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.

 Craig McNeil

My company name is McNeil Designer Portraits and my tag line is “Bringing Families Together”. I photograph families exclusively on location in Colorado. I then offer a product, (Bonded canvas/Chromatic Fusion/Oil on canvas) you can’t get anywhere else. I have a style that is unique and different from most other photographers and artists. Read more>>

LaToi Storr

My mission is to showcase living life even with mental health issues. The many times we hear people say that if you are diagnosed with a mental health issues or disease, that you are simply unable to live out loud. I find that it’s simply not true. I battled postpartum depression with the birth of my second child. After not realizing I had it I went and sought the help of a therapist who encouraged me to start a blog and use my voice. Read more>>

Thomas Johnston

Shifted Digital is focused on the idea of representing Talent properly in the new generation. Working with primarily Gen-Z and Zillenial aged talent, our mission is to expand business opportunity and growth for our clients. Read more>>

 Leah Freeman-Haskin

I started BLK Oceans in 2020. From the death of George Floyd to the effects of the pandemic on Black-owned small businesses, I was heartbroken and exhausted by the headlines coming out of the Black community. I launched BLK Oceans to change that narrative. To showcase the beauty, creativity, and innovation in our community. It started as a passion project, that has turned into a venture-backed business with ambitious goals of growth and impact. Read more>>

Nyssa Everhart

It all started on this one day in the spring of 2014 when I picked up my niece Lea, my nephew Gavin, and my daughter Willow from elementary school. The bell rang and they piled into my gold mini-van as usual but something seemed off. Lea (5th grade) was visibly upset. Gavin and Willow (2nd grade) were unusually silent. Read more>>

Laura Nespoli

I started my company after having a vision of my purpose. I was working as a brand strategist at a creative agency when I had an idea for a connecting meal experience–gathering people around a table for a meal that had a narrative of connection woven into the entire experience. Read more>>

Catherine Duncan

As an integrative spiritual consultant, I see people in my private practice to help them find peace, ease, and joy in their lives. Years of being a trauma and hospice chaplain and now in private practice, I help people look inward to live from their heart and soul. This deep peace and vibrant aliveness is not found in our mind. My first book, Everyday Awakening – Five Practices for Living Fully, Feeling Deeply, and Coming into Your Heart and Soul was released July 11th nationwide. This book has 42 exercises to help people find deep peace. Read more>>

Cara Achterberg

The first time I visited an animal shelter in the south, I had already fostered over 100 dogs and written a book on fostering and dog rescue. And yet, I was shocked and stunned by the situation and the conditions, but mostly by the fact that I had no idea it was like it was. There were so many animals, living in harsh conditions. The shelter had limited staff, not enough resources to care for the animals, and were not able to treat the simplest of medical conditions. Read more>>

JaLisa Spy

I have a meaningful mission behind my journey because not only do my kids look up to me I look up to me, I want to prove myself wrong about actually making it. I have did everything with good intentions. I’m based out of Ohio and , I have had a business suite out of state Atlanta, Ga to be exact mean while in school studying to be a cosmetologist and also fully running my business suite in Akron ohio. Read more>>

Kevin Garcia

I learned not to control my emotions. I learned to become an alcoholic because I didn’t deal with my emotions properly. I felt unloved, abandon, rejected, mistreated, judged and I thought that the world was full of people who don’t care and I care. I cared so much about everyone else’s feelings and thoughts that I forgot about me. Read more>>

Nija Wiggins

My most joyous moments were always at the table, surrounded by family and food; Especially on Sundays when all of my cousins and aunts would gather down 28th Street at my grandmother’s (Momma Barlow’s) house. As soon as I got there I would jump at the opportunity to help cook and setup. My Aunt Juanita would always call me to assist her in catering gigs throughout the city and that was the spark to my restaurant idea. Read more>>

Azaria Symone

Our Mission is to provide quality satin hair care for all textures & formations. Ensuring our customers feel beautiful while protecting their crown. For years I never knew how important it is to protect your hair. When I became a Cosmetologist I educated myself on the importance of hair care. Soon enough I was able to pour my knowledge into my clients and decided to start my business. It is important for men & women to know that satin bonnets, scarfs, pillows cases etc. Read more>>

Evelyn Osorio

As the person who not only decides what design to put on a garment but the designer, there are 3 core elements I am inspired by in our mission as a business. 1. Save Souls 2. Call back home the prodigal sons & daughters of God and 3. Encourage the Christian. Read more>>

Jasan Radford

I feel very blessed with the opportunity to have had, and continue to have a career in the music industry. My mission is essentially to “give back” or “pay it forward” to the next generation of artists. So many bands and musicians may never get a chance to get noticed, so my hope is to be an additional resource for up and coming artists to have an opportunity to make it. I know how hard it was when my own professional career began in the early 2000’s. A lot has changed since, but having good people in your corner and sound advice is timeless. Read more>>

Julien Charles

When was the last occasion you actively engaged in competition? When did you fiercely fight for what rightfully belonged to you? When was the most recent time you reshaped the course of history? In both the United States and across the globe, we are Repulse Agency, dedicated to constructing the world’s most groundbreaking and assertive brands. Read more>>

Noa Daniel

I create projects and initiatives that build skill, autonomy, and connection for students, educators, and communities. All of my work helps people develop a sense of belonging to themselves and each other. In the classroom, students leave their time with me knowing themselves better as learners and people. My children’s book, Strum and The Wild Turkeys, helps kids feel good about being themselves, finding their flock, and rocking their differences. The Mentoree is a supportive mentorship community for educators grounded in professional learning, well-being, and efficacy. I build outside the blocks. Read more>>

Donna Zawada

My mission is to help spiritual-minded women by making it easier for each and every one to come into her true self so she creates a more abundant and free life. I am very passionate about helping women acknowledge, unleash, and learn how to effectively use their natural spiritual abilities that flow through the transition of awakening and make a true difference in their lives and those around them. Read more>>

Tonya Kelly M.Ed

Empower our Youth Foundation 501c3 non-profit organization was founded in October 2017 when our middle daughter experienced cyberbullying her senior year in High School. The incident left us disheartening and dismayed in how law enforcement and her school dealt with the severe bullying incidents .She had thought of suicide to escape the pain she was enduring daily. Read more>> 

Ciera Solomon-Mouzon

The story behind my mission is as a young lady growing up I had a passion for hair. I was very curious about hair and the many things I can do with my hair. I would do my hair as young lady and other people that surrounded. My hairstyles and love for hair was noticed by others and I would get asked if I could do their hair. I got to a point when I wanted to become a cosmetologist and take up cosmetology in high school and I did. Read more>>

Outcasts the Podcast

Our mission is to share the fun of learning the Cantonese language and create a space to help people feel at home. It is an important mission for us because we’ve felt like outcasts in Macau and in the USA, or anywhere we go. Being third-culture kids it’s hard to find a place where we feel belonged, so we want to create that for others. Read more>>

 Lorenzo Lewis

Turn your pain into purpose. It’s a philosophy that I live by. With a decade of professional experience in behavioral health and founder of The Confess Project, an initiative that empowers barbers to become mental health advocates for men of color, I help individuals confess to their issues to begin to build a better process of living. Read more>>

Isaiah Hite

I currently work in the atelier/seamstress profession doing custom clothing items on a commissioned basis but I also have been getting things in the works to release my own ready-to-wear brand as well. The mission behind both is for the clothes to do their job. Clothes are meant to be a tangible expression of what the wearer is like in the inside. However each individual may interpret or present that, your clothes should make you feel good to wear them. Read more>>

Ana Romero

Our goal is to increase exposure of and appreciation for the beauty of Mexican culture. Working directly with Mexican artesian makers has increased our respect for the intricate tazas and tequileros we put our attention on. Hearing the positive comments from our customers has made bringing cultural pride into our homes and being able to display it in a unique new way has been incredibly enjoyable. Read more>>

 Shunvon Cole

The story behind my mission is the drive and will to become one of the best producers with a catalog of records. As a music producer, the response is not always a positive one because our work is constantly being judge based off quality, credibility, and sacrifice. I want to use that narrative as motivation because a “NO” today can be a blessing in disguise for a “YEAH” tomorrow. The thrill of working through disappointments and finally getting a breakthrough no matter how big or small is what drives me. Read more>>

Amanda Heslinga

If I didn’t have Crohn’s Disease, Rocks with Sass would not exist. It has been 13 years since my life changed. I wish I could hug frail 21 year old Amanda and tell her… “Listen. You’re about to go into the hardest years of your life. Your body is going to be in a battle against itself. Your heart will break as you witness the life you once knew change so drastically. Read more>>

Rebecca Lambert

As a maker of quilts, it is the mission of Vintage Giggles to create something that captures and preserves vital memories of people’s lives. The quilts we make are visual mosaics of people’s lives that can bring comfort and joy from their favorite moments into their every day in a tangible way. Read more>>

Dan Shaikh

Growing up as a shy immigrant, my dreams were fueled by the desire for a better life with security. At the age of 19, I landed a job at a bank and finally gained access to money and financial stability. However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that something significant was missing from this dream life. It was during this time that I stumbled upon stories of regret from individuals on their deathbeds, and those narratives struck a deep chord within me. Read more>>

Ingrid Williams

My goal is to show people how beautiful they are through my lens. I love capturing special moments for my clients, so they will have photographs to share with loved ones. Read more>>

Lisa Wallace

The Brightside Project equips and empowers children to reach their full potential by building resiliency and giving hope. Today’s children are suffering from complex social, emotional and mental health issues. They’re facing insurmountable peer pressure and social media influence, academic hardships, unhealthy relationships and conflict in the home. Read more>>

Jordan Forero

Our mission is to make the weirdest music possible and provided a place for other unique bands and genres can play with us cause without sub genres music would be boring Read more>>

Candace Williams

I don’t really have a story but I just wanted to talk about how I never knew what I wanted to do as a career because I’ve had so many different interests. The beauty industry has always appealed to me, however I just couldn’t pinpoint what exactly. When I first went to beauty school, I studied cosmetology and I learned quickly that hair just wasn’t for me. So I took a break from school for a while until the day I got my first facial and it was quite life-changing. Read more>>

Rob Lantz

I believe it’s really important for the community to support the arts because it adds to the richness of our cultural and social experiences through promoting creativity, diversity, and new ideas. I started R Gallery to create a space that would showcase the incredible talents of Colorado artists while providing a welcoming environment for locals and visitors alike. Read more>>

Chantel Jones Bigby

My personal mission of cultivating a culture of joy and wellness within my community is deeply personal for me. Although my business Joy Juice Culture is a vehicle for this mission to serve others, the essence of my work has saved my life in so many ways. I simply got to a point in my life where I was not mentally, spiritually or physically well and I was suffering because of it. I struggled with health issues like chronic hypertension, Read more>>

Tony Gilbert

The International SeaKeepers Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our mission is to facilitate marine research, conservation efforts, and education by linking the yachting and boating community with the scientific and academic communities. In practice, this means that scientists can get out on the water to conduct the field research that is needed to learn more about the current state of our marine ecosystems and what we can do to help protect or restore it. Read more>>

Pamala Rhea

My mission is to teach people how to heal themselves to prevent suicide. My husband suffered from deep depressive mood swings and social anxiety, he committed suicide 12 yrs ago and if I knew the techniques then, I am sure I could have saved him. In utilizing the techniques I have learned I can officially say I have saved a life of another person so far and helped many others that were working through very traumatic stress filled situations. We are not taught these tools as kids nor did our parents have healing techniques to pass on through the generations. Read more>>

Iesshia Thomas

The mission behind my photography business is to show the beauty of the world and the people surrounding us on a daily basis hoping to bring a different perspective. Also, I have a podcast called Authentically Speaking and I am able to shed light on different topics; for instance, motherhood, entrepreneurship, relationships, and more. I would love to spread awareness and create understanding through my experiences , as well as, others. I believe my story/experiences or thoughts will be able to help others who may be going through similar situations. Read more>>

Melissa Lewis

I suppose I view myself as someone that loves to discover and explore new things, places, and foods and I feel like social media is a great vehicle to share those experiences. While I definitely channel that through my international travels, I have never believed that I need to go abroad in order to have the experience of discovery and exploration. Read more>>