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.
Sonya Harris-Oguzor
but was encouraged to take various other modalities as well to be adaptable. I was super ambitious and I wanted to be the very best massage therapist in the United States. While in school I practiced massage on my church members and those close to me so by the time I graduated massage school I had a few clients that were ready to pay me for my efforts. Thus unofficially a business was created. Later I’d have children and see a need to pivot into prenatal and perinatal massage before becoming a doula. Read more>>
Clare Ramirez
Honestly, Boxing House International was never part of some grand master plan. At the time, I had moved from Chicago to Southwest Michigan to open a restaurant and meditation retreat farm. Even though I was living in Michigan, I was still deeply involved in boxing. Read more>>
liz farner
I am a pediatrician by training but have always been interested in mental health. When I first graduated from college, I worked at a psych hospital that had a huge campus that included a working dairy farm. I worked with adolescents who were in a long-term treatment program. Those that wanted to, were allowed to work at the farm. Read more>>
India Smith
My story has been one filled with bumps, bruises, resilience, and purpose. Often, I have found myself being the first, the only, the minority, the generational curse breaker, and someone learning to navigate spaces that were unfamiliar to me. But through every challenge, one thing remained true: I kept going. Read more>>
Darcy Fritsch
Quadrum Coffee was born from our family’s love of coffee and everything it represents in our lives: connection, comfort, and community. The name Quadrum is a blend of two things closest to our hearts. The “Quad” stands for the four of us — Dan, Darcy, Quinn, and Norah Fritsch — whose shared love for community and togetherness inspired this dream. Read more>>
Johanna Schuster-Craig
I spent twenty years in higher education before I started a handyperson service. My friends were telling me that they couldn’t find anyone to work on their homes, and even if they did find someone, a lot of the time those folks would just walk away. They couldn’t understand it. Read more>>
Corey Parth
All Torque Auto started with one simple goal: provide honest, dependable automotive work people can trust. But for Corey, the passion behind the business started long before it officially opened. From a very young age, he was fascinated by cars and anything with a motor. Read more>>
Brisban Roumpz
I often joke that movement has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Long before I ever owned a business or stepped into the wellness industry professionally, I was the little girl spending countless hours in dance studios, growing up in the world of competitive dance. Read more>>
David St. Eerie
I started creating art, music, stories, and strange little worlds when I was very young. Horror films, old paperbacks, underground music, comic books, mythology, and the darker corners of imagination always fascinated me. Over time, that evolved into writing music, performing in bands, creating visual art, filmmaking experiments, and eventually building the identity that became David St. Eerie. Read more>>
Kalli Brady
My career has always centered around supporting people and strengthening communities, even as my roles have evolved over time. I spent 12 years on the frontlines as a case manager for a Supportive Housing Program with Housing Services Mid Michigan. During that time, I worked closely with individuals and families navigating housing instability, poverty, mental health challenges, and complex systems. Read more>>
Latasha Robertson-Crump, MSW
My journey truly began in high school when I realized there were very few support groups and opportunities for students outside of academics. During that time, I watched classmates drop out of school, become teen parents, and struggle with limited family support. Read more>>
Anita Artistry
My name is Anita Artistry; I am highly skilled and licensed Esthetician with over 20 years of experience in skincare. I became interested in a career as an esthetician around 2007 while searching for a new path to take. Trained under Dermatologic and Podiatric Physicians, I am well-versed in hands-on care, wound healing, and sterile procedures. Read more>>
Erin Bannink
My path has been an interesting blend of science, healing, spirituality, and personal transformation. Professionally, I’m a board-certified veterinary oncologist and integrative medicine practitioner, and my world was deeply rooted in medicine, research, and helping pets and their families through cancer journeys. I’ve always been driven by a desire to truly help people and animals heal—not just physically, but on a deeper level as well. Read more>>
Scott Dittenber
I am the president and one of the founders of the West Michigan Avid TypeWriters. Our story begins in 2018 at the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts. My friend and fellow festival volunteer, Fred Bivins, was in charge of bringing back the artists’ demonstration tent. Since it was just getting back up and running, he came up a few slots short. Read more>>
Habtewold Dadi
My story began long before I became involved with Blue Nile. I grew up in a culture where food was never just food — it was love, hospitality, community, and connection. My father was known for welcoming people into our home, hosting gatherings, feeding guests, and making everyone feel cared for. I grew up watching that. Read more>>
Mridu Pasrija
IFor much of my life, I followed the path I thought I was supposed to take. I pursued higher education, built a successful corporate career, and checked all the boxes society tells us should bring fulfillment. By my mid-30s, I had even made a significant career transition from Human Resources to Information Technology—a move I was incredibly proud of. Read more>>
Mary Aregoni
I am the Founder, CEO, and Chef of Saigon Sisters, a modern and intimate Vietnamese restaurant and catering brand that has proudly served Chicago for 16 years. My path to the kitchen wasn’t traditional; I spent the first 20 years of my career as an IT manager at Procter & Gamble. Read more>>
Chris Huntoon
In 2017 Chris Huntoon was introduced to micro greens. After learning about their super nutritional value he went to the local grocery store to buy some. They didn’t have any. He eventually found some in a health food store, like a bag salad, half dead in a clam shell. Lifeless baby plants in a clam shell? Read more>>
Brandin Hurley
I started my life as a fine artist, then moved to theatrical scenic design for a period. While a childhood of Northern California landscapes and fine art granted me a love for expression and the natural world, scenic design helped me expand that vision. Through this education I learned to build large scale pieces and to integrate multiple senses into them. Read more>>
Keirsten Johnson
Kookies By Keirsten began with a passion for baking that was inspired by my grandmother and nurtured by family who believed in me before I fully believed in myself. What started as a creative outlet gradually grew into a business as friends, family, and eventually paying customers began requesting my custom cookies for their celebrations and events. Read more>>
Mashallah Ghouleh
Born and raised in Chicago, I have always been shaped by the rhythm of city life and the inspiration found across the globe. My eye for style, refined through international travel and years of working closely with a diverse clientele, led me to launch MASHALLAH in 2011. A response to the need for elevated, versatile staples that move with women through every part of life. Read more>>
Luke Barnett
I didn’t take a traditional path. I grew up in difficult circumstances, dropped out of high school, and spent my early life trying to find direction. Woodworking changed that. With encouragement from my grandmother, I discovered traditional chairmaking and became completely immersed in the craft. Read more>>
Nur Shah
I started taking pictures on Instagram in high school just like everyone else, and it turned out I really loved it. I was the girl who would get fully dressed up, do a full glam makeup look, and take photos just to go absolutely nowhere. It was fun for me. I’ve always been a very creative person. Read more>>
STACI ARMOCK
Armock Acres began in May of 2020, when I decided to open a roadside flower stand. I previously worked in landscaping, advertising and then became a stay-at-home Mom in 2019. The rising cost of daycare could no longer justify me working every day with three little ones at home. The roadside stand took off quickly. Read more>>
Kait Rose
My name is Kait Rose, (Kaitlin Parmenter). I started teaching myself how to play guitar at 15 years old, and began writing songs shortly after. Here’s my official bio: ‘Kait Rose is a high-energy performer, a prolific songwriter and seasoned guitarist. As a singer, she shares her impressive range with a mixture of power and delicacy packaged in a sincere and vulnerable delivery. Read more>>
Cate Cable
I, Cate. have been in the beauty industry for nearly 20 years doing extensions, coloring, and editorial styling until I came across my true passion… weddings. I have been doing wedding styling for a long time now, but in August 2025 decided that by creating a bigger team we could give more brides what they all deserve. Read more>>
Ginger Houghton
My path into this work has been shaped by a lot of curiosity, a lot of learning, and a growing appreciation for how complicated being human really is. Early in my career, I was drawn to addiction treatment because it challenged many of the assumptions people make about behavior and change. Read more>>
Monica Drohan
I often joke that my story started with ‘flags in a gym,’ but it really began long before that. I started dancing at age five, training in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary, pointe, and musical theater. Movement and performance were a huge part of my life growing up, and eventually that led me to discover color guard in high school. Read more>>
Bryce Vrooman
Well… I started making music because I always had a lot on my mind and music became a way for me to express things I didn’t always know how to say out loud. Growing up around Detroit, I was inspired by artists who told real stories and made you feel something. Read more>>
joanie frank
Thirty years ago, a woman I worked for pulled me aside and said four words that changed everything. ‘You are too good to be here.’ She told me to open my own business. And then she handed me my first client. Read more>>
Ryne Shyne
My name is Ryne Clarke; I have been playing music and have been in bands since I was 15 years old. I started playing accordion at age 13 and then moved to electric guitar. I went from strummer to singer, songwriter, and band leader with my first band The Preservers. Read more>>
Penny Bly
After years of working with the local Humane Society, myself and some others decided to start our own rescue for several reasons, but the most prevalent was the need for more animal rescues in our area. Originally, we had a location that featured dogs and cats but after seeing the overpopulation of felines we decided to make cats our only focus. Don’t misunderstand. Read more>>
