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.
TNL (KING T & LUSS)
We started TNL as two brothers from Michigan with nothing but a dream, a mic, and a whole lot of fire to prove something. Read more>>
Lauren Amt
2008 was a year of survival for most and I count myself lucky among those starting their architectural careers that year at a firm with strong footing. My first job was in Washington, DC working in the education and government sectors under a project architect who was an artist at heart with a structural background. Read more>>
Tommi Harris
I have had an interest in the stock market from a very young age, and that interest manifested into a career. My focus at the beginning was more on the mechanics of how markets operate efficiently and monetary economics. Today, my focus is on behavioral economics, specifically, behavioral finance. Read more>>
Stephanie Rosette
Hey there, I’m Stephy! I’m a photographer based in Michigan and the surrounding areas. I’ve been capturing photos since I was a teenager. My father, who owned a Nikon camera, was a great teacher and showed me how to pose and use the camera to capture God’s creation. Read more>>
Antonio & Pernishia Avery
We are a clothing company that started in 2017. My wife had a vision to create, a line that represented us, comfortable fashion rooted in nostalgia for the 90’s. At first, we had multiple ideas we implanted into our line, but the one that stood out, and stuck was the “WhadUpDoe”, line. Read more>>
Josef Knauf
My wife Nina has a marketing and PR background. Both of us came from families that were involved in their own businesses to some extent or another. I grew up in a family whose businesses were the sole source of income, so starting a business was nothing new to either of us. Read more>>
Pandush Gaqi
I was born in Albania, a small country shaped by decades of economic and social challenges. When my family immigrated to the United States in 1999, I entered Roseville High School speaking very little English. It was an isolating experience at first, but it also became a turning point. It was where I discovered technology, design, robotics, and the creative world of making. Read more>>
Cynthia Owens
I started this journey with a poem that I wrote about a young lady named Dream. She told a story about her life and her relationship with her mother. That one poem became a motivational journal for youth, The motivational journal birthed a for-profit business (Dream Keep It Moving) that offers journals, apparel, motivational speaking, and teaching. Years later I birthed my non-profit Dream K.I.M. Read more>>
Lauren Lamb
I’ve always had a love for all things girly and knew from a young age that I wanted to be part of the beauty industry. Growing up, I watched my mom get beauty services done, and I loved how her face would light up afterward. Read more>>
Lisa Wallace
I grew up in Northern Michigan participating in competitive yearbook….nerdy, I know, but that is where I was introduced to and fell in love with Graphic Design. I decided to make the big move to Detroit to attend the College for Creative Studies and fell in love with the city. Read more>>
Paul Vainer
Former Life For most of my adult life, I worked in corporate sales and marketing across Metro Detroit, primarily in the commercial building materials industry. When COVID hit, it forced me to slow down and re-evaluate everything — what I wanted to do, where I wanted to be, and who I wanted to do it for. I realized I was done building someone else’s dream. Read more>>
Brian Bachnak
My journey to becoming a business owner actually started on the ice. I played college hockey with my now business partner, Kevin, and like most great stories, it came full circle. After college, we ended up playing against each other in professional hockey. We went from teammates to rivals for a bit. Read more>>
Deon Mixon
Cool My name is Deon C. Mixon Jr. but I only go by Deon Mixon (because I’m more famous than my dad). I was born and raised in Detroit and I grew up on the east side (8 Mile + Van Dyke). I started out playing the violin in 3rd grade so orchestra was my life for 7 yrs. Read more>>
Morgan Michael
I am really not sure if we are discussing business or personal journey, but I guess my story began as the daughter of a single mom. We moved a lot growing up, I switched schools more than most, experienced a lot of hardship, but also so much joy. I can attribute my ability to adapt easily to this, I am sure. Read more>>
Sadie Johnson
Fall of 2022, I experienced my first Sound Bath out in California, in the Mojave desert. Until that day the concept of Sound Healing was unknown to me; but my first encounter with it was transformational, and I immediately knew I wanted to share this experience with others. Read more>>
Thomas Daniels
Growing up at Van Dyke and Forest on the East Side of Detroit, I was always aware of segregation and integration, especially during the Civil Rights Movement. I felt the pain of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination when hearing this tragic news as I was walking to baseball practice at the University of Detroit. Read more>>
Loose TheKing
I’m Loose TheKing from Hampton, VA. Born into a music family, I started at the age of 7 years old. Looking up to an older cousin ‘Smoke The Immortal’, who’s basically my older brother I picked up rapping. As the years grew so did my rap skills the older I got the better I became. Read more>>
Stephanie Dolly
I’m from Grand Rapids but was living in Georgia trying to make a living for me and my kids. I had thoughts daily of becoming my own boss. This is a dream I’ve had since a little girl going to the barbershop on division st. Read more>>
Luke Korolowicz
I started my art career making a comic strip that were then sold by myself as photocopies on street corners and at comic cons and anywhere else people would buy. This was done as the way to afford the supplies to be able to draw thanks to my father refusing to pay for them or give the money. Read more>>
Delores Freeman
I migrated from Arkansas to Lansing by way of Chicago in the late 1960s.… New to every thing… a new wife. a new mother…in a new place, a new way of life and definitely in need of a new income. My 30 year career at General Motors was cut a bit short by a life-threatening illness. Read more>>
Karina Lamorandier
I am Karina Lamorandier—a wife of nearly 42 years, mother of two sons, and grandmother to three precious grandchildren. My life in West Michigan has been one of steady love, entrepreneurial energy, and deepening faith. Read more>>
Tristen Bailey
It’s been a while, so allow me to reintroduce myself. I’m Tristen, the heart behind Tristen’s Trademark. I’m a resin artist, creative soul, and business owner who finds peace and purpose through art. While I do work a traditional 9–5, this craft is my sanctuary. Read more>>
Mike Sheehan
In 2023, Michelle and I decided to go NHRA/IHRA Stock Eliminator Drag Racing. We went to Denver, Colorado – 2412 miles in 3 days- and brought back our 1988 Mustang GT drag car. Once home with it, we thought we needed to do more than just race and Milk Money Racing was created. Read more>>
Michaela Buhrman
I have always had a love for growing things. I’m a fifth generation farmer and was born and raised on a dairy farm, so farming is in my blood. Growing up, my mom always had an extensive flower garden, so I’ve been familiar with how flowers grow and what blooms during which season and how to tend a garden. Read more>>
Hannah Baiardi
I was just talking with friends and family about taking the “hard path” — the one with no map, no financial certainty, and no guarantees, only courage and risk. You see your friends and family ‘moving ahead’ in the traditional sense while most of your work is being done on the inside rather than the outside. Read more>>
Erika Rivera Jaramillo
I am originally from the beautiful city of Medellín, Colombia. While I was studying International Business Administration at the university, I was also dancing and performing at a well-known academy called Ritmo Extremo. With them, I had the opportunity to participate in Colombia’s Got Talent and perform on some of the most important stages around the country. Read more>>
DeAngelo Dismukes
I grew up in a city where most people only talked about selling drugs, hitting licks, or hurting others — it was all about survival, not success. I saw early on that if I didn’t find another path, I’d get trapped in the same cycle. Read more>>
Sam Simpson
I grew up in a multigenerational farming family in Leelanau County, where agriculture wasn’t just something we did—it shaped the rhythm of our lives. My earliest memories are of long days in the orchards, working alongside my parents and learning that the land rewards consistency, patience, and a lot of grit. Read more>>
Angela Sims
I always tell people my story didn’t start in a boardroom or with a big business plan. It started as a little girl growing up in the 70s, navigating life with an unseen disability that I kept hidden because I was afraid of being teased. Read more>>
Brandy Douglas Misty Skamelka
We’re passionate about providing high quality, compassionate pet care and peace of mind for families when they’re away from home. During Covid, Misty and I met while walking our dogs. We found that we lived within a mile of each other, both of us were pet sitters for our friends, family and acquaintances, and we both were raised on local farms. Read more>>
Celeasha ‘Huni’ Wilson
What began as a simple dream and a heartfelt prayer asking God to stir up the talents and giftings within me became something far greater than I could have imagined. I asked Him to help me create something that would sustain the work of Huni’s Helping Hands Ministries, a ministry devoted to feeding and supporting the homeless community. Read more>>
Rick Sykes
Don’t Engage N Road Rage, Inc is a Michigan based nonprofit organization and limited liability company dedicated to promoting road rage education, awareness, resources and safety across the country. The organization was born out of my personal experiences, encounters and education in the area of road rage and aggressive driving. We thrive on impacting, changing, but more importantly saving lives. Read more>>
Julia Walker
I never planned on a beauty career — I wanted to custom-paint cars. But one push from my mom and a discounted cosmetology program changed everything. I hated hair, but the moment I discovered nail art, my artistic background finally had a home. Read more>>
Emily Stone
Emily Sharpe and Emily Stone met in 2020 while working in alumni relations and development at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. We mostly kindled our friendship over Zoom due to the pandemic. Emily Stone moved to Michigan in 2019 from Mississippi, and she grew up in the Chicago area. Emily Sharpe grew up in Grand Blanc, MI and has been a lifelong Michigander. Read more>>
Dennis Loren
I am a freelance graphic artist that works in the music business, I design CD and LP packages, as well as posters, t-shirt designs and other concert tour merchandise. I have worked on projects for Bian Wilson, The Beach Boys, Frank Zappa, Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix and many others since 1967. Read more>>
Danielle (Dannie) Dolce
My journey began in 2008 when I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. After my second rounds of treatments that stretched over two years, I found myself taking 39 pills a day, getting blood work every 90 days, and still not feeling any better. My immune system never fully recovered, and my symptoms didn’t improve. Read more>>
Loui$ Automatic
I’m just a kid from Detroit with a dream. Dedication and determination got me to this point. I’ve always believed in myself and my capabilities. I had to persevere through the tough times but they made me better. Read more>>
Saint Christopher
It took a unbelievable amount of healing for me to be the person I am today it’s cliche to say this I know but it’s true. I still have a trek ahead of me if I’m lucky enough to survive these trials of refinement I’m enduring currently. It’s hard to be positive when you don’t have to be. Read more>>
Kyle Dupuy
I went to University of Michigan for undergrad and to Wayne State Law School for my law degree. I’ve lived in Detroit since 2000, watching the City evolve from the shell that it used to be back into a world class city. I started my practice in 2017, servicing the Metro Detroit area, with a focus on Detroit. Read more>>
Christa Stephans
If you told me a few years ago that I’d run a marketing agency helping others simplify their businesses, I would’ve laughed. Back then, I was burned out. I had a good career in science and tech, but I was always chasing deadlines, working late nights, and barely seeing my family. I was doing everything right on paper, but it didn’t feel right inside. Read more>>
Scott Vanden Berg
I grew up in a small town in the small town of Ireton, Iowa and learned to love music with the support of a loving family and caring music educators. It was in my time at Dordt College (now Dordt University) that I realized I could make a career of sharing the music I loved with others. Read more>>
Andrea Kusmierz
I took on two jobs: working part-time at a kitchen and bath shop while also handling HR duties at a local credit union. Even in the design shop, I quickly realized that clients tended to gravitate toward more experienced designers. Building trust as someone fresh in the field wasn’t easy, but it taught me a lot about perseverance and the realities of starting out in the design world.” Read more>>
Kristin Ebel
Sure! I started with a little digital camera from my parents in junior high. My senior year, I got my first DSLR and my passion and fascination in photography grew immensely. My Dad was a film photography hobbyist during his school years, and he shared his passion for photography with me & passed me down his Nikon FE2. Read more>>
