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?

Christopher Chamberland

AI is revolutionizing the way we live. Productivity has been significantly enhanced in certain areas, and AI algorithms can accomplish certain tasks much better than humans can. With the advent of AI comes a cost in terms of resources (such as energy requirements) and having chips which are fast enough such that they can efficiently run AI algorithms. At Extropic our goal is to build chips which are extremely energy efficient (i.e. that use much less energy than leading technologies) and which are built specifically for running AI algorithms much faster than what is currently possible. There are many applications for such chips, such as solving the energy problem, running certain algorithms on time scales that are several orders of magnitudes faster than current chips and many more. Our chips are based on the laws of thermodynamics and we leverage physical principals to achieve the low energy costs and faster time scales. Read more>>

Michelle Vaughn

At Dweewoo Ind and Busi-neer, our mission is rooted in transformation, innovation, and the resilience of the human spirit. Both brands stem from my desire to turn challenges into opportunities and to inspire others to do the same, whether in their personal lives or professional journeys. This mission holds deep meaning for me because it reflects my life’s journey—a story of navigating adversity, embracing authenticity, and creating impact. Growing up, my mother struggled with mental illness and homelessness, and those formative experiences instilled in me a fierce determination to overcome obstacles and help others find their way. Read more>>

Claire Neville

My work is grounded in the emotion of the moment. Belly-aching laughter, letting the tears fall, people squeezing each other like they’ll never see each other again. I’m documenting every moment as it happens so people and their loved ones can come back to the images for years to come and feel every one of those original feelings. On wedding days, the two people getting married are only part of the story. Parents are there showing love for their kids, there is always the couple who remembers why they’re married during the ceremony, all the best friends are there supporting each other, it all is a display of love that I will forever be in awe of. Every moment clients receive is artfully honest and documented in a genuine way. Read more>>

Erin Gatz

The mission of Prototype PGH is to build gender and racial equity through tech access, workshops, and peer support. We created Prototype in 2016 as a place for low-income women and people with marginalized gender identities to come together in a supportive environment and learn new skills. We wanted to answer the question: What would it look like if low-income women and people with marginalized gender identities had low-cost access to high tech tools and equipment like laser cutters, 3D printers, screen printing, and computer aided design software? Read more>>

Kirsten Ortman

Philocaly Hair: Transforming Beauty, Ethically, and Sustainably At Philocaly Hair, we believe in the transformative power of beauty. Our philosophy is that beauty is more than skin deep—it’s a reflection of your true self. Hair, for us, is not just about what you see in the mirror; it’s a means of expressing your identity, stepping into the world with confidence, and feeling your best. We believe that every day can be a good hair day, and that our extensions, crafted from ethically sourced human hair with a clear and honest supply chain, can help you live your life without skipping a beat. Whether you’re a stylist behind the chair or someone wearing our hair, you can trust every strand to be of the highest quality, sustainable, and supportive of your journey. Read more>>

Britt Lynn

I have struggled with body dysmorphia the majority of my life. It’s something I have to work on every day. I am now at a point in my life where I can help others love themselves. I give my clients guidance on how to deal with body dysmorphia and get to a point where they eat intuitively and not “diet.” Read more>>

Kalipso Freeze

Being born and raised in a small part of North Carolina though gave me a blissful imaginative childhood filled with unwavering adventures, it also years later confined me in a predicament where I knew I had to leave my old home behind, to create a new one for myself where the desires that was blessed upon my heart can bloom and grow. The arts were within me way before my mom passed from this earth when I was just 3 years of age, shaping my life for years to come. Death was something I had to experience and overcome at an early age. Though it was hard getting over the death of my mother, I was still blessed with an abundant childhood overall. Read more>>

Mariah Wallace

The story behind my mission started off by thinking of ways to connect and shine the light on other business owners or people with interesting topics. Creating my podcast opened so many doors to be able to work with other business owners from different walks of life while also giving them an option to share their experiences and gain exposure on my platform. It’s such a meaningful mission for me because I started my podcast during a time where I experienced so much in life losing my immediate loved ones. My friend talked me into starting a podcast based off previous conversations. Of course, I had cold feet in the beginning but once I completed the first episode, I thought to myself man that felt great and amazing! And at that point I felt like I finally found one of my purposes in life. Read more>>

Dawn M. Beaver

As my life might have seemed perfect from the outside, many major life changes were forced upon me over the last few years- and I was faced with a decision: I could blame my circumstances -OR-use them as building blocks and keep climbing. I chose the latter. My mission is to keep moving forward and continue building, with a positive mindset and a smile, because failure is simply not an option. Read more>>

Joe Mpanugo

I started my company in the midst of the Covid pandemic. At that time, agents were understandably skeptical of hiring a newcomer to film their listings. However, that did not deter me, as I knew what I had to offer was different than the norm. At the time, creating native social media listing videos was a relatively new idea. I spent the first few years of my career helping forward-thinking agents pioneer this new trend forward.  Today, my mission to help those innovative agents continues, as my team and I have dedicated ourselves to helping real estate professionals expand their reach as business owners. We do this through tailored content creation, and via a “Pro Guide to Real Estate Content”, which teaches people how to film and edit professional listing videos. Read more>>

Reason Ali

The heart of this journey began in my kitchen, inspired by my vibrant 3-year-old son, Kai, who has Sickle Cell Disease. Understanding that nutrition would be his first and greatest ally, I am always searching for something wholesome and delicious that he could enjoy. That quest led us to the discovery of real mango sorbet, a simple but delicious treat that quickly became a family favorite that I was eager to bring to the masses! At The Mango Hut, our mission is to educate and provide real food that’s as fun and flavorful, as it is nourishing. We will be the proof that wellness and joy can coexist. Read more>>

Philip Markle

Back when we founded the BCC, the standard practice for performers in comedy theaters in NYC was to work for free. For the promise of “making it big one day.” I thought this was an unfair approach that de-valued the work that performers did not only onstage but to produce their shows and bring in an audience. They should be paid for their creativity. I founded the Brooklyn Comedy Collective (BCC) on the principal to pay artists a cut of the door from Day 1. We also called it a collective because we wanted to avoid the “cool kids” syndrome of cliques at each theater. At the BCC, nobody is cooler than anyone else – we’re all just a bunch of wonderful weirdos creating comedy in Brooklyn. This ethos pairs with our teaching philosophy across all our classes (from improv to stand-up to sketch to clowning and more): the idea of “F*ck it” and “Love it.” F*CK IT means we are not going to take ourselves too seriously or beat ourselves up when we make mistakes. Mistakes are the way we get better, and the more stress we put on being perfect, the less relaxed and playful we’ll be. Once we get out of our own way, we learn to LOVE IT. This means we celebrate what you and your fellow players bring to the table. By holding both ideas in our head, we remember why we fell in love with comedy – one of the most wonderful things in the world – while not taking it too seriously. Read more>>

Elizabeth Protzman

In January 1923, a group of twelve women, headed by Mrs. Edward Buckland, met to discuss the formation of a Junior League in New Haven. The initial idea of establishing the League came from Mrs. Brower Hewitt, who had been a member of the Junior League of Brooklyn. By April of 1923, our League (with a membership of fifty) was officially admitted to the Association of Junior Leagues of America, and Miss Rachel Trowbridge became the first president. While the face of the Junior League of Greater New Haven has changed since its founding in 1923, the heartfelt passion and dedication of its members and their desire and ability to make a positive and lasting impact in the community has remained strong. The League continues to provide incredible volunteer training to women in the League who, in turn, bring that to other organizations. Read more>>

Darlynne Menkin

Darlynne’s family roots are from Hawaii so because of that, we do everything with an “Aloha Spirit” mindset. Whether a corporate group is experiencing our Team Olympics, a Charity Bike Build or a Sushi Showdown, we always want our guests to feel welcomed. In fact, it’s our hope that when guests are with us, at some point in the adventure, they will say to themselves “I’m exactly Where I Want To Be” which is the name of our parent company. Our mission statement spells out the word A-L-O-H-A which we are adamant with our staff, to always keep this type of attitude top of mind. The A stands for Abundance; L stands for Laughter; O is for Open Mindedness; H is for Having Fun and A stands for Amazing Adventures. A lot of thought and heart, goes into planning these team building experiences and our goal is that our guests will truly feel the Aloha Spirit when they’re with us. We also practice this same uplifting, positive attitude with our staff. For us, they’re more than employees, they’re our family and pouring into them & encouraging them to “live their best life” is also important to us. Read more>>

Daphney Acevedo

The story behind Auraliri is of two high school best friends that grew up in NYC, Daphney and Bri; who are striving to blend spirituality with technology ultimately bringing a metaphysical experience that is shown by their futuristic theme. It started off by Daphney finding herself after sometime feeling like something was missing from her life and that something was gifts and talents she had yet to discover about herself. In turn Daphney wanted to create not just a business but a sanctuary that allows people to find themselves, be themselves free of judgement or feeling like they have to do things like everyone else or stay up to date with the latest trend in order to fit in. Daphney always thought she’d become a psychologist and was almost about to graduate college when something in her decided not to. Read more>>

Brad Minton

Growing up I never took a lot of time to really pause and reflect. In any capacity. I was always goal-oriented but I rarely took an inventory of the things that I really needed to do for career success. I just put my head down and worked my butt off to accomplish obtaining my goal to become a therapist. However. Not taking the time to really look within and ask myself some tougher questions not only limited me in my pursuits but it also hindered my growth in a way as well. When I was 30 I found my calling as a Career Development professional by accident but if I had been paying attention to other things along the way and keeping an open-mind, who’s knows where I would be. A case example of this is that I took a course in Grad School during my clinical mental health program called “Career Counseling” and essentially slept through it because I thought I would never use it. Boy was I wrong. I understand all too well how naiive young people can be but also how much they tend to overlook their own awesomeness because they haven’t paid attention to it. Now as a Career Counselor I help the next generation really understand the journey towards career satisfaction and becoming the best version of themselves they can. Read more>>

Marian Frizzell

I admit that I still love getting to tell people that our family lived in an RV for a year and a half. I love seeing their faces. “But this was before you had five kids, right?” Nope. All seven of us crammed in there. “But what about the pets?” We took them too. Both cats and the dog. “But where did you put the litter box?” You really don’t want the answer to that one. But before we get too deep into the story, you should know that we weren’t one of those Youtube adventure families, eschewing suburbia to show our kids the Great World Adventure. No, we were a post-Cat 5 hurricane family who couldn’t stomach the idea of more time away from my military husband. We decided that we’d take a lack of personal space coupled with an uninterrupted view of hurricane destruction if it meant that we could be back together again. Read more>>

Hollis Mccollum

Hello! I guess most writers would say that their mission is to share their story with the world, right? Sure, I definitely want to do that, but it’s not just the story itself, but also a new perspective. Something I absolutely love about writing fantasy is that you can easily express your feelings as a writer about social issues and relationships of all sorts under the guise of it just being fantasy story. The characters and world don’t even exist in our reality, so how could we writers possibly be referencing realities? That’s the beauty of it. Through all of our whimsical, magical fictions, we endeavor to convey some of our deepest truths with the world. When you tell the truth in such an emotional way, you can authentically connect with people all over the world, who you’ve never even met. By sharing our story, we are creating a whole community of people who can bond over the same truth. There’s a lot of beauty in that, I think. Read more>>

Jeffrey Barnes

Walt Disney wanted to be remembered as a storyteller. Every great story, however, requires conflict—and too often, we avoid conflict at all costs. This avoidance leaves us stuck, bored, and disconnected from the vibrant story our lives could be. As a professor of humanities and dean of student success, I created a college course called The History of Disneyland. My goal was to use Walt’s remarkable story—and the stories we experience in his parks—to inspire students to overcome their fears, embrace challenges, and pursue their dreams. But life had its own lesson in store for me. The day after delivering the very first lecture of this dream course, I was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumor. I made the decision to delay surgery for 2.5 months, determined to finish teaching the course. I wanted to live out the very principles I was teaching—facing conflict head-on, overcoming obstacles, and refusing to give up on your dreams. Read more>>

Josh Williams

In 2023 I was unexpectedly part of a mass-layoff from a company I loved and had been with for 7 years. My wife and I had a 4yr old and a 5mo. old at home. For many, this type of thing could have meant severe hardship, a forced selling of the house and general financial ruin. But for us it was more like driving through a huge pothole. We didn’t expect it, definitely felt it, but it didn’t break anything or upend our life because of the strong personal finance foundation we had build for ourselves over the previous 12 years. Its this resilience that I want for others. I love helping others, connecting with people and creating community. I’m a detail oriented, data and finance nerd that loves extreme sports especially snowboarding in Tahoe.  Read more>>

Fernanda Valencia

My mission is to guide individuals toward clarity and self-connection through conscious writing, providing them with the tools to uncover their truth and take action in alignment with their authentic selves. This mission stems from deeply personal experiences. At the age of five, I discovered the power of writing as a lifeline in the midst of confusion and emotional suppression. Writing became my sanctuary—a place where I could express my feelings freely without fear of judgment. That moment of finding clarity through a simple pencil and notebook planted the seed for what would later become my life’s work. Read more>>

Shaina Renee

The story behind The Model Knowledge Group is one of vision, passion, and resilience. As a serial entrepreneur with multiple businesses, my journey began in 2014 when I created this company in my living room, driven by a simple yet powerful idea—to build something that could change the world. At the time, I had no idea the impact it would have today. From the start, I was committed to creating a company that embraced diversity and inclusion, focusing on uplifting women leaders, brands, and creatives while providing a platform for those often left behind. My mission was to produce impactful events, workshops, and conferences where women and creatives from all walks of life could come together, collaborate, and thrive. What started as a dream has grown into a movement that continues to break barriers, amplify voices, and inspire change worldwide. Read more>>

Quinlan Deakin

Hey my name is Quinlan Deakin and my mission is to not only become an actor in great cinema but also produce some of my own productions. I think the movies being produced at the moment have lost their way. They would rather pump out heaps of content instead of making great cinema. My mission as an up and coming actor breaking into the US market is to really bring back humanity and feelings into the characters I am lucky enough to play. I love being an actor, being able to perform and live in someone else’ shoes. That is the luxury I get to experience in my work. My mission is to remind people through cinema that being vulnerable is such a beautiful thing. It is hard to be vulnerable in such a dystopian world where everything feels commercial. Its time to bring back our organic unapologetic selves. This is the beauty of being human.  Read more>>

Miriam Silva

Well, I started this project because ever since I was a child I’ve enjoyed helping people, I love the feeling of making a change in someone’s life. And it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, to help others and make a difference in society. During these years, after graduating, I saw many people struggling with basic finances, friends and family, so I started thinking about how I can help these people, how I can make a difference in their lives, and that’s why the idea of sharing my knowledge came about. My mission is just the first step, I’ve only just started but I know that my future is going to be bright and I’m going to help everyone who needs help Read more>>

Tierra Goodman

Hello, my name is Tierra Sager founder and Ceo of Harmony Health Boarding home, our mission is to provide a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment for individuals in need of specialized care. We are dedicated to promoting physical, emotional, and mental well-being, empowering residents to live fulfilling lives with dignity, respect, and independence. Our compassionate team is committed to fostering a sense in the community, offering personalized care, and ensuring every resident feels valued and heard. Read more>>

Kiersten Foster

My artistic practice has traditionally centered around nature and the exploration of femininity and autonomy. I have found that diverging from these themes is rigorous, prompting me to use this semester as an opportunity to experiment and explore new directions. I want to shift towards more unnatural scenarios by changing colors and mediums. To inspire and motivate myself for this change, I turned to the idea of personal experiences, but soon realized I was unsure of which events to highlight. I have noticed the amount of criticism I give myself when it comes to my artwork and the terror I feel when that work is viewed by an audience. I wanted to work through that fear this semester as well. Ultimately, this reflective process guided me to a theme for my combined series. Read more>>

Catherine Maita

Cristalli di Cat (Crystals by Catherine) is a small business with thoughtfully crafted crystal and floral designs. In every creation, I aim to infuse creative spirit and calming energy into arranged scapes. This business was started as a creative outlet for drawing healing vibes through design. Designing these pieces brought a sense of calmness and escape in a time of turmoil, in experiencing a very loved family member battling an incurable disease. My hope is that these arrangements can inspire, bring unique elements into someone’s life/home, and instill peace for others too. Read more>>

Janice Santini

I’m Janice Santini, owner and curator of Blue Door Gallery in York, Maine. I’m passionate about sharing art as I believe that an immersive experience in the arts is vital. What makes owning a gallery space special is how the community interacts with curiosity, excitement and gratitude. By acquiring and exhibiting important works of art, galleries ensure that these works are not lost and contribute appreciation by future generations. Art galleries contribute significantly to the cultural landscape of a community. We can show art from our area or from around the world. This gives the public a chance to see and appreciate works of art that they might not have been able to see or appreciate otherwise. A gallery gives artists a platform for valuable support and exposure. It’s a commitment I’m passionate about as an artist myself. If you are local or across the globe, take the time to visit an art gallery, a museum, attend performances and have a chat with an artist. I’m grateful to my artists for gifting me their time and talent. Read more>>

Khushi Patel

As the creator of this versatile, multi-use nourishing oil, I embarked on a journey back in 2021; inspired by a desire to make life more beautiful and more straightforward. The genesis of AURORA was born from a personal quest to harmonize the demands of a busy modern lifestyle with a genuine connection to nature and self-care. Years ago, I found myself juggling a hectic daily routine that left little time for self-pampering. My cabinets were cluttered with countless products for hair, face, and body, each claiming to hold the key to beauty and well-being. But deep within, I longed for a simpler, more sustainable approach—one that would allow me to streamline my beauty regimen without sacrificing quality or authenticity. Read more>>

Benny Ruiz

At Ben Hurt, we believe that everyone has faced their own battles and risen stronger. Our mission is to create streetwear that embodies this shared experience—the resilience, authenticity, and grit that unite us all. “Everyone’s Ben Hurt 🖤” isn’t just a tagline; it’s a reminder that we’re all hustling, grinding, and pushing through the challenges that life throws at us. We craft apparel that speaks to the streets, inspiring confidence, fueling self-expression, and empowering individuals to face life boldly and stay true to themselves. Ben Hurt is more than a brand—it’s a testament to strength, a movement that champions the beauty of staying driven, staying real, and embracing every raw moment. Read more>>

 

 

Anastasia Markova

At Fairytales & Heroes Entertainment, our mission is to bring dreams to life and create unforgettable experiences for children and families. Through our enchanting characters and magical performances, we turn every event into a celebration of wonder, joy, and imagination. Dedicated to spreading happiness and leaving a trail of magic everywhere we go, we aim to inspire cherished memories that will last a lifetime. Read more>>