The chapters in our stories are often marked by wins and losses. Getting a new job, getting fired. Getting a life-threatening medical diagnosis, beating it and getting a clean bill of health. Too often, due to a societal expectation of modesty and humility we are discouraged from talking about the risks we’ve taken that led to those ups and downs – because often those risks draw attention to how we are responsible for the outcomes – positive or negative. But those risks matter. Those stories matter. We asked some brilliant entrepreneurs, artists, creatives, and leaders to tell us those stories – the stories of the risks they’ve taken, and we’ve shared them with you below.

Christina Bulkilvish

I am a mission driven company. My mission is me, telling my stories to inspire others to get out of their own way to go after their dream life. Hi, I am Christina. I am a domestic violence survivor that has learned time and time again the importance of resilience. Through the years, I have had many obstacles in my life that I needed to overcome; (divorce, restraining order, PTSD, being locked out of bank and stock accounts, living in a windowless basement just for a fresh start, just to name a few, there are much more). I speak on the importance of cultivating a positive mindset and how that can impact everything in your life from better communication skills, strengthened relationships, a more desirable work life balance, improved self love, a stronger pursuit of your happiness to go after your dreams. Read more>>

Stephanie Markakis-Plouffe

Our mission is to empower entrepreneurs—especially those with disabilities or mental health challenges—to build sustainable businesses and lead with confidence. This mission is deeply personal. As someone who has navigated the highs and lows of entrepreneurship while managing a disability myself, I know how isolating and overwhelming it can be to pursue your dream when the world wasn’t built with your needs in mind. Read more>>

Taryn Christeen

Beginning of 2024 I wrote my first novel. I mainly had done it for fun, to say I wrote a book and made the dreams of a younger me come true. Except, when it came to publishing, getting my novel into the hands of readers, I had no idea what to do. I didn’t know who to ask, where to look.
My cluelessness of the publishing industry and determination to achieve this dream started me on a journey from there. Over the last year I have experienced quite the roller coaster. Read more>>

Roberta Townes

This mission matters so much to me because it’s about leveling the playing field. Through the podcast, I get to celebrate and amplify the voices of amazing female entrepreneurs, and at the same time, provide actionable guidance to indie brands building their path to retail. My hope is that by listening, more founders will face fewer hurdles, gain more confidence, and ultimately achieve lasting success. Read more>>

Ryan Christopher

The core of this life path is a sacred assignment: use my voice, creativity, and emotional truth to heal and inspire others. It starts and begins with self awareness. We are all works in progress. My soul is evolving from a fixer to conscious space holder. Someone who leads with love without losing himself. You will hear this in the music we create. The moment we start expressing from our soul-not just our mind- is the moment we step into our power. This comes from vision. It’s been amazing letting Mansion On Mars morph into what it must be: A lighthouse with many rooms.. Read more>>

Jennifer Dinh-Avila

At our core, we are more than just a learning center. Yes, we provide academic tutoring and mentoring rooted deeply in psychology—but our mission goes far beyond textbooks and test scores.

For over a decade, we’ve had the extraordinary privilege of walking alongside students as they grow—not just academically, but emotionally and personally. We’ve witnessed their evolution, from hesitant first sessions to confident young adults ready to face the world. That journey, that transformation, is the heartbeat of our work. Read more>>

Wendi Yin

I grew up in a strict, grades-driven school system in East Asia, where your grades didn’t just measure performance — they defined your social value. At my public school, class rankings were publicly posted, and students were sorted into classrooms based on those scores. Unfortunately I wasn’t good at studying at the time, and becoming an artist wasn’t an option in my household. I felt lost, unseen, and boxed into a system with no room for softness, creativity, or emotional support. Read more>>

Rudi Heshmatazad

RAIRE isn’t just about chocolate; it’s about changing the way we think about indulgence. It’s about standing up to the old idea that sweetness must come drenched in sugar, cream, and decorated with artificial dyes to be joyful. I created RAIRE to prove that true pleasure can come from pure, mindful ingredients — that you don’t have to compromise your health to experience something beautiful. Read more>>

Zakiyyah Austin

I’m a survivor of a very traumatic and life altering event and the products I offer today are the exact same products that saved me, financially. I want to educate as many people as possible through platforms such as CanvasRebel because you are careful about the topics you highlight. My agency’s mission is to loving move, primarily women, to be proactive in protecting their financial foundations whether they are single or married. Read more>>

Ruth

As a writer and author coach, I aim to give others the sort of support, guidance, and access to critical resources I wish I’d had when I got started. When I was first attempting to write and publish, I made every mistake you can think of. I didn’t know how to build skills or hone my craft. I had no structure to approach revising and refining. I didn’t know how to position myself in the marketplace. I had not one clue how to pitch my work and connect with publishers. As a result, I just sort of flailed my way forward, exerting massive effort with little result.  Read more>>

Shakirah DeMesier

We opened the café/cocktail bar to support Black entrepreneurs in overcoming the unique barriers faced when building sustainable businesses. From finding new clientele, getting distribution, testing out new products, we help Black entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry by using their products in our shop. 95% of the alcohol we carry at the bar is Black-owned. Our fresh pressed juices are locally sourced from a Black-owned farm. We get our banana bread from a local baker and our coffee from Panama. Read more>>

John Wetzel

My mission to connect Las Vegas to biohacking, longevity, and a healthier way of living comes from a deeply personal journey—one that’s been shaped by challenges, discoveries, and a relentless drive to help others live better. It all started when I was just 4 years old, back in 1978, undergoing critical heart surgery. I didn’t know it then, but that experience set the course for my life, teaching me early on how to balance health with an active lifestyle. Fast forward to 1992, I graduated high school and, by January 1993, I was in US Navy Boot Camp. After training, Read more>>

Adam Meurer

Pixel Black Creative was founded with a passion for injecting creativity into the all things in the design field.

“Back in the early days”, as I like to say, it was an exciting time in the creative industry. Brands had generous budgets and were eager to experiment. Facebook and social media were emerging as platforms with new opportunities. Pixel Black began with a strong mission to build a creative agency centered around design. Read more>>

Rebecca Brashewitz

Hi, I’m Rebecca Brashewitz—most people call me Reba—and I’m the founder of Reba Media & Marketing (RMM). My mission is to offer a personalized, results-driven marketing experience that bridges the gap between hiring a full-time employee and working with a traditional agency. At RMM, I partner with a select number of clients so we can truly invest in their success—not just as service providers, but as an extension of their team. Read more>>

Juancarlos Villamil

I’ve been given a second chance at life through my journey in recovery over the past 10 years. Coming from a place of entitlement and selfishness which in term lead to self destruction. I’ve learned to appreciate the power of surrender and willingness to ask for help. In other words the power in the We in our daily living being as vital as oxygen itself. This is where Village of Thousands is born and our Motto of Sustainability with the Ability to Sustain has evolved. What better way to evolve and invite like minded individuals to connect than through fashion. We are a lifestyle brand based on Sustainability starting from the individual and building outwardly towards the environment and those about us. Read more>>

Curtis Rodgers

I wouldn’t say the company is necessarily mission-driven, but since I was a foster child at one point in my life, and with hindsight being 20/20, I realized that I wish I had known about programs and resources that could have nurtured my creativity or provided an outlet when I needed it. My current goal isn’t really money-driven; it’s more about gaining resources and connections to ultimately create a program that can help individuals in situations similar to mine. I just want to spread some hope that where they are now isn’t the end. It’s not that every kid is having that experience, but for those who are, the program would be centered around video production and I think that could be pretty cool. Read more>>

Orlando Morales

When working in Corporate America as a web developer and marketing manager, I began to notice a recurring and disheartening pattern—an overwhelming gap between companies that could afford full-scale, in-house marketing and web development departments, and those that simply couldn’t. Large corporations had the luxury of fully staffed teams focused solely on building their brand, refining their online presence, and driving targeted growth. On the other hand, small businesses—despite having great products, passionate founders, and strong potential—were often left to patch things together on a shoestring budget. Read more>>

Neema Bardi

I started Atllas because I was a real estate agent who hated the way the system worked. 6% commissions, no transparency, outdated tools, no freedom. I knew it was broken because I lived it. I wasn’t some outsider trying to “disrupt” the industry from a boardroom—I was inside it, grinding, cold calling, getting underpaid, and realizing none of it made sense. So I built tools for myself first. Then those tools started helping other agents. And soon I realized this wasn’t just a toolset—it was a blueprint for a new kind of real estate business. One where the agent actually wins. Read more>>

Amanda PRIETO

I founded a non-profit organization led entirely by a volunteer grassroots group of neighbors from Calusa, located in West Kendall, Miami-Dade County, Florida. Our mission is to advocate for the preservation of 168 acres of vital greenspace and wildlife habitat at the heart of our community. This is where I live, where I am raising my family, and where my children attend the local elementary school, a community we specifically chose for the quality of life it offers. Read more>>

Kate Slayton

When I was planning my own wedding, I wanted every detail to feel personal. I started creating signs—simple at first—and somewhere between lettering on oyster shells and chalkboards, I fell in love with the process. What began as a creative outlet quickly turned into a way to help others bring their celebrations to life. Read more>>

Melissa Trempe

My mission is to make the world a better place one children’s book at a time. I especially love writing stories that highlight untold stories of girls and women leading the way. My next book is The Girl Who Dreamed of Space, illustrated by Daniel Egnéus, about NASA’s first female pilot and mission commander, Eileen Collins. I hope to create books that inspire kids to be anything they dream of and to see the world in interesting new ways. I also love books that make me laugh, so creating stories that simply bring joy is also important to me. Read more>>

Rossella Rago

I always say the story behind my mission really begins with my childhood in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. My parents had emigrated from Puglia in southern Italy and settled in Bensonhurst, so I was born into a community filled with Italian immigrants and their families. In fact, when I was growing up, Bensonhurst was about 90% Italian American . That meant I was immersed in Italian ingredients, traditions, and culture from day one. Some of my earliest memories are of standing on a stool in my Nonna’s kitchen, stirring a pot of simmering tomato sauce on Sunday, or walking down the block with my mom to the local salumeria to pick up fresh mozzarella and olives. Read more>>

Esha And Smita Chhabra And Satiani

Alaya Tea is a self-funded company owned by two Indian-American women. Esha was born in India and migrated here with her family at a young age and Smita’s parents are first-generation immigrants. We grew up in South Asian homes where tea was celebrated everyday. Yet, we saw that this is a coffee-drinking country. Although the third wave coffee movement really took off in the US in the past decade, Americans are still discovering tea. Whereas people have strong opinions about the origins of their coffee (i.e. Sumatra, Colombia, Kenya, Ethiopia), tea origin stories (beyond the wildly popular matcha) are lesser known, or how to brew it in a tea pot. Plus, did you know that all teas come from one plant and it’s the fermentation and drying process that gives different flavors? Read more>>

Vania Dimitian

Growing up, I was very shy with little to no self-confidence. Unfortunately, that continued for a while, well into my twenties, leading me to make one bad choice after another. The most impactful of those bad decisions was my choice for a husband. I met my first husband when I was only 17 on the first day of college and married him a few years later. It was a terrible marriage and I was miserable and wanted out. In 2006, I discovered something called “The Secret” which talked about some law called the law of attraction. I was immediately intrigued and upon learning what it entailed, I decided to apply it in my own life. Read more>>

Karen Burks

I’ve always known that I wanted to work in the banking industry. From a young age, I enjoyed counting money with my father and accompanying him to the bank to make deposits. I was fascinated by the atmosphere, the professionalism of the bankers, and the welcoming way they treated me during each visit. In second grade, our school launched an initiative called Bank-at-School, where I was chosen by my peers to serve as a student teller. I often refer to that experience as my first job. I genuinely loved the responsibility of counting money and with guidance from a lead teller. That experience solidified my desire to pursue a career in banking. While attending Southeastern Louisiana University as a full-time student, I took a part-time teller position at a small community bank, First Guaranty Bank. Read more>>

Kaben Clauson

As humans, we’ve spent thousands of years gathering together for discussion, laughter, and connection. Today, people are spending more time alone than ever before. The isolation of the pandemic still lingers, while remote work removes another place of gathering. The future of social will be different than the past. The age of apps that addict our attention but leave us disconnected must be replaced. In the coming era, where any online person could be an AI, we will crave vetted communities of real people. Read more>>

Grace Gonzalez

It is said that the “WHY” behind your mission is what will drive you to keep pressing forward through every season of anything you put your hands and heart to accomplish. I died in a horrible car accident at the young age of 22. It wasn’t sudden, but instead it felt like a “bound to happen” result of my destructive lifestyle. A traumatic childhood, a teenage era riddled with abuse, mental health struggles and addictions followed by reckless young adult years led me here. I was pulled out of a burning car with bones protruding from my leg and a heart blackened by anger at the “bad hand in life” I’d been dealt. I died and with honest relief, thought that was it. Read more>>

Maria Kordova

Unarthodox was created with one idea in mind — to build a platform where we could create anything we wanted. Art, to me, has always been a malleable, limitless medium — perfect for bringing bold visions to life. But it wasn’t just about creativity. There was also a strong need inside myself for personal transformation. I felt that art, in its purest form, could be a powerful tool for that. Read more>>

Nizar13

The mission behind trutt was always simple, it’s about being free. Free to move how we want, free to create, free to get information and to take initiatives while staying true to what we do.

From the start, it was about building something real, a platform where everybody involved can grow, get knowledge, and move with his own purpose and to document and protect the growth.

-Even though we work with selective artists and labels, they’re the ones who made themselves special, not us.  Read more>>