Progress depends on unreasonable people pushing boundaries, breaking out of boxes, challenging the odds and proving that the impossible is possible.  This happens everyday, in big ways and small – from a small town kid ignoring the naysayers and making it in the city of their dreams to the folks with ideas no one will invest in who somehow brought their vision to life. Our community is filled with so many trailblazers, innovators, and rebels and we hope you’ll check out their inspiring stories below.

Hannah Jacoby-brooks

Originally, I am from Atlanta, GA. I grew up in the metro area before moving downtown to attend Georgia State University. While in undergrad, I was also extremely involved in college band & I was able to experience a plethora of things I wouldn’t have been able to without it. I was in a movie, on tv, and marched in the Macy’s Day Parade. I majored in Studio Art with a concentration in Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking at the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design. I knew I wanted to continue being in academia, so I applied to 13 graduates programs which landed me at the School of the Museum of FIne Arts at Tufts University in Boston, MA. Read more>>

Andrea Di Paolo’s Story

My story has somewhat been rewritten in the last few months. I have totally changed the trajectory of my life and my business. When I was 18 years old, I started in the jewelry industry working with fine jewelry. I struggled with the concept that styles were limited and often repetitive. I left the industry at 23 years old (or so I thought I was leaving it), but somehow the tools never left my hands. It was a calling, if you will. The “phone” kept ringing. By 2016, I had the name Quartz & Canary in hand, ready to become the next custom jewelry company. Read more>>

Kristin Haddad

Killustrate it is all about creating one of a kind HAND PAINTED art that gets you amped and inspired. The name Killustrate it comes from, me loving to illustrate. My name starts with K and “killer” work is my goal. Most of my work revolves around car culture, but is certainly not limited to that. Hand painted car art is a bit of a dying breed, but I think it is slowly making a come back. Currently I am a one women army, but would like to expand by teaching young artists the trade by passing the brush on to the next generation. If I didn’t I would be afraid I’d be contributing to its demise. I want Killustrate it to have an impact on keeping IT alive. Read more>>

Ashley Hassard of Drawbox Inc.

If I’m honest, I never really went into life with much of a plan. Opportunities always led the way, and, as a result, I was always hilariously open to whatever new ones crossed my path. I’ve lived, and continue to live, what sometimes feels like 12 lives in one, and I couldn’t be more grateful for each and every one of them. I’ve been a Teacher, a Model, a Photographer, a Writer, an Editor, a Script Supervisor, a Business Owner, a Motivational Speaker, a Leadership Facilitator, an Account Manager, a medical volunteer, an athlete, and so much more, and it’s all, quite literally, been because I wasn’t afraid to step outside of my comfort zone, take a chance, and try something new. Read more>>

Jessica Starks

I was born a writer. As a child, I created short stories for my family and gave them as birthday gifts. I started my freelance writing career in my senior year of high school. While I initially thought I was going to use my writing skills in one medium, my journey finding work after college and being exposed to different industries and possibilities showed me that I could use my talents in several different ways – I didn’t have to limit myself to books or blog posts if I didn’t want to. That’s how I started my first business, J.D. Scribes. We provide content creation, social media management, writing services, and more to our clients to help them build their brands and stay relevant in the marketplace. Read more>>

Claudia Middendorf

Based in Rhode Island, I founded Mathilde and Claudia Middendorf Graphic Design (CMGD) as a designer, traveler, and San Francisco transplant. My studio, located in a renovated mill building overlooking the Blackstone River, is a space where my creativity flourishes. At Mathilde, we specialize in hand-finished textiles for the home, where our work is a fusion of cultures, creators, and communities, bringing sensorial richness into the heart of every home. With a nature-inspired palette, beautiful details, and organic patterns, Mathilde pieces add warmth and timeless elegance to spaces, creating a lasting rhythm for generations to come. Read more>>

Chelsea Johnston

The dream for The Neighborhood changed a couple times over from the original thought but I’m so happy with where we have landed and where we hope to go from here. I came from a home daycare that my mom ran out of our house. You could say working with this age group is in my blood. From the time I was young I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Originally, my heart was set on becoming an elementary school art teacher, as art is a huge passion of mine, but found the public school systems to not put much emphasis or money into the subject. During my junior and senior years in college I found a preschool teaching job and fell in love. Read more>>

Ann Torralba

All through my adult life, I’ve been playing music in bands for fun. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d be doing it for a living. Somehow, I found a way to combine my love of kids with my love of music. In college, I played around on the guitar and did some open mics. After college, I played in a rock band with some friends. When I was a full-time teacher, I brought my guitar in to sing for my Special Education students. I could see how they responded so well to it. When my daughter was born, I made the difficult decision to discontinue teaching. I had no idea what I was going to do. Read more>>

Natalie Rochelle Noble of Thee Natalie Rochelle/NR Media Agency

In 2014, I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Illinois-Springfield. At the time, I was unemployed and expecting my first child. Motivated by my circumstances and a deep passion for fashion, I launched my first venture, House of Chelle Boutique, in June of that year. The boutique specialized in custom clothing and vintage pieces. Thanks to successful fashion shows and effective marketing strategies, my business thrived, prompting inquiries about how I grew my customer base and managed multiple boutiques, including one focused on custom sorority apparel. Read more>>

Rachel Bruggeman of Mandelette Photography LLC

When I was in my twenties, I found a passion for photography through photographing bands at concerts. It wasn’t until I met a wedding photographer and started shadowing, that I found a true love for what I was doing. I decided that wedding photography was what I wanted to do with my career, so I built a team and started training them in my style with the end goal of spending more time with my family. Flash forward 8 years, and I am only doing the training, admin, and sales side of my business while my team flourishes. I now have a darling six month old daughter whom I spend my days with, and host office hours two days a week while my mom watches her. Read more>>

Brooke Young-onuegbu of Closer Fragrance LLC

Growing up in Chicago, I didn’t see a lot of businesses owned by Black people. I was extremely inspired by the many Black owned businesses I came across during the pandemic. I decided to start my own business, selling roll on fragrances. I spent two years making them before launching the business in fall of 2022. Read more>>

Monique Chappell of Meilani Educational Services

My name is Monique Chappell. I was born and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut and I always said, “When I grow up I’m going to be a teacher.” It wasn’t until I saw my third grade teacher in action that made me want the dream job even more. I lost a lot of friends growing up due to gun violence and after high school I made the decision to leave the state and attend an HBCU, Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC. My freshman year they shut down the education program and I decided on getting a communication arts degree. After I graduated college, I was working in the mall at a shoe store and that’s when I realized I wanted my next job to be in education. Trusting in God, I took a leap of faith and quit my job and was unemployed for some time. Read more>>

Ellen Warner

I first started painting after my mum got me a watercolour set about 7 years ago. I absolutely loved the challenge of learning this new skill and finding a way to express myself, and since then, painting has formed a core part of my practice. In 2020, I was selected for a Tate Collective open call, and was lucky enough to have my work shown on a billboard in London alongside other young creatives. During lockdown, I had the opportunity to experiment with film photography, another key aspect of my art. Read more>>

Kayla Powers

I found my way to textile art by way of gardening. I studied Art History in college and the summer after I graduated I worked on a little organic vegetable farm. At the same time, I took a weaving class at the art institute in town so I was learning about plants and fiber at the same time. The two things really came together for me and I’ve been weaving and natural dyeing ever since. I moved to Detroit in 2017 and quickly fell in love with the city and I continue to be so inspired by the wildlife there. I began making what I call Place-Based Art meaning that I was working with locally grown and foraged plants to explore inner and outer landscapes and the relationships between the living world and the built environment. In September 2024 I’m moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico and I’m eager to explore a new landscape and ecosystem in my work! Read more>>

Emily Demeo’s Story

I have had my hand in creative ventures for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I was involved in the competitive dance world and my favorite classes in school were about design and photography. When I got to college, I found myself really missing that creative component of my life, especially studying chemistry in a curriculum with no room for electives. I began learning hand lettering, which eventually led into more traditional pointed pen styles of calligraphy. What began as a hobby slowly transitioned into the business now known as Of Light & Letters. Read more>>

Alliya Gabriel

Koa Kards was established in 1996, 2 years before I was born. It was all I’ve ever known my parents to do for work. Koa Kards today, is still in business with 2 more family members. My brother and I are very much involved in the pivoting point of the business. During the pandemic my brother was in high school and majority of his senior year was online, therefore he had a lot more time on his hands to explore his creative side. He has always been artistic and decided to draw local Hawai’i sayings, catch phrases, symbols, flora and fauna etc. It was quickly decided that his designs were funny, cute and inclusive, so why not put it on to a sticker but made out of Koa Wood. Read more>>

Mary Ann Tooker of Daisy-Bella

My journey into fashion and entrepreneurship began during the heyday of department stores. From the start, I was fascinated by the psychology of consumer behavior—what drove people to buy certain things and not others. This curiosity became the foundation of my career. With a degree in Fashion Merchandising in hand, I set off on an exciting journey through different corners of the fashion industry. I immersed myself in department store and chain store buying, where I learned the ins and outs of retail and trends. Over time, I worked my way up, eventually becoming a VP, where I managed the production of women’s apparel on a global scale. While I gained a wealth of experience and knowledge along the way, my ambitions were always about more than just climbing the corporate ladder Read more>>

Kayla Lawson

My photography story starts from a humble beginning, that’s for sure. Once cellphones began to include better cameras and images, I was constantly taking photos. And not the typical selfies, I was using it to capture -what was to me anyway- art. In my early 20’s I had a request from a cousin of mine to take pictures for her Senior Photos. I only had a cell phone and had not even thought about owning an actual camera at that time. Looking back on that project, I can still say that the images turned out pretty amazing for only using a cellphone camera and editing apps. Read more>>

Shauna Worrell-waldron

As a New Graduate Registered Nurse working in a new city, new state and in a new nursing specialty (the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), I was very observant as I wanted to learn everything about this specialty. One night shift that I worked I noticed a patient I was taking care of had clothing in their drawer that their parents brought from home. The clothing appeared to be cut up with holes in them. The holes were from healthcare staff making openings with scissors in order to access medical devices in the NICU. I questioned why we would do such a thing. Why were we cutting holes into clothing that parents, family and friends purchased for the preemies in their lives? Read more>>

Summer Hughes’s Story

I have been a creative person my whole life. I often complain that I have more ideas than time to execute them. Creativity and artistic expression are where I find I am most fulfilled. I am always finding new ways to express myself and what I am a witness to. My inspiration comes mostly from my connections to nature and the connections I have with the people I love. How I express my creativity is forever evolving, as am I. I began with the basics of drawing and painting, which will always be my first love, but within the past 10 years, I have fallen in love with sculptural ceramics. I find that there is just a special way that clay can be manipulated and shaped. And in this discovery, I can have nearly infinite possibilities for expression. As a person who is constantly overflowing with new ideas, it’s refreshing to have a medium that can be an equally constant outlet.  Read more>>

Myriam Khouzam

As far back as I can remember, I never felt like I fit in. Right out of university, I worked with youth and unemployment, but the structure of a 9-5 job didn’t suit me. I joke that I had a mid-life crisis in my early 20s. The truth is, that challenging time was the beginning of a winding and still unfolding journey. Over the last 20+ years, my path has taken me through studies with many Traditional Healers worldwide, extensive yoga and meditation training, Shiatsu and Natural Nutrition training, Trauma-Informed counselling, and Somatic Therapeutic approaches.  I am always learning. In October of this year, I will have completed the yearlong Compassionate Inquiry Professional Program offered by Dr. Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam Kaur ND.  Read more>>

Rebecca Graves Prowse

When I was in Kindergarten I pronounced loudly, and with my full chest that I wanted to be an artist when I grow up and immediately began to focus on that journey. After starting college I realized that crippling student loan debt didn’t sound as sexy as one might think and when offered a dream job as a visual merchandising assistant doing displays for a department store, I dropped out and stepped into the corporate world. Within a year I had my own store as a merchandising manager and a few short years later was a district manager and then a regional director for visual merchandising for the chain. I loved the job. I hated the corporate politics and lack of support for being an actual human. Read more>>

Shani Weiss

I’ve been doing music since I was 5 years old so this is who I am, and what I do. I play a bunch of different instruments a.nd sing perform, compose, teach music to all ages and basically live and breathe music. I am very lucky to be able engage in my passion on an everyday basis and make a living of it.I released a debut album called ‘Touch of Reality’ to all the streaming platforms, a few years ago and now I am working on my EP ‘All About Life’ which hopefully will be ready by the end of the year. It will be a Folk Indie 6 song mini album discussing femininity and relationships. Read more>>

Laura Thurston

Dancing has always been a part of my life since I can remember. I trained in various styles of dance throughout my childhood, and went on to get a Bachelors degree in Dance Performance, graduating from Columbia College in 2005. My professional career began in 2004 with Chicago Dance Crash, performing from 2004-2007. From 2007-2008, I performed with Corpo Dance Company, and 2008-2009 I performed with Cerqua Rivera Dance Theater. In 2009, I Co-Founded Piel Morena Contemporary Dance, performing from 2009-2012. In 2013, Laura Co-Founded Still Inspired, performing in the first season. I began work in arts administration in 2009, where I gained experience in public relations, grant writing, data management, accounting, fundraising, and event coordination. Read more>>

Miles Gray

Well hi, I go by Gray! My journey with art started as a kid but what I’d say is relavent here is moving in with my now fiance. Nothing has been better for my art than being surrounded by people who love and care for me, and bring hope to every day mentally ill life. I wanted to be a small business owner for candles and wax melts last time you interviewed me, but these days? I just want to be myself. Including the business. My fiance encourages me to be myself—and as someone with DID, he encourages me to be myself *whatever that means that hour.* My art journey is intrinsically entwined with my fiance, and if God forbid we ever part ways, I will always thank him for helping me find my voice. Read more>>

Jennifer Gillespie’s Story

Nothing but the grace and favor of GOD got me where I am today! After 20 + years of being in the Beauty Industry, I was graced to move on to nurture my calling in the Culinary Arts field. I concentrated on baked goods and sweet treats from Early 2014 until the Summer of 2017. From that point on, my company has been providing Full Service Catering! Life’s happenings definitely played a part in deciding to expand, and in hindsight it was the push I didn’t know I needed! Read more>>

Maureen & Emilie of Midnight Teas(e)

Our story began as a hypothetical. We’ve been friends for about 14 years and a constant shared interest of ours has always been our love of tea. We’ve identified as witches in some form or another for almost as long. It was a running joke for years that we should open a witchy-themed tea room. We day-dreamed names and imagined the kind of vibe of the space and what kind of teas we’d serve, but it always seemed out of the realm of possibility. And yet. One day over a cup of tea with our friend Cindy, we were discussing this hypothetical shop, and Cindy posed an intriguing question: Why not? We both had the skill set for it (Emilie is an artist and graphic designer, and Maureen has several years of tea industry experience), and more importantly we are ambitious. Read more>>

Jennifer S. Hicks of Olijé Body Care

Olijé Body Care was started as I had an issue and needed to find a solution. My business name is personal as it is a tribute to my parents, Otis and Lillie Sykes (deceased). My business name is a breakdown for (O-Otis – li-Lillie – jé- Jennifer). My father was an entrepreneur and he instilled hard work, ethics, dedication and the entrepreneurial spirit. I absolutely love making handmade products for my skincare line, because this is a passion. I noticed a lack of options for high-quality, eco-friendly skincare products in the market. I believed that everyone should have access to nourishing and safe products that promote healthy and healed skin. I dedicated myself to sourcing the finest natural ingredients and formulating products that are free from harmful chemicals and toxins. Read more>>

Rachael Ann Gliebe

My journey began 20 years ago with a simple thought: I wanted the freedom to live life on my terms while working a job that was fun, creative, and flexible. In 2012, I took the leap and went full-time with my own photography business, R.A.G.artistry. Leaving the corporate world behind, I embraced the challenges and opportunities of being an entrepreneur, choosing to do something I loved rather than just something I “had to do to get by.” Passion is everything to me. Starting R.A.G.artistry allowed me to channel my creativity and connect with people in meaningful ways. I work hard and am consistent in all that I do, and getting to where I am today is a result of mindset and discipline. Getting started required focus and consistent practice, and I made it a point to level up in every aspect along the way. Read more>>

Natasha Zahn

I’ve always been creative, but about twelve years ago, I decided to kick it up a notch and start selling in a more consistent manner at local markets and First Friday events. This fit in well with my lifestyle at the time. It was like dipping my toe into the pool! But over time, I built up a larger collection of designs and a really supportive community of buyers. I started a website and learned about selling online, I developed an annual calendar in addition to cards and prints, and I reached out to a handful of stores and started selling wholesale in a very small way. Fast forward to 2024, and I’ve expanded wholesale to 30 shops in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest; I continue to sell at local markets and online; and I’ve developed art curriculum for teacher professional development and have held art workshops for adults. Read more>>

Erica Hornthal’s Story

I have always loved to dance and did it growing up in a studio setting for most of my life. When I began high school, I was afforded the opportunity to perform the school’s dance ensemble. This solidified my love for dance and it got me thinking about my future. I knew that becoming a professional dancer or dance educator wasn’t in the cards for me, but that left me with few options until a professor in college introduced me to the field of dance/movement therapy. This literally felt like divine intervention as this married my two passions; my passion for dance and my love for helping people emotionally. I decided to pursue my master’s degree in dance/movement therapy and opened up my private practice once all of my requirements, supervision hourse, and licensing was acquired. Read more>>

Thea Engst’s Story

I moved to Somerville, MA in 2009 to earn my MFA in Creative Writing with a focus in Poetry from Emerson College. To support myself, I started working in hospitality as a host, rising through the ranks pretty quickly. I was a bartender by 2012 and a bar manager by 2013. While I went on to work as an assistant general manager and general manager, I realized that I had left my heart behind the bar and returned behind the stick in 2017 until the pandemic. Before that — sometime in 2016 I think — I was fortunate enough to pitch my first book concept, Drink Like a Bartender, to a friend I met at Emerson who had gone into publishing. She loved the idea and it was approved almost immediately. So my coworker and friend, Lauren Vigdor, and I wrote the book together in a few months, it was published in 2017 and rated one of the “Best Booze Books of 2017” by Forbes. Read more>>

Stephanie Leininger

My grandparents had a vegetable and flower garden in their backyard in Minnesota. I never really thought much of it other than it was pretty cool and I could eat sugar peas right out of the garden. I started working with flowers during high school. Now that I think back, every job I had included flowers in some aspect. I got to where I am today with a lot of experiences, trial and error and moving towards what felt right to be doing every day. Read more>>

Jennifer Henderson

Oh man, there are so many parts to this story… I gotta try to condense it! I had a nasty breakup many moons ago and I needed an outlet. I took the advice of my therapist and an old friend and decided to start a blog where I post all of my favorite beauty products. It was called My Product Addiction. That same year, two of my closest friends moved to Australia. I had no plans of ever visiting them because I didn’t have a passport and couldn’t afford to pay $1500 for a plane ticket, so in my mind, we just weren’t gonna be friends anymore! Fast forward to 2016, I learned about a vacation payment platform called Airfordable, You could book any flight you wanted and go on a payment plan to pay for it. I booked it and… a few months later I embarked on a 28 hour journey to Sydney.  Read more>>

Elisa Smith

I got my start when I met Garth Brooks. I was a student at Harvard studying the neurological effects music has on the brain and music education when Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood came to campus to give a talk about their careers. I had graduated from Berklee College of Music and been writing songs for years. During the talk, Garth mentioned that he still gets nervous before he performs and this really resonated with me – I loved to perform, but I struggled with crippling stage fright. During the Q&A portion at the end, I raised my hand and asked him how he overcomes his nerves when he’s on stage. After asking me my name, and what kind of music I play, he invited me on stage to play a song! Read more>>

Jennifer Playford

Hello, I’m Jennifer and I’m an illustrator, art director and product designer. My mission is to create vibrant art and design that is uplifting and uses the power of colour to evoke joy. I believe there are no limitations to the use of colour in design and even selective little pops of colour can enliven our homes and lives. I studied fashion at university and wanted to be a fashion designer but my brain couldn’t handle the technical aspects of sewing and pattern drafting so I switched to visual communication. I never thought of pursuing illustration as a career until my art director friend in Los Angeles saw my whimsical drawings in my hand written letters to her and encouraged me to build a portfolio.  Read more>>

Erica D’aurora of Gioia Communications

My dream was always to work in the music industry. I just didn’t know what that looked like for me.After I graduated from college with a degree in English, I began my music blog, Musical Notes Global, to get my foot in the door. I’m a pretty shy person, and definitely an introvert, so the thought of starting my own platform where anyone could read what I was writing was really daunting. At the same time, though, my dream was something that had been a part of me for so long, and I knew that I had to take some sort of action to start making it happen, so I let it overshadow any hesitations and fear that I had, and I dove in. One of the main reasons why I started Musical Notes Global, and why it is what it is today, was that I always had a love for music from different countries. My dad is from Italy, and so I was exposed to Italian pop music at an early age. I loved it then, and I love it now, probably more than ever. Read more>>

Johana Gutierrez-griffiths

JJ Paperie & Co started in January 2020, after working in the media and entertainment industry in Manhattan for several years. What originally started from an interest to do wedding calligraphy for my own wedding, quickly became an eye opener and interest for an industry I was unaware of at the time. JJ Paperie & Co started as a calligraphy studio and quickly evolved into other areas due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Being a self-taught creative, I immersed myself in anything and everything when it came to learning all the opportunities available as a creative. Having an open-mind and desire to learn so much my first year has allowed me to have a strong foundation of what I can achieve with a creative business and what I want my business to look like. Read more>>

Ruby Spencer

I celebrated my 30th birthday by booking a pinup photoshoot with Vavoom Studios. Heather, Vavoom’s owner, had encouraged me to enter an upcoming pinup contest in the city and introduced me to several other ladies she had worked with. I entered that contest and Ruby was born! I loved the vintage community and quickly realized I had found my people. Several years later and many pinup contests later, a close friend encouraged me to try burlesque lessons – insisting I would like it. I took a few classes and realized that burlesque would allow me to live my 1940s technicolor dreams in real life – I was hooked! I love burlesque and pinup for the ability to let my creativity come to life and I love the way people react to my performances and appearances. I will celebrate my 8th year since my first solo burlesque performance this year. Read more>>

Bethany Clark of Beth’s Collection

Like a lot of people I started my jewellery business when covid started in 2020 just for fun. I started making jewellery in my room and started selling it through instagram, mainly to a lot of my friends to begin with! I had just started university so it was a nice little “hobbie” I could tell people about. I then realised I enjoyed the business side of selling my jewellery as well as physically making the products. I then decided to go to a lot of business workshops, 1-1 support and getting any help I could get to expand my knowledge. I still go to a lot of business workshops as I am a small fish in a big pond but I have had nothing but support and encouragement from everyone who helped me get to the point I am at now. Read more>>

Brigitte Boulay

I often say that you don’t become an artist, you’re born one! This is very true in my case. I think I’ve been creating since the time I could hold a crayon. My Mom was an incredible artist and she nurtured my artistic curiosities. My dad was a musician and he comes from a line of professional musicians so I suppose you could say that it came naturally to me. My inspirations come from my soul… truly! I know it sounds cliché, but my creations are inspired by what takes my breath away (good & bad). Love, sadness, nature, historical stories, fashion, architure; it all plays a role in what comes out.  Read more>>

Lisa Miller of Amphorae Publishing Group, LLC

I am a Partner and the Business and Marketing Manager at Amphorae Publishing. I have a certificate in Strategic Communications from Saint Louis University, an M.A. in English from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis, and B.A. in English for the University of Baltimore. I am a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who served in Afghanistan in 2009. My essay, “Still Falling Snow,” about my experience in Afghanistan was published in Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors vol. 3 in 2014. I worked in corporate communications as a writer and editor for over 20 years. I am now a full-time publisher. Read more>>

Pam Harlow

My journey into entrepreneurship began with a sweet start — literally! As a beekeeper alongside my (now ex) husband, I found myself with an abundance of honey and started selling at events and online part-time while working my full-time job and raising my son. As I learned more about honey’s incredible benefits for our skin, this sparked a new passion for creating skin and body care products that incorporated honey and other natural ingredients, which continue to be at the heart of my business today. Life threw me a curveball when I was laid off from my job of 14 years. I was given the choice to apply for another position within the company or take the severance package — a decision that ultimately led me down a path of self-discovery and resilience. Read more>>

Nika Ladonna

Black6Hearts Clothing was started when I left a toxic and abusive relationship. Being depressed and being in a constant state of darkness, it’s my way of bringing light not just to my life, but to the lives of so many other people who may or who still that same darkness.. It’s truly amazing to see how this brand has grown over the course of 5 years.. Read more>>

Katie & Amy Metal Metcalfe

We started with an experiment nearly 4 years ago, and with no plan of working together full-time, let alone a business with a life all of its own! The experiment was simple. We combined our skillsets and created 130 or so garden blooms on stakes for a local sculpture exhibition. We sold out! We were stunned to be honest, and thought we would try it again a month or so later, and the same thing happened. Within a matter of a few months we were working full-time fulfilling orders for galleries and with a list of commissions. It was totally unexpected. Fast forward to today and really that practice of playful experimentation and trusting our gut feeling has seen us grow, move premises and be selected to exhibit in some significant events. There are many days where we pinch ourselves – we are able to fill our days making and working together in a pretty amazing part of the world- New Zealand. We consider ourselves very fortunate. Read more>>

Kathryn Decker of Softly

Building a Career on Innovation and Impact My journey began with a deep interest in analytical sciences, which led me to pursue a BS in Forensic Science at Michigan State University. From there, I honed my skills in quality assurance and operations management. To further equip myself for leadership roles, I earned an eMBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology. Throughout my career, I’ve thrived in diverse environments, including government agencies, biotech firms, and Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies. In these roles, I’ve consistently led corporate teams focused on driving innovation through new product launches, technical customer support, and strategic global initiatives. Read more>>

Megan Wimberley

My mom is a western artist and I grew up watching her paint and draw. A lot of my early experience and learning came from watching her and asking her a lot of questions. I loved drawing horses and would practice drawing horses in the magazines we had around our house. I’m fortunate to have been able to learn a bit from my mom because I only had two art classes prior to college. In college I had a double major, one of which was fine art. After college I started a photography business which was integral for learning the business skills that I use today. I eventually went back to school to get a Masters of Art Education from Boston University. I then taught k-12 students with learning differences for about 7 years while working on my art on the side. In 2016 my art business was gaining a lot of traction, but my goals were sidelined when I got increasingly ill. I was eventually diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and was able to get my RA in remission. Read more>>

Erin Davies of Erin Davies Consultancy

I spent the bulk of my career to date working as an event planner for really high end agencies. I had great opportunities to plan celebrity and multi-million dollar affairs. When Covid put everyone in the hospitality on hold, I used the temporary pause to really get going on an idea I’d been noodling on for some time. When it comes to planning a wedding, it became clear to me that couples had the choice for either full service wedding planners (which are cost-prohibitive for many), or just day-of/month-of coordinators. I felt like there was something missing. So many couples, even those willing to do much of the leg work themselves, need the most wedding help in the BEGINNING of their planning process, and someone to hold their hand throughout. So I launched my own business- wedding CONSULTING- the opportunity to offer a blue print and an accountability coach in your corner for couples with premium taste in need of accessible assistance. Read more>>

Angelique Warner

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and for 16 years my career background was professional parenting. My husband and I lived in our group home, then boarding school home, with up to 14 children for the first 16 years of our now nearly 28- year marriage. I felt a strong calling to work with at-risk children to help shape their behavior for good while also helping each child reach their full potential academically, personally, and socially. My husband and I had our own four children within four years, all while caring for the many children in our home. One day I had a vision during one of our 1-year-old twins’ potty emergencies. While breastfeeding my youngest baby and helping the twins get to the potty, I had a vision of a buckled baby carrier which enabled a fully reclined ‘in-arms’ cradle position and it had built-in privacy. Read more>>

Amandine Louis

I always felt lost my entire life. As a child, they expect you to know exactly what you want and what you want to become. But how can you expect a 12-year-old child to know this when most adults don’t even know themselves? It was so difficult for me to go through life with no clue of who I was, what I liked, or what I wanted to become. And in 2018, at barely 25 years old, those reflections were highlighted. To the point where my life was crumbling in front of my eyes and I had no clue what to do. nor where to go. I had just broken up a four-year relationship, which was everything I was identifying myself with. So outside of that relationship, I didn’t know who was. The only thing I knew was that photography has always been my passion since I was 12. Photography has always been the only consistent thing. Read more>>