There’s a concept of the Matthew Effect which uses math to illustrate what folks have lamented about for thousands of years – the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. Take tech for example – the rich and poor often have different problems, but because it’s more profitable to solve problems for the wealthy a disproportionate share of tech innovation focuses on solving problems for the affluent. However, it doesn’t have to be this way – and we have been blown away by the thousands of members of our community who have devoted their lives through their businesses, organizations and art to serve the underserved.

Devika Brij

I am a former Sales Professional and People Leader turned Business Owner. I am the Founder of Brij the Gap Consulting and our mission is to partner with organizations to support, develop and increase retention of underrepresented minorities, Black professionals, female professionals and the leaders who manage these underrepresented professionals. After working in corporate for several years in many roles including Marketing, HR and Sales (both in an individual contributor and people leader scope), Read more>>

Emily Wilcox

Making sure my portfolio is inclusive is a top priority. Making sure everyone can see themselves in my work is so important to me as a portrait photographer. Read more>>

Brittany O’Dell

As a lesbian, I find it important not only to employ a queer staff, but also to display queer love in media. Whenever you search on Pinterest for Wedding inspiration or wedding photography/ videography you get a lot of straight weddings. Based on the feedback I’ve gotten from my couples and looking at wedding inspiration myself, Its very hard to find wedding details that represent a queer relationship. I love shooting LGBTQIA+ weddings and I always want to provide a safe space for couples who may be worried about finding a queer friendly vendor, especially here in the south. Read more>>

Audrey Mallory

When I started in the music industry, I knew I wanted to make a difference, but I didn’t know how. I desperately just wanted to get a foot in the door and do whatever it took to prove myself. The opportunities I’ve been given have not come easily, and have required a lot of grit and determination, but once I was given that chance, I knew I wanted to use it to give independent artists the best guidance available. Read more>>

Keith Dow

Veterans are misunderstood by the public and themselves in a post 9/11 era. We have this idea that we have to be something or we should be something else. The public wants to thank us but if you asked them, they might not be able to tell you why. The good news is service is a great thing and we should all be proud to stand up for others and to have others stand up for us. The bad news is service takes a toll. Telling the story of that toll is part of what I have become so passionate about and look forward to achieving every day. Read more>>

Brock Wilbur

At The Pitch in Kansas City, we’ve spent 43 years trying to serve the people of the metro by covering the stories that were too outside-the-box or outside the mainstream discussion for other outlets to tackle. Whether it is remaking an area of town that politicians have left to economic rot or musicians pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, we’re constantly endeavoring to represent the city and its diverse interests as best we can. Read more>>

Shawandra Ford

Brwnskn Yoga is a holistic yoga studio that operates in underserved schools and communities. Our mission is to create SAFE inclusive spaces where all beings are welcomed, heard, valued, and seen. Sessions are designed to empower everyone to achieve their own personal goals physically, emotionally and spiritually. I, professionally apply the 8 Limbs of Yoga to promote a therapeutic relationship that includes personalized assessments, goal setting and lifestyle management for individuals and groups. Read more>>

Monica Tuck

Typically when you think of the term “under served” you think of under served people and communities in which they reside. Owning a brand and content creation studio, our mission is help business owners and thought leaders accelerate their “why” through brand and content strategy. You may ask how “under served” describes this analogy? This answer is very clear with our ideal clients we serve as we focus on independent business owners who are ready to scale and non profits who have limited resources. Read more>>

Dallas Bonavita

Note in the Pocket reduces educational inequity by addressing Clothing Insecurity A little girl who never wanted to go to school got the courage to begin making friends and started asking her teacher for help – after receiving clothes from Note in the Pocket. Read more>>

Emily and Christina (two founders) Boullear and Hake

A few weeks ago, they were leading a book club in a juvenile detention center when they saw something tragic. On their way out, they were chatting with a youth counselor about which books to bring as donations, when they heard a someone say, “Dr. Seuss!” After peering around a corner, where the voice came from, they saw a face behind a small barred window. It was explained that this older teen was working on his reading, and was in solitary confinement. Read more>>

Hillary Van Dyke

Green Book of Tampa Bay Inc. is a 501c3 located in St. Petersburg, FL. The Green Book of Tampa Bay is a Black-owned business directory that serves all of Tampa Bay, primarily Pinellas and Hillsborough County. Our mission is to increase Black economic vitality in Tampa Bay by connecting Black businesses and the broader community through a digital business directory, business development resources, and cultural experiences. Read more>>

Dashia Trowers

From time to time, my law firm has reduced our legal fees, so as to provide legal services to individuals, who would otherwise, probably not have legal access. Read more>>

Ron Jones

“Inspiring the untargeted, promoting the unseen, and supporting the unfunded”. This is a tagline we use and something we hold ourselves to every day. The Indie Cluster has always been a community of game developers helping other game developers. We have to be the ones to share resources and help each other. We know hard the development process can be, how lonely it can be grinding on something that’s unpolished, and how confusing and challenging the business side of things can be. Sharing and lifting up others should be a normal part of our society. Read more>>

Lashiska Davis

Our studio is located 5 minutes from downtown Raleigh. We are conveniently located in an area full of rich history but don’t have a vast diversity of arts opportunities that people can easily get to. With that in mind, we purposefully choose our location to be walking accessible, a short car ride or accessible with public transportation to our studio. Most importantly, we are affordable and give a wide variety of dance styles for the young and young at heart. Read more>>