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?

Shayla Brown

I trained as a doula to arm myself against the dangers Black women face in pregnancy and childbirth. Read more>>

Diana Rondon

My mission is to support the parents who trust their children’s care by providing quality care. I intend parents to focus on pursuing their personal goals. I want parents to know that their children are safe. Additionally, I want parents to know that their children are somewhere providing them with learning tools and abilities catered to their age group. My inspiration stems from being a 16-year-old mother. I was very young, I thought my desire to obtain my degree was nearly impossible. I did not have the income to have my daughter attend the type of facility where I wanted her to be. Read more>>

Melyana Sie

I am currently baking high quality cakes in hopes to achieve a good textured cake and a cake that tastes delicious to our consumers that is also moist and soft. My current mission statement is selling our cakes onto other restaurants, markets, and Indonesian groceries so many people can know about us. The key to our tasty cakes is by baking them in the highest quality possible, no preservatives added. We bake cakes for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, baby showers and many more. We strive to make our cakes not only pleasing to the eye, but enjoyable to eat by others. Read more>>

Tylynn Mackenzie

Tylynn Mackenzie is on a mission to experience radiance in her body, mind, and soul while helping her fellow humans shine at their fullest capacity as well through a variety of modalities. The more awareness humanity has of our divinity, our soul purpose, our karmic imprints, and our innate gifts, the more our world heals. This is her mission because she spent years of her life dimming her light and feeling small. She would witness this same pattern in others and it was and still is, heartbreaking to her! She is on a mission to support humanity in cultivating their unique radiance so that we may all shine! Read more>>

Fefi & Ericka Rosado & Witkowski

Curator Project’s mission began years ago with a deeply personal journey. I (Fefi) often traveled to South America, where I became friends with many artists and became intertwined with the vibrant art community there. Each time I returned to Miami, I brought back beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces that adorned my walls. Ericka, intrigued by these works, would ask about them, and I’d share the stories of the artists and the inspiration behind their creations. Read more>>

David Perez

My mission is rooted in a deeply personal and powerful story. I became a real estate agent with the initial goal of understanding sober living homes, driven by my own recovery journey and a strong desire to help others in similar situations. As I explored the vast opportunities in real estate, my focus expanded to include individuals who have been released from prison , along with those in recovery. What seemed impossible—homeownership for people with felonies—soon became a reality. So far, I’ve successfully guided several individuals in achieving the milestone of purchasing their first home, proving that with the right support, anything is possible. We are not defined by our pasts. Read more>>

Kaylene Clark

Two years ago, Kids Can Sing was found on the principal of creating a safe and affordable space for all children, regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic status, or “superhero ability” (such as ADHD, Autism, Down Syndrome, Tourette’s Syndrome, etc) to freely express themselves through music and art. While there are many other performing companies for children in Fresno, Kids Can Sing’s mission alone has separated us from the others as we are able to provide an inclusive space for all children, at little to no cost to families. This mission is what has led to immense growth from a choir of fifty students two years ago to a full, comprehensive arts organization that offers five different programs for youth and now reaches hundreds of student participants and thousands of audience members. Read more>>

Oscar Tickle

My mission at Melara Enterprises is to innovate journalism on the local level. What I’m doing with my videos is being done by others around the U.S. and the world but, here in Louisiana, there’s a decided lack of entertaining, yet accurate, storytelling. Going through college they taught us how to do two things: source material and make sure those sources were accurate. This was the main focus of every teacher and student. As a result, I saw cookie-cutter journalistic pieces popping out of every student for every project. There were times when I was guilty of this myself. Read more>>

Tory Scroggins

My mission is to encourage diversity and individuality through self expression. Read more>>

Bella Miranda

Our mission is to transform local businesses from mere names into familiar faces by highlighting their unique stories, local impact, and the individuals behind the scenes. We offer an insider’s view into the latest news, top dining spots, and the best places to relax with a cocktail. Our coverage includes everything from health and wellness tips to real estate trends, living and design insights, and vibrant community events. Virginia Beach Magazine is your stylish and modern guide to the freshest trends and hidden gems. Discover what makes Virginia Beach a special place to live, work, and play with us. Read more>>

Victoria Krasyuk

I am one of top 10 Los Angeles photographers, winner of Travel International award, a member of the Russian Geographical Society, and the published author of the photo book “Travel without borders” on Amazon, along with many travel articles available on my website. My work is deeply connected to exploring the cultures of different countries, searches and finds of interesting angles, unique sensations when looking at amazing corners of nature. Read more>>

Mackayla Springle

I started a podcast in 2022 to talk about the domestic violence I endured over the course of five years. As a nursing student, a wife, a mother of two and expecting, I do not maintain regularly scheduled episodes, however, I have successfully created an open door for DV victims to reach out anytime (a safe space rather). When I started the podcast, it was meant to be therapeutic for me and the healing I still needed to do. It ended up reaching a much larger audience than I ever intended and I became what I felt was an advocate for all of these women reaching out. Read more>>

Cortney Bigelow

My mission is to make every modern woman feel celebrated and seen. What began as a blog, focused on inspiring women to “find their edit”, evolved into photography, focused on empowering women through portrait experiences across self love and branding. As someone who’s spent the majority of my life trying to gain confidence, leave a mark, find purpose, and embrace the changes along the way, it’s something I’m extremely passionate about. I’ve built my business around what I need and want as an upper 30-something who happens to be a female entrepreneur, creative, wife & mother. Read more>>

Nikolette Rivers

I have been in the salon industry in some form since I was 14 years old. I knew in middle school I wanted to become a licensed cosmetologist. I got a job at a salon near my house as a shampoo girl. I really loved working there. At the time however, I thought the owner was “mean” haha, but looking back after all these years I can truly appreciate how she ran her salon. I have worked in commission salons, hourly salons, and I have owned my own business. When I thought about how I wanted the vibe of my salon to be, I encompassed all of those. Read more>>

Damilola Olorunsesan

Our Mission: Empowering Churches and Equipping the Next Generation for the Digital Era At HumDov, our mission is twofold: to empower churches and ministries with the digital tools they need to thrive, and to equip the next generation with the technical skills they need to succeed in the digital world. But behind these objectives lies a deeply personal story and a passion for making a difference in the lives of people and communities. The Story Behind Our Mission Read more>>

Susan Johnston

Our mandate is honoring stories worth telling for all ages, all cultures in all media. Have you heard the adage that you need to see, hear, meet, engage with someone/something five times for it to become familiar and therefor more comfortable? Our theory is, what you read, talk about, share, engage with, create, etc. becomes part of who you are and how you engage in the world. Then we go a step further and ask, What would you like your future to be? Be that story now, tell that story now, share that story now, do positive things that are that future now. Read more>>

Mery Tevosyan

As a nail tech from Armenia who has been living in America for the past 9 months, my mission is driven by a deep passion for blending artistry with personal care, while also bridging cultural gaps. My mission is to provide not just exceptional nail care, but also a warm and welcoming environment where clients feel valued and heard. The meaningfulness of this mission lies in my own journey of adapting to a new country and building a life from scratch. Through my work, I aim to create a space that reflects the same support and acceptance that has been crucial to my own adjustment. Each client interaction is an opportunity to share a piece of my heritage and to offer a touch of comfort and beauty. Read more>>

Alison Mcgrath

My mission is support as many children suffering from anxiety as possible. I want to help support the stigma around mental health and support mental wellness and wellbeing. So often young people (and adults) suffer in silence. Students are made to feel they aren’t smart, or can’t focus. Children who are feeling anxious or having thoughts take up space in their mind are unable to focus on the reading, writing, math. Social emotional learning is more than just social skills. Its supporting our youngest minds and normalizing support. My goal has been to get Walter and the Worry Test in as many hands of young people as possible and to give parents, educators, and counselors an additional tool to feel more confident in providing supports. Read more>>

Erica Kirkland

With two highly-respected, self-published titles for independent lifestyle retailers – one in Canada and one in the United States, I’m forging my own path in the publishing world as an independent, unabashed champion and advocate for small store owners. I have become one of the most sought-after thought leaders on the topic of independent lifestyle retailing in North America and I give freely of my time and resources to numerous organizations whose goals are aligned with me – educating and inspiring independent retailers with unbiased, on-point and engaging content. Read more>>

Alice Yeh

Growing up, I was told to work hard in order to be the best and that’s how I would find success. So I worked hard to check off all the right boxes: high school valedictorian, Princeton BSE, career start at J.P. Morgan, Wharton MBA, UPenn MA, and another high-paying job at Google post-MBA. Despite being an overachiever and Expert Box Checker, something still felt missing. I didn’t find the successful “Happily Ever After” life of professional fulfillment and personal achievement that was supposed to be guaranteed with my “perfect-on-paper” background and resume. I was still unsatisfied with my career, struggling to feel like I was making the impact I wanted to make. I felt stuck in a hamster wheel of the same old boring routine of working too much and getting anxious every Sunday for the upcoming work week. I felt unfulfilled, lost, and unsure what to do next in my career so I kept running the corporate rat race over and over. Read more>>

Kc Baker

In my 30’s I ran fast and hard and with a lot of joy to build WomanSpeak, a multi million dollar international company supporting women’s public speaking and leadership. And then in my early 40’s, coming out of divorce, suddenly being a single parent and also stewarding my beloved property in Sedona at Red Rock Crossing…I hit a wall. I was absolutely exhausted and stressed beyond belief. I felt like I had to hold and manage everything, and I wondered where the free spirited, fun and joyful woman I once was went. Read more>>

Jondra Lowe

True BallerZ is a travel basketball organization based in the small town of Franklin, LA. I founded True BallerZ with the goal of offering young athletes the chance to improve their skills and gain important life lessons. In a time when many kids are getting involved in negative activities, I believed that using basketball could help me connect with the youth, mentor them, and uphold the organization’s values. Read more>>

 

 

Denis Maksimov

For me, Tiny Planet’s mission is more than just a business goal—it’s a way of life. I’ve always believed that life is meant to be lived fully, and that means embracing every opportunity to explore the world and experience new things. Traveling with Sofia, my wife and co-founder of Tiny Planet, and our little one has taught me the importance of flexibility and freedom. Before our baby was born, Sofia and I spent almost a year living in our van, embracing the nomadic lifestyle and discovering the joy of life on the road. We love the thrill of the unknown, moving from place to place every few months, and soon, we’re planning to take on our biggest adventure yet—a trip around the world in a van. Read more>>

Austin Iniguez

My “why”, is to nurture and inspire the human spirit – each interaction at a time. My goal is to use digital creation, and vegan skincare as a way of reaching people. As a registered nurse focused on providing high quality care to the critically ill, I knew my level of care and attention would also translate to how I treated people in my creative community. To help open the floor for deeper discussion, deeper connection, and purpose. I am inspired and uplifted by my community; and I intend to reciprocate that, each passing day. Read more>>