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.

Robyn Lopez

My mission to open a café was because I grew up in my family business a bakery/pizzeria for my whole life. I Always wanted to cook in a small setting with all fresh food nothing frozen. Read more>>

Ekaterina Evdokimova

Since childhood I have had 2 greatest passions: languages and literature. But it has never been a part of my job. When I moved to the USA 6 years ago, I wanted to pursue a new career, but it was hard to figure out what exactly to do. Read more>>

Ashmi Patel

My mission is to support individuals, particularly undiagnosed and late-diagnosed ADHD women, in finding their voice, agency, and confidence to live a life that aligns with their values and desires. Read more>>

Michelle Barnes

My mission as a creative producer is to create and tell meaningful, true, authentic stories of people of color by people of color. Most of my stories derive from real life experiences. Read more>>

Antonella Carlevaro Rossi

I am an Italian goldsmith and jewelry designer who owned a jewelry boutique in Italy, a family business known for our handmade jewelry. Read more>>

Tiku ‘Mello’ Fisher

Growing up in a culturally diverse community, I witnessed firsthand the power of storytelling in fostering empathy and understanding among different groups. Read more>>

Régine Théodat

I am 100% Haitian and 100% American, and I cannot remember a time when I didn’t fiercely love my Haitian background. I grew up in the US but always felt a pullback to Haiti. Read more>>

Caroline Giammanco

I came to writing later in life. I’ve worked as a junior high and high school English teacher my entire career, and I was a capable writer, but I never felt the need to publish until I 2013. Read more>>

Jamillah Hankerson

Mix It Up Body Products LLC is a company on the belief that everyone deserves to smell amazing while using natural skincare products. Read more>>

Michael Mayers

The story behind my mission seemingly came to me. I didn’t really want to be a prep coach. I was asked to do it so many times to help people that it became something that I couldn’t turn down after a while. Read more>>

Dannie Zhou

At Moss and Gear, we strive to blend functionality and style seamlessly in our outdoor products. Our journey began with a simple observation of the shortcomings in existing winter neck gaiters and a determination to provide a solution. Read more>>

Austin Brent

I have always had a deep love for “old things” as well as painting. American traditional tattooing (to me) is just an extension of that. This serves as a tangible way to be constantly creating something new while also keeping the history/ culture alive with every piece. Read more>>

Jena Rangnow

Beam Wellness emerged from a unique background and personal wellness triumph intertwined with my fascination for innovation and caring for my grandmother during her debilitating battle with arthritis. Read more>>

Aysha Cantin

My mission is to make a successful photography business that can be on the lower income side all while still making enough to provide for me and my daughter. Read more>>

Brock Thomas

Back in 2018, I randomly reached out to a friend, Mike Nash who had just moved onto campus for his freshman year. We had gone to the same highschool and shared mutual friends but never really talked personally. Read more>>

Victoria Hamilton

My love for events and accommodations began in childhood with my maternal grandparents. My Grammy Bryant loved to entertain and my Poppy Bryant became blind in the last decade of his life. Read more>>

Lani Dizon

When I first delved into the realm of Bitcoin and blockchain technology back in 2011, the landscape was daunting, even for seasoned entrepreneurs, let alone the average individual. Read more>>

Tiffany Perry

My mission behind my business is to make kids and their families smile. From hospital visits to home visits it’s been nothing but success. I started my business in 2011 just as a hobby. Read more>>

Bridgette Simmonds

The world as we know it is crumbling. By most accounts, this would be terrifying news. But to those of us called to be coaches, healers and guides – this is our time to serve and shine! Read more>>

Tiffany Walker

As a mother of four boys, I understand the value of not only a buck but also the importance of the stretch value. The story behind our mission is to provide stylish affordable Scrubs Uniforms that’s available to everyone! Read more>>

Cyndy McDonald

My mission as an educator and entrepreneur started early. I had a desire to go on in my education. I would be the first person in my family to get a college degree. Read more>>

Noni Garrett

One year ago, on March 25th, 2023, I launched my small business. Initially, doubts swirled in my mind, questioning whether this endeavor was the right choice and whether my community would show interest. Read more>>

Erik Huberman

Hawke Media’s strength lies in our team of experts, showcasing our capacity to enhance marketing effectiveness significantly. We are committed to delivery top-tier marketing services characterized by transparency and a client-first approach. Read more>>

Colette Colclough

The Forward Women’s Leadership Forum is a community of empowered women, united by our connections and resources, dedicated to uplifting our families, communities, and lives. The three pillars of the Forward Women’s Leadership Forum are: Read more>>

Eryn Gilson

EGC Marketing’s mission revolves around supporting small businesses and mission-driven organizations to enhance their digital presence and amplify their impact. Read more>>

Laura Pytlik

In an era of mass produced products and giant online stores, the artists and small makers have a difficult time being seen and getting their work in front of potential customers. Read more>>

Jaida Owens

When it comes to my creative services, my mission is to be able to help a person, brand or company reach their highest potential. Read more>>

Cortney Wade

C.A. Vision media has a mission to challenge and inspire people to see the vision of every single production we film and our heart behind each production. Read more>>

Ashley Riley

As a singer songwriter and performing artist my main mission is connection. I believe that expressing ourselves creatively through art and music is what helps us to relate to and understand each other. Read more>>

Stephanie Hicks

My mission as a boudoir photographer is to help empower women. It’s very healing for me to help women gain their self confidence and gain self love within themselves. Read more>>

K Ashley

At Designing With Ashley, we believe in the power of creation to transform lives. Our mission is to educate, empower, and entertain by crafting digital masterpieces that not only capture life’s precious milestones but also inspire and guide. Read more>>

Alli Ball

I’ve found my calling as a food business consultant and certified coach, and my passion for providing everyone the access to the knowledge and tools they need to give their CPG business a real shot at success. Read more>>

Courtney Currie

The Kid Connection was born of Covid. Seeing children work day in and day out from screens, hearing parents’ frustration over the distraction, the lack of connection, and lag in services that were able to be offered opened the doors to what is now a place where all children can come as they are to receive the support that they need. Read more>>

Michelle WIlliams

My official business name is Kingdom Business Daily LLC, and I do business as Shiloah Doula. KBD’s mission is to provide Christian services for Kingdom Building disciples and to encourage sustained faith in Christ for all who are seeking His Love. Read more>>

Sonja Beal

My Story behind my Mission is Being Successful , It’s So hard Being a Minority in this Field Coming From POVERTY, Growing up being the Baby outta 7, Read more>>

Sean Ranney

The mission at UpReach CrossFit is to fight the diseases of modernity. Whether that be, diabetes, obesity, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure etc. We do this through professional coaching and education. Read more>>

Jordan Westman

Everything in life is a combination of art and science, we bring this approach to the way serve our clients. We believe the most successful brands are created by bringing clarity, authenticity and innovation to their big ideas. Read more>>

Sara Elise Stephens

Unorthodox Floral and Film is a business that grew from a passion. In 1984, my mother graduated from High School and was gifted a Canon AE-1 Program Film Camera. Read more>>

Mana Shaw-Rodriguez

My page and mission is to bring more visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. I want to show that you can live a “normal” life as a same-sex married couple with kid(s). Read more>>

Kelvin Louie

Kelvin Louie of KL Integrity Group is on a mission to help people learn about real estate. The team is dedicated to educating first-time home buyers or sellers, guiding them through the process of buying or selling real estate with trust and confidence. Read more>>

Josh Storlie

Our main goal, our mission, at Pawstin Barkery is creating and sharing moments of joy with our fellow Austin pet owners. Read more>>

Tadashi Nakazawa

Our mission is to open a Japanese food restaurant in Dallas, focusing on comfort foods like ramen and curry. Despite the abundance of Japanese restaurants in Dallas, Read more>>