Everyday we meet business owners, professionals, artists and creatives. Photographers, florists, realtors and more. They might come from different backgrounds, work in different industries, have varying personalities, and have vastly different income and educational profiles, but the one thing we’ve seen over and over again is that most people have a unique and special reason for why they do what they do. From a realtor helping families afford the first home he always wished for as a kid to a photographer using her skills to give a voice and face to victims who feel voiceless, we have been blown away by what happens when you just ask people a simple question – why do you do what you do?

Heidi Negranti

Sadie is my mother who has taught me pretty much everything she knew about making jerky. Growing up my mother made jerky all the time. The house always smelled amazing and I basically grew up constantly snacking on delicious low calorie, low fat and low carb snacks (although we had no clue at the time). I wanted to name the jerky after my mother, so I tossed names around for quite a while. Read more>>

Eric Burns

Eric Burns born and raised in Tyler, Texas. I served and protected my country in the U.S.Navy, fought in the Gulf War received numerous medals! Been around the world several times, and years later was effected by the pandemic. Where I had to advocate for my life to live, And I survived to tell my story and my harrowing ordeal and the after effects of the illness !! Read more>>

Tamaira Ramae

My mission has evolved since the beginning of Be Kind Ramae. I went from just making designs that I like to wear myself to creating pieces that other people enjoy wearing, Now I design jewelry that encourages you to show up to the office, store opening, in front of a magazine, or even a day out shopping as yourself. I make sure that here at Be Kind Ramae you will get bold, bright, and colorful pieces that you can’t find anywhere else. Read more>>

Dina Selva

I decided to pursue Interior Design to not only grow and develop my creative side, but to also satisfy the desire to help others experience joy through design. It all started during a stay in a newly built Upscale Brand hotel, I remember my brain just felt so visually stimulated perusing through all the architecture, design choices in textures, colors, flooring, and artwork.  
  There was something waking up in my brain that was just bursting with desire to uncover the Why’s and How’s of Design. Read more>>

Jessika Joy Certeza

The story behind Joy Events and Creations is that we aim to have our couples be a guest at their own wedding. That they can fully trust us from the time they booked until day of where they feel completely at ease and stress-free. We strive for them to have the best day of their lives! We love seeing their reactions when their vision come to life! Read more>>

Liku Amadi, Esq.

I left corporate in the midst of the pandemic and three months pregnant to start my own law practice for two reasons: 1. To have control over my time and quality of life. I was fortunate enough to realize very early on that I’d worked too hard to not enjoy the fruits of my labor – and I didn’t HAVE TO work for anyone. I could work for myself and build a law firm around the quality of life I desired versus the opposite which is what corporate culture promotes. Read more>>

ThyThy Fuqua

Our story is about creating a product by finding the gap in the market place. We design, or work with artists, to create and sell paper party goods for the western market. Our products are authentically western with the western home and lifestyle in mind. Until the creation of Party West, there weren’t any products that captured the western spirit with authenticity and quality. If you searched the web, you would find sheriff’s badges, dairy cows, and bandanas plastered across plates and napkins. Read more>>

Leak Banga

The story behind my mission is to successful acquire a placement in Media as my career, I have been working audio engineering, as an Recording artist, Photographer, and the master of the arts to not be acknowledged. Time is of the essences and I will never give up on the foundation called 50Bandz I started. Clothing has become an addition to our expansion. Read more>>

Aaliayah French

The mission for Citizen Fatale is to empower women to embrace every aspect of their being and stand firm in their authentic selves, despite societal standards. I am a firm believer in loving the qualities we possess that society tells us not to. It is incredibly daring and progressive to be unapologetically you in this day and age. Read more>>

Erika Joy Sneath

As someone battling chronic pain myself, I’ve experienced firsthand how confusing the journey can be. When my nephew started asking questions about my experience, and specifically how my pain changes, I turned toward children’s books. He is a naturally curious and gracious learner who loves to engage in stories to further understand the world. The only problem was my search kept coming up unsuccessful. Read more>>

Bella Wood

My family came to northeastern New Mexico 300 years ago and passed down the ranch we now call Ute Creek Cattle Company. It is where my grandmother was raised, and where my cousins and I will be the 9th generation to care for this land. My grandparents began restoring the ranch by welcoming a younger generation of experts to help keep sustainability and conservation at the center of their work. Read more>>

Uwimana Zakiya

I have had such a wonderful experiance learning about african spiritual tradition. I have learned so much about myself and my ancestors in the last 4 years. I have gained a sence of knowing my bloodline identity and how those that are no longer with me still play a significant roll in my life. Since the changing of my lifestyle all I have wanted to do is share my experiances and gift the world with the light of hope, change and prosperity african tradition has given me. So, we created Ifa Apparel. Read more>>

Jamie Williams

Fueled by my passion for design, I embarked on a career in luxury hospitality design at Tony Chi & Associates in New York City, an industry-leading Interior Design firm. I have had the opportunity to design on award-winning projects around the world, including the Rosewood London hotel, and Wolfgang Puck’s CUT and Spago restaurants. Through this, my international exposure grew even further during my time as Senior Interior Designer with London-based Tara Bernerd & Partners. Read more>>

Gene Avakyan

I founded Edison Aerospace to safeguard our food supply and our agriculture industry by giving the spray operators who apply crop protection products to our crops a better tool to replace the turbine and piston airplanes they are flying today. My goal is to save the lives of the countless agricultural pilots who will be injured or killed on the job, to stop the burning of 125 Million gallons of fossil fuel annually (and that’s just in the US), and to cut direct operating costs paid by those spray operators by 50% compared to their current planes. Read more>>

Aisha Dyer

At Crafters Paradise, our mission is to create a space where people can gather to create and connect while crafting. At our core, we believe in the power of creativity and its ability to bring people together. We are passionate about creating a community where everyone can express themselves through their art and share it with others. We strive to provide an environment that encourages creativity, collaboration and connection between our members. Read more>>

Emily Ahsan

Our mission with Love Huvet is to improve the field through humor, our voice, and community. I do it because I was so tired of being on that roller coaster of working, burning out, starting at a new clinic, working, burning out, and so on… We need to do a better job of making this field a better place to work and Love Huvet is here to be the change. Read more>>

Zachary Lindsay

With Photography I believe that is it purely subjective in nature, with that being said you can use any sort of Photographic medium and still create something beautiful. I use film photography as my art form because I was raised in the era of digital photos, so shooting on a more dated medium seemed to capture my vision perfectly. I want every photo I take to remind people of how they viewed the world as a child. Full of color, vibrance & and nuance. Read more>>

lauren Ornelas

Our mission at Food Empowerment Project (F.E.P.) is to encourage people to see the power of their food choices to help make a difference locally and globally to protect human and non-human animals and the planet. Unfortunately, for many people, eating one meal a day is a struggle. For those who have the privilege of eating several times a day, I feel we have an obligation to be more informed about where our food comes from and who it impacts. Read more>>

Liz Dyer

I am a writer, speaker, activist and founder of the Mama Bears organization. In 2014 I had a dream that I could start a private Facebook group to help moms of LGBTQ+ kids find connections, support and resources. As the mother of a gay son I hoped that the moms who joined the private Facebook group would not only find the resources and support they needed, but also be inspired to work together to change the world and make it a kinder, safer, more loving place for all LGBTQ+ people to live and thrive. Today my hopes and dreams are coming true. Read more>>

Chelsea Madison

As a parent of two beautiful tongue tied children, I know the struggles first time moms can go through. Breastfeeding issues, “Colic”, reflux-like symptoms, sleep concerns, solid food issues are all things that people do not talk about enough. It has become my goal and mission with the practice to have access to care to all moms who need it. Whether it be with lactation support or oral tie support, we want to bridge the gap for those that are in need. Read more>>

Diana Hall

ActivArmor was established in 2014 by Diana Hall, a Colorado School of Mines graduate in Chemical Engineering, while she was running a mentoring program for children in poverty. After working in Fortune 500 companies across the country and finishing her master’s degree in Business from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Diana moved back to her hometown of Pueblo, CO to help children on Pueblo’s east side. Read more>>

Connor Reid Vinson

My mission is simple: I see it, I photograph it. Whether it’s still imagery or motion picture I want to capture everything I find interesting. If people see mundane, I want to see exciting. I know I can do this for myself, so I want to do it for my clients too. Help them bring stories to life, ya know? Read more>>

PJ Ryan

My mission statement is a mixture of where my moniker comes from and my experiences as a full time creative. PJ Ryan is a mixture or my initials (Phillip James) and the name of my imaginary friend as a child, Ryan. My grandmother, Ernestine V. Adams is the only person who would actually call me Phillip James. So in many spaces I am known as that. However in the creative world, Ryan plays a very integral part of my existence. When I was a child, Ryan was the entity that knew my deepest darkest secrets. It is in those secrets that I’m the most vulnerable and the most willing to chase my dreams. Read more>>

Mia Pinkstaff

As a child, I watched my father’s struggles and successes in owning his own business and always knew that the entrepreneurial spirit was inside of me! I started a home organization business at the age of 14, always found ways to fuel my creative desires through projects or work, and never wanted to have a moment of down time. As my parents and family friends would describe me, I was always looking for the next skill or activity to try. Read more>>

Stevii Mills

The story behind my mission is to help Subject Matter Experts to use their expertise and experience to increase their income online. My greatest mission in life is to equip them with the tools they need to succeed in life and business. When they are equipped there is no stopping their potential. Read more>>

Kelly Jacobson

Kelly Jacobson founded Stronger Therapeutic Counseling Services in 2017. At that time, she was working full-time as a school social worker and had two little ones at home. She was still a relatively new mama and while she had an overwhelming amount of gratitude for all that came with being a new mother, she also understood the challenges that came too. Read more>>

Patrice Renee

The hardest thing in life to do is to dream new dreams. P.S. Renee, LLC was established out of need and necessity for survival for me. In November 2019, I was devastated by the sudden passing of my mother, Regina Stephanie Wilder just 5 days after my mom had witnessed me successfully defend my dissertation and earn my Doctorate degree. This came just one month after my husband of six years had filed for a divorce. Read more>>

Mallorie Isom

When I was just shy of 20 weeks gestation I gave birth to two perfect baby boys. They were perfect in every way. But their bodies were too small to sustain life. Heartbreak doesn’t even begin to describe it. My world turned upside down. I was overcome with grief. I was expecting to be busy with twins but instead my days were long and still and so quiet. To occupy my mind and hands I started crocheting. Read more>>

Stratøs

My name is Stratøs and I’m an artist from Michigan based in Los Angeles, CA. I started playing saxophone at age 10, began composing in college, taught myself audio production during my masters, and picked up a camera in 2020. I think of myself as someone who “accidentally” stumbled into a solo artist career. When I started the saxophone, my only goal was to sound like my heroes (sometimes it still is!). I had no intention of being a composer, and was certainly far away from the idea of adding production or photography into my work. Read more>>

Lisbeth Taylor

I’m a motherhood & lifestyle digital creator. I’m a wife, mother of 1 and dog mom of 3. I create content that shares my love of women and children’s fashion, homeschooling and my motherhood journey while adding a creative flair. Read more>>

Alexandra Gutiérrez

“I started creating art because it felt like a calling from my soul. After working in a pharmacy for a while, I realized that I was unhappy and decided to quit. Despite my initial fear, I took a leap of faith and showed my handmade earrings to a store, which ended up taking them. From there, I began to pursue my art while also working odd jobs like cleaning and painting houses and driving taxis. Read more>>

Angela Douglas

My experience launching my company came from a deep rooted desperation to start something new that I was passionate about. Most people do not know I was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy a year and a half ago. I was told I only had 20% of a functioning heart, and my life would be shortened, with no known cause or cure. I remember crying myself to sleep most nights and asking myself the question “why me”? Read more>>

Chloe Lind

Chloe Lind Customs stemmed from an initial mission to provide a safe space for everyone to express themselves, the same way my parents guided me. Growing up in a small town, there was a lack of acceptance if one wanted to try out a new style or garment. If you were not in the typical trend of the year, you did not bother having popularity, attention, you know all those things that high school movies glamorize. Read more>>

TOMEYKO SALONE

 

I remember being in the 5th grade sitting in the back of class not listening. I had a piece of paper making a drawing of what I wanted my future to be. I knew I wanted to be a teacher and I knew I wanted to own my own school. I was deep in thought as I began to draw this huge castle that looked like Children’s Palace ( a toy store from back in the day). I decided this would be a happy school, a place where all kids can learn, and teachers made it fun. I wrote at the top of the paper “Jubilee Enrichment Center”. Read more>>

Deronte Johnson

The story behind my mission is being able to use art to be able to not only express myself but being able to use art during the times that i couldnt find the words to tell how i felt or may have been feeling during a certain moment in time. Read more>>

Tyree Jennings

The mission of The Black Book Club is complicated in its simplicity really. As a teenager, I fell out of love with literature and only came back in my middle twenties. That was between five to ten years of time I could have been reading James Baldwin and Toni Morrison books, I can’t imagine where my mentality would be had i not had that love broken. I believe the reason for this break, among other things was the fact I wasn’t offered books from authors that looked like me. Read more>>

Gwendolyn Cody-Davis

I have always been a sensitive, compassionate person. Even at a young age, these qualities I was unaware of at the time seemed to be part of my makeup. Growing up I never liked to see others in any kind of pain, and I was always willing to lend a helping hand. In my adulthood, I now find those same qualities are near and dear and I am adamant about encouraging others to do well. Read more>>

Gabrielle Palmstrom

I love helping people and want everyone to succeed in their lives. I feel that in order to thrive in life that you need to be healthy and that starts with your physical health and overall wellbeing. I have worked in the fitness industry for over 18 years and I see how much physical fitness helps people in their everyday lives. Being active all my life, I know firsthand how important it is to stay active. Otherwise, our quality of life really does suffer. Read more>>

teresa baldwin

the story behind my mission is to simply show big is beautiful plus size is sexy we can me sought after and admired. we don’t just have to be in the background we can be the it girl that we are very talented and gifted and that our size does not define us. Read more>>

Carrie Reimers

I’m here to share a passion of mine, and to hopefully spark some joy and laughter along the way. I’ve been an avid crafter all my life, and I have an absurd amount of imagination. I use a few different techniques in my creative process, which are widely applicable to an array of fun mediums. So, between that, and my nonstop mind, my inspiration never ends! I’m constantly trying out my skills on different items, and experimenting with new objects all the time. Read more>>

Dawanna Jones

In January of 2017, I woke up one Saturday morning and God had placed on my spirit to do something to bring encouragement to Black women in my community. I knew that there were a lot of Black women who were doing great things in the community or their respective fields, but their good deeds were not being noticed. I also feel like Black women have a heavy weight on their shoulders that is unmatched. Read more>>

Carly Kade

Being an equestrian is a lifestyle. It inhabits everything you do. It starts in childhood and grows throughout life. I know I will pick up anything with a horse on it, especially a book. The link between horses and my writing is because loving horses is a lifestyle. Read more>>

Lauren Mason

Be the Change South Florida is a 501(c)3 nonprofit working to provide basic essentials for families in need in our community. We began 2 years ago rescuing unsold food and using it to create meals for people in need, and through the generous donations of our supporters, have been able to branch out into rescuing and redistributing other necessities like clothing, shoes, baby items, toys, books and household goods. Read more>>

Abe Ruiz

My mission behind Madrid Spanish Taverna is to bring over the spirit of the Old World cultures to the US. Tavernas in Europe, but most specifically in Spain, started as a place to congregate, to socialize, to voice your feelings with your colleagues. Food and Beverage, usually wine in the case of Spain and coffee in the case of Italy, where always supportive factors in the connection process. Read more>>

Taciana Jean Pierre 👖

The story behind my mission is based off of my experiences,challenges, and victory in life. My mission is to help other women heal, earn their power back so that they can step into their purpose. I’m a single mom of 2 kids that battles with Kidney failure. In 2019 my life did a 360 after I was hospitalized due to having difficulty breathing from there I was told that my kidneys were failing it was functioning at 25% and I started dialysis approximately 3 months later. Read more>>