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.

Michelle Grimm

I’ve always been drawn to materiality, form, volume, texture, and crafting a visual narrative—each aspect weaving through my career. After a decade in NYC’s fashion industry, I transitioned to commercial interior design, focusing on creative concept development, materials, finishes, and art placement. While living abroad, my partner enrolled me in a figure sculpting class. Though I had a private art practice outside of design, working with clay was a new experience. From the moment I touched the clay, I loved its responsiveness. the connection it brought to my work that I had never felt before. Read more>>

Allison Buehner’s Story

I’ve always been the overachieving, Type A go-getter. I majored in Organizational Leadership and Business before I started my career as an Account Executive in public relations. A few years later, I left the small firm in Chicago to work as a Marketing Specialist at a Forbes 50 company, hoping there would be more opportunity for growth and leadership. Read more>>

Tina Branch of Project Motherhood Iowa

After losing my son at almost 20 weeks in 2022, which was my third consecutive loss, and experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, I started Project Motherhood Iowa because I didn’t have the support I needed while going through PMADs. The support I did receive wasn’t helpful – I found the online support groups to be primarily negative – and my family didn’t know how to properly support me due to ignorance in regards to loss, infertility and perinatal mental health. Read more>>

Alexis Joy

 

 

 

 

I’ve always had a strong passion for writing. My greatest inspiration in life, my Ma Zny, who was a profound and prolific artist and writer, sparked my love for journalism. I started writing for an entertainment site, and then at the age of 14, I decided to branch off and launch my own site, AlexisJoyVIPAccess.com, on 11/11/11. I chose that day as the day to launch my site as I knew 11:11 is a time to make a wish. My wish was to create a site that would reach people all over the world—one that would serve as a happy place for them to watch an interview with their favorite celebrity or read an article about an exciting Los Angeles exhibition. I’m so grateful that 13 years later, my wish has and continues to come true. Read more>>

Jessica Fearnley of Seven Figure Consultant Ltd

One of the defining things about me as a person is that I’ve always felt like ‘too much’. Growing up I was probably what you would now call a Highly Sensitive Child, and maybe unsurprisingly I’ve grown into a High Sensitive Adult! But I received a lot of messages in school and at home that I was too emotional, too easily affected by things going on around me, too imaginative, too creative, too ‘outside of the box’. If I really enjoyed a project I would write reams of pages even when that wasn’t required! And I was the same in my career – I often got asked to slow down or work less quickly. Read more>>

Elizabeth Hunn’s Story

I’ve been drawing as long as I can remember, from primary school, where I was making delightful drawings of spindly fairies, to University, where I chose to study Illustration in the hope of making drawing into my lifelong career. I started an Etsy shop under the name DustandMarbles in 2020 and since then have been selling my own sticker, bookmarks and prints alongside a variety of animated and illustrated commissions. Read more>>

Kastina Morrison of Kastina & Co.

Recently, I’ve been wrapping up my story into this: former theater kid turned event venue manager turned wedding planner. With that, what else do you need to know? I live and breathe productions, storytelling, design, and logistics. Read more>>

Kelly Light

I can think back to my childhood and I just knew, I wanted to be a cartoonist. I never thought about having to make a choice to pursue art or not. My parents never tried to dissuade me. They supplied paper and and pencils and pens and later art classes after school and the opportunity to go to art school. Sometimes I think art chooses the person, not the other way around. Making marks and images and characters is part of who I am and how I process this crazy life. Read more>>

Amanda Erixon

I’m a Swedish actor and I graduated Stella Adler Studio in 2017 in New York. I found my way to acting through singing and musical theatre. I’ve worked as a freelancer the past few years, both in Sweden and New York. I have been acting in plays, short films and a musical. I’m currently studying voice and speech and working as a theatre teacher. My most recent roles include Maria in Twelfth Night and Ronja in Ronja The Robber’s Daughter in New York. I’m currently based in Stockholm and working on a self produced short film. Read more>>

Cassie Sanchez’s Story

As a retired stay-at-home mom, I struggled with identity and having purpose. My son challenged me to write a book since I loved reading, so I attended a writing class and fell in love with the craft of writing. Taking webinars and reading books on writing, I began working on my first book, which is a mess and currently shelved. One day, my boys were playing a video game and one of the character’s backstory intrigued me. The creativity bug smacked me in the head, and I wrote a scene about an assassin betrayed by his team, hanging in a dungeon. Thus, Chasing the Darkness, my debut romantic fantasy novel, was born. A year later, Embracing the Darkness was published and a year after that, the final book in the trilogy, Conquering the Darkness was released.  Read more>>

Nina Barango of SoPlugged

I didn’t always want to be an entrepreneur. In fact, I was focused on building my career as a marketing professional for the longest time. However, like many others during the pandemic, I discovered my passion for supporting small businesses, especially Black-owned businesses. This passion led me to create SoPlugged, a directory that helps connect people to Black-owned businesses in Canada. In the past 3 years, SoPlugged has grown beyond an online directory and blossomed into a thriving community of Black entrepreneurs and creators. As the founder, my focus is to explore all the ways we can provide business owners with the necessary tools and resources to build successful businesses in Canada. Read more>>

Rebecca Boumstein’s Story

Hi! I am a 2-time teenage cancer survivor. When I relapsed at age 19, I had to have a hysterectomy. So from the age of 19, I always knew surrogacy would be the only way to have a child of my own. In 2018, our only embryo was transferred to our surrogate and stuck on the first shot. We had a perfect journey from start to finish and now have a five-year-old son. We started our journey to give him a sibling in 2020. It has been a bumpy and expensive road since. We found a great surrogate who unfortunately miscarried at the beginning of 2022. Unfortunately, she was unable to proceed again. We got extremely lucky that another surrogate basically fell into our lap. We did 3 transfers and had 2 chemicals and a blighted ovum. We are now working with our third surrogate and getting ready to transfer at the end of June. Read more>>

Kaylee Keller’s Story

I have been passionate about performing ever since I was a little girl. “My mom tells me when I was about five or six years old, I came up to her and told her that, “God told me that I was going to sing and act when I grow up” and then I just ran off to play with my toys, like any normal day… I truly believe this is part of the purpose God has created me for. Around the same age, my mom introduced me to Shirley Temple movies and Shirley became a huge inspiration to me. Because of Shirley, I started taking dance, voice, and theatre classes. My favorite aspect of Shirley was the joy that she brought to every movie she was in, and just like her, I wanted to do the same with my performances. Read more>>

Hannah Stinson of Healing with Hannah

I am a miracle baby. My mom was told she couldn’t get pregnant due to her endometriosis so when she found out she was 3 months pregnant with me, she was shocked! Looking back, it only makes sense that my parents named me Hannah, as the meaning of my name is “Gift of God’….hence being a miracle baby. On top of the surprise to my mom and dad, I was premature, as I came into this world 2 months early, I was destined to be a Scorpio Sun! For the first 5 weeks of my life, I lived in an incubator, an experience that I think shaped me and allowed me to become the resilient person I am today.  Read more>>

Myra Scholze

I started prioritizing art in my personal life when I discovered that it helped me combat chronic depression and anxiety. Over the last 10 years, I’ve built painting, drawing, and journaling into part of my daily routine, and they help me stay grounded in my everyday life. I picked up ceramics a few years ago and I love how tactile it is. Similar to painting, I find an easy meditative state when I’m throwing on the wheel, and it’s been a great asset to my mental health. I began teaching classes and paint-along sessions because I want to share the mental health benefits of art with my community, especially during dark Alaskan winters. Read more>>

Donna Gray-banks

I began writing when I was seven years old. I have always been a true romantic at heart. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA., which at the time was a large industrial steel town. It has since transformed into a research and development hub and a financial metropolis for small businesses. My parents were truly opposites, as my father was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and my mother’s family was from Charleston, South Carolina from an agricultural background. Her family migrated to Pittsburgh from South Carolina for better employment opportunities. Read more>>

Camilla Boston’s Story

My name is Camilla Boston, I’m a Character designer, Visual development artist, and 2D animator currently living in Columbus, Ohio. I’m a sketchbook artist at heart, constantly drawing what’s around me, and whatever silly things come to mind. Outside of drawing, My favorite things are my cat, Crumbs, learning how to not fall off of my skateboard, and collecting obscure fashion dolls from the early 2000s. I was homeschooled for the entirety of my K-12 years, living on a backroad of a backroad in Akron, Ohio. Resting on the edge of a vanishing forest, and close enough to the blimp shelter to make the Goodyear logo a permanent part of the skyline. Read more>>

Sarah Fudge

I was honored to be featured in Canvas Rebel again. I felt that the best way to communicate my ever evolving story from my last interview would be to be reflective about my most recent business success. I wanted to connect how some life lessons weaved into the fabric of my story and more importantly, how I overcame my challenges. These lessons I learned from unfortunate people as well as from truly awe-inspiring individuals. Each personal experience is a brick laid in my own pathway, leading me on my journey. Read more>>

Martina Allen

Hello! Thanks for taking a moment to learn more about me. My name is Martina and I’ve been passionate about art from I was a child. At the age of 5 or 6, I remember making web pages and exploring design and coding. Through creative school projects, I discovered a love for art. Since then, art has been a constant in my life, leading me to go to a magnet school for the arts and then graduating college with a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art. I do various commissioned works such drawings, paintings, logos, and business cards. Read more>>

Sabrina Mitchell

6 years ago I started baking out of my home just to make some extra money and as a hobby. Today, I am a successful business owner to a bakery located in my little home town! It has been a lot of hard work to get to this point, but I am so excited for this next chapter of my life. Read more>>

Eva Couto’s Story

Most of my earliest memories are all linked to creativity, and I’ve been called the ‘artist’ of the class for as long as I can remember, and that sense of wonder and desire to break free from the norm stuck with me through the years. After getting my Communication Design college degree, I jumped into the corporate world as expected thinking I’d find a creative outlet there. But after a not-so-great experience and what I can only describe as wearing someone else’s clothes – stiff, boring, and not at all me – I took a leap of faith, left the corporate world, and ventured on my own, something my college self would’ve called me crazy for. Read more>>

Sharon Hamilton of Healthy Real Estate & Associates

My career began with a dream I had as a young girl of becoming a real estate agent. After achieving that goal in 2005, I found myself dreaming even bigger in 2007, aspiring to own and operate my own brokerage firm. The rest is history in the making. While my dreams continue to unfold, I am constantly imagining and envisioning where this journey will lead me and the impact it will have on those along the way and those who come after me. Read more>>

Holly Brown

I decided to attend Aesthetic school after helping a friend open and build up a new spa business. She started to get busy and said to me, ” I have to hire an Aesthetician, I wish I could find someone I trust as much as you.” I went home that night and could not stop hearing her in my head. The next day I called the local school and made an appointment to go and talk with the admissions counselor and tour the school. I told my friend and when I called her after the appointment, she said, “How did it go?” I said, “Great, I start next week.” I loved everything about Aesthetic School. Read more>>

Chloe Charles’s Story

ECHLO is borne out of Chloe Charles‘ journey ECHLO is borne out of her disillusionment in the music industry. ECHLO is borne out of her rejection of society’s hallow obsession with success. ECHLO is borne out of her refusal to accept genres, labels and boxes. ECHLO is borne out of her relentless love of experimentation. ECHLO is borne out of her transformation to motherhood. ECHLO is borne out of her need to connect as a solo artist. Read more>>

Liz Ross

While I have held several high level design postions in very well-known companies, in between them I started several businesses of my own. CoolSnowGlobes has now been around for 20 years. Read more>>

Gemma Prior of With Bogart

With Bogart was not originally a part of my plans. From the age of 18 I was working towards my career as a pilot. My dream. I’d worked all sorts of jobs saving to study for my pilot licence, including 6 months on a prawn trawler in the Gulf of Carpentaria. By 2009 I had completed my Commercial and my Airline Licence, was in the process of completing my Instrument rating, and had been offered my first job when, during a flight, I started to feel very unwell. After many visits to doctors and endless tests, I was diagnosed with an auto-immune illness and my dream of flying was no longer possible. For the first few years of my illness, I was often too unwell to even sit in a chair and would spend my days either visiting doctors or lying on the couch. Read more>>

Sandy Rodgers

Sandy’s Journey and Accomplishments 1961 Co-Founder of Student Committee For Improvement In Watts (SCFIW) Historic 1970 Black Pearls Social Group – Founder, Women support group 1974 Mother introduces me to Herbal Healing and herbs 1975-1991 Women Empowerment groups – business, health, relationships, children 1970’s Boy Scouts of America – Area Commissioner and Troup Leader Girl Scouts and Brownies – Asst Troup Leader Several Leadership positions– David Starr Jordan High School Alumni Association, Watts CA Read more>>

Kelly Neville’s Story

Special Sparkle was created to assist Kelly in leading a fulfilled and productive life after school came to an end for her. She loves fashion, style and bling so what better way to express that than to create fashionable jewelry. Special Sparkle® is a mother/daughter team where mom designs along with Kelly, and Kelly makes all the jewelry. Special Sparkle® was a solution to two problems we were having at the end of high school. The first was finding a competitive paying job for Kelly that was more than just a few hours a week. And the second was earning work credits so that she could apply for SSDI and receive early entrance into Medicare. Read more>>

Alejandra Marqués Méndez of Your Plan A International LLC

I believe my entrepreneurial journey started at a very young age. I’ve always been curious, and if there’s one thing that defines me, it’s my insatiable thirst for learning. From early on, I realized that if I wanted to pursue all the things I was passionate about while excelling at my responsibilities, I needed to make TIME my greatest ally. That’s when I understood that time is our most precious and limited resource. Read more>>

Krystal Taylor

Believe it or not, I didn’t plan on being in the fitness industry 20 years ago. I actually have an MBA and a B.S. in Marketing. My journey into fitness started after I had my second son. Losing that baby weight was tough, so I started studying different ways to shed the pounds in a healthy manner. In 2008, my mom was diagnosed with cancer, and this really opened my eyes to the mental benefits of being healthy. During her battle (which she sadly lost in 2010), I found solace in running different races like 5Ks and marathons. Running wasn’t my strongest suit when I was in the Army, so these races were a personal challenge for me. Read more>>

Audrey Brooks of Brooks Counseling and Consulting Services Inc

My name is Audrey Brooks, the founder of Brooks Counseling and Consulting Services. I am a certified Christian Counselor and Business Strategist. My interest in mental health arose from my own struggles with low self-esteem, insecurities, and an inability to let go of past issues. Through my healing journey, I founded the nonprofit Women Empowering Women in South Florida, which now also has chapters in Houston and the Kansas City metro area. Read more>>

Lorie And Carolyn Spence And Pritchard of Bridge Medical Communications

Carolyn: My exploration of potential career paths began in high school. Inspired by my mother’s guidance and navigating the uncertain economic landscape of the 1980s, I gravitated towards the stability offered by a career in healthcare, specifically nursing. While I found immense satisfaction in directly supporting patients, I was inspired by the possibility of transferring the skills I had gained to help create large-scale change. Read more>>

Darlene Olivia Mcelroy

It has always been about art, art, and more art. I remember drawing on my bedroom walls at 3 years old. So I guess I started as a working artist and muralist, right? From there I went on to be the class artist in school, and then to Art Center School of Design where I learned from some great teachers and got to hang with terrific fellow artists. I worked my way through college doing package design for a lithographic printer. After graduation, I worked for Buzza Cardoza, a division of Gibson Greeting Cards. I had a wonderful view of the Matterhorn at Disneyland from the artists workroom and remember designing Christmas cards in July. A backwards world but lots of fun. Read more>>

Abigail E. Penner’s Story

When I was a little girl, I’d always draw with my dad. He’s an artist, too, and he taught me pretty much everything I know in terms of technical skill. As I grew into girlhood and eventually womanhood, I used those skills to interpret the vast amount of feelings inside of me. Growing up in a very small town, I didn’t have very many friends. I was bullied horribly and there was really only a couple outlets for me: drawing and playing music. While my home and my family were always a safe space for me, pretty much everywhere else in my hometown felt volatile. My art teacher and my band instructor were two of the only people in that town that nurtured me the way a little girl should be nurtured. Read more>>

Danyella Terrell of Beyond the Brokenness Mental Wellness Solutions

I started my career in 2006 as an intern at Ellisville state school. After graduation, I was hired on at Mississippi Department of Human services. I thought I would retire from the agency, but God had other plans. I earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work in 2011. In 2013, I resigned from my position as Regional Area Social Work Supervisor and began exploring alternative career opportunities. In 2023, I completed the requirements and earned my license to practice independently. Eager to make a positive impact in my community, I immediately went to work. That is the short version of how I got here today! Read more>>

Rachel Ibrahim

Knowing I had a knack for certain aspects of branding, it all started off with simple favors. I remember charging my first client $50/week just because she trusted my eye for good taste. It turns out, she wasn’t wrong. I kept pushing the boundaries of my skills and “faked it til I made it”. One day I decided, “let me go ahead and make this something concrete”. I started taking classes for UX design and got certified. Shortly after, I decided to teach myself graphic design and overnight, it seemed, I became a one-stop-shop for small business owners. Read more>>

Elaina St. James

It all started in February 2021 when I stumbled upon a story of a woman selling subscriptions to a fan site where she sold “spicy” photos. She was making over $100,000 a month. At the time I was barely making ends meet at a low paying office job that I took for it’s consistent hours. I was a single mom from the beginning and my son’s well being was always my priority. I researched and took the leap. Within three months I was making over $10,000 a month. Since then I have opened up my brand to include becoming an author, designing a line of merchandise and starting a podcast. Each endeavor pushing me to learn new things and while it hasn’t been easy, it has been exhilarating. Read more>>

Stacey Stevens

My story begins when I was 15 years old and made the decision to leave home for no reason other than falling in with the wrong person. I had a good life and a good family. We wanted for nothing. My parents did the absolute best they could. I was young, stupid and easily influenced. I thought I knew better when in fact I couldn’t have been more wrong. I remember when I left telling my dad, I would show him; “one day I will be a lawyer”. I spent the next few years learning how to survive. I found places to live and jobs to support myself while at the same time making sure I stayed out of trouble and in school. Because I had something to prove and I knew that you don’t get into law school without at least a high school education. Read more>>

Sarah Cleveland’s Story

The more I reflect on where it all began, the more I realize I’m not entirely sure. Truth be told, I had two distinct dreams and paths in mind: having children and pursuing acting. There are two specific moments that stand out to me. The first one takes me back to high school drama class. We were given this challenge: sneak across the room, retrieve keys from behind a classmate’s chair without getting caught, and return to our seats without making a sound. Now, if you knew me back then, being quiet wasn’t exactly my forte. But somehow, I managed it! I’m still not quite sure how, but in that moment, I convinced myself that if I could become someone entirely different, I might have a chance. It sounds a bit silly now, but it definitely left an impression on me. Read more>>

Dina Perlasca

I am a Mexican American artist from the border of Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua in Mexico and El Paso, Texas in the United States. I grew up in both cities, living in either one at different periods of my life amongst other places like San Diego, California, my grandfathers rannch in Xicalango Hidalgo in Mexico and Las Cruces New Mexico. I am a mother of 3 amazing kids living in El Paso Texas. I am an Assistant Professor of Instruction at The University of Texas at El Paso where I teach Ceramics and Design. I am constantly exhibiting my work nationally and internationally. My most recent exhibitions were at the Roswell Museum and at the Juarez Museum of Art. Supporting my community, contributing to the ceramic field and research are important to me. I am the Secretary of the board of directors of Artaxis as well as co-leader in El Bravo Studios at the IDRB Interdisciplinary Research Building at The University of Texas at El Paso. Read more>>

Kelly Lynch of The GRIIT Project

I like to call becoming a therapist my ‘Bob Ross’ moment in life – it was a happy accident, and not something I planned on at all. I grew up knowing that I liked helping people, but I was one of those kids who had a lot of ideas about what I wanted to do for a career, but I never had a clear plan.  I became an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) in 2003, during a time in my life where I felt really lost. 9/11 happened, I tried to join the military, and because of severe scoliosis that required surgery in my childhood, the military turned out to be a non-starter. I also had moved back to Connecticut after living in Boston for the first two years of my undergraduate experience, changed my major to general studies, and just didn’t know what to do with my life. Read more>>

Kimberly Prada-gonzalez of TRIBE POWER BITES LLC

I started my power bites as a healthier snacking alternative while on the go. The idea came about trying to fulfill a need within myself by consuming a snack that would sustain my energy/hunger, longer. I went from being a stay at home mom, to a single mom back In 2019. When 2020 rolled in, I lost everything and had to start my life from scratch.  Sometimes we think life will go one way, when in reality it pivots us into our purpose.  I had no job, no car, no place to stay, no money – just myself and my 1 year old daughter. My mother gave me the idea to get a food license with the stimulus check that came out in 2020 – so I did. 4 years later, TRIBE POWER BITES LLC is still my full time job! Read more>>

Deanna Radulescu

This question can lead to a multitude of stories, but let’s focus on the birth of the Label Free Podcast and how it came to be. My life has been anything but easy, marked by abuse, negligent parents, trauma, and significant loss. Despite these challenges, I refused to let them define me. I have always picked myself up and kept moving forward, never losing sight of my dreams. After years of pursuing my dream of becoming a fashion designer, I found myself at a crossroads in June 2019. The fashion industry had not panned out as I hoped, and I was searching for a new direction. It was then that I stumbled upon the concept of podcasting by an email. I had no prior knowledge of what a podcast was or how to start one, but I felt an urgent need to share my message with the world. Read more>>

Barbara Hulme

Hi, Ive always done art and did a course, ive had brief breaks from it when Ive been ill, but always come back to it. I did art A level and a foundation course and then did a portrait group with my friend Liz, that we also ran the group together. After having oesophageal cancer and a massive operation, 10 years ago, My friend Liz got in touch with me and we started going to a local life drawing class which I relished, She also gave me lifts in the evenings, to a weekly class in life drawing and portraiture. Unfortunately Liz got cancer herself and passed so I was unable to attend the classes, due to my agoraphobia.  Read more>>

Dr. Nicole Gates of Golden Key Entrepreneur Academy

As a former single mother facing financial struggles, I have overcome adversity to become a driving force in the Memphis’ entrepreneur ecosystem. Drawing from my own experiences, I founded The Golden Key Entrepreneur Training Academy to provide vital support and resources to minority business owners in the city. Through mentorship, networking opportunities, and funding, my goal is to empower and uplift fellow entrepreneurs to succeed and thrive. My journey from humble beginnings to a respected leader in the community fuels my passion for creating positive change and opportunities for all. Read more>>

Marcela Isaza

I’ve been weightlifting for 30 years and officially working as a fitness professional for a little over a year. I discovered my passion for strength training when I was 16 years old. I was too skinny and wanted to gain healthy weight. I liked how strong and confident it made me feel, so I kept going. I worked as an entertainment reporter in Hollywood for the Associated Press for 20 years and kept myself sane through exercise. I didn’t realize the positive impact strength training had on my mental health but understand it now on a much deeper level working as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. I am now 100% dedicated to helping others find that confidence, and mental strength through exercise. Read more>>

Anastasia Merzlaya

I am a children’s illustrator from Norway. It took a long time to pursue an artistic path, but now I’m glad I can work as an artist professionally. I enjoyed drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. Even in kindergarten, I preferred art over other children’s activities. I was always doodling little critters on all loose pieces of paper that I could find, corners of my grandparents’ newspapers and even wallpaper in our house. Each animal had a unique name and a little story, and sometimes I even came up with a short poem about them. Read more>>

Sarah Hannevik

I grew up in a home in Atlanta, GA with a Norwegian mother and an American father. My mother was an artist, as was her mother, my grandmother. More than anything my mother taught me two big things – how to observe beauty and how to appreciate color. My own art practice started later in life after the birth of my daughter in 2003. I started creating art pieces for children’s room and when we moved to Busan, South Korea in 2008, my art practice exploded. In Korea, the inspiration was everywhere. Read more>>

Leslie Mcgriff

I started my jewelry brand, Elle Chase Accents, in 2021 as a tribute to my Grandmother, Lillie Mae Chase. Inspired by her strength and love, I wanted to create something special that embodied those values. My focus has always been on crafting bold, statement, one-of-a-kind custom bracelets for Men and Women who appreciate unique pieces. With a commitment to integrity, quality, and customer satisfaction, I’ve built a brand that reflects my values. Today, I am proud to offer distinctive jewelry that resonates with my audience, and I’m excited to continue growing my brand while honoring my Grandmother’s legacy. My story is one of resilience and the belief that, with hard work and genuine heart, we can create something truly meaningful.  Read more>>

Suzanne Culberg of The Nope Coach

Originally I was going to be a doctor! I went to medical school, and knew very quickly it was NOT for me. However my parents pressured me to ‘push through’. In my 5th year of medical school (it was a 6 year course of study here in Australia at that time) I was like ‘enough is enough’ and I quit. I then studied a certificate 3 & 4 in fitness and became a personal trainer. I worked in that industry for just over a year, before deciding to do my diploma of education to become a school teacher. Suffice to say that was not my calling.  I left to work for the government in a public service role, for the following 8 years.  Read more>>

Nicole Cammack of Black Mental Wellness, Corp

There was a long journey to becoming a psychologist and business owner. I believe that life exposes you to experiences and people that have all shaped who I am, my interests, and my passion related to mental health. A teacher first introduced me to the idea of becoming a therapist and over time it started to feel like my destiny. I majored in psychology in graduate school, completed training through the National Institute of Child Health and Human development after graduation which exposed me to research interventions and the potential to make further impact, and I started graduate school to earn my Ph.D. in 2005. Read more>>