional papers, until Auerbach commissioned us to create books on technology and migrations. These non-fiction books released almost at the same time as technology changes acerated at an astonishing rate. The technology goes out of date quickly but not the lessons learned. Read more>>

David Peck

My mission is to empower women and marginalized communities through design. So often, design and especially fashion design is seen as frivolous and disconnected from real life. While that can be true and some of the excess and waste that the fashion industry produces is a testament to that. Design can and should inspire by giving us reasons and hope that the world and our future can be a brighter and more beautiful place. That may sound corny or sappy, but I’ve seen firsthand how quickly good design can change a person’s mood and thus affect the way that they see themselves and the world. Read more>>

John Harper

I came up with the clothing brand one day sitting in my room thinking about how the spirit world lives on. My son passed in 2018 and felt like I had a mission to promote something that would change the culture. “Everyone Lives On” stems from life after death, the logo resembles a elephants head. I chose the elephant because they have been around for centuries and are timeless. My brand also inspires people to feel good about themselves overall. I plan to push “Everyone Lives On “ all over the world to promote awareness that you soon will see that special someone in heaven again someday; life continues on for everyone no matter what. Read more>>

Liz Rogers

The story of Five & Two Marketing is truly one of my favorites and I love when others ask me. Five & Two references the biblical account of Jesus’ miracle with the five loaves and the two fish. Many years ago, I heard a message that spoke to me so clearly about believing that what you have is enough – no matter how meager or small your resources, when you have faith and offer it as service to others, it becomes magnified and miraculous. One of the best parts of the Gospel account is that when the thousands of people were finished eating, there was actually an abundance of leftovers – enough to fill many baskets. Read more>>

Alize Ruiz

I knew before I graduated college that I wanted to start a program to help inner city girls because my mother was a foster child. She grew up in the system from the time she was 18 months until she was 18. She’s the real reason I started my Non Profit, “I’m Her” because I saw firsthand what growing up in a system not meant for you to flourish does. As an Aesthetician my job is to help people feel more confident in their own skin. Whether it be lashes, corrective skin treatments, brows or just a makeup application. I wanted to use my resources as an aesthetician, a college graduate, a business owner, a Latina, and mental health advocate to help woman in areas I wish I had help in. Read more>>

Jamie and Landon Skelton

When I (Jamie) was nine years old my grandmother taught me how to crochet. I remember sitting on the couch and crocheting circles over and over. I would pull them apart and redo them until I felt they were perfect. Crochet has always given me an amazing outlet to express myself. In middle school I actually sold some of my crochet goods to classmates. It was really awesome to see others wearing things I had created. I kept pushing myself to learn different stitches and patterns. Eventually this lead me to be certified with the Craft Yarn Council so that I couldn’t teach crochet at Michaels. Read more>>

Ashley Boykin

I’m Ashley, the CEO of the black owned ANBC and proud mother of 2 that have sensitive skin such as myself. I personally created the brand Ashley Nicole Body Care for those with sensitive skin, people who enjoy using natural remedies, and those that want an everyday glow in their life with non-irritating skin ingredients. I proudly make body and skin care products such as soap bars, body scrubs, body oils, and natural face treatments with all gentle, yet effective natural ingredients. At ANBC, my missions is to provide you products that are harmless, vegan, and cruelty free for all skin conditions and color. Our goal at ANBC is to improve not only the success of black owned business, but to increase the availability of cleaner, affordable, chemical free body care products in the world. Our brand is all about health and purification. Read more>>

Tommy Breedlove

As a Premiere Leadership, business, relationship, and mindset coach who is a regular featured keynote speaker at global events, Tommy started his 20-year corporate career at one of the largest financial consulting firms in the world, and eventually became a shareholder, the International Practice Leader, and a member of the board of directors for one of the largest public accounting and financial firms in the southeast U.S. At the top of his career, Tommy experienced a transformational moment inspiring him to walk away from the corporate world to change his life and follow his true calling. Read more>>

Barbara Pettis

Better Place Ministries was birthed out of my own experience with domestic violence, drug abuse and attempted suicide. I believe without a doubt that my life was spared so that I could be a voice for women who have been victims of domestic violence and abuse who have not found their voice yet. Abuse started for me as a child and continued throughout three marriages and several unhealthy relationships. God placed a deep determination, passion and purpose inside of me that I could not shake. Once, I stopped running from my calling in life, I hit the ground running and I have not looked back. Domestic violence and abuse is something that no one deserves and it has to be brought to light. Read more>>

Caryn Poling

Mission and purpose are driven by passion, we believe, a passion that ignites the soul and provides a supreme source of energy. We are so glad you asked us to share the story behind our mission. Our Mission is to help people notice and savor the gift of being together, the gift of being loved by one another. It can be for couples, families or friends but we empower people through portraits that remind them everyday of how valuable and beautiful they are. Read more>>

Jessica Serna

MyCurlyAdventures is a Texas based travel brand that inspires people to find magic in the everyday and encourages people to live a travel lifestyle even with a 9-5 through looking for local getaways. We take readers on adventures throughout the state and beyond with my husband and showcasing how sometimes you can “travel the world” without having to travel far. Through these trips, we share married life, managing curly hair, and the excitement of making every moment magical. We have loved sharing our passion for travel and adventure to everyone willing to go out of thier comfort zone. We have published a magazine to share these adventures and also travels across Texas to speak about travel on local TV. Read more>>

Apollo Woods

In 2016, I was offered a career opportunity that involved transferring back to my home state of Oklahoma to address a growing demand in the oilfield services industry. It was not an easy decision because my life was mapped out and I planned to remain in Houston, Texas for several more decades. Returning to Oklahoma after living in Houston, TX for nearly 18 years was a mental adjustment. I went from living in the 4th largest and #1 diverse city in the United States to city on the rise. However, Oklahoma City was booming with new restaurants, real estate, tourism, and sports. All the ingredients that sparked my curiosity to uncover “hidden gems”. As I began to reacclimate to a new environment, I noticed the absence of support for Black and Minority-Owned businesses. A stark contrast from my years in Houston. Read more>>

Courtney Wells

Born and raised in Minnesota, my grandfather co-founded a commercial interior design business in the 60’s that is still running strong today. Growing up amongst fabric samples and color palettes not found in any Crayola box, it was my childhood exposure to creativity that continues to nourish my love of design today and feed my mission – “Love how you live + Love where you work”. While my enthusiasm for design was very much etched on my soul at a young age, I continually longed for first hand involvement with anything and everything industry related. With years of experience in San Francisco as a designer in both corporate and small business, I came to realize that the launch of my own interior design company would fill my heart and make my professional dreams come true. Read more>>

Coy Poitier

My mission is to encourage people that have criminal convictions, low self-esteem, or other personal issues by sharing my personal stories of failure, disappointments, and loss. I went from my dream of being the Lake County Sheriff to being arrested and convicted of a crime I didn’t commit. Young and alone, I never fought the charges or stood up for myself. and have lived as a convicted felon for over 20 years. After launching Felony 2 Freedom, a positive and encouraging speaking conference for people with prior convictions, I realized I was called to this life and I’m honored to share my accomplishments with others on how they can also live productive lives. Read more>>

Alisha Wendell

Nearly 15 years ago I was struggling with my health, infertility being the heavy hitter that pulled on my heartstrings. I remember that feeling every single month when I would realize I was in fact, not pregnant- something so many women experience. It was then I began my journey in toxin free living. In an attempt to have some control over my daily exposure to toxins, I started a business called Avapure to provide products free of hormone disruptors, carcinogens, allergens and other unsafe ingredients commonly found in daily use products. I discovered several things, most products on the market are unsafe, greenwashing is a real thing, and navigating those two areas can be incredibly daunting. Read more>>

DDr. Ludwig Mohr

My mission is to save the craftsmanship and teach students. I do that thorough the Book Institute — a nonprofit. The Book Institute was founded out of necessity to a influx of Printmakers with Bachelors and Master Degrees from illustrious Places and Parents paying massive Amounts. Once I realized the Printmakers asking me to use my Press had no Foundation to stand on the Book Institute was born. It is A Place to learn Printmaking on Copperplate and A Place to work in a Printshop – Print Publishers. I teach what you do not learn at school. Read more>>

John Miller

Born in 1958 in Ithaca, N.Y., my dad, Jimmy Miller, was the Cornell University wrestling coach and a small-town pastor. This is probably why I find it so natural to coach and teach! At 18, I asked 16-year-old, Karen, on a date and we married in June 1980. After being hired by Cargill off the Cornell U. campus to be a “grain trader,” we lived in three states in five years, finally settling in Minneapolis, MN. In early 1986, I began a new career providing leadership and sales management training to Twin Cities’ corporations from all industries. I was the salesperson AND the facilitator of the training. Read more>>

Tiffany Landry

In 2018 we were working hard on Lisa’s new private practice as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and growing her client base while having to turn away those struggling with issues that she did not specialize in. I was also between full-time jobs and searching for just the right position that would fulfill me and all the multitude of small-business hats I’ve worn throughout my professional career. We were inspired by some friends of ours who had successfully launched a mental health group that was able to not only provide jobs for mental health providers, but also provided diversity to serve a larger group of people than what one individual clinician could manage. Read more>>

Francesca Marcos

I’ve always been very passionate about what I do, including taking care of the environment. Before the pandemic, I used to manufacture every item of my brand, FRSA CLUB, in my home country, Venezuela. Every little detail had a thought behind it, and everything was made in the best possible working conditions. aka. caring about materials, workers, packaging, etc. When the pandemic came, I had to find a solution to start producing everything here in the U.S., so I did. That’s when the brand went up. Not only sales, but in recognition and appreciation. Read more>>

Betty Enríquez

Our mission is to mix cafe con cultura. I am a proud Mexican Houstonian! I grew up taking trips to mexico. Some of my earliest memories involve being in my grandmothers kitchen, drinking coffee. Today when I drink coffee, I am reminded of all the good times my family spent with traditional drinks such as cafe de olla, chocolate and many more. While there are many coffee shops I love, I noticed they lacked the representation of my roots. Cafe MX was born to bring specialty coffee from Mexico only!! And we created Mexican theme drinks! Read more>>

Brittney Williams

My mission is to provide premium marketing, branding and design services to small businesses and startups needing to take their businesses to the next level and stand out amongst the crowd. The story behind my mission comes from my years in corporate, where I both worked and managed various marketing departments during those years. I had the pleasure to work on some great accounts for big/well-known brands who had mass budgets to get great marketing for their brand, services, and products. Read more>>

Dr. Caroline Iscovitz

As I worked in the field of psychology, the number one theme I saw my clients struggle with was not being enough and struggling with perfectionism. I saw that clearly, because I saw it in myself too. This was me before I applied the work on myself. I was a poster child of burnout, always saying yes, and not even putting myself on my priority list. I was finishing my doctorate degree, working full time, and catering to family and friends needs. I was exercising, but not eating well. The weight was falling off and so was my hair. I would have popcorn or a pint of ice cream for dinner some nights, so I could justify I was working hard and too busy to cook. Read more>>

Diana Rosales

I am the owner and operator of The Tooth Fairy Factory in Fort Worth, TX. I’ve been a licensed Dental Assistant for 14 years and have had the amazing opportunity to watch people from all walks of life achieve the smile of their dreams. After the pandemic of 2020 occurred we quickly found out that Dentists were not considered “essential.” The dental office I was working in at the time shut down for a few months. Times were uncertain and I felt like it was the perfect opportunity to begin my exit on my own. Home-based businesses have become extremely popular nowadays. Lash artists, nail technicians, barbers, etc were doing their crafts from home so I thought, why not Teeth Whitening!? Read more>>

Erin Chimberoff

The mission of Hand, Hoof and Heart began earlier than I even realized as it was clouded by my own severe social anxiety. After years of therapy, I finally felt confident enough to start branching out into the community. I was struggling with the traditional college route and I knew I had to find a different path. In 2012, I started participating in volunteer opportunities that coincided with my interests of working with animals which was a key ingredient of escaping the hold that my anxiety had on me. I knew that I would eventually leave college behind, but I needed to find my niche in order to do so. Read more>>

Sarah Sternberg

Before 2011, I worked at an NGO with two of my co-founders, Ellie and Jadot. Ellie was also a volunteer from the US, and Jadot was first our translator. But something about the setup of the organization didn’t feel quite right. Ellie, among other responsibilities, led English classes. Her supervisor was concerned about attendance. He instructed her to explain to the women in her class that this was “an investment in their future.” “I’ll never forget it,” she said as she described the reaction. One woman stood up and said that yes, she could come to her class and learn her English or spend the day selling tomatoes to feed her son that night. Read more>>

Pearl Chang Esau

Shàn is the mandarin word meaning to “do good” in the world or to “make better.” Shàn Strategies has one purpose – to help our partners do the greatest good possible. I love the African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Addressing community challenges like increasing educational and economic opportunity, accelerating clean energy, or addressing healthy equity requires adept leadership, strategic thinking, and the collaboration of the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. Whether it’s scaling up a non-profit organization’s mission, Read more>>

Nikki Nice Robles

My mission has not only been to be successful but to bring joy to someone’s day by uplifting their confidence and also mentoring those with the Same Vision. I love barbering but to think that I couldn’t bring joy to someone day once they stop getting haircuts didn’t sit right, so I decided to go even further and get certified to perform Scalp Micro pigmentation (SMP ). SMP allows me to bless those that are dealing with hair loss or Thinning, woman or Men. I have found another way to continue to bring happiness to someone’s life beyond just cutting hair. Read more>>

Nehemiah Lamb

The story behind my organization mission, which is building a community where disabilities cease to exist started while I was working as a Director at a YMCA. I was responsible for managing the summer camp, which hosted over 400 children per week and assisting in managing the after school program, which served over 500 children daily. During my time there I saw that there was a great need in the community for children with disabilities. I worked very hard to incorporate Special Needs programs at the YMCA but always felt that it was not enough. I felt a need to pursue enriching the lives of children with disabilities by offering quality adaptive programs services. Read more>>

Jessica Bachus

Kenzi’s Causes was a way for me to turn my pain into purpose and help create change for low-income children in Colorado. My daughter Kenzi was stillborn in 2007 when I was 6 months pregnant. The first holiday season without her was difficult and I wanted to find a way to honor her and find joy. I could not give both Kenzi and her older sister Bailey dolls that Christmas so I collected new dolls and donated them back to local nonprofits. That first year it was 100-150 dolls. In 2008, I decided to do it again and we gave away more than 500 dolls. In 2009 we became a nonprofit that provides new toys to children each holiday season. Read more>>

Hewan Tesfaye

Ethiopia; I did not understand my purpose then, but I knew I was passionate about the human mind. I did not quite comprehend my mission, but I understood with the opportunity of moving to the United States, education was essentially the top priority. After discovering the field of Psychology, I decided to pursue an educational cognition of the mind. Hence, why things occurred, how they transpired, what led to the result, and a general insight into how people performed in their day-to-day lives, the difference in how individuals confronted life circumstances, and how people maintain a positive outlook moving forward. Read more>>

Jorden Earle

The mission here at Bang’d salon is to create a laid back and enjoyable salon experience. I want anyone to come in and just feel comfortable. The goal is to have you leaving our salon space feeling like the best version of yourself. My talented team of stylists can take any idea and create it. No judgment here, if something makes you feel good about yourself we will do it! Read more>>

Arbeilla Wilson

I started my company to help me get out of a depressed state I was in. I used my business to help me challenge my thoughts of feeling less than. I want to mention, yes I was praying and seeking God, but I also put in the work to see change within myself. Read more>>

Niccolas Jones

What is the story behind my mission? The story behind my mission is to invite the world into my mind! I create from what I saw growing up or from what I learn or listen to. I grew up in one of the greatest times known today, the 90s ! The times where everyone were creatives, you had some of the greatest movies, the greatest shows /sitcoms, times and events that were very memorable! I’m very much what you may call a “history buff” meaning every thing I create or every move I make is based on a piece of history! For example, my brand “#DLROWEHT/ #TWIB: Read more>>

SHMU’AL YAHU

Having to face death on many occasions because of asthma and almost dying in 2016 has brought me to a place of realizing my purpose in life. I was given a second chance at life when my life laid in the hands of the creator of the heavens and earth. After living a wicked lifestyle and being warned, because warning comes before destruction, I had a severe asthma attack that left me in a medically induced coma for five days. The day before they were going to extubate my tube it became clogged. No one was aware of this but me when the Most High quickened my spirit and woke me up. Read more>>

Vickie Aigner

I have been a health and fitness advocate for many years – like 45! From a young age, my passion has been to help others be healthy and happy, and to inspire and motivate them to live a life of adventure and possibility and to share that with others. I began working with seniors in 2017, mostly in senior living communities, teaching fitness and dance. I fell in love with this age group and they quickly became my tribe. I was happy working and teaching my classes across Arizona, but it wasn’t enough! I wanted more. I wanted to reach more people and share more inspiration but I also wanted to change the way people view and define aging and seniors. Read more>>

Abby Hatteberg

The story of Wayfaren started with a heart for getting people to live just a bit more intentionally, a bit more beautifully in their every day lives. Our mission from day 1 was to get (high quality + handmade!) products into the hands of our customers to help them hold onto their most precious memories and dream up those next life-changing ones as well. For our customers to continue to focus on making memories and living deeply in EXPERIENCE, while we would help them keep those memories beautiful. Read more>>

Jonathan Lavan

There is an inherent interconnectedness to everything in our world. That’s how the natural world works. Everything depends on every other thing; animals, plants, the very earth itself and yes, humans. We are an integral part of the natural world and we could not continue to thrive without help from a wide variety of creatures. We can take that interconnectedness a step further. Everything is made out of atoms. They always exist. So, everything is recycled. Think of it this way; the juice you drink today will pass through your body and end up back in the water table. Those atoms of water could then rain down on a grape vine. Those grapes could be eaten by a deer. Read more>>

Monna

With Claws Out, we are mental health advo-cats and the organization exists to normalize mental health by spreading my personal mantra “Bad Bitches can be Sad Bitches”. While there are different branches of operation with Claws Out under the umbrella LLC, we’re best known for producing live events with Claws Out Comedy and begin every show by letting people know that if they’ve ever been told they’re too much or not enough that with us, they are exactly where they are supposed to be. Read more>>

Demeshia (Jordan) Williams

The story behind our mission is to remind everyone & every women that they are Royalty, that beauty comes from the inside out. Our clothing just adds the finishing touches. Our company believes in God and we operate integrity, we create an atmospheric of joy, peace, and, happiness. We want our customers to be fashionable and not only feel beautiful on the outside but also on the inside too. We believe in feeling good spiritually, mentally, and emotionally, and physically are very important. We provide quality, affordable prices, and one of a kind hand picked items. We stave on having faith, love, & a whole lots of charisma. Read more>>

Connie Bally

I have had the distinct opportunity to study how important to our selves, our households and our communities to become financial secure, having spent a career in finance that spanned 32 years. For some reason we, as a society, decided it was preferred to marginalize ourselves..to embrace a belief that limitation was noble. I’ve never understood that. I’ve seen first hand how much can be done with having resources such as contributions which lead to advancements in science and technology, to enriching our children with premium education, memorable vacations and comfortable surroundings. The key component of all of this is hard work and a strong sense of community. Read more>>

Karen Rice

The story behind my mission is to Inspire, give Hope, and give insight to know that cancer doesn’t always have to be a death sentence. I’m not saying you won’t feel hurt, frightened, disappointed, black-balled, wondering why you. At times you may lose control of your temper, not meaning to. All of these things will happen, you will go there. I’m also not saying all will survive it. What I’m saying is that, when you hear the word cancer, don’t immediately give up on life. It’s not the end, yet. You may live a many more years beyond that, but sometimes when we give up, that old thief named (cancer), that sneaks upon you unannounced, it will take over completely, if you let it. Read more>>

Krista Guerra

I have spent a majority of my life in the beauty industry since I was a teenager. Over the years I have been exposed to the many different salon industry types. This includes the strip mall salons, booth rental salons, home-based salons, mobile salons and spas. The majority of my nail technician career had been spent in a high end spa. Working in a spa had taught me the importance of quality versus quantity. It taught me that the overall satisfaction of a happy client was more important than getting as many in one day as I could. I had always heard the complaints from these customers expressing to me how they felt like cattle in the standard salon. Feeling rushed and unheard so that they could take in another client to gain more profit. In my eyes I don’t believe that is quality. Read more>>

Jean De Leon

I wanted to start new trends so I can help other people express themselves in ways that would make them feel refreshed & new. I am a trend maker to help people heal from the inside out. I love to help people feel better because I always looked for help and many times I didn’t have nobody in my corner so I am that friend from a distance. Read more>>

Damian Ortiz

What makes each and everyone of us special? I believe it’s our story! Our story makes us unique and one of a kind in this world. We all could pin point different situations in our lives that made us. A heartbreak, a loved ones death, and even life’s every days struggles. But, that what makes who we are today. That groomed us into the person we’ve become. I believe my parents, Robert & Cynthia, set me up for this. My moms caring heart, and my fathers demeanor. They both could roam the earth not knowing anyone and end up with the world full of friends. This is what I’m born to do. This is my destiny. Read more>>

Big Kat Burgers

We just wanna cook good burgers. It’s really that simple for us. The three of us, Sean, Bryce and Myself enjoy hangin’ out with each other and cooking food. We enjoy eating, trying new recipes, and sharing ideas. Collaboration is the key to our success and we’ve leveraged the power of three to get to where we are today. The internet has taught us that there are incredibly talented people everywhere. It’s no secret that you can get a delicious burger a million different places, especially in Fort Worth. It’s our atmosphere and the energy you get from the truck when you come and eat with people who are there and eager and willing to serve you. In an old revitalized warehouse district in South Fort Worth known as “Near-Southside” Read more>>

Marpessa Allen

Recently I was rummaging through old college photos and found pictures of my “student activist” days. There were pictures of walk-outs, me holding signs, speaking engagements, and candid shots with community youth. I wore myself out! Looking back it was a launching pad that organically informed my advocacy journey. As an undergraduate, I felt invincible. I felt that if I stand by my community I would be immune to severe hardships and pushback. I have no idea where I picked up that logic. Once I became an adult and eventually a mother; I was blindsided by the enormous challenges I faced. Read more>>

Ana Marin

The reason why we started looking for a grooming salon for sale. We want to give the parents peace of mind when they leave their pets under our care. We make each pooch feel special and loved by the person behind the shears and water hose. Our mission is very simple, provide a loving and caring one on one grooming experience for each pooch who visits our salon. Read more>>

Daniel Ramos

I started my career in the food industry as a dish washer and worked my way up through the trenches. Obviously, I was hooked from day one on how the environment made me feel. I’ve been cooking in professional kitchens my whole life. Being a chef and trying to “make it” while trying to have a family life has always been very hard for me to balance. Its amazing to me how my whole career has always been laid out for me. Meaning the next opportunity has always presented itself at the most opportune time. This leads me to the mission of where I am now and where my career is headed. Fastforward to today, a chef who is learning how to farm and selling our own grown local produce at a green market is a dream come true. Read more>>

Vanessa Woods-White

After operating my product-based business, that was growing slowly, I finally was able to create and implement strategies to increase revenue and scale. I now am on a mission to help as many entrepreneurs and small business owners as I can do the same with their businesses. My goal is to equip other business owners with the strategies that I have developed over the years that have been proven to work. I give them the framework, the blueprint on how to grow their revenue so they can gain success faster. Read more>>

Ryshard Bell

Our Mission here at Karter Carrier Services is simply to assist our customers . We want to provide logistic solutions and the highest quality of customer service towards logistic/distribution centers in wood recycled / used pallet sales, haul away services, hot shot deliveries and other logistic needs. Our goal is to be recognized for our quality and affordable prices and reliable services in the lone star state and southwest region of the country. Read more>>

Cindy Gentry

Local farmers help to create food security throughout our communities. But Arizona’s urban and smaller-acreage farms are disappearing fast. We must protect our local farmers: where will our food come from if there are no farms? Sun Produce Cooperative helps small farmers get their food into more places and especially into the hands of our state’s most vulnerable children and adults. In 2015 a group of Phoenix area growers came together to discuss opportunities and challenges they had in common. Over the course of a year and a half, through a lot of stories shared, they began building relationships of trust. The farmers started to see each other less as competitors for the same dollars and sales. Read more>>

Beth Walker

I am a Holistic Esthetician and Professional Makeup Artist who exclusively uses *non-toxic beauty and skincare products on my clients, myself and my family. The story behind my mission was simple; If I’m going to make a career out of being a makeup artist I had better use the products I’m most confident in, and that’s supporting brands that don’t use nasty ingredients, packaging bad for the environment or test on animals !!! The EU have banned about 1300 beauty product ingredients and the FDA have banned only about 30, which I find alarming. Read more>>

Fabiola Trujillo

For me spray tanning came from a personal necessity, I always loved to be tanned and my only option back then was tanning beds, I hate them now, they damaged my skin so much and still have to check my skin twice a year for malignant moles. Ironically I found a spray tan article in a magazine where the writer described how she got her spray tan while I was waiting at my dermatologist office waiting to have a melanoma removed from my chest. This beauty/health service has changed my life being able to choose something healthier for my skin than UV rays. Read more>>