We’ve always tried to ask the questions that matter but that are too awkward for people to ask their friends, family and coworkers without seeming dramatic. One of those questions is about mission and purpose – when’s the last time you asked a friend what their mission was? Too often we don’t talk about our own missions and don’t ask those close to us about theirs with the result being that our missions remain secret. Are you just a doctor or are you a doctor who wants to be there for patients in the way you wished your father’s doctor had been? People have incredible and meaningful missions, and we hope our conversations asking folks about their mission can inspire more such conversations in your life.

Matt Kasee

Trilogy Fitness Systems was started after a couple of career idea shifts in grad school. I was working as a personal trainer and realized a big gap in the fitness world. Fitness has historically been very exclusionary and not the most welcoming environment. I wanted to change that and create a truly welcoming and fun space. Trilogy exists so that people can build themselves up and in turn build those around them up in a fun and supportive environment. Read more>>

Brett holverstott

When I was 18, after my first year of college, I flew to the island of Rhodes, Greece to spend the summer at the studio of an artist. Michael Newberry was a “representational” artist who painted figures, nudes, landscapes, and still-lifes, and was constantly experimenting with color pastels to find new combinations of vibrant colors. He then translated that vibrancy into his large oil paintings, some of which took years. Read more>>

Trent Grayson

Taking risks & defining the odds also is a breaking light bulb that symbolizes how each person light in life shines differently from one another.In my life I have obstacles that i never imagine happen for myself, but we don’t have that luxury of knowing what is giving in life it’s self, but I’m glad went through odds for it change me and help me learn & make my faith stronger and turn it to a brand to inspire others in life. Read more>>

Meg McNoble

Our mission is to promote healthy dental habits at a young age. As part of this mission, for every kit sold, we donate one toothbrush to organizations across the country that promote pediatric dental hygiene. Read more>>

Jarrett Maloy

Mission: To Create Sweet Memories While Being of Service To The Community. The story starts with me playing baseball at Southern Universirty in Baton Rouge, LA. There I was also one who enjoyed participating in the community service events. I started to see the influence and impact we would have on the youth, simply because we were baseball players and role models in their eyes…not everyone on the team had the same feeling. Read more>>

Jenni Lynn Patterson-LaCour

My name is Jenni Lynn Patterson-LaCour and I am a Midwestern girl at heart. I grew up very active and involved in several sports, but my love of water developed at a young age when I would play Little Mermaid under the pool water for hours on end. Thankfully my parents enrolled me in swim team and from there I became a lifeguard, swim instructor and swim coach. Read more>>

Lamia Haley

My business partner, Kristen O’Meally, is also my older sister. We started Kids for Culture in 2020. At the time, she was a preschool director and I was a soon-to-be-mom who was recently laid off due to the pandemic. We started Kids for Culture because we felt there was a need for good and hope in the world during a time of uncertainty. The pandemic brought about sudden adjustments by parents, educators and children alike. Read more>>

Racquel Walters

I knew even before all these successes that my 9-5 was not enough as far as me living out my multi-passions as well as how much money I could make. Even with overtime, I would earn a little more but this would also result in a cap in how much I could make. Read more>>

Christina Hugie

I received salvation through Jesus Christ in 1995 due to a very real encounter with Him. I received an intimate, tangible, powerful touch from Heaven that changed my life forever. Because of that encounter I continued to pursue getting to know the Creator. Since becoming a Christian I have also been confronted with the reality that much of the “church” has not represented the ONE that they claim to serve. I have found that there are many hypocrites as well as many with simply a lack of maturity and understanding. Read more>>

Tina Solak

I’ve always considered myself to be an environmentalist, but the meaning of that word has changed for me over time. When I was little, being an environmentalist meant not littering. When I was in my 20s, it meant recycling, composting and bringing my own bags to the store. Read more>>

Abi Swanson

This brand sentibyabi came originally from my small obsession with rewatching snapchat memories and looking through old videos, I alway love to go back and remember the happy moments traveling and with friends. I wanted to use the brand as a reminder for people to see the phrases on my clothing and remember those small moments. Read more>>

Teresa Comí Sansa

My personal mission is to create products, services and experiences that allow people to live happier, healthier lives. I do this in two different ways: as a Product Consultant and Business Designer, I guide mission-driven entrepreneurs to create products that deeply connect with their customers. At Caeli, I create the products myself co-creating with my partner, our community and artisans and designers. Read more>>

Claudia Middendorf

OUR MISSION Mathilde makes unique heirloom linen quilts inspired by a love of discovery. Each quilt is an uncovering of delights; incredible softness, intricate surface details, and delightfully modern designs. The Mathilde mission; We make quilts for the home decor that enriches people’s lives. Our vision; elevating the joy of sleep, enhancing the comfort of soft textiles, and making exceptional handcrafted textiles meant for everyday use that will last generations. Read more>>

Melissa Keyser

Growing up, we {women} are told not to stand out. If we want our photos taken, we’re told not to be the center of attention. If we like how we look, we’re told we are vain. We have messaging shoved down our throats that we must look a certain way in order to be worthy. Read more>>

Keesha Clark

Born Noir, LLC is a mission-driven cosmetic company celebrating Blackness and genderless beauty. We aim to uplift and empower communities of too often neglected and underrepresented in the beauty industry. Our ultimate mission: To become a global brand creating safe spaces and healing venues for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ folx and allies in the form of self care and nail care salons. Read more>>

Emma & Rebecca

Our mission is to make our clients’ most important days also their most enjoyable, stress free, and celebratory moments. We knew from the start that our customer service would set us apart from the rest of the industry. We focused on that and never looked back. What makes a wedding beautiful can be very subjective. One person’s sleek modern might seem sharp and cold to a couple that was dreaming of a ceremony in the meadow. Read more>>

LeeAnna Tatum

I first became concerned about food production in America when I was working on my capstone project while completing my Master’s Degree in Public Administration. The project included creating a virtual nonprofit – mine was devoted to animal welfare. During the process, I met someone who was an animal advocate and challenged my views on eating meat. Read more>>

Bo Cole

I have an interest in being recognized everywhere I go for being the one that delivers accurate weather with a unique twist. No matter who it is that I run into, I want to be known for this. I also have a mission to be one of the most accurate Meteorologists around. There are different levels of achievement, brains, and smarts in this business. It takes a blend of all of these things to be recognized and remembered for doing a great job. Read more>>

Jon Harewood

I’ve been experimenting with flavors and menu variations since waist-high next to my grandmother. She was the first great cook to show me just what went into making memorable meals, and it was her guidance that taught me that food needs flavor, variation and soulful inspiration. At Jonnybaby BBQ, our goal is to provide a unique customer experience! How do we define that? Read more>>

Diane Mejia

During my academic time at The French Pastry School, I learned that I had celiac disease. I felt devastated because the world turned upside down at that moment, however, my instructors supported me during this time and gave me the resources on how to manage this disease. I learned the ins and outs of baking with different flours and eventually started working with vegan ingredients as well. Read more>>

Christina Kirkey

Pinup Studio was a dream my father and I had when I was in cosmetology school at 18 years old. While in cosmetology school my father unfortunately took his life which left me kind of in limbo on what to do next. I debated not going back because I had so many emotions much of which were anger. I did end up finishing and working at multiple salons in the area for about 4-5 years learning what I liked and didn’t like about salons and how I would one day run my own. Read more>>

Monica O’Neil

Have you ever been struck by lightning? Not literally, but figuratively? All of a sudden you have a “Eureka!” moment and things look different. It happened to me a few years while I was, of all the mundane things, shopping for wrapping paper. With 3 children, a husband and very large extended family, I was planning to wrap a lot of presents. While at the cashier with a cart full of wrapping paper, bows, ribbon and tape, I had a vision: bags and bags of garbage on Christmas morning. Read more>>

James Calmese Jr

Diving into music, most people believe they have to be somewhere major. You know, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, or Miami to name a few. Big reason I chose to explore the music business being from a small market is to prove to creatives, you don’t need the reputation of those large cities to do it big. Read more>>

Suzy Collins

I have two main goals for my photography business: to help people feel confident in front of the camera AND to help them feel confident behind their own. First let’s chat confidence in front of the camera. Getting in front of the camera comes more naturally to some than others, but every one carries some kind of insecurity, fear, or uncertainty heading into a photoshoot. As the photographer, Read more>> 

J’Bria Iyalla

Coming from a home where all I heard was negative comments. Always being told that I was not going to be anything. Struggling with my self esteem. Being in a very long, toxic relationship. I want to help others that have dealt with trauma understand there is more to life. Their current situation is not their final destination. Read more>>

Jillian Medford

I grew up taking summer trips to visit relatives in Minnesota, where my great-uncle kept bees at the family lake cabin. I loved watching my uncle work in his apiary and, to this day, swear that no honey I’ve tasted since will ever be quite as delicious as that sweet liquid gold we would take home at the end of our Minnesota summers. Read more>>

Laura Villa

My name is Laura Villa, I am wife and mother of 3 beautiful boys. I was born and raised in Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico until I was nine years old. In 2001 my family and I migrated to the U.S. looking for the “American Dream”. Now I am a proud DACA recipient, a Dreamer who is pursuing her American Dream of becoming a small business owner. Read more>>

San Griffin

As the Author of Black Hair Love, Black Hair Love for Preschoolers, and Black Hair Love for Teens and Up books, I wanted to create books that affirmed all black hair is beautiful hair. Moreover, all shades of black and brown are beautiful. The late great Toni Morrison said, “If you don’t see the book you want to read, then you should write it.” Therefore, I did! Read more>>

Patrece Wright

My mission is to help postpartum mamas of color reclaim their identities and live their lives authentically and passionately through personal style. After becoming a mama, I experienced some rude awakenings… I had undiagnosed postpartum depression, living in a city/state with no family, struggling to breastfeed and I just felt so unprepared, traumatized and neglected. I knew that I couldn’t just live in that space, and I had to find a way to “get back to me.” My personal style was my outlet. Read more>>

Shanda Amundsen

I worked in Nursing and Clinical IT at the Cleveland Clinic for 24 years. I have always had a passion for Health and Wellness as well as Alternative Medicine. Throughout the years, I studied holistic medicine, gained experience during my career and implemented natural medicine into my everyday life. My passion always led me to share the positive impact of natural medicine with friends, family, and others. Read more>>

Cherise Moreno

I have such a passion for helping people push past their comfort zones with food, exploring new flavors and new areas of town. Being able to bring restaurants and customers together is truly the best part of what we do. Read more>>

Monique Green

My inspiration/mission came from wanting to enhance my own beauty. I’m a full time makeup-artist and I enjoy helping women become their best! I wanted to offer women everything in one location when it came to cosmetics. If I’m using certain products on my clients of different brands why not offer my own brand of products. Read more>>

Marisa Carducci

At SOAK, we believe in More Self-Care, Less Chemicals. Growing up with sensitive skin along with having a love for bath products was a challenge. It was hard to find fun products that did not dry out or irritate my skin. I️ found that others were in a similar predicament. I️ began to learn more about skincare ingredients and earned my biological sciences degree to have a better understanding of how various ingredients interact with our bodies. Read more>>

Kyle Credle

The mission is to create and have our positive music in the mainstream in hopes to change the culture which is inspired by a lot of violence. We want to normalize positive, inspirational and uplifting music in our own sonic way. Read more>>

Jasmine Golden

The story behind my mission is simple…legacy! A legacy not only for my children but for my community. Growing up and living in an environment where I’m always seen as the minority its important to show my children and others around me that anything is possible even when there may be so-called “limitations” that others may not face. Read more>>