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?

Amelia Holder

Our mission at Emerson Fields is focused on family values and the importance of marriage. We began construction on Emerson Fields wedding venue in 2017 with the goal of offering a special place where families could gather and not feel rushed through one of the most momentous occasions of their lives. Our rental policy is structured around the importance of soaking up the entire weekend of a couple’s wedding. Read more>>

Joyce Wilson-Sanford

My mission is to create the conditions for people to prosper—use their own particular talent print and to encourage innovations that support true connection with and among people.  Read more>>

Dan Woychick

Woychick Design helps mission-driven organizations raise awareness, inspire donors, and move people to action. Read more>>

Cortney Souther

HI Product Consulting is a private label apparel consulting agency focused on USA Made Apparel in the Active and Outdoor space. HI was founded in 2020 and offers full brand support packages from design concept through to production, or a pick and choose model, whatever supports the brand vision! HI Product Consulting was launched from the need and desire to move the apparel design and development process toward more thoughtful and inclusive practices, one brand at a time. HI are the initials of my two children, Harper and Isla. Read more>>

Felice Kimbrew

Hey, Sure! Read more>>

Mika Shino

We are a mission-driven, innovation-forward, woman-owned and minority owned startup, aiming to disrupt the way we snack and create opportunities for people to enjoy vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, cruelty-free, planet-friendly foods while integrating cultural diversity and inclusion in their lives. Read more>>

Lloyd and Courtney Christten

Here at OM2H Creative Studios our mission is to empower others to do what they love without the stress of trying to figure it out on their own. Our goal is to help others tap into their creativity without all of the hard work. At OM2H Creative Studios we give our clientele the ability to create valuable content without the stress of buying equipment, setting up, editing, uploading content. Read more>>

Amber Willis

In April 2020, just a few weeks after the world locked down because of Covid, my two-year-old daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. It was a devastating diagnosis made even harder because of the timing. Our little family spent two and a half years locked down hard just trying to protect my daughter and get her through her chemo treatments. Read more>>

Dwayne Aikens Jr

We Lead Ours’ mission is crucial for youth and families in Oakland, California, for several compelling reasons: Read more>>

Miriam Hastings

When I was a child I spent a lot of time in fantasy worlds that I created. I was ill a great deal from babyhood so I spent a lot of time alone in bed and all my friends were characters I met in books or in the stories I invented myself. So I never made a conscious decision to be a writer – I have been making up stories ever since I can remember and writing them down from the moment I learned to write. Read more>>

Jaime Murillo

Our mission is to empower coaches to become entrepreneurs. As a personal trainer I have seen both sides of the business. Independent coaching and Corporate coaching are very different experiences. I believe that coaches want to be independent. They want to run their own business and live on their own time. Read more>>

Bettina Mahoney

I started my business after I survived a rape. I remember feeling terrified, scared, and lonely. My body didn’t quite catch up to what had happened to me, and I was in light mode. I spent 6 months trying to find a therapist, and once I did I realized I needed additional mediums to help through the healing process such as coaching, fitness, and meditation. I never understood why healthcare in US was so inaccessible, and I was lucky to have support from my family. Read more>>

Katherine Jansen

Cozy-hearted is a mindful lifestyle brand started from a deeply personal place. In 2018, my family was struck by tragedy. At only six months old, my sister’s son passed away. My nephew, Theo, was born with congenital heart disease (CHD) and died of complications following three open-heart surgeries. He spent his entire six months of life in the hospital. Read more>>

Spencer Giorgio

The Azure was sparked in Thailand, refined and groomed in The Mediterranean, and brought to life in Los Angeles. Our Founder, Spencer, lived in all three areas for over seven years – these phases of his life are found within the environment in which The Azure is aiming to create. He didn’t make the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, but he managed to travel to well over 30 countries before turning 30 – these cultural immersion moments and lifestyle are both baked into the pillars of The Azure. Read more>>

Rickey Douglas

Our mission for Intellect Visuals is to empower clients in creating and enhancing their unique through the art of videography. We provide exceptional guidance, training, and resources to enable our clients to effectively communicate their message, showcase their products or services, and build a strong brand identity. Our dedicated team of experts combines technical expertise with creative solutions to deliver high-quality video content that captures the essence of our clients’ vision and resonates with their target audience. Read more>>

Beth Bailey

My goal is to create quality, handmade products that are as unique as the person who owns them. I want the person who buys one of my items to feel joy when they look at it and help express their personality. I have a variety of products because I am constantly learning and growing as a person therefore my business does as well. Even with the growth and changes the main theme stays consistent: positive improvement. In some products that message is more clear. Read more>>

Quin Levy

The M. Ariel Love Foundation was birth from love and loss. On August 8, 2020, my 19- year-old daughter, Maylaysia Ariel Levy was murdered at the hands of her child’s father. At the time of her death, Maylaysia was 5 weeks postpartum and her then, 5-week-old baby girl was present. Although none of us could have imagined that this would have been her fate there were signs leading up to this. Read more>>

Adrian Muckle

“MAKING VISIONS STAND OUT” As one of the top photographers and videographers based in the industry, my work is characterized by its exceptional quality, creativity, and attention to detail. I have a keen eye for capturing the perfect shot, whether it’s a stunning idea, a dynamic portrait, or a captivating event. My work showcases my mastery of composition, lighting, and color, and my ability to Making Visions Stand Out. I consistently produce work that exceeds my clients’ expectations and earning accolades from peers. Read more>>

Nina Corder

As a social enterprise, my goal is always to surround myself and businesses that add value to humanity. I come from a service-oriented background that believes in people’s sense of control over the trajectory of their lives and being valued in the community, especially their sense of belonging. That’s teh foundation that built my business. I chose to stay behind a mission to provide services and skills training to those who in turn provide services or products that aim to elevate the quality of lives of all humanity. Read more>>

Michael J. Dougherty

I was born with Spina Bifida, which left me paralyzed from the knees down at birth. I am also in love with movies. My earliest childhood memory is when my mother took me to see E.T. when I was three and recovering from brain surgery. Ten tears after that, I saw Edward Scissorhands and saw myself for the first time on screen. It changed my life. I want to make movies that use disability in ways that avoid treacle and cliches. It is a complex industry for anyone to break into, but it is challenging when there isn’t a precedent. Read more>>

Sumit Gupta

I often say that I’m living an impossible life. What do I mean by that? I want to share a little bit more by drawing out three stories from my life. Read more>>

Linda Hathaway

Upon retiring from a career as a professional ballet dancer I realized that in order to remain in my field that was a time to place my time and develop the skills as a ballet teacher. After many wondeful years of performing I have enjoyed sharing my expereince and knowledge with young children the beauty of dance. 23 years ago with my husband, Kirt Hathaway we started the Hathaway Academy of Ballet. I have been fortunate to have a successful ballet academy inspiring many generations of dancers. One of our objectives is to provide” Lessons of a Lifetime” Read more>>

Ruth Arnett Jordan

Renaissance Solutionz is in the regenerative community building space. It took me many years to find the language that described the view I saw from 30,000 feet. In short, regeneration, in the word’s of Paul Hawken, who literally wrote the book on regeneration, is the act of “bringing life to people and people to life”. Read more>>

Stacy Fisher

It is our mission to provide post-secondary cosmetology industry education, certification and to fully prepare students to pass the State of Michigan’s examination for licensure and placement in the beauty, health and wellness industry. This mission is very important and meaningful to me is because all too often, we encounter individuals who are very talented with providing services in the beauty and wellness industry, but for various reasons, have not pursued the education which leads to professional licensure. Read more>>

Megan Pater

As the founder of Birthmom Buddies, I am profoundly aware of the journey and challenges that birth mothers, especially those from Native American backgrounds, face post-adoption. My personal experience of placing my daughter for adoption in 2008 was a turning point, opening my eyes to the stark lack of support and resources available for women like myself. This realization was not just an observation; it was a call to action. Read more>>

Shari Nastri

Hi! I’m Shari Nastri, Owner/Lead Instructor of Jazzercise Lakewood Ranch. I was born & lived most of my life in Connecticut. I married my high school sweetheart & raised 3 great kids in beautiful Avon, CT. In July 2022, we took a leap and followed our dream of moving to Florida. Read more>>

Laura Cross

As an inherently caring individual, I’ve always had the tendency to put the needs of others before my own. But on December 21, 2004, a personal catastrophe hit hard, forever changing my perspective towards life. My husband of 14 years and three months tragically passed away on the operating table following an aortic arch dissection/heart attack. He was just 36. His untimely departure was a brutal reminder of how fleeting life can be and it compelled me to reevaluate my priorities. Read more>>

Emelissa Ramos

Like most, I struggled with my weight most of my life and was obsessed with being “skinny”. I went through extreme calorie restriction , over exercising, and feeling completely lost. I did not have a healthy relationship with food or exercise. Going to extremes was always my way. Once I would lose weight I would gain it all back because extremes are NEVER sustainable. Read more>>

Erin Harris

In the aftermath of a harrowing school shooting, I found myself grappling with the haunting echoes of trauma. Recognizing the urgent need for mental health support, I sought help and entered a program that proved to be a turning point in my life. Within the confines of this program, I unearthed a treasure trove of valuable skills and tools, each one a lifeline in my journey toward healing. Read more>>

Dana J Buchman

Creative Life Design™ is wholeheartedly a mission and values-driven company. I’m incredibly passionate about supporting creative, neurodivergent, and non-linear thinkers to live their dream lives. The world wasn’t built for us: our brains work differently, our processes and productivity are unique, and even our energy cycles have distinctive creative patterns. Read more>>

Adrian Boysel

The short version is, i’m a lifelong artist that ended up homeless due to a broken home and ended up becoming a self taught graphic designer that opened up my first retail design and print studio at 19 years old. I went from zero to 3000 clients in less than 3 years and sold that business in 2011 to a direct mail company. I then started doing freelance work and consulting in the home services industry. I helped my first client scale their business from $800k/year to $22 million in 2 years with the help of my mentor Lary, he was also the one to help me with my first business. Read more>>

Sam Hawley

For the media company, it’s all based around passion projects and bringing client’s vision to reality. Also doing things we love in the fields we love to be involved in. For the charity/ foundation it’s all based on helping people and giving back, especially to the place that saved my life. Duke is the hospital that did my operation and all I want to do is help provide funding for anyone that needs it and parts of it go into research to help find cures. My events are based around health and fitness and raising money to be donated. Read more>>

Benedicte de Boysson

The story behind Benedicte de Boysson jewelry is to showcase the true French “Savoir-Faire” of the “Haute Joallerie” in a jewelry piece wearable everyday.” Each piece is custom hand made from A to Z by a professional artisan in her French atelier. France is fortunate to have a knowledge that has been transmitted through centuries and generations and benefit from an incredible craftmanship. Read more>>

Stephanie Shershow

The mission behind HealthRacket is to bring balanced nutrition to agencies interested in helping the overall integrated wellness of their organization. We serve corporations, rehabs, studios, and individuals. We offer micro and macro balanced meals as well as nutrition classes, yoga and individual health coaching. We serve each community and believe in treating each persons bio individual needs. Read more>>

Amanda Maxwell

My journey began with a realization—a persistent problem in event planning that remained unsolved for over a decade. It was the complexity and uncertainty surrounding event planning that inspired me to simplify this process and make it accessible to all. Chaos Coordinated was born as a solution, and its name reflects the very essence of the work we do—managing the chaos of events to ensure clients can truly enjoy their special day. Read more>>