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.
Chef Chrystina Casado
Brunch At Zion’s started as a deeply personal journey, rooted in love, resilience, and the healing power of food. My biggest inspiration is my son, Zion. He truly saved my life—if it weren’t for him, I would have never discovered I had cancer during my pregnancy. That experience opened my eyes to the importance of health and wellness, which ultimately inspired me to create Brunch At Zion’s and our non-profit, Dine with Dignity. We provide farm-to-table, organic meals to underserved communities, especially those dealing with health challenges like high blood pressure and diabetes. Our goal is to teach people how to prepare clean, nutritious meals that support overall wellness. Today, Brunch At Zion’s is more than just a food company—it’s a celebration of love, unity, and community through food, with my son Zion as the heart and inspiration behind everything we do. Read more>>
Monica Valentinelli
I often joke how my career is a tangled ball of yarn. I started writing from a young age, and always knew I wanted to attend university to hone those skills. I was very lucky to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in English with a Creative Writing Emphasis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, because I had the opportunity to choose many of my own courses. Even then, I poked at the edges of what my future might hold, without really understanding what it means to be a full-time writer and artist. After graduating, I drifted a bit, because I didn’t know how to connect the “writing” piece with the “career” component. It was interesting to navigate, especially growing up in a blue-collar household. Then, I met the love of my life who encouraged me to submit to open calls in the gaming industry in 2003 or so. An unspeakably kind and positive cheerleader is exactly what I needed–both open calls generated assignments; my first game assignment was completed in 2005 for Noumenon, a roleplaying game inspired by Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis”. In that same year, I’d also won an honorable mention in a Mirrormask fiction competition for “Prey,” a piece written from a hawk’s perspective about a necromancer performing a ritual in a graveyard. Read more>>
Sean Carter’s Story
I love the practice of “remembering how we came to be today.” I believe it’s important for everyone, especially creatives & entrepreneurs, to consider their roots, acknowledge what made us who we are, and consistently consider how we can show up more authentically in our lives daily. Considering where I am in my journey today, I would deem myself a creative entrepreneur in training. In my day to day I serve as an Expert Client Advisor for the biggest luxury fashion company in the world. In this role, I offer fashion consultations, conduct high ticket sales, and lead training/development pertaining to sales, customer experience, and styling expertise. Read more>>
Melissa Joyner
Melissa Joyner is a director, writer, actor, vocalist, and professor with an authentic approach. She honed her craft under esteemed mentors, including the iconic Dr. Maya Angelou. Melissa’s dedication earned an MFA from The Actors Studio, solidifying a foundation for her multifaceted career. Her writing and directorial debut, Reimagined Volume III: Young Thang, also known as The Young Thang with 2 Skins; or, she was not really ugly, but beautiful, as she was born with two skins fable is keen storytelling that blends thoughtful narrative, emotional depth, and strong visual prowess. Raised in N.C. based in N.Y.C., her screen credits include FX mini-series “Mrs. America”, Spectrum Original’s “The Bite”, CBS Networks’ Blue Bloods, FBI, Madame Secretary and Evil. You may learn more about her work in the Los Angeles Times, AfroTech, Black Film, Slate Magazine, AYO Magazine, AV Club, The Today Show, The Morning Show, New Normal Rep: Play Date and TEDx Vancouver. Read more>>
Lillian Hewitt of Black Women’s Heart Health, LLC
My journey began over two decades ago in healthcare. I have built a robust career in neurodiagnostics. Working in this specialized field has provided me with deep technical expertise and a strong foundation in patient care. Over the years, I’ve honed my skills and leadership in neurodiagnostics, contributing to important advancements in the field. I had the privilege of coauthoring the “Guidelines for Qualifications of Neurodiagnostic Personnel,” which was published in the Clinical Journal of Neurophysiology in 2023. This work has been instrumental in establishing clear standards for the profession, and it reflects my commitment to advancing healthcare practices. I have over 10 years of experience in the cardiovascular field. Read more>>
Rebecca Coppage of Easy Peasy Piercing
Almost a year ago, one of my best friends, Meredith, was telling me that her daughter Lily wanted to get her ears pierced. Lily is 8 years old. Meredith didn’t want to take her to Claire’s or a store in the mall. She also didn’t really want to take Lily to a piercing parlor. I offered to pierce Lily’s ears. Some background information that’s important to know is that I have been a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for almost 12 years and about 10.5 years ago, I was trained on how to medically pierce ears. So, a few days later, Lily came over to my house and I pierced her ears! It was an easy, relaxed, and happy experience. Read more>>
Meressa Tockey
I spent 10 years living in Maui until I left for a dream come true road trip in a school bus named Maude. 7 years later I still haven’t gone home! Maui is a true love of my life, but I fell in love with the freedom of being on the open road. When I went back to Maui for a summer visit, I was hula hooping in my friend’s backyard when I looked down and saw this incredible sacred geometry pattern peaking through the grass blades. It felt like I’d discovered gold. I had no idea what it was, but I could feel it’s magic and I was buzzing with excitement and inspiration. It was love at first sight and I knew immediately that I would create art with this mysterious, beautiful piece of nature. My friend explained to me that it was the seed pod of a Protea Flower, and she showed me the trees in her yard. That was it. The rest of the summer I spent climbing trees collecting dead flowers. I had so many visions and ideas of what I wanted to do with the pods that I couldn’t sleep at night. I returned to the mainland with 60 pounds in my suitcase. And that’s how Maude Pods began :) Read more>>
Kaye Henry’s Story
Well I was born on October 1st…nah. I’m Kaye Henry, NYS Licensed Mental Health Counselor; CT, Licensed Professional Counselor and podcast host of Black Therapy Uncensored. My goal was to always be a doctor. Up until Senior year of high school that is what my mind was focused on, medical school. I knew about therapy, but I wasn’t desiring to be a therapist. It wasn’t till I took my first psychology class at the S.T.E.P program at Fordham University and the instructor was a young black woman. She taught us the basics, you know your Psychology 101. It wasn’t till we did personality tests, that I was like, “this is what I want to do”. Remember I was going to be a doctor. In true Kaye fashion, I decided I was going to do both. College comes around and I’m pre-med, with a minor in psychology at Manhattan College (Go Jaspers!). I switched gears in my 2nd year when I realized the dream would be harder to obtain and I was struggling real bad in my science and math classes. So I made a decision, that shocked my mom and focused on psychology. I just couldn’t see myself as a doctor anymore but I saw the potential in becoming a therapist. Read more>>
Liza Libes
After making the fraught yet necessary decision to withdraw from academia after I discovered that an academic career might not be a great fit for me, I transitioned to the real world and found that few people read literature and far fewer people understood it. I began to feel a void in my heart that had previously been occupied by literary discussion and quickly realized that literary study did not have to be just confined to academia. I founded The Pens and Poison project to promote literary education and foster appreciation for the written word, as well as to bring back the idea of literature as a work of art rather than a political vehicle. All across American college campuses, English literature students are being taught that literary study must necessarily rest on the far-left ideologies of Karl Marx, Michel Foucault, Judith Butler, and others. As a result, literary fields such as publishing, academia, and journalism are increasingly becoming dominated by ideological extremists who are bringing the focus away from literary study and towards their own political agendas. I believe that literature should not be politicized, nor should it be understood under these arbitrary political lenses. As I grow the Pens and Poison project, I hope to spread literature to all and to bring back the focus of literary study to the importance of the humanistic tradition. Read more>>
Nina Demarchi
My desire to be an actor started when I was little, living in a small town in Brazil. It was a faraway dream that seemed impossible. When I turned 14 I moved to the US but my self-esteem as someone who didn’t speak English wasn’t where it needed to be for me to pursue acting. I was terrified of making mistakes and feeling stupid when trying to speak a new language so I ended up getting in my own way. I graduated High School in 2020 when we were all quarantining, during that period I took the time to work on myself, connect with myself, and find out what I really wanted in life. After self-reflecting it was clear that the only career path that I truly wanted was to be an actor. After working on myself and my insecurities I was finally confident enough to follow my dreams. That’s when I started taking acting classes, two years later I moved to New York to follow that path, went to an acting institute for another two years and now I’m living my dream, I’m surrounded by actors and creatives, auditioning every week, working as an actor and enjoying the city. It feels great to have the courage and confidence to do what you want. Read more>>
Marta Coles of Bloomful Works
I come from a single-parent household filled with love and adventure. My mother instilled in my sister and me the belief that anything was possible through hard work, focus, and determination. Although we faced financial challenges, we were rich in diverse experiences. She made it a priority to immerse us in our interests outside of school—my sister pursued the performing arts, while I explored art, photography, fashion design, and sculpture. I am forever grateful for my mother’s sacrifices, as they truly changed the trajectory of my life. Read more>>
Angela Arevalo Smith of Baan de Sol
Growing up, I discovered my passion for business and creativity through my high school’s business club. My favorite projects were the marketing campaigns I developed for a small boutique concept, where I always incorporated a give-back element. It resonated with the community, and my efforts were recognized with a generous scholarship to a fashion and design school. Read more>>
Theresa Musatto
My focus was mainly art growing up. Specifically drawing and painting. I went on to art school. I learned guitar in high school and would play and write songs increasingly more. For the past 10 years I’ve become increasingly dedicated to my music. I wrote, produced and recorded my first album which recently came out. There’s been a lot of challenges along the way but perseverance has been key on my path. Read more>>
Shayna Vincent
I started out as a wild child. Born and raised in Washoe Valley, NV I spent my childhood in various places, from riding wild horses to playing in the dirt, I was not one to sit still. I still believe that applies to me today as well. We didn’t have a lot growing up, living in hotels, and in RVs around the valleys. Food was scarce but somehow my parents made it work. In 2007 My sister and I were put in the foster care system, and spent years living with foster parents who did awful things to us said even worse. I was 14 In 2010 when my mom got sick and 9 days after her 40th, she ended her own suffering. By the time I turned 17 I enlisted in the Navy to get away from it all and start my life over. I met my ex husband while stationed in Pensacola FL, a man who promised me the world and proceeded to abuse me for 8 consecutive years. Read more>>
Stephanie Mcgregor
When I was in college (many years ago!), I didn’t feel passionate about the major I had chosen and decided to take a few years off. While my parents didn’t agree with the choice – I knew the time would provide me the opportunity to find whatever path was right for me. During this time, I was living in Breckenridge, CO and picked up experiential gigs at the resorts in the area. One week might be working with an agency that was representing ‘the first satellite radio company’ (xm radio at the time), a revolutionary way to listen to programming. The next week it might be handing out Clif bars at the base of the mountain. I became intrigued and excited about the opportunity to do what I loved (snowboarding), while making money, but also helping to educate and introduce these new products to consumers. Read more>>
Beatrice Onions
Gosh—where to start! Okay, bear with me. My grandma (I call her my Nanny) worked as an elementary school teacher in South Wales during the day and made artisanal chocolate out of her garage at night. My earliest memories are of sneaking into that chocolate factory and sticking my finger in the chocolate tempering machine while it was spinning! Fast forward a few years, and my parents emigrated to New Zealand, where I attended primary school in both Swansea and Queenstown. Read more>>
Madison Smith
When I was in college, I went to a farmers market with my parents where I was able to get my first permanent bracelet. I was intrigued by the intricate process of it. Fast forward to 2023 I started working for a small business, Roaming Travelers, which inspired me to start my own business. I fell in love with accessorizing my outfits with jewelry. Jewelry makes a huge impact on an outfit! I did my research and found a machine from Sunstone that was made specifically to weld jewelry. Then I searched for high quality chains and charms. Now I get to help people make memories by giving people custom jewelry! Read more>>
Bibi Sanchez’s Story
My journey into the entertainment world kicked off when I was a 9 year old girl and saw The Lion King on Broadway. It completely blew me away and sparked my love for musical theater. I couldn’t stop talking about how it made me feel, and I knew I wanted to learn everything about it so I could do the same one day. Unfortunately, back home, in a Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz a tiny town in Mexico, I could only take dance classes- since acting and singing lessons were out of reach. Read more>>
Tatiana Birenbaum
I was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Throughout my life, I was exposed to so many different aspects of the arts – from music to dancing, from singing to producing. The arts have been part of my life and a big component of my foundation and development as a person. I started dancing at the age of 4 years old in an Israeli Folk Dance group at A Hebraica de Sao Paulo. It is very common in the jewish community in Brazil to grow up dancing as dance plays an important part in the school’s curriculum. I fell in love with it and continued to dance, year after year, until I joined a professional company at the age on 17. Read more>>
Grayce Holloway
I started my business, Icing For Izaac, at my kitchen table as a way to process the grief and pain of losing one of my twin boys during my pregnancy. As I grew, I named the business after him so that he could always be part of my family’s everyday life. I quickly outgrew my little kitchen and began working in shared kitchens and ghost kitchens around Fort Wayne, Indiana. Now, I have renovated an office building into the most whimsical cakery luncheonette! We have a full breakfast and lunch menu, treats to buy in the case, and we complete custom orders and cater events each week! Read more>>
Lauren Mohr’s Story
After graduating from Tyler School of Art at Temple University, I wasn’t exactly sure where I would go with my art career. For a year, I embraced teaching art to High Schoolers, but it was hard to tap into my own creativity while teaching full time. Then I was working a temporary job, nervous about what I would do next, when my manager suggested I sign up to sell my art in the emerging artist tent at the Manayunk Art Festival. Read more>>
Priscilla Lowe of ViEtRis
Originally from the North of France, from a working-class family, I first obtained my bachelor’s degree in law. On completing my studies, I opened a company, then taught law and communications at university for two years. My creativity in many fields led me to open a company specializing in risk prevention in the workplace. My company was doing well, but something was really bothering me in my life: my stress. Read more>>
Caroline Green
Growing up in a family brimming with artists, I was immersed in a world where creativity thrived. Painters, woodworkers, poets, musicians, and authors surrounded me, making weekend trips to museums, galleries, and art stores a regular part of my childhood. Icons like Pollock and Monet ignited my passion for the arts, while grocery store trips often ended with a new coloring book in hand. Christmas and birthdays brought gifts of art supplies, from extra-large boxes of crayons and markers to spin art and airbrush machines. My mother, Janice, became my first art teacher, guiding me in using watercolors and acrylics. She showed me how to blow watercolor paints around with a straw and later introduced me to oils, encaustics, and pastels. I learned the art of mixing pigments with dammar crystals and beeswax to create encaustic medium and how to manipulate the wax. These experiences laid the foundation for my journey as an artist, nurtured by a family that lived and breathed creativity. Read more>>
Christine Mace
Growing up, I was always drawn to creativity—whether it was drawing, painting, or working with clay, art was my natural outlet. After finishing grad school in 2012, I had the opportunity to work on the documentary Dior and I, and that’s when I discovered the true power of visual storytelling. Seeing how deeply a story could be told through the guise of the lens opened my eyes to a new way of creative expression. Read more>>
Becky Croft of hustle.run.thrive.
I originally tried to start running in 2007 when a friend invited me to join her and some other ladies. I really had no idea what I needed to do to prepare to run. I’d heard the phrase “All you need is a pair of shoes” so I laced up the only pair I had and gave it a go. I wasn’t involved in sports at a young age and didn’t wear sneakers all that much so I didn’t have running shoes. Read more>>
Angelique Winfield
Our Story: AngieBWinn, LLC & BA Creative Media Agency AngieBWinn, LLC nearly five years ago on November 17th, we started with a simple blog that served as my personal outlet. What began as a creative escape has evolved into a powerful platform, allowing me to mentor, coach, and service numerous prominent women and businesses in the Hampton Roads area. Read more>>
Stephanie Jackson
For twenty years, I was a committed–and financially unsuccessful–fine artist. I worked a day job at the public library to pay the bills, and dedicated most of my resources to painting and writing. Along the way I founded a couple of artspaces, in San Francisco and New York City, and lived in Mexico for a few years on a self-directed artist’s residency. Read more>>
Sarah Pribis
That’s a big question! Well, I’m actor, host, and content creator based out of New York City. I would say that I discovered my love for performing and storytelling when I was a teenager. I sang in the church choir, started participating in school plays, went to theater camp, begged my parents for voice lessons… and then I got scouted from my high school’s production of Les Miserables and was invited to audition for Broadway (and got cast)! That gave me the confidence I needed to pursue the arts as a career, so I applied and got accepted into NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. From there, I stayed in New York City and auditioned while working in hospitality. Slowly, I started building up my resume by self submitting for student films and theatre, and eventually I was able to get an agent and started being seen for larger opportunities. I also got sober when I hit my 30th birthday, and I think that was a real turning point for me, because I had more energy to invest in my career. The other thing that’s been a real gamechanger for me has been creating my own content, from writing a pilot, to making videos for social media. It’s given me the ability to leave hospitality and make art full time. Read more>>
Wendi Eiden
My sister and I talked about opening our own business for years. Through hard work and passion, we finally achieved our dream! We have been open for 5 years now this month! Read more>>
Julie Cavaliere
I’m a Peabody, Producers Guild of America (PGA) Innovation Award, and Webby nominated writer, director, producer and actor. I started my career working for Scott Rudin but quickly pivoted to acting, attending the Actors Studio Drama School/New School for Drama and later taking improv and sketch writing classes all while balancing a job in development for indie producer, Morris S. Levy. After being accepted into Columbia University’s writing intensive I decided to later branch off and form my own production company, Very Cavaliere Productions in an effort to combine all of my different skills under one umbrella. Read more>>
Marcia Ibay
My journey into photography began in 2014. I didn’t have any formal training from an art or photography school; instead, I was fueled by a burning desire to start a business I could be proud of. After purchasing a professional camera, I found myself immersed in learning everything I could about photography. I took a few classes at a local art school and dove into YouTube videos to grasp not only the technical aspects of camera functions and composition but also the business side of photography. To be honest, I quickly realized that understanding the business side was just as important—if not more so—than obsessing over the technical details of the camera. Read more>>
Jana Lee of Jana Lee Consulting, LLC
When I think about my life story, my fondest memories are seeing my parents working really hard and me wanting to make sure that I worked just has hard as them. I wanted to make them proud. My mom was a music teacher, and my dad was a forester (though I didn’t quite figure out what that job was until much later). But they worked tirelessly to make sure my sister and I were set up for academic success and becoming good people. I started playing soccer at five. Both my parents were strong advocates for my sister and I having the same opportunities as the boys, so I played on the boys’ team for a few years. In all the home videos, you can spot me with my pigtails. Read more>>
Erica Messer
Erica is a board-certified pet bereavement specialist and coach. She leads a free monthly virtual support group and is an in-demand international speaker. With clinical musical training, Erica helps people navigate their grief through the healing power of music. Her artistic talents also shine through hand-painted pet portraits, showcasing her love for animals and dedication to capturing their spirits on canvas. Erica has thoughtfully created the entire line of Wolfie’s Wish healing products. She also wrote and illustrated “Tails Of Spirit Pets” and “Tails of Spirit Cats” books and most recently released “Maybe I’m Normal: 10 Things I Wish I Knew About Pet Loss”. Read more>>
Lauren Lc Wells of Hervival®
My journey into wellness began in 2010, inspired by both personal challenges with health and the experiences of close family members who faced severe health issues. Some of these battles led to heartbreaking losses, and I witnessed firsthand how much our health impacts every aspect of our lives. Those experiences pushed me to dive deeper into holistic wellness practices, not only for my healing but also to help those around me. Over the years, I found that taking a proactive, preventative approach to health was essential. Read more>>
Krista Murphy of Wishtree Design Inc.
Wishtree Design Inc started back in 2009 with my best friend from college. We both graduated as graphic designers and were working at corporate agencies. Eager to have a little more beauty in our design portfolios and right around the age when friends were starting to get married, we noticed that the Ottawa industry was severely lacking fresh, unique stationery. We started Wishtree as a passion project which quickly grew into the wedding industry’s stationery go-to. We would work our day jobs and continue late into the night designing all the pretty pieces for our clients. After 5 years of successfully building up Wishtree, my partner left and I was able to grow Wishtree into a luxury business and branch out into my first love; brand design. 15 years to date, and I’m seeing a new shift towards leaving the wedding side and focusing more as a brand agency. We’ve been so fortunate thus far to design for new and growing brands all over, through brand development, package design, cookbooks, social media, signage, promotion, campaigns, events and everything in between! Read more>>
Elise Morris
I was always drawing and making art as a kid. I loved art supplies, and learned how to paint and draw and a pretty young age. In high school, creating art was a way to express myself and explore complicated ideas. In college, I had to be an art major in order to take any art classes, so then I became a double major (with Environmental Studies). I have been painting in a studio continuously since then, steadily growing my practice. I always strive to make work that is meaningful to me, so I am naturally engaged in the work. No matter what else is happening in my life (jobs, family, challenges), I feel a strong pull to create art. Read more>>
Sandy Eckard
I am a shopper. I am the person who goes on vacation and ends up at every knick-knack shop along the way. I like to go to antique shops as well as tacky souvenir stands–and everything in between. If there’s a t-shirt for a spot on my vacation, I’m sure that I have one! So, really, I have been preparing for this adventure my whole life. I never thought I would help with selecting materials or read books and articles on branding. But here I am–a teacher and writer who has a “side hustle” as they call it–and it’s become something that I am really proud of doing. I bring pleasure and fun to others, and the customers that I have met who have become friends have made all the hard work in this journey worth it. Read more>>
Patty Horing
I was a late bloomer artistically. I started making art after leaving a PR career to raise my 2 children full time. What began as a hobby quickly became a passion and an obsession, but it took several years for me to come to terms with feelings of ambition and my growing desire to show the work. After years of working from a suburban home studio while my kids were in school, and honing my practice to focus on psychological portraiture, I realized that in order to take my work to the next level I needed to be part of a community of other artists. I spent a year doing informational interviews with friends of friends in the art world to figure out how go about finding that community, and ultimately went back to school. I pursued my MFA at the New York Academy of Art, where I learned all the techniques I didn’t know I didn’t know, and met a wonderful group of artists, Coming out of school I was picked up by Anna Zorina Gallery, where I have had three solo shows since 2017, and which continues to represent me. Read more>>
Stacey Wilson
My true creative life began the moment she started school in 1995. I attained her love for art while studying Graphic Design as well as a multitude of various types of art at Philadelphia’s Hussian School of Art. At the same time, I had also began my career in management and promotions while also designing promotional materials for the entertainment and restaurant industries while managing the Zanzibar Blue and Brave New World, which were both owned by the Bynum brothers. My design client roster includes Digable Planets, Ursula Rucker, Dyana Williams, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Okayplayer, The Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP/Kenny Gamble), Warmdaddy’s, Zanzibar Blue, EST, Green Soul, Relish, Jill Scott’s Blues Babe Foundation, and GrassROOTS Community Foundation to name a few. I had freelanced as an In Market Manager for brands such as the Diageo, Red Bull, Reebok, KBA and more. This time was essentially a grooming for me to know how to survive in my own business, on all levels. Manager, designer, promoter, curator, creative mind. It all somehow began to become something…… Read more>>
Jacqueline Real
My journey is a long one! I always say that I regret nothing, because I wouldn’t be where I am today. I have grown from many struggles. Struggling with an eating disorder, depression, and anxiety gave me the strength to push through any obstacle. And I wouldn’t be writing the music I am today if I didn’t have those stories to tell. Because I went through those parts of my life I was helped by so many people to get through each moment, so my music has become a way to give back. My music is a way to continue to grow as a better human so I can be at service to others. AS my dad always says, who also plays in my band, “you have to do one good deed a day” and my ability to write and create helps me help others. I was instilled with drive and motivation from my mother and I know because of their and my sisters support I have overcome so much and have so much yet to achieve. What my story has validated for me is that life is truly made up of moments and each moment is a lesson to learn from and the success I am seeing from my music has shown me that there is no moment that cannot be turned into creative magic. Read more>>
Susan Salenger
Deciding to be a writer was a journey for me. When I retired, 30 years ago or so, I went back to school and took some anthropology classes. The professors were so encouraging about my writing, it changed my course. I had been thinking about entering a Ph.D program in anthropology and one of the professors actually discouraged me. She said, ” Unless you want to be a college professor, why don’t you write instead.” I was taken aback. Plus I got frightened and worried about finding the appropriate writing classes. She said, “You don’t need them. Just write. You’ll learn by doing.” Read more>>
Dr. Lucille Maddalena of MTMCoach
As the first woman accepted into the Rutgers Labor Education program, I was immersed in labor history and had the opportunity to travel to different work sites and labor unions. Inspired by the drive of workers to improve their skills, and work place experience I created a workshop to provide team building and management skills. One company at a time embraced the concept which grew into several iterations for leadership development. Now, twenty years later, it has reached more than 6,000 executives globally and is the basis for my work as an Executive Coach. Read more>>
Tania Montano of TUUKUL
I’ve always believed that creativity doesn’t have a specific starting point—it’s simply been a part of who I am for as long as I can remember. Whether it was drawing or crafting, I was constantly making things. And naturally, I always tried to turn my passion into something that could earn a little extra, because why not do what I love while earning something on the side? Read more>>
Alicia Pyle
It started with my great-grandfather, Frank Pyle Sr. He was a brilliant man, and one of the top engineers in the country. He owned the company Utah Radio before founding the international family business that he started with my grandpa Frank Pyle Jr,………..Pyle Industries. My family was at the very forefront of the loudspeaker industry, and developed one of the most prolific car stereo lines in history: The Pyle Driver. The story is vast, but that’s basically where it all began. Read more>>
Theresa Marsala’s Story
I’ve had a love affair with paper and arts since I was a child. My favorite places to visit were the library, the art store & the comic book shop. I have also been collecting books & magazines since my teen years. During the Covid lockdown in 2020 I made friends with a few artists on Instagram who were desperate for collage materials since all their local shops were closed and online resale sites like Ebay/Etsy were price gauging. I offered to sell ephemera from my collection to help them out and that’s how @VinTreVintage was born. Since then I’ve curated many vintage/modern material orders specifically personalized for individual collage artists around the world, as well as help supply other small businesses/shops with ephemera. Read more>>
Jen Ray
I’m an artist currently living in New York City but I’ve also lived in Berlin, Germany and have traveled a great deal. I studied drawing and painting at University, but after art school my practice grew to include video, performance, and sound works. I come from a small town in South Carolina but art has taken me all over the world. For now, I’m very happy to have settled in New York City because it’s an extremely exciting place where you can meet people from all over the world and new ideas are always brewing. Read more>>
Heather Pierucki
I launched ChangeWorks in September of 2014 – I was just leaving a job that was not a great fit for me and thinking I would start my private practice. While I was quickly hired on at Helping Hands Hawaii before my private practice fully launched, I did keep seeing a few clients during my four years at the non-profit. I began as the Team Lead for the Hawaii Pathways Project – Hawaii’s first Housing First program – and was promoted to Director of Behavioral Health nine months later. During those three-ish years, our teams were able to help directly impact some of the most wonderful humans – folks managing houselessness, severe and persistent mental illness, substance use disorders, poverty, challenges related to our increasingly complex and chaotic medical model insurance system. After realizing there was a glass ceiling in non-profit work related to how I could directly impact the community, I left Helping Hands and launched ChangeWorks full time. Our team now focuses on creating impactful change in our community, both through therapy as well as consultation. Read more>>
Julia Ahrens
I started Miakoda straight out of college. I graduated with a degree in fashion design from Parsons in 2012. At the time, I had recently started practicing yoga and had gone vegan. I was working as a freelancer and intern in the fashion industry and realized that my morals and values did not align with the practices of the traditional fashion industry. I felt so stuck– I was graduating from one of the top design schools, with a degree in something I love, but an industry I couldn’t vibe with. I decided to start Miakoda as a way to have options that diverge from the traditional fashion industry. I wanted to prioritize slowing down, being intentional, and most of all protecting the people who make our clothing, our planet, and to avoid using all animal fibers. Read more>>
Kathryn Galimi
I started dancing as early as I could walk at a local dance studio (Ballet and Dance of Upstate New York) where I spent most of my time growing up. I fell in love with performing and decided I wanted to major in dance in college where I attended Mercyhurst University. While there, I started a Saturday recreational dance class for non dance majors, a safe space to come and move your body to music. I loved teaching this class. There are some dance teachers who are gifted in teaching children, but I am not one of them. Running this class of college students and adults gave me an excitement about teaching I had never experienced before and was extremely influential when starting my business later on. After graduating and moving to New York to pursue musical theatre, I met so many performers who’s first trade was not in dance looking for an inviting and inclusive space to move and train. I started The Dance Call in 2021 when most training was still virtual, and since 2023 then have opened up opportunities for in person privates and group classes for the community to dance together. Read more>>
Lena Khais of Atlas Paradigm, LLC
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved a good recipe. I enjoy cooking, but I need a recipe to follow. Similarly, I can solve nearly any physics or chemistry problem—provided I have the formula. I guess you could say I was also the type of kid who wanted to know how the bunny ended up in the hat rather than just admiring the magic. So, when I started studying manifestation, it was no surprise that I became focused on uncovering the process, and if possible, the formula that could make it repeatable on demand. After all, Universal Laws operate consistently for everyone on the planet. There’s a clear logic behind the energetic flow of the mind, transforming visions into reality—at least for some. For many others, it’s more about bringing their worst fears to life. And that’s where I found my passion: helping people harness the power of their mind to channel the energy that attracts what they truly desire into their reality. It’s about living life by design. Using the formulaic manifestation based on the Universal recipe. Read more>>
Natalie Novak Remplakowski of Citrine Productions
I’m a Polish-Canadian filmmaker who splits my time between Toronto, and NYC. Born in Mississauga, Ontario to Polish immigrant parents, I grew up immersed in the Polish community’s performing arts. My mother was a singer in Poland’s National Folk and Dance Ensemble, called Slask, and so she both encouraged me (as well as signed up, paid for and chaperoned me) to choir, dance, piano lessons and theater rehearsals throughout my entire childhood. In high school, I found a lot of solace in the drama department, as theater kids do. I remember my teachers back then were the ones that told me I’d be happiest living in New York City, so I carried that dream for 18 years before I finally made the move. Read more>>
Barbara Mcculloch
I never would have believed that everything I ever wanted as an artist has come true or at least is within reach! Today I have the freedom to experiment without restrictions in a large studio attached to my home. My work sells in a charming gallery in the famous art district of Santa Fe and I have students who come to me for mentoring, which absolutely fills my heart. This didn’t happen overnight, but was a process of continually adding new skills which meant that both the look of my work, and the way to sell it, has continually changed. Read more>>
Sara Hardin’s Story
I’ve always been a creative kid, I grew up around artists. My parents owned a tattoo studio and I would often track flash when I was bored hanging out at the studio. Going into college, I wanted a more stable income and choose to go into Art Education. Luckily, I feel in love with teaching visual arts. My journey into painting began with my first college painting course, where we were encouraged to experiment with color, mark-making, and various painting techniques. After graduating with my undergraduate degree, I began teaching visual arts at the high school level. After, a few years I decided to pursue my MFA at the University of New Orleans, there I concentrated in painting and print making. There I dove into the more conceptual side of visual arts. My work became about the connection between memory and place. I learned to combine juxtaposing architectural elements to create dream like images. Now I am nearly 2 years out of my graduate program and I am in a state of play. I am experimenting with different painting methods and materials, its a really fun and confusing time in my art making journey. Read more>>
Lisa Alonzo
As a kid I was always artistic. I watched a ton of Bob Ross and my family owned a Christmas tree farm, so I had lots of practice painting happy little trees. I painted anything I could get my hands on, furniture, pottery, etc. Puffy paint was most exciting to me and I always had projects scattered across any flat surface of my bedroom as they slowly dried. As much as I loved making art, I never considered it an option as a profession. So off I went to college to study interior design. I found it to be tedious. What I really wanted to do was paint. I dropped out and went to art school in San Francisco. It was there that I discovered my technique using pastry tips- I could never imagine that I’d still be exploring it 15 years later. Read more>>
Sherrie Hansen
I owned and operated a B&B and Tea House, The Blue Belle Inn, in a beautiful Victorian house for 31 years. Two years ago, after experiencing some health issues, including a broken back, I realized that I couldn’t keep going on the way I had been without adequate help. I sold the B&B and moved with my husband to a picturesque acreage about a half hour away. Since then, I’ve been trying to cobble together a business revolving around my novels (I’m a published author of 22 novels and the Blue Belle Inn Cookbook), and a variety of crafts and paintings that I’ve been doing in my “free time.” I’m re-branding myself under the title Out of the Blue, since everything that is happening now and from here on forward is an offshoot of what I did at the Blue Belle Inn. Read more>>
Erin Rideout
Dyke Dyes was born out of total COVID boredom. Emily started experimenting with bleach and tie dying most of her wardrobe. Finally, I, Erin, suggested that she start dying other clothing and start an Etsy shop so that she didn’t end up with a full wardrobe of exclusively tie dye. We truly didn’t expect anything to come of this little venture, but we quickly realized that people were connecting with our mission to upcycle as much as possible, to be a wholly size inclusive brand, and to create representation for the LGBTQIA+ community. Read more>>
Emma Barnafo
Hello, I’m Emma Barnafo, and my journey has been anything but conventional. Born in Ghana, my family moved to the UK when I was just two years old, where I spent my early years. However, returning to Ghana as a teenager came with challenges – feeling like an outsider because of my accent and difficulty understanding the local dialects. While this phase of my life was difficult, it shaped my understanding of belonging and self-acceptance. Read more>>
Holly Wong
I grew up in Miami, Florida. I came to San Francisco in 1989 to attend college. Like many artists, I was creative as a child and loved to paint or draw growing up. As I became a young adult, I found that artwork was a way for me to understand my personal history and to process the more troubling aspects of my life. What began initially as a discipline to improve myself and my craft has become a daily obsession. The practice of making work is the key to keeping me whole, healthy, and optimistic about my life. It resolves feelings of anxiety and helps me to feel purposeful and realized as a person. Read more>>
Kendra Nicole
My name is Kendra. I enjoy going to local art events and participating in art contests. I will be at Newark Arts Festival this October 2024. This year I painted at Moonwalk Festival and Evolutions Festival at Echo Lake in Afton, New York. I love to paint and create graphic art. I will be having a fall collection launch within the next few weeks for my business – Blessed & Chosen Co. The next collection will include festive patterns and fall colored hoodies, sweatshirts, leggings and more. I am currently working on creating how – to art videos for people of all ages. Creating art can be challenging for some but I would love to teach adults and children all I know about art in the near future. I look forward to sharing more creative and exciting content – coming soon! Read more>>
Brooke Thivierge
I knew I was an artist at a very young age. I always had a sketchbook on hand. I guess the moment I noticed I was excelling in the arts when my fellow peers were paying me 25 cents for a drawing in the 3rd grade. My high school even created a new art class for me because I finished all of the other classes and needed to fit another class in, I wasn’t going to waste my time in a subject that didn’t matter to me. My senior year of high school a recruiter from New Hampshire Institute of Art came to by. It was only a few months before graduating and past the admissions deadline. They were so gracious to accept me and with a presidential scholarship! Read more>>