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.

Kristin Tomasello

Costa Sea Suncare was born from both professional knowledge and deeply personal experiences. While earning my nursing degree, I learned how the chemicals in many everyday products—especially sunscreens—can be absorbed into the bloodstream and, over time, contribute to serious health issues, including skin cancer. That knowledge took on new urgency when my own family was affected: my father is a survivor of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), and my mother has battled multiple skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma. Read more>>

Jordan Anderson

Sincerely Yours is more than just fashion — it’s a message for the underdog. The mission behind the brand comes from a very real place. It’s for the people who were told they’d never amount to anything. The ones who were overlooked, counted out, or made to feel like they weren’t enough.

This brand is our response to that. Instead of being loud or cocky about who we are, we let the clothes — the art — speak for us. That’s why it’s called Sincerely Yours. It’s our way of signing off on our truth, our growth, and our creativity. We don’t have to scream our names. We just leave our mark. Read more>>

Khye Cunningham

At Khye’s Creations, our mission to empower young entrepreneurs to dream early and dream big comes from my own journey. Starting this business last year as a 15-year-old wasn’t just about baking — it was about proving to myself and others that age doesn’t define your ability to create, lead, and succeed.

I’ve seen many young people with big ideas feel held back because they don’t think they’re ‘ready’ or ‘old enough.’ I want Khye’s Creations to serve as both a reminder and a platform that passion and dedication can overcome those limits. Every cookie and brownie we make is a small step toward inspiring other young entrepreneurs to trust God, believe in themselves, and take action on their dreams — no matter how early they start. Read more>>

Jamal Williams

I created The Add App because I saw the gap — the gap between passionate small business owners and the everyday customers who need them most. After 15 years of working in customer service, I knew one thing for sure: people aren’t just looking for products — they’re looking for connection, affordability, and trust. As a father, a creator, and someone who’s spent years helping others, I’ve watched too many incredible entrepreneurs struggle to be seen — not because they lack talent, but because they lack exposure. Read more>>

Antonio & Sarabeth Acapulco

We believe that people deserve high-quality, responsibly sourced skin care products made with ingredients that they know. It is our goal, in partnership with local farmers, to reduce waste and bring farm-fresh products to people’s homes.

Having both experienced skin sensitivities and eczema, we embarked on a journey to create a high-quality soap utilizing the many benefits of goat’s milk. Many people do not know that goat’s milk is high in natural fats, vitamins A, B, C, and D, and lactic acid, which lock in moisture and do not strip your skin of its natural oils. Read more>>

Priscilla Marquez

At Dainty Gem by Priscilla Marquez (NinaLu Designs) my mission goes beyond simply creating beautiful jewelry, it’s about helping people tell their stories through intentional, meaningful design. Read more>>

Roxie Alsruhe

At HoopDee, our mission is to make parenting easier through innovative and affordable solutions that truly support the day-to-day realities of raising a baby. We believe that the early days of parenthood are hard enough so anything that reduces mental load and gives parents more time back is a win.

We started with our free app, which helps new parents track and manage every bottle and bag of breast milk or baby formula with ease. It’s a simple, intuitive tool that removes the guesswork, minimizes waste, and helps parents feel more in control of their feeding routine. Read more>>

Nicole Pringle

I would like to say that Show Ya Write Entertainment is a passion & mission driven company. I founded SYWEnt back in 2022 because I needed a company to produce a short film that I had written and was gearing up to self-produce. I wrote the film because I wanted to be a lead in an action movie and my cinematographer wanted to film a project with a gun/fight sequence. So I wrote something that was mutually beneficial. Out of that, was born the mission to continue to create opportunities for myself and other indie filmmakers and creatives to produce their projects. Read more>>

Shana Everage

At Shana’s Name Banners, my mission is to handcraft meaningful Name Banners that celebrate people and pets with love, creativity, and care—turning a personal passion into something joyful and lasting for others. To me, names are more than just letters—they are who we are. My focus has always been on people’s actual names, not anything else. We are all special and unique just as we are, and I view each Name Banner the same way. Yes, many people may share the same name, but no one is a carbon copy. I want every Name Banner to express that. I usually ask questions about the recipient so I can create something that truly fits them. Everyone deserves to be celebrated. Read more>>

Donald Seals

At Cobb & Cobbs Seasonings, our mission is to bring heritage to the table one jar at a time.

This isn’t just about seasoning food. It’s about seasoning life with the values, traditions, and love passed down through generations. Our story begins in the warm, bustling kitchen of my grandmother, Linnie Cobbs, in Oakland, California. She was the heartbeat of every family gathering, the one who could turn the simplest ingredients into unforgettable meals. She taught me early on that food is more than just nourishment it’s connection, culture, and love you can taste. Read more>>

Candice Simpson

My mission is to make custom, high-quality clothing and gifts affordable for everyone—because special moments should be celebrated without financial barriers.

For me, this isn’t just about products—it’s about accessibility, joy, and inclusion. Every family deserves to make memories and give meaningful gifts without worrying about cost. I love hearing from customers who tell me they were finally able to afford a custom outfit for their child, a personalized blanket for a grandparent, or a unique party design that made their event unforgettable. Read more>>

Eboni Nickerson

What drives me to do the work I’m doing are my kids and our children. I want to be able to help heal and create ways to save our community. After losing my son I had to take that pain and turn it into something positive. 5301graphics came into play. 5301 (represents my kids birthdays) Read more>>

Kristina Kaiser

The Yards Collective has always been a space for emerging artists, and for me, that mission is deeply personal.

When I was still in college, I interned with The Yards’ founders, Sarah Rutherford and Lea Rizzo. I experienced firsthand how important it is for artists—especially those at a midpoint in their careers or still figuring out their place in the art world—to have a space that encourages experimentation. At The Yards, you could try an idea, install it, get feedback, and learn in real time. It was all the practical, hands-on experience they didn’t teach in art school. Read more>>

Allie Marie Smith

I just released a book titled “Social Media Reset: A 30-Day Guided Journey to Unplug, Reconnect with God, and Reclaim Your Joy.” I founded a non-profit “Wonderfully Made” to empower girls and women to recognize their worth, cultivate vibrant wellness in body, mind, and spirit, and lead fulfilling lives. Today, we can’t talk about mental health and wellness without talking about social media. While there are many fun things about social media, it has also caused a lot of damage. The suicide rate among young people ages 10-24 increased by 60% since 2010, when social media became a dominant force in our world. Read more>>

Payton Brianne

Our nonprofit is called Compassionate Canine Society, and from day one, our mission has been to put animal welfare at the forefront through rescue, education, and advocacy.

Our program Empathy for Animals is really the heart of it all. On the surface, it’s about teaching empathy through the stories of rescue dogs. But at its core, it’s about helping kids and teens see themselves in those stories. Trauma, abandonment, resilience— these aren’t just experiences dogs go through, they’re human experiences too. Read more>>

Adam Ibrahim

We live in a world of record complexity and anguish, but also one of record opportunity and capacity for change. My mission is to improve quality of life in the world by reducing costs in essential services like insurance, real estate and asset management. These industries comprise almost half of global GDP but very little attention is paid to how to make them more affordable for people. Through AI driven workflow automation, simplification, and removal of what is no longer necessary, I hope to take a little bit of the cost out of the world. Read more>>

Min Park

At the heart of what I do is a belief that art and design are powerful tools for connection. They can bridge the distance between cultures, identities, and generations. My mission is to create visual work that reflects the layered experiences of Asian Americans and offers something that helps people feel seen, understood, and inspired. Read more>>

Carisa C

The purpose of starting Ricochet Experience was to give myself the freedom to explore my creative side and create an outlet outside of corporate America. For the last seven years, I’ve built my career in project management within government facilities—an environment that is often rigid and, as a Black woman in a predominantly white, male-dominated construction industry, not always the most inclusive or empowering space. Read more>>

Boo Driskill

Our shop TRADING POST TATTOO is as true to tattooing as it can be. A real blast from the past, with some modern touches. The industry has been watered down over the past decade or so thanks to TV shows, career changes during COVID, and the forced injection into the industry. I just want to show people the magic in tattooing before it totally disappears, and what lured me in over a decade ago. Read more>>

Michelle Greene

We are Brandon & Michelle Greene, a destination micro wedding and surprise proposal photo and video duo. Our passion is rooted in a story-first approach that honors our clients voice and vibe. Our respectful unobtrusive presence lets any intimate day unfold just as it’s meant to: authentically perfect. We provide a calm guided process that takes the stress out of planning and shooting. Read more>>

Leniece Lane

Small Town Soul started out as a subset of another marketing agency I was working for at the time. The owner and myself were passionate about helping small businesses and nonprofits in our community but we donating so much of our time that our business suffered. So I started thinking about how could we still help them be successful. Thats how our Lunchplate Marketing Program and Small Town Soul were born. After that agency closed, I expanded Small Town Soul into a full marketing agency and educational organization that focuses on helping rural communities, small businesses owners and nonprofits get more out of their marketing budget while empowering them to do a lot of things on their own through our skill building programs.. Read more>>

Tlhologelo Mabelane

MabuTribe is in the business of celebrating identity—and we’re doing it through hair.

I didn’t start this brand because I had it all figured out. I started it because I realized there was a part of myself I didn’t understand. When I began losing my hairline, I stopped using chemical relaxers and encountered my natural hair texture—coily and tight—for the very first time. I wish I could say it was a magical moment, but it wasn’t. I felt frustrated, lost, and honestly… less beautiful. Read more>>

Luis Lan

I started the newsletter and my company because I believe travel isn’t just about going from one place to another, it’s about the moments you create with the people you love.

Too often, incredible experiences feel out of reach because of cost. But I discovered something that changed that for me, the untapped potential of credit card points and airline miles. Read more>>

Nia Resulidze

For me, the mission of Startup Büro is deeply personal. Georgia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is still young, and when I first started working in it, I saw both incredible potential and significant gaps – especially in access to knowledge, resources, and networks. Many talented people had great ideas, but lacked the right support to turn them into sustainable businesses. Read More>>

Nicole Todd

My name is Nicole Todd and I am entering my fifth year as an educator. I have taught 2 years in third grade, a year in second grade, and now I am entering my 2nd year as a Kindergarten teacher. Teaching has always been a passion of mine, I knew from a very young age that I was meant to become an educator.

I have always loved the fact that I could help shape the future essentially because of my students. When I joined social media, it was during a very trying time already (COVID). Not only was the world going through a pandemic, I was going through my own personal struggles as well. When I went to college, I of course majored in Education with a minor in Biology (I wanted to be the modern day Ms. Frizzle). Read more>>

Jacob Harrison

Family business has been on my heart a lot lately. Growing up as a pastor’s kid, it wasn’t technically a business—but it still meant pitching in as a family. We helped get the church ready for services, community events, and outreach, all of us working together toward something bigger than ourselves.

That same spirit carries into what my wife and I are building now. We run Harrison Creative Company, a small media business that produces photo and video content. We never set out to build a huge agency or media empire—we simply wanted to serve others with our skills, do excellent work, and provide for our family in a meaningful way. Read more>>

Carlos Scantlebury

Family businesses are special. They’re not just about profit margins, they’re about people you love, employees and family alike, shared values, goals and something deeper than just “a job.” One of the greatest strengths in running a family business is the trust that comes naturally, but that closeness can be a double-edged sword. Personal dynamics don’t just disappear at the office or the job site. The line between work and home can get blurry quickly. That’s why it’s been so important for us to define clear roles and set healthy boundaries especially when it all happens under one roof. Read more>>