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.

Calette Williams

The story behind my mission is this: I’ve lived this life and walked in many shoes. I come from very humble beginnings. I want to help people to understand the power of there mind (consciousness) in relation with living a more present and happier fulfilling life. Being present in our right now and being (not saying you can’t reflect) but being aware of the fact that the past is the past and the future is created within our now “the present moment”. Read more>>

Marlisha Bentley

My mission with Royal Privilege is to show young women that no matter what adversities that may come into your way dont ever lose your crown! Privilege is a special right advantage or immunity granted to a particular person or group of people. We are Worthy of Success, we are Worthy of Happiness , we are Worthy of Greatness! It starts with believing in yourself and will be unstoppable! Royal Privilege is about building confidence in each and every person that I come across with beauty, fashion and motivation! Read more>>

Samuel Giardina

As a trans photographer and designer, I find beauty in capturing meanings and concept with my artwork. My name is Samuel Avery, a 24 year old photographer from Berlin, Connecticut specializing in concept and editorial photography. I started taking photos in 2020, the year I started my transition, and have since then found a passion for raising awareness for the trans community with my work. For 21 years of my life I went by a different name. One that didn’t fit. Read more>>

Queen Sheena

My mission is to inspire, encourage, and heal people through the arts! I am a professional Artist/singer-songwriter who sings Soul/R&B music. I write songs about believing in yourself and going after your wildest dreams. My mission is to invoke the greater you and help you see your own potential. I know the power of music and how it is the universal language that connects every last one us in the world. I do not take my gift of music lightly and I know I was put here to serve my commuinty through the arts. The story behind my mission is to be a vessel and allow the Highest message to shine through my music! Read more>>

Lori Oswald

My mission is to create art that helps people find presence in their busy lives, and in those moments, connect with their humanity in a loving way. Modern living has caused so many of us to become robots; we become more and more disconnected from our true selves as we strive to meet the unrealistic expectations that we and others place on us. My work is vibrant and emotional, a reflection of my own personal journey as I learn to slow down, let go of expectations, and be present with myself.  Read more>>

Terrance P. Elmore

I became weary of the things I was seeing on social media and on the news. There was and still are different negative narratives about love, relationships, and life in general that I fell is my duty to change. I’m on a journey to spread love, hope, and inspiration in a world that seems to be full of discouragement, hopelessness, and hate. Read more>>

Capo

The initial mission was of an artist. I started my journey as a rapper and had a smaller objective of just getting heard, being the first Latino out of Nashville to create a buzz and put on for the city. That eventually evolved into an extreme passion for helping other independent artist empower themselves and become self-sufficient. I went from pushing as an artist to taking an opportunity to work at one of the largest urban physical publications in the South, CONCRETE Magazine. Read more>>

Pam Liberda

The driving mission at Waldo Thai is “changing perspectives one dish at a time.” When the first Thai Place Restaurant in Kansas City opened in 1991 by Ann Liberda, it brought a new, but palatable, cuisine style to the city. It featured a lot of fusion with Chinese methods and ingredients in order to reach diners more easily. After moving to The United States, Pam worked at Ann Liberda’s restaurants, blending family and work and finding a new passion for creating dining experiences. Read more>>

Brandon Barnard

When I was a child, maybe 7 or 8 years old, my mother took me and my siblings to photography studio to have pictures done. We lived in the projects however mom still wanted the photographic memories. Anyway we go to studio and got a price quote. It was too much for the pictures so we didn’t get them. I seen the crushed look on my moms face so I asked the photographer lady how do you take pictures? She told me lighting have to be positioned correctly, you get a prop like a fur blanket draped over a box and a nice pose…the snap the picture. I said “Thank You”, walked over to mom and said I will take your picture at home. Read more>>

Tiffany Brown

Exquisite Slay was once a thought in my head when I was in High School. That thought then came to mind again when I was a freshmen in College, but I still didn’t have the courage to pursue it. When COVID came in 2020 and everything shut down, that’s when I sat myself and said “this is something you need to do.”. However, before starting my business, I had to figure out what my mission was and why I was starting this business. Read more>>

Falyn Marie

The vision of my business all started from my passion for shoes. I always wanted my headwear to match my shoes. So I started selling headbands and headwraps in 2018. From then I have gradually started adding more accessories such as: bonnets and durags for children and adults, sunglasses, lacebands and much more. Read more>>

Justin Heartman

I always knew I wanted to make clothes because when I was little my mama used to always have the freshest polo, Jordan’s. I think it has always been in my blood, but I didn’t know how to start my brand. In 2016 I started thinking to myself ” I do not like working for people. I rather work for myself” plus I had a son on the way and he to have a future once I leave this earth, My Son showed me anything is possible and that put my energy into a whole different level. Read more>>

Lynn Mattina

Breaking through adversity is a difficult path for anyone. No one can possibly understand what suffering is like unless you’ve walked those shoes yourself. I started my career in Graphic Design. The school I attended asked me to stay and tutor others. Sometimes an environment can be a conductor for healing and moving forward… if you stop and listen to what people are saying to you. Read more>>

Ginger Cherry

In my artist heart, I want to fill the world with soft, beautiful quilts. Just as every home should have books, every home should have quilts. In my day to day business, my mission is to have my customers finish the process with a quilt they love, and often during the process, I will say those words directly to my customer. Most of my customers are not quilters or even sewists, so my job is not only making a quilt for them, but to also educate and lead them through the process of having a quilt made. Read more>>

Oscar Heredia

My mission was inspired by the people, culture and community I was exposed to growing up. I was very fortunate to have been a part of a number of different communities as it helped me gain perspective and understanding of people and their backgrounds. I discovered that there was a lot of talent and a lot of amazing people- yet their stories were untold, their struggles weren’t acknowledged, Read more>>

Sophie Bequette

Owning my own plant shop has been a dream of mine ever since I walked into my first greenhouse. The inspiration to open up a mobile plant shop is rooted in the idea of bringing my favorite greenhouse experiences to others! “Miss Folia” represents the version of myself that chose to go after the life I have always dreamed of. A quote I am often reminded of goes, “To live is the rarest thing in the world; most people just exist.” Read more>>

Julie Gross

I feel like it’s important to start with who I am, in order to understand the mission. I am an oil painter, and clothing designer, and my mission is to help to raise consciousness in the human collective. My work is about inspiring healing journeys, and inspiring people to follow their dream. Read more>>

David Robinson

Athletics has always been my passion, and when I went through my sports recruiting process, I reached out to over 70 schools to get just a handful to show any significant interest in recruiting me. I had to endure a lot of rejection in order to find the right school. And later as a college head coach I found that my success in recruiting came from my ability to identify the under-recruited athletes. Read more>>

Awa N.

Storytelling has always been at the core of what I do, and it influences everything I create from design work made to represent a brand’s identity to the artwork I draw made to represent people (especially black women) who’ve only ever had one side of their story told, or none. I draw black women being soft, being taken care of, being at peace, because those are the stories we deserve and that unfortunately, too often, our realities don’t allow us to have. Read more>>

Hayley Freeman

I am on a mission to remind people they are loved and valued just as they are, through meaningful, handmade jewellery. My designs play with the nostalgia of old world aesthetics and the freshness of modern design, and are handmade with every attention to detail and quality. Read more>>

Darius Bucknor

My mission is to change the narrative about mens fashion and the way people view the traditional bowtie. There are no limits when it comes to style. Kids 3years to 10years old should look just as fly as adult men and women. When you put on one of my “Knots” not only will look good, but most importantly feeling good would be a sure thing. Read more>>

Jonathan Hayashi

So much of who I am today is in answer to my mother’s prayers for me. She has a special love for the Japanese people and has found a way to serve God by serving them. Her ministry is to translate the book “Our Daily Bread” into Japanese for the nation. Her prayers have been transforming the hearts and live of my two brothers and myself. Read more>>

Shay Paresh

Health, hygiene, and beauty has been segregated in store aisles for years even though minority markets have a 3.9 trillion dollar buying power. Less than 3% of brands in the industry cater to the melanin rich. Meanwhile 40% of Americans are people with skin of color and this is estimated to grow beyond 50% by 2045. While globally 80% of all people are with skin of color, most of the clinical studies, research and products on the market are not geared towards those with skin of color. Read more>>

Karl De la Guerra.

On December 18, 1981 U.S. Army Brigadier General James Dozier was kidnapped by a terror group named The Red Brigade in Verona, Italy. Within 24-hours all U.S. Military Generals and Admirals (Flag Officers) were assigned personal bodyguards. I was assigned that unique duty for the San Antonio (Texas) Air Logistics Center Commander at Kelly Air Force Base. At the time I was working in law enforcement for the U.S. Air Force. That began my career in Dignitary Protection that continues today with KDI Protective Services based in the Carolinas. Read more>>

Nae Alicia.

My sole purpose of wanting to be an esthetician was to get people excited about self-care! As women especially African American women, we take care of everyone from husbands, kids, co-workers, friends and even the fur babies. But we never can find time to take care of ourselves. We go, go, go neglecting ourselves and putting everyone else needs before our own needs! I started this journey to let women know that’s its okay and perfectly fine to chose YOU! Read more>>

Mackenzie See

The idea & motivation behind Niche has always been in my life in some capacity- I just didn’t exactly know what it would look like until shortly after I graduated college. I realized one of my true life’s missions was to combat fast fashion & trends that tell women they have to keep up to be relevant & let women know they are good enough just as they are. I wanted to create a safe space for women to shop & express themselves through their wardrobe & love themselves unapologetically for who they are! Read more>>

Alyce Wells

Well Designed, LLC began simply as a mission as a parent to a newborn to cut costs on cute customized baby onesies for my daughter and has since evolved into so much more. Initially I tried my hand at customizing onesies, shirts and cups. Wood signs, customized gift sets and baby boxes were added later. Compiling these skills, I began utilizing my customization skills to provide requested items (centerpieces, family t-shirts, acrylic signs) for events, which ignited my passion for decorating. Read more>>

Dionna Dalton.

I am on a mission to help people get their homes organized and cleaned. I truly love making a difference in peoples lives. It can be hard for some to make time to get things done in their home. I want to leave everyone with a peace of mind and a transformed space. When your home is in order overall you will see an improvement in your productivity and self esteem. Also, I want to share the gospel with others at the same time. Read more>>

Chidi Nwachukwu

Our mission in 2017, when we founded this company, was to provide an authentic cultural experience to all participants. We wanted to expose Africa's beauty to people who may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience it the way they would like. We aim to give our participants an experience that will enable them to generate fantastic memories. As We enter year five this year, we remain proud of the fact that we have provided over 1000 customers with experiences in over 10 countries. Read more>>

Lang Tran

When I was a child (about the age of 8) I witnessed outside the window of my parents’ living room an Asian couple in an altercation. The man was driving a white Mercedes Benz, screaming at the woman sitting in the passenger seat of his car (I assumed at the time she was his wife/significant other). I recall vividly seeing her right leg hanging out of the car of the passenger side (door wide open) – both of them screaming at each other. Read more>>

Daija Parker.

My mission is to “Serve the Best Spirits with The Best Spirit.” The meaning behind that is to serve quality craft cocktails and/or mocktails while having a great spirit. I have been in the hospitality industry for 5 years working in upscale dining. Throughout those years the most rewarding part was the people, relationships, and memories I’ve created with people from all backgrounds. One thing I have learned is that the smallest interaction could make someone’s day or lift one’s spirit. I interact with hundreds of people daily, and I take pride in sharing kindness and spreading love through my work. Read more>>

Cristian Abbrancati

When we were beginning to launch our candle company during the pandemic, we noticed that everyone was having zoom birthday parties. People would even have different themed parties too. So we decided to not only have cheeky soy wax candles, but also allow the customer to “remix their senses.” Every candle comes with its own Spotify playlist and curated cocktail recipe so that you can have a little party in a jar. Read more>>

Tonia Hailey

I immigrated to America when I was 15 years old. Despite language barrier, cultural difference and family issues that ensued, my mission was not only to overcome but to realize the American dream. Along the way, kindness and generosity of people that were brought into my life, inspired me to help others and those in my community. Read more>>

Paige Bounassi

I am originally from New York. I came to Los Angeles when I was 19 and fell in love with it. I didn’t always know I wanted to do realty. Coming from a low income household I always believed home ownership was a far away fantasy. Until I took the time to learn and understand the process I thought you needed to make millions to buy a home. Now that I know what really goes in to the home buying process – I’m making it my mission to help others. I want everyone to know they can create generational wealth for their families and I will be there every step of the way with them. Read more>>

Demetria Gartrell

Over the years, I’ve navigated extreme turbulence, from overcoming failed IVF to adjusting to my husband’s vitiligo diagnosis, all while restoring my relationship with myself. While in flight, I realized my flying desire was embedded in my life experiences. My highs and lows. My pain and pride points. All of these moments made space for collective and self-healing. Through life turbulence, I began to deepen my understanding of what it meant to extend love and courage to someone else. Read more>>