The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below.
Eric Engblade
I grew up in a small beach town in West Michigan called Ludington. I was always a singer. My family tells the story about how when I was four or so I would sing church songs very loudly in grocery stores. Read more>>
Dalila Ericiga
I’m originally from Mexico, and like many entrepreneurs, my journey has been filled with both challenges and opportunities. After moving to the United States, I balanced family life while searching for a way to build something meaningful that reflected my values and creativity. My passion for beautiful European lace mantillas inspired me to create Lalas Mantillas. Read more>>
Rachel Esterline
I’ve always been a writer, and I spent my career telling the stories of others — CEOs, nonprofits, start-ups, schools, and universities as a PR and marketing professional. In late 2024, I started writing my first book. I started my days early, writing every morning. Read more>>
Elizabeth Byers
Before becoming a wedding photographer, I worked in pharmaceuticals while running a small handmade-goods business on the side. I often struggled to photograph my products in a way that felt satisfying. At the time, I only had a phone and knew very little about photography, but I became increasingly curious about light, composition and how an image could influence the way something was experienced. Read more>>
Kati Quarto
I didn’t start Happy Cat Café because I love cats (although I do). I started it because there wasn’t one and I wanted there to be. When the idea first came to me, there wasn’t a single cat café in the United States. I’d read an article about the ones in Japan and couldn’t stop thinking about it. Read more>>
Aaron Waldron
Growing up in Detroit, community has always been a huge part of who I am. Like a lot of kids, I spent my early years playing sports, building friendships, and learning the value of teamwork and discipline. Those experiences shaped the way I approach both life and business today. Read more>>
Ryan Watkins
I first started to take interest in photography when I was in late middle school. A friend of mine from church told me about the non defunct website worth1000.com. I started entering their photoshop contests but my entries did poorly. I decided to pick up my mom’s Kodak Easyshare and try their photography contests. This got me into photography. Read more>>
Peter Oren
Before the pandemic I had a little music career as a singer-songwriter—a song with over 20 million streams on Spotify, international touring, an indie label deal, and a pitchfork-reviewed album. I released an album in April 2020 and couldn’t tour to support it. An already challenging career felt impossible. I redirected my attention to developing other skills: woodworking and coding. Read more>>
Justine Bell
I’ve always known that I wanted to do something to help people, and have struggled in the past with jobs where the office/company felt complacent. Read more>>
Tiffany luke
I don’t think anyone grows up saying they want to become a concrete sculptor. I certainly didn’t. I just knew from a very young age that I saw the world differently. As a child, I was fascinated by shape, texture, and the stories that objects could tell. Read more>>
Jinbi Park
I grew up by the sea in Busan, South Korea, where the rhythm of the waves was part of everyday life. The ocean has always been a constant presence — vast, alive, and full of mystery. Later, living in Japan, another island country surrounded by water, deepened that connection. The sea was never far away, and it continued to shape how I see the world. Read more>>
Daniel Pillivant
I have always had a love for sports, exercise, and the outdoors. When I got to high school, I developed a strong interest in health and wellness. However, during my time in high school playing multiple sports I had a couple of injuries that I rehabilitated very poorly. Read more>>
Amanda Savage
I’ve always loved a challenge. Before yoga, I was constantly chasing the next fitness goal—the next workout, the next accomplishment, the next way to push myself. Then I found yoga. At first, it didn’t hold my attention the way high-intensity fitness did. That changed when life changed. Read more>>
Amber Caldarona
Photography started as a simple Mother’s Day gift. My family gave me my first camera, and what began as a fun hobby quickly became something I truly loved. At the time, I was also a cheer coach, so I spent a lot of time photographing my cheerleaders, friends, and family. For several years, photography was simply something I enjoyed doing whenever I had the chance. Read more>>
Jazlyn Dingfelder
I grew up in Georgia, where I discovered my passion for performing at a young age. That passion led me to earn a BFA in Musical Theatre and build a career as a professional actress, singer, dancer, and voice teacher. Throughout my career I’ve performed in a variety of productions while continuing to train and develop my craft. Read more>>
Anise Hayes
Founded in 2012, Atlantic Impact is dedicated to expanding educational and career opportunities for Detroit youth and young adults ages 14–24. The organization works to prepare students for success in higher education, the workforce, and lifelong career advancement through a comprehensive continuum of programs and supports. Read more>>
Dave Dubay
I first obtained a Real Estate license in 1995 and worked for almost 2 years and realized at the time it was not for me. I went on to other things and eventually got into IT and did that for 20 years. I was living in Florida and was going to be moving back to Michigan. Read more>>
Sofía Maldonado Bojórquez
I grew up in Monterrey, Mexico, in a family where music was more of a background hum than a main event. My mom’s an engineer, my dad a businessman, but I? I sang and danced before I could even walk or talk properly. Read more>>
Chris Nierhaus
I founded TinBug as a one-person creative agency. I spent the first 15 years running it part-time out of Romeo, Michigan, taking on logo design, web design, and video projects, while working for an employer full-time. Read more>>
Kenneth Crutcher
a past Associate Professor and adjunct faculty at Lawrence Technological University and Eastern Michigan University, founded Detroit-based Crutcher Studio, Inc. in 1998. The firm facilitated many challenging design projects while the principal, Mr. Read more>>
Shelby Schumm
When I had children, I began to make a more conscious effort to live a clean, healthy lifestyle. However, it wasn’t until my mom developed an allergy to formaldehyde that I realized that what we were putting on our bodies mattered just as much as the food we were consuming. Read more>>
Sarah and Chris Welch
My husband Chris and I met at the University of Michigan. After college, we entered the corporate world as an Environmental Scientist (Sarah) and Chemical Engineer (Chris). We quickly learned we wanted something more out of our careers. We were missing those opportunities to be truly challenged and get creative. Read more>>
Kristine Choate
I have absolutely loved doing hair since early in high school. I have been licensed for 14 years now which seems so crazy to say! I started my journey in the industry by attending cosmetology school followed by assisting, working in commission salons and then finally going off onto my own with owning a suite. Read more>>
Andrea Johnson
As a visually impaired artist I decided to do my ancestry research after getting my DNA results back I found out I was the relative of Harriet Tubman I decided to use my talents as an artist to teach others how to be self-sufficient and independent financially by giving free art classes and design lessons Read more>>
Caleb Robinson
Michigan drum phenom Caleb Robinson, born in Flint, has been captivating audiences with the power of sound since the age of three. Inspired by his father, who played drums at their family church, Caleb began beating on the church pews and any surface he could find to play—and that passion has never stopped. Read more>>
Franki Bagdade M. Ed., LMSW
Growing up with ADHD and anxiety, Franki learned to embrace her own neurodivergence — an experience that fuels her work as a therapist, educator, and leadership consultant. Today, she helps others thrive through training, coaching, therapy, and advocacy grounded in empathy and evidence-based practice. Read more>>
Sharpie J
My journey started when I was just a child singing along to songs in the car and being a showman during karaoke as a kid. Which led me to writing my own music in middle school. Which led to recording my own music, to getting shows, and so on. Read more>>
Amber kirby
I’ve had a love for Art my whole life starting in second grade. I won an art contest to have my artwork featured in a school calendar for all of the district. My next award would come when I was 16 years old and in high school. After that, I have pursued a love for private design in the arts my whole life. Read more>>
Rachael Brinkman
Rachael Brinkman is Einstein Dog Training’s owner/trainer with many years of experience training dogs for many different training disciplines. Rachael has trained her dogs for various competitive sports including obedience, rally, flyball, frisbee, and dock diving. She has been training for over 40 years, stemming from parents that were active in dog training and competition. Read more>>
Carlton Black
I’ve been doing poetry since grade school. Always had a passion for music but didn’t first touch the mic until I was 18. After a short lived career with a group called Yff, I left making songs alone because of life issues. I eventually started back at 23 and I haven’t looked back since. Music keeps me grounded, it’s therapeutic for me. Read more>>
Dakota Soule
Upper Hand Brewery, located in Escanaba, Michigan, was founded by Larry Bell of Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 2014. Our focus has always been to provide the highest quality craft beer made right here in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula that highlights the spirit, lifestyles, and cultures of our great northern Michigan community. Read more>>
Michelle Thackray
Neuro Nurture (South Africa) centre was born from a shared passion, commitment and purpose between Kirsten Sullivan and myself, Michelle Thackray – to create a space that doesn’t just offer support, but connection, understanding, and hope. Together, we’ve worked with hundreds of neurodivergent children and families, and time and time again, we’ve witnessed the positive impact of appropriate educational and developmental support. Read more>>
Lee Smith
My journey has really been one of growth, faith, resilience, and learning to make room for the different ways I am called to serve. I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and I have spent more than 10 years in the field of social work. Read more>>
Tiffany Cartwright
My story starts with me mixing natural ingredients in my kitchen to help my daughter‘s eczema. From there, we landed Wal-Mart, Target, Meijer, Stop & Shop, Good Morning America, Tamron Hall show, Essence, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Black Enterprise, and even took the brand to Africa. Read more>>
Austin Thornton
I competed in eight mixed martial arts fights when I started competing when I was 18 years old in Port Huron. When I turned 20 two years later a couple of bad injuries forced me to be sidelined until I healed. During that time I decided I wanted to coach and start my own gym. Read more>>
Marcus Jones
I started creating art a few years ago as a way to express myself and turn ideas into something people could actually see and connect with. What started as something I did for myself slowly grew into a business through custom pieces, signs, murals, and collaborations. Read more>>
Keegan Rodgers
I started baking when I was nine, standing on a stool next to my Granny in her kitchen, and that’s really where all of this began. I spent the next several decades working in scratch bakeries around northern Michigan, Memphis, Detroit, and Ann Arbor, picking up everything I could about the craft along the way. Read more>>
Elizabeth Morin
I feel like every story has multiple chapters. I have always wanted to be a business owner and have freedom to use my creative side. From a young age I have been running small businesses. I have had many passions including music, event decorating, florals, event planning, and crafting. Read more>>
TaiLour Naylor
I’ve been dancing since I was five years old, and dance has always been a huge part of who I am. However, dance wasn’t my only passion growing up. I was also fascinated by media arts, storytelling, photography, videography, and the creative process behind bringing ideas to life. Read more>>
Michell Cope
My name is Michell Cope also known as Michell Jasmin’ I was born and raised in Detroit Michigan. I am a midsize fashion influencer. For as long as I can remember fashion has always been a part of my life, an outlet for me to express my emotions. I remember while being young, going to church on Sundays with my grandma. Read more>>
KOSH LAMPTEY
I’m an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist by training, and I’ve always believed that the environments we create profoundly influence how people think, feel, and interact. Art has the power to transform a space, invite reflection, and foster a sense of connection, which is what first drew me toward sculpture. What began as creating a sculpture for my own garden quickly grew into a passion. Read more>>
Char Morse
Maybe this is true for most people, but I have always loved music. My parents and four siblings have a wide range of interest in music and I absorbed all of it. By the time I was ten years old, I started piano lessons and immediately began writing my own songs. Read more>>
Amber Sanchez
My name is Amber, for modeling I use the name Amber Rose. Currently I am a full time Hospice Nurse, I started off in the ER and Step-down ICU before transitioning to end of life care. I was introduced to modeling through an event called ShutterFest held in St. Louis and fell in love with the creative process between a model and a photographer. Read more>>
Simona Spaiardi
I spent nearly 30 years working in communication, marketing and events, mainly within the fashion and luxury industries. I had the opportunity to manage international projects, build brand identities and create experiences in which every detail contributed to a larger story. After the pandemic, I felt the need for a profound change. Read more>>
Bernice Patterson, PhD
To be real, my story starts with a deep knowing that I was called to help people heal; especially in the areas they don’t talk about. From a very young age, I knew what it was like to show up one way, but carry secrets that did not align with my joyful presentation. Read more>>
Karen Thueme
Karen Thueme is the founder of A Touch of My Harp, a practice dedicated to helping people find calm, balance, and restoration through Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy. What began as a personal search for more meaningful work gradually became a calling to serve others through the healing qualities of live therapeutic harp music and vibration. Read more>>
Kendall Lascko
I grew up in a home my father built, and also watched him build and grow his own business. That gave me the opportunity to learn not only how a house comes together, but the idea that you could build something of your own. Read more>>
Michael Perna
I got into real estate originally to try to pay for college without taking on a lot of debt. I was bartending at the time, but that wasn’t doing it. In 2003 I decided to jump in all the way and left bartending altogether. I’d hung onto that job because I’d only sold 1 home in my first 6 months and 2 in my second. Read more>>
Vikram Janardhanam
I was born and raised in India, where I developed a curiosity for technology and creativity from a young age. Professionally, I built a career in Oracle ERP and have worked in the IT industry for nearly two decades, which eventually brought me to the United States. Read more>>
Karen Oberhill
My journey to where I am today has been a profound process of returning to myself. I grew up very sensitive in a chaotic and high-control environment. I learned that being myself was not okay – that I needed to stuff my emotions down and defer my intuition and wisdom to external forces. Read more>>
Brittany Stout
We started our farm back in 2018 with just a small flock of chickens. We have had chickens, geese, ducks and goats between 2018 & 2020. Our plan was to use our Nigerian dwarf goats for 4H for our sons, but then 2020 changed our plans. Read more>>
