Winning often looks like a long trail of losses that were too weak to keep you down. We are beyond inspired by the stories below. Resilience cannot capture the true nature of what so many of these entrepreneurs, artists and creatives possess and there is so much to learn from the folks highlighted below.

Quania Jones

I was born in the city of San Francisco, California, and spent part of my childhood in the Fillmore district. Growing up, I was always surrounded by entertainment – my mom was a model and a hip hop dancer/stepper, and my dad is a street legend. I attended Saint Anthony’s Catholic school, but the turning point in my life came when we visited a public elementary school that featured a popular play. I was only 6 or 7 years old, but in that moment, I knew exactly what I wanted to do! From then on, I immersed myself in every dance, theater, and music program I could find, all the way through college. At 12, my cousin invited me to be in a fashion show, and as soon as I stepped onto the runway, I felt an overwhelming rush, much like the thrill of theater. I was hooked! I started connecting with various photographers, and one of them asked me to be his muse. We collaborated for years, and he taught me so much. Read more>>

Ivy Caldwell of Footprint Enterprises, LLC

It has always been a desire of mine to write children’s books. While in prayer one morning the Holy Spirit said to me, “You can’t skip over your story.” I had to sit there for a few minutes to think about what is my story. Then the Holy Spirit said, “Your story will authenticate the children’s book series that is yet to come forth”. I told the Lord yes that I would tell me story. This is where it all began back in 2021 I began putting pen to paper and writing my story. The unthinkable happened to me on my ninth birthday. I was molested and over several years I struggled with low self-esteem, bullying, hating who I was, not liking my name and I was that quiet kid who always seemed to get picked on. Read more>>

Mrs. Priscilla Ramcharan’s Story

Being a wife and mother, an author, a teacher, a non-profit founder, and an entrepreneur have all been possible with the support, encouragement, and belief from the circle of amazing people in my life. I have always wanted to be a wife and mother, and am grateful to have started earlier on in life in order for our family to grow together. While I had always tutored and had teaching positions early on, it wasn’t until I had our children that teaching gradually became my profession as I began teaching at the schools they attended. And, while I had always loved the creative writing process, it wasn’t until I had our children that publishing became a reality. We’ve always told made-up stories to each other. Then, one day, my children and I decided that our stories are amazing and we should try to publish them. Read more>>

Emily Hart Lopez of HartHeals Productions

My name is Emily Hart Lopez. I was born and raised in Charleston, S.C (and a little bit in Texas too). I went to college in N.C, and have been living in NYC for 8 years now as a freelancer and arts worker. I was raised in a really loving and warm home, and have had to overcome some health struggles and various unknowns (as we all do in different ways). Overall, I feel I have a very blessed life. I have loved the arts since I was a little girl and it has been one of my greatest life sources outside of my loved ones and morals/belief systems. I’m very thankful to work as a professional dancer, actor, and dance teacher for so many years. I feel my life is so much more full as an artist, it constantly challenges me, and I believe I am able to do good in the world through this path. The arts have given me a strong sense of community throughout the course of my life, which I believe is essential to the human condition. I know some pretty incredible humans from all around the world, love traveling, food, and culture. I am still fighting to pave my way for a better quality of life for myself (also, hopefully for my future family one day). My rooting forces in life are having a strong sense of integrity, staying connected to kind and loving individuals, and living by a growth mindset. Read more>>

Nancy Benter’s Story

When I entered the corporate world 13 years ago, I hid a significant part of my life: my son Josiah’s congenital cataracts. At the time, I feared being labeled as “a working parent with a child who has medical needs.” I worried employers would see me as a liability—less productive, more absent. And in some ways, my strategy worked. But today, I see how damaging this perception is—not just for parents but also for workplaces that fail to see the value caretakers bring. The truth is people in caregiving roles develop critical, transferable skills: strategic decision-making, relationship-building, negotiation, and advocacy. These are the very skills that drive success in the workplace. Read more>>

Monica Desai of Dolo & Co

With over a decade of experience in the real estate industry, I had held several executive marketing positions across luxury residential real estate markets in New York, Miami, and San Francisco. I was lucky to experience a range of markets and products – on one hand, I served as the Director of Marketing and Leasing for a 7,000-unit multi-family project in New York, and later in my career, I worked as the VP of Marketing for the #1 luxury real estate broker in Miami-Dade, the highly regarded and awarded Dora Puig. Journeying from New York to Miami Beach to San Francisco, I remained dedicated to my career as a real estate marketer. It was something I had a keen curiosity for and something I felt very comfortable with. I combined my comprehensive understanding of marketing strategy for this niche industry and start a marketing agency I called Dolo & Co, named after the infamous Dolores Park in San Francisco (a space that I’ve turned to for much of my creative idea generation!)  Read more>>

Mary Ahern

I am living the dream. Currently, I am a working artist showing my work in a great array of venues and connected to a community of other professional women artists who share their work and support each other’s efforts. As a way of paying it forward, I am the Chair of Public Relations for the National Association of Women Artists, which was established in 1889 and is the first professional women’s artist organization founded in the US. Now I can use my extensive marketing experience to help empower other women artists by promoting their work and to help them develop the skills needed to advance themselves towards their own personal goals. Read more>>

Daddy Doyenne

Last time I spoke to you, I told the story of how I was introduced to the BDSM lifestyle at `17, was a submissive first, then realized I prefer Dominance. My first Dom was my boss at the tattoo shop where I apprenticed and 37 years my senior. My fellow submissives and other partners in my first polycule were respectively 16 and 5 years older as well. From age 18 on, I dreamt of being a professional Dominatrix. I began to work in the adult entertainment industry in 2019, but finally took the leap to monetize my Dominance after my grandmother’s passing in 2020. Not only did all my other sources of income get put on pause during the pandemic, but I founded my business, The Kinky Kafe in 2021. Read more>>

Pam Uzzell

In my mid-forties, I found myself going through my second divorce. It was a low point. Not because the marriage was ending—that was a relief. Instead, I was left sitting with the thought that I had married two people that I knew were wrong for me. And I had no idea why. I realized that the story I had been telling myself up until that point wasn’t working. With the help of a great therapist, I began sifting through all the moments in my life when, rather than trusting my own wisdom about what I wanted, I had instead looked for outside confirmation. This, in turn, started me on a long journey of discovery about what it means to be adopted and the kinds of unexamined baggage I carried. Like most parents, my adopted parents weren’t perfect, but they were good parents. If you had asked them if I cared what other people thought of me, they would have laughed and said, ‘Absolutely not!’ In fact, nothing was further from the truth. I spent decades of my life questioning my self-worth and constantly looking for confirmation of my value from those around me. I remember my mother saying, ‘I can’t ever imagine you being married.’ What she meant was that I was independent. What I heard was, ‘You’re not loveable.’ When my first marriage ended, it was easy to blame it all on my ex-husband. Going through the torturous process of dividing community property in my second divorce, I realized that the only house I needed to get in order was my own. Read more>>

Robert Clarke

I was a kid who drew , I liked painting ,I saw stuff and i copied it on to paper , school was fun the art classes were a playground but most students just played in the class Didn’t learn art ,just messed about , the class was like a free for all …
I felt for the teacher …but he was a good teacher and I learned and he guided me to understand art as a form of communication..50 years on it was pivotal in my future Read more>>

Michael Cantres’s Story

Hello, my name is Michael Cantres, and I’m a local artist/spoken word poet, a blogger, and a comic book artist! I’m currently working on an eBook, which will be done by the end of 2024! I got to where I am today with perseverance, and prayer alone! I know it sounds cliche, however prayer helps, as God will always spin the block for his universe! To get personal – I went through a Somatic healing, without seeking a shaman to assist me, however I did seek a shaman for a different reason, and now that God came down to speak to me, I don’t need any other assistance, other than The Lord! Read more>>

Westin Means

While studying finance at Cal State East Bay, I developed my love for financial mathematics and analytics and initially wanted to become a financial analyst. However, after carefully considering it, I decided I wouldn’t be fulfilled spending most of my working hours behind a desk. My next logical career choice was being a financial advisor, which aligned with my goal of bringing more financial education to the world but would also allow me to be on my feet more than at a desk. While growing up in the Bay Area, I noticed many of my peers had no financial goals or plans to own real estate, and I sincerely wanted to change that. Like many others, I learned nothing about financial education in public school. Still, I was lucky enough to have parents who moved into their first duplex in Berkeley with me in the early nineties when I was about one year old. Because I had observed my own family investing in real estate, I thought that if I was going to become a financial advisor, I better get my real estate license since buying real estate (in my view) was a vital part of a well-diversified portfolio. So, while I studied for the Series 7 General Securities Exam, I simultaneously studied for my real estate license and passed the California real estate exam on the first try. Shortly after getting my license, I joined a team (TEAMFAST), stuck with them for several years, and have been solo for almost two years. Read more>>

Romy Nordlinger

I’m an NYC based Actor, Writer, Teaching Artist and Audiobook Narrator. In other words, I’m a storyteller. I believe that the sharing of our experience of being human – our frailties, strengths, joys, fears, triumphs and terrors – helps to bring light to our human condition, and leads us to empathy, awareness and empowerment. Nothing will replace the human voice, the human touch, the human word, and the human heart. In a growingly virtual and isolating world, stories are the cornerstone of humanity. Read more>>

Madelyn Howard

I’ve always considered myself an artist. In school I always took the extra art courses, it’s always been my passion. I was so honored to once again be asked to participate in the Rockland Arts Festival hosted in Rockland County NY. I was born and raised in Rockland. To be considered and to have my art displayed amongst other wonderful talent truly is an honor. It’s something I really enjoy and am passionate about so it’s wonderful to be recognized for my work. Read more>>

Latara Hardnett

How I started birthed to the most amazing woman in the world Eula Mae Love. Growing up in a very dysfunctional home with abuse to graduating high school with a single mother and an incarcerated father to all of the pass killing my mother and being a motherless and fatherless child. I endured so much. I always felt that I wasn’t good enough or ashamed as a child BUT God. I started working with youth that were troubled. They had behavioral problems and some mental health issues. That provided me with something to live for instead of dying for nothing. I worked for Mental Health from 1995-2002, I then began working for Auburn City Schools. I endured abuse from what was supposed to be my high school sweetheart emotional physical all of it. It took the most amazing gift from God to transform my life My Laila. After years of abuse I left and started my life as a single mother but I never looked back. I left my house a dream house from the outside. A beautiful pool, hot tub, the most adorable boxer and moved to an undisclosed location in Auburn. From there I found myself and my true identity. It took years of struggles raising a child on my own with no child support to the woman i am today. I put my daughter thru LSU with little to no assistance. Own an amazing boutique Eula Mae’s after my mother who died of heart failure when I was just 18. Laila and I did it. I am a local realtor and today as I write this I will be getting a 25 year pin for working at Auburn City Schools. Read more>>

Nkiru Emelle

My name is Nkiru Emelle. I’m 24 years old. When I began my relationship with music, I was only a baby. To sing has always been an unfettered aspect of my life. My mother would sing Igbo hymnals and christian rock; my father had a collection of pop and disco cds that I would paw through for hours; every sunday throughout my life I would join my tribe in my church to sing, and for as long as I can remember, I have never been shy to open up and sing my song. When I was 8 years old, my father passed on the tradition that all his children would play an instrument. By this point it was clear I had a crush on music, I sang every song I could remember and wrote playful melodies in my notebooks; I sang so much my siblings would tell me “Who sang the song? Let them sing it!” I started with the violin. I dabbled in the recorder, and the flute. Eventually I landed on the piano. It took me some time to commit to her. I began with classical lessons, accompanied by a short stint in ballet classes, but my soul longed to sing a song special to me, and dance a funkier dance. Read more>>

Pingnan Lu’s Story

I’m Pingnan Lu, a visual creator who focuses on illustration and comics. I started reading picture books when I was very young and then switched to reading comics when I was 6 years old. Later, I bought around 500 physical comic books, comic magazines, and illustration collections in past years, which laid the foundation for my life to become a visual creator. I have been working hard to get closer to my dream step by step, spending a lot of time honing my skills. So far, I received lots of recognition in my field. Read more>>

Jamie Ruiz

Back in 2012, I was a broke law student. I had little money to spend on the “extras” like facials, spa treatments, and massages. As a hobby, my classmates and I starting DIY’ing skincare, mostly sugar scrubs, to exchange with each other as a means of self care. I found that working with my hands provided great relief from studying. During this time, my brother had been battling an addiction to opiates. Matt was in his early 20’s when he shattered his heel and was prescribed prescription pain killers. At that time, the over-prescrisptrion of pain killers was rampant, but taking place under the radar. Matt became addicted to prescription pain killers as a freshman in college. His life took a sharp left turn after that. He was unable to attend his first semester in college due to his injury and had to switch schools the upcoming semester. Matt’s addiction took him to dark places in the upcoming years and he became unrecognizable both inside and out. Read more>>

Yadira Alvarado

I discovered my passion for event planning when I began organizing my daughter’s birthday parties each year. I enjoy creating all the arts and crafts myself. As a result of this, one of my closest friends asked me to plan their baby shower. I was able to bring all her visions to life and even exceed her expectations. Fast forward 12 years later, during the Covid pandemic, I delved deeper into balloon styling through research and found myself completely immersed in it. I decided to open a social media account to showcase my work and see what it could bring. Here we are, each day working to grow our small dreams into bigger ones. Read more>>

Jocelyn Russell

Art has always been a significant part of my life. I attended art school, always made art, and taught art for many years. However, it wasn’t until I became a part of the Mother Creatrix Collective, a fantastic group of artist mothers, that I experienced a significant shift in my art career. This incredibly supportive group of talented mother artists has been a catalyst for change, pushing me to show my work more regularly and in a broader range of galleries. The collective has also opened doors for me to curate shows, a role I find incredibly rewarding and look forward to doing more of. Read more>>

Tina Ramaci

Our story began with a simple, heartfelt mission: to create the coziest, softest pajamas for little ones while making a meaningful impact on our community. As a mom who knows the importance of comfort and quality, I wanted to provide other parents with pajamas that I would feel proud to dress my own children in. It all started in my living room, where I began designing and testing fabrics to make a the most comfortable baby headband that doesn’t leave an imprint. After countless cups of coffee and late-night sewing sessions, Tiny Knot Co. was born. With a lot of passion and a dash of mom magic, we launched our first collection in 2021, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Read more>>

Srimanju Katragadda of Experience Healing LLC

My journey with Reiki began when my youngest daughter was three months old. Struggling with reflux and sleepless nights, she found little relief. During a visit to a friend’s place, he recognized her pain and offered Reiki, a form of energy healing. Within weeks, her pain started to subside, and subsequent sessions helped her overcome her health issues completely. Witnessing these positive changes in my daughter sparked a deep interest in Reiki. I quickly enrolled in Reiki training and now, I teach and practice Reiki with wider groups. My own story is a testament to the effectiveness of this healing modality. Since then, I have expanded my knowledge by learning various healing therapies, including Akashic Records Reading, Angelic healing, Seichem Reiki, Serving Cacao Plant medicine Read more>>

Nicole Kelner

Growing up, I always loved art. I took every art class I could in high school, but was a bit too practical to consider art as a career. At college, I studied elementary education for my first 2 years before pivoting to study communications. After I graduated, I co-founded a kids coding program. We sold that in 2019 and I decided I wanted to work in climate after that. I had no experience in the climate world, so I dove into learning as much as I could! After a year of self-studying, I landed my first climate job. As a fun little creative project I decided to paint a watercolor a day for 100 days. I started with doodles, then focused on painting climate solutions. I shared on social media daily and gained thousands of followers in the first few months. Then I started receiving requests for commissions and private art workshops. I fell in love with the art I was making, how much I was learning about climate solutions, and the wonderful people I was connecting with. Read more>>

Brent H. Robinson’s Story

I am a bestselling author of mystery novels, despite being only 23 years old. Throughout my writing career, I have delved into the realm of intrigue and suspense, crafting captivating stories that keep readers on the edge of their seats. As I sit down for this interview, I am reminded of the journey that has led me to where I am today. It all began with a passion for storytelling and a relentless determination to share my imagination with the world. From humble beginnings, I honed my craft, pouring countless hours into perfecting my writing skills and creating gripping narratives. Through dedication and perseverance, I slowly but surely made a name for myself in the literary world. Today, I am grateful for the opportunity to entertain readers with my thrilling tales, and I look forward to continuing to grow and evolve as a writer. Read more>>

Dreambiig

DREAMBIIG is a creative duo comprised of solo artists YawnyBlew and amir. Connecting at the tail end of the pandemic, our mutual influences and instant dynamic made us fast friends and collaborators. A series of one-off remixes quickly evolved into a full-length album and several EPs over the course of two years. We named our project DREAMBIIG because, as plus-sized, Black queer creatives, we connected over not seeing ourselves in the media growing up, with the exception of acts like Missy Elliot. That early 90s influence, combined with our love of 2000s pop music, inspired an album that serves as a love letter to our younger selves and a collection of anthems encouraging marginalized voices. Read more>>

Sarah And Aggie At Yeti Confetti Kids of Yeti Confetti Kids

Aggie: Having been born and raised in Hong Kong and nurtured by Japanese animation, I have always been fascinated by the idea of working as an artist in the animation industry. However, Hong Kong lacks an art school dedicated to animation or concept art, making this dream seem more like an unattainable fantasy than a realistic goal. It wasn’t until I moved to the US at 18 that this idea became more feasible. Coming from a low-income family in both Hong Kong and the US, attending a public art school was my only option. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to end up in San Francisco, close to San Jose, which has the best public school program for Graphic Design or Animation/Illustration at San Jose State University. Fast forward to 2007, I was accepted into both of their BFA programs, marking the beginning of my journey as an Artist/Concept Artist!  Read more>>

Jonathan Shapiro of Mindset Wellness

About My Journey: My entrepreneurial journey has been a diverse and fascinating one. It began on the stages of CBGBs as a rapper, later transitioning to break out success with the iconic clothing brand Ed Hardy. Following that, I ventured into founding the first fashion chain, Mixology Clothing Company – the magic was the brands inside all of which I created. Each chapter of this journey has been a stepping stone, leading to the creation of Mindset Wellness. Mindset Wellness – Choose Your Mindset:
Mindset Wellness is more than just a wellness brand; it’s a philosophy dedicated to providing individuals with the freedom to choose how they want to feel. In a world where choices are sparse, Mindset stands out by empowering people to make choices that align with their well-being. Read more>>

Tia Metaxas

For me, life really started when I believed in myself and in even my wildest dreams being possible. Especially that this belief has taken me the other side of the world; I think that that’s the point, you can start anywhere as long as you believe that what you want is possible. It is all about setting a goal and commanding your actions toward achieving that. Years of dedicated work on my crafts, practice, work on myself, strengthening my mindset and it takes a lot of planning and dedication. It also takes lots of persistence and determination, I think, to get to any point in your career or life where you feel like you’ve accomplished goals that you’re working towards. It’s a lot of hard work and passion. Read more>>

Wenqing Gu

I grew up on the quiet streets of a small town in China, where my fascination with art began. This early passion carried me from that serene environment to the dynamic world of American art, where I found new ways to express my creativity. After moving to the United States, I pursued my passion for illustration by enrolling at the Maryland Institute College of Art. This education equipped me with the skills and inspiration to explore the vast realm of digital illustration. In 2021, I made a life-changing decision to leave my job in accounting and dedicate myself entirely to illustration. This transition marked a profound shift in my mindset and lifestyle, allowing me to embrace my true calling and express myself freely through art. Since then, I’ve focused on building a body of work that reflects my journey and growth as an artist. My work has been recognized internationally, receiving accolades from competitions like 3×3, Creative Quarterly, and Applied Arts, which has been both humbling and inspiring. Read more>>

Jean Basiletti

I have been drawing and creating my whole life. As a child I think it was the only thing that I ever wanted to do, possibly the only thing that I felt fully comfortable with. Getting older it became more of an obsession, wanting to really know how good I can get, and pushing myself to draw as realistically as possible. This lead me to art school, which lead me to where I am now! I am still so much of my younger self. Offering my art when I feel like I am not worth anything else, or like I can’t ever explain my gratitude or feelings. Art is always so honest and can say it all without saying anything. Read more>>

Melissa Lohrer of Waverly Ave Consulting

I started my business sort of by accident. I was in a career transition, having built a career focused on climbing the ladder and being driven by external success. It led directly to a place of burnout and I had to re-evaluate what success looked like for me in my mid-thirties. As I started to focus on what made me happy, my business sort of found me. I was spending a lot of time expanding my relationships in the agency industry and the more I understood where the pain points were and where I could add value, the more the vision for my business became a reality. Read more>>

Angela Monique’s Story

I am a singer, songwriter, educator and entrepreneur with a passion to spread messages of encouragement , empowerment and spiritual growth. My story begins in the womb. I was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around my neck, a hole in my heart and survived two-open heart surgeries to live and tell the story. When you come into this world with a fighter’s story, you can’t help but to live with a fighter’s heart. That is the heart that drives me to reach the lost, the broken and prayerfully inspire others to do the same through my music, books and platforms to educate. Read more>>

Nelida Munnerlyn

I started out being a Makeup Artist back in 2014, I fell in love with Esthetics in 2015. When I was a makeup artist, I saw how my clients would be so happy with their results, some would even cry because for a moment I helped to fix whatever imperfections that person may had and they felt beautiful. I get the same feeling when it comes to skin care and doing facial treatments, I’m helping with those imperfections. Being a Esthetician was he best decision I’ve made in my life, the joy I get just from meeting new people, working with different skincare brands and having the opportunity to help someone else achieve their skincare goals is so rewarding and it really does warms my heart. Read more>>

Hang Him To The Scales

Hang Him To The Scales was established in Brooklyn, New York in 2021 Summer. It was a period filled with uncertainty and depression. The band was formed as a way to escape or simply keep us occupied. Like many other indie bands, we started off as a regular weekend hobby, practicing once a week while everyone else worked full-time or being full time students.After spending a year hiding away in our $180/month rehearsal studio, we started playing live shows around mid-2022. Being an all-Asian band somehow makes us stand out from the NYC indie music scene. We’ve been excited to have performed at a lot of venues (including Terminal 5 recently)in NYC and beyond including two sold-out shows as well as indie music festivals like the New Colossus Festival 2023, Moonvibez MusicFest 2023, and Bacchanalia Festival 2022. We’ve been through some roster changes and the band evolves as it continues its journey. Hang Him To The Scales currently has 7 members with Will on drum, Loto on Guitar/Vocal, Lezhang on guitar, Yena on bass, Francis on vocal/chorus, Shangguan on keyboard and Xiran on the traditional chinese instrument called Pipa. We’re proud to share our second official EP titled “You May (not) Ask” released on May 27th 2024. Read more>>

André Santana

My first year of college in the Berkshires, I’d stretch out in a field of grass the whole day and read a book in preparation for class. it was the result of procrastination, but it was also one of the only times I could throw everything out of view and commit fully to reading a text. I might have fallen in love with reading then if racing through books hadn’t exhausted me so much. Years after college, deep into a hiatus from most kinds of reading, I started again with audiobooks. It wasn’t long before I fell in love with stories fully, and with the art of storytelling. I spent the next year diving into narration until I bought a booth and set out on a journey to narrate audiobooks full-time, which I’ve been doing since 2023. As a narrator, I’m obsessed with the books I work on, ranging from emotionally transformative middle grade to prosaic and explorative adult literary fiction, and all the juicy genres in between. Read more>>

Dan Rossi of New York Hot Dog King

My introduction into business started when I built a hot dog cart for a family friend and when it was done he didn’t want it. I placed an ad in a local paper to sell it and it sold within one day. I built another then another and within ten years I owned the largest vending company in the history of New York City with 499 carts on the street. I worked very hard to grow my business. Read more>>

Bee Joy Espana’s Story

Simple Alchemy Co began with a weekend stay in a converted school bus, where my now-spouse and business partner, Col, and I realized our deep connection after eight years of friendship. Our shared interests in environmental sustainability and both having highly sensitive skin led us to start this business. Frustrated by the misleading claims of large corporations, we decided to create something genuine on our own. Col had extensive knowledge and practice in cold process soapmaking, while I brought many years of creative entrepreneurial experience. Read more>>

Erase-e

I got started by being curious about hip hop culture. Once I started writing lyrics on paper, I knew it was passion and purpose. I got where I am today by being a student of the game first. I soaked up every element of hip hop and dove right in. But it was a natural process. I love to write and hip hop influenced me to have a voice. Read more>>

Perri Salka

Having been a part of the arts community in New York for nearly 20 years, I find great joy in introducing others to the immense talent living right under our noses. When I launched The WonderMart in 2019 it quickly became the physical expression of the things I love most in this world and truly my passion project in this lifetime. Born out of a love for all things handmade and the urge to help support the immense talent living right under our noses, I connect with emerging brands and independent makers from across New York State to bring conscious consumers a unique collection of handcrafted finds for the home and body. From humble beginnings 4 years ago, selling from a small curated table at a local makers market to opening my first brick-and-mortar shop in Greenpoint in late 2022 – my business has continued to flourish year over year and I’ve shared in success with over 300 creatives (and growing)! Read more>>

Olga Ten of Upmarqt

After more than 10 years in the corporate world, I wanted to create real impact. During my corporate tenure, I discovered a unique talent for recognizing people’s strengths and recommending them to the roles they would excel in and love. One other rewarding aspect of my job was developing and conducting training, which I thoroughly enjoyed. In 2022, combining my skills in talent recognition and training, I founded Upmarqt—an AI-powered recruitment and upskilling platform. Leveraging my corporate experience, I set out to revolutionize the recruitment process by integrating advanced AI technology, aiming to make talent acquisition more efficient and personalized. We also added the upskilling element to the platform in order to create a real human connection and enable our talent to stay competitive in the market. Read more>>

Jane Dua of NUNCHI

I’ve had a decade-long career in the fine jewelry industry working for designers in the e-commerce space. I often remember the exclusivity the fashion industry perpetuated and how little women of color were represented in these spaces. During the pandemic, I wanted to advocate for the local community but felt limited in what I could do. So I started small and local. I partnered with small, immigrant and family owned suppliers that were struggling with deadstock, which would eventually go to waste. I upcycled these by taking them apart by hand and upcycling them into new in-demand products like body chain wear and sunglass chains. When I realized that my passion project could evolve into a larger vision, I started thinking about what it could look like and what it would stand for. Witnessing anti-Asian hate crimes in our community reminded me of the invisibility I longed for when I was younger. Read more>>

Misty Chaviers

My Story: A Journey of Survival and Advocacy In 1996, at just 18 years old, I found myself in a harrowing situation of severe physical and psychological abuse inflicted by someone I trusted and loved. Marriage, to me, symbolized a lifelong commitment, but the man I married—the father of my child—became my abuser. For 26 years, I carried the weight of this trauma in silence, fearing the shame and judgment of my community. In 2014, I felt a strong calling to share my story publicly. I reached out to advocates for guidance, and their encouragement helped me prepare for this next step. However, just as I began to take action, my health took a turn for the worse. I was diagnosed with lupus, endured a sudden blood transfusion, and faced the devastating failure of my lungs. For six years, I relied on oxygen and grappled with the physical and emotional toll of being disabled. Read more>>

Kristen Wiltshire’s Story

We started our work with a project called Give&Go GP. It was a pandemic-era act of kindness that inspired so much more. The Gaton Foundation is a landmark representing the ideas that we aim to ground and use to illuminate communities everywhere. Where we are today is quite different than where we were in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 so there’s forward movement and a progression of effort and form. Of course, startups need more than that and that’s where we are today as well; becoming the organization ready to build on what we’ve done already and preparing to do the next thing. Read more>>

Shannon Tunnell

Hi, I am Shannon and I teach yoga beyond the asana (physical practice). I specialize in pelvic floor dysfunction yoga, but I also teach vinyasa, and I lead yoga hikes and forest bath meditations. I love incorporating nature into my grounding practices. I am a nurse of 14 years and in 2022 I made the decision that it was time to change course. I left the security of full time employment but I do still work in the hospital sometimes as needed. However, my main focus is on making a full recovery from severe burn out while growing a yoga community where I can help others who are also struggling with burn out and other causes of chronic tension/stress find their way back home to the self. Read more>>

Chantel Richardson of NINETYDEGREE DIGITAL, TIZZYTLKS, LEREVUE CRITIQUE AND THE CHANTIZZY PODCAST

I started my journey into entrepreneurship around 2019 towards the early start of the pandemic. I didn’t know how, or what I needed to start, but I know I was passionate about digital marketing, content creation, branding and more. Within my background in communication, this start seemed like something that would be simple, and easy to immense myself with… BOY was I WRONG! I had no clue on how entrepreneurship would play a role in the ups and downs of chasing my dreams/going after my passions. Read more>>