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.

Madison Callaghan

My mission at the “Madison Callaghan Foundation “ is Every child, Every right”. Every child no matter the social demographics should be given the rightful necessities to have a prosperous and successful future. A life free from any form of violence, and deserves to grow up in a safe, peaceful, nurturing and enabling environment where they can fully exercise their rights. Read more>>

April Askew

As a Single BoyMom of 4, I’ve struggled with trying to hold on to my personal identity as a WOMAN first. I became the typical societal burned out mom, putting my children, work, everything and everybody before myself and it showed. I was running back and forth to 3-different schools everyday, googling sports equipment that was needed, along with chauffeuring my sons back and forth to Baseball, Football and Boxing. Read more>>

Gem Masikat, Gel Cabeling

Our mission is simple. Beauty can be an area where certain criteria is expected. That’s not what we do here. We remain authentically ourselves to allow our clients to be authentically themselves. We are the hype women who will root, cheer and find your inner beauty that reflects the outer beauty we create. It’s about loving you JUST AS YOU ARE, today, tomorrow and everyday. Read more>>

Leonela Hernandez

My mission is to always create an environment for everyone to feel safe no matter your size, ethnicity, color or sex orientation. Everyone deserves to take space on this Earth and I’m here to help people tap into the authority we have as humans. Read more>>

Leandra / Nora Martinez / Gonzalez

MG Interiors is an Interior Design firm owned by two moms. That being said, our belief is to work with our clients to achieve a functional and unique space for them. Being moms give us a better insight of the needs that every home requires and a better understanding on how the spaces can be functional for each of our clients. Seeing the end results knowing that we delivered all the needs for these families and making their home look spectacular, it’s what means the most to us. Read more>>

Lamar Jones

As a successful entrepreneur, I am passionate about giving back to my community through my non-profit organization, The Jank Nation. My childhood experiences have played a significant role in shaping my worldview and my desire to help others. Read more>>

Candace Kinney-Wood

The Birth of Beyoutifulsoulll Creations Beyoutifulsoulll Creations (specifically a handmade eucalyptus shower hangers store) was originally birthed in 2021. This vision was an outlet to keep my mind busy as I was dealing with grief and depression. As I assembled each hanger I found myself enjoying creating a product that would be placed in one of the most sacred places, we have as individuals, the bathroom (shower). Read more>>

Little Pink Farmhouse

Our mission is as simple as our ingredients. Creating toxic free products that you can feel good about using. When we first started making candles, we were shocked at the amount of toxins and ingredients used in some that we were burning in our homes. We were aware of the conscious effort that people were making to live a cleaner lifestyle such as switching their cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, and buying more locally sourced foods. Read more>>

Sara Thomas

Ask The Stubborn Optimist LLC (ATSO) is a mental health advocacy company dedicated to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, plus connecting people with the mental health resources and support they need. I founded ATSO because as someone who personally lives with severe chronic mental health issues, I know how prevalent and harmful the stigma surrounding mental health can be. Read more>>

Dana Edwards

My mission is to create a collection of children’s books to increase the academic, social/emotional, and career development of all diverse students. It is very important for children to see themselves in books. It is a light that you can see in their eyes when they see a character that looks like them or experiences a situation similar to theirs. It gives them the motivation to read that book, put themselves in the story, and identify with those characters. Read more>>

Serenity LeMagi

LeMagi ~ Stands for Legendary Magician within oneself. We all have what it takes to create something beautiful, powerful & meaningful. If we dream it, if we can envision it, we have the powerful within ourselves to make it happen. Change starts with us individually becoming the best versions of ourselves, accepting ourselves for who we are truly meant to be. Read more>>

Ashley Rice

I’m a mother of four kiddos in the house and bonus mom to four more so…. You can say I’m a little busy. As a mompreneur there were times I needed to get things done but the kids didn’t quite get the memo. And there was no real place for us to go be in a safe environment where I could actually let the kids play while I watched, worked, or even played along to help with their gross motor skills and just have fun. So I created The Nest Play Cafe. Read more>>

Nina Camille

Ever played a role in order to get love or safety, only to discover you felt inauthentic, isolated and trapped inside your own seemingly beautiful life? Me too. Sometimes we master the external game only to realize our internal world is still one of questioning, suffering and aloneness. We wake up one day and realize we’ve accomplished everything we were told would matter, and yet we still feel like something is missing. Read more>>

Kori Teamer

My mission is to offer honest, holistic hair and skincare products to men and women worldwide. I take great pride in using premium, all-natural ingredients in my handcrafted products. Every ingredient I use and product I produce is thoroughly researched and tested by me. I prepare each product in small batches for optimal freshness. I am committed to providing safe and effective products that are free from harmful chemicals that will yield great results by enriching the natural biology of your skin and hair. I want your skin to glow and your hair to grow. I am all about skincare and healthy hair. Read more>>

Epiphany Ajabé

Appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken. I’d like to think that one of the biggest risks I’ve taken was betting on myself and starting my business. It was in the middle of the pandemic and i had no idea if it would actually work out, but i knew it was something I’ve always wanted. Read more>>

April Cofie

I found myself having a tantrum and yelling because I was sick and tired of doing things alone. I immediately decided I wanted to remarry. My next thought was. You’ve been single for over 30 years. You need to learn about dating in this century. Read more>>

Ti’Ara Benson

Our main goal is to help every person that we come in contact with. Whether that be through a service we perform or just giving our clients a safe place to relax in. We guarantee that while you’re getting serviced you are our main focus and that we address every concern. We want to make sure that you’re leaving feeling confident and beautiful. We understand how hard life can get and how hard it is to find time to pamper yourself. It’s also hard trying to love yourself so we want to help you on that journey. Read more>>

Corrinne Hambrick

As an entrepreneur, the mission behind my story is simple: To help others experience a life of Ownership, Accentuated Beauty and Luxury sweatlessly, without stress or breaking the bank. The story behind my mission started when I was just a little girl and watched my mom “bargain shop” to clothe us. Read more>>

LaQuisha Hunnecook

My story started as a teenager, searching for my place in this thing we call life. As a teenager I could never find the place that I fitted in. I was the loner, didn’t like to be out and about and was a super introvert. Living life like that left me feeling empty and I often found myself not knowing who to turn to. At the age of 18 I got pregnant and did not want my daughter to ever feel that emptiness. So I vowed to always put my best foot forward and not look back at the circumstances I evolved from. Read more>>

Queen Fayzel

I design Queen Fayzel products to help people make and maintain connections with each other and be present for important moments in people’s lives. Before I started Queen Fayzel, I worked in public health. My work focused on social and community context, which has to do with relationships between people, and how connected – or not – people feel to each other and to their communities. Read more>>

Brandon Jenkins

My mission is very simple- to create inclusive spaces for men in education to express themselves though fashion. I have always had an affinity for fashion but growing up I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to see male teachers dressing professionally. I believe it is very important for children especially children of color to see teachers who look like them dressing up. Read more>>

Mark Turley

Summer School Electronics was a hobby during the 2020 shutdown that turned into a new growing business. I have been a musician for the last 20+ years, and public school teacher for the past 11 years. Prior to the pandemic, I was a math AIS (Academic Intervention Services) and Special Education teacher at Lyncourt School in Syracuse, NY. Read more>>

Sammy Reyes

Our mission is to be able to not only heal people’s skin & hair with our plant-based products, but to provide healing tools based on crystal energies & genuine interactions. All of that stemmed from when I struggled with severe psoriasis and couldn’t find anything that would clear it out until I decided to see what naturally heals the skin. Mother Nature! Read more>>

Isis Moreno

Let me begin by explaining a little bit of my up bringing, I was raised in a very strict traditionally Mexican christian house hold, although my childhood wasn’t perfect, my parents tried their best and I was blessed to have them. Read more>>

Tanisha Scott

Mission: “Bringing Women together on one accord to embody their serenity through the love of Christ.” I was a teenage mother at the age of 17, a college drop out with a 4.0 gpa. While going back home to my first born, I birth two more children within a 3 year span. At the age of 21 I had 3 children no degree and not sure of what direction to go. All I knew was how to be a mother. Read more>>

Debi Jean Osgood

I didn’t discover my true mission, though I had been seeking my purpose in life for a long time, until I was 63 1/2 years old. I started teaching myself to play guitar. That was 5 years ago and I have probably forgotten how hard it was to get started. I want to say I worked my fingers to the bone. It hurt like crap! But it was a labor of love. And now I can’t live without Mr. Martin & Ms. Gibson. Read more>>

Andrea Rivers

Black JD, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for Black and Brown future attorneys. Black JD’s mission is to provide law school preparatory resources and ensure readiness for Black and Brown students who are committed to obtaining a Juris Doctor degree; mentors, loved ones, and supporters of Black and Brown pre-law students; and high school teachers and undergraduate professors who teach pre-law and other law-related courses. Read more>>

Lionel Garcia

The mission of Garcia Vending was to support veterans and to grow mental health awareness. As a veteran myself, I understand how important it is to be there for my brothers and sisters and to support them in this battle. This past year, I was lying in the emergency room for heart issues. One of the nurses treating me had a Til Valhalla Project t-shirt on. Read more>>

Gail Starr

I reside in South Africa, a country plagued with extreme inequality and an alarming unemployment rate of 32.7%, ranking among the highest in the world. Unfortunately, our government is more focused on their self-enrichment rather than on fostering economic growth and facilitating job opportunities for its citizens, leaving many struggling to care for their families. Prior to the pandemic, I had always been self-employed, but when the lockdowns caused my business to shut down, I turned to the internet for new possibilities. Read more>>

Jen Hall

Luxuria Studios is an organic and natural alternative to commercial skincare products. Promoting the use of natural and organic ingredients help and rejuvenate both mind and body. Starting in December 2019, I created this brand as a result of becoming allergic to commercial skincare products. Through research, I’ve developed products that use only natural and organic ingredients that can be easily absorbed by the body without causing harm, long term. Read more>>

Ibis Romero

I have been in the tourism industry for the pass 35 years. 17 years in hotel industry, 10 years selling and marketing Greater Miami to Latin America. The last 18 I am an interdependent contractor selling, marketing and putting Sunny Isles Beach Miami on the map; domestically and internationally. Read more>>

Areli Castillo

I’m a mystic at heart, so being a hair artist is deeper then just doing hair to me. I’ve dreamt of a space where I can cultivate both beauty and spirituality more intentionally. Studio Eleven Eleven was named with the intention that its not just a beauty salon, but also a space where you can feel safe, accepted, and to be reminded of your power. Read more>>