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.
Jenn Cooper
I honestly can’t remember a time when clay wasn’t part of my life. I started taking pottery classes when I was ten years old, and I was immediately hooked. There was something about taking a lump of clay and turning it into something useful that just made sense to me. That curiosity never really went away. Read more>>
Tess Clark
My story begins in an enchanted forest surrounded by the pristine, humble waters of Michigan. It begins with the wisdom of the trees and the beauty of lush canopies I was raised among. It begins with earths collective consciousness that I’ve become a messenger of. Across from an island on small inland lake resides my childhood home. Read more>>
Marina Anauate Vieira
Graduated in Social Communication, I took some courses in the fashion field under the guidance of experts and discovered my passion and vocation for Style Consulting. Read more>>
Benjamin Viulet
my story is probably a lot like yours. made of wounds, laughter, raging hope, and quiet miracles. i was born in buenos aires at three in the morning, an emergency birth, while the biggest snowstorm in the history of san martín de los andes kept my father trapped a thousand miles away. my mother was alone. she almost died bringing me here. Read more>>
Jessica Singer
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always been drawn to the beauty industry. In high school, I had the opportunity to earn my cosmetology license, but ultimately my parents encouraged me to pursue what they believed was a more traditional career path. That decision led me into the business world, where I spent the next seven years of my adult life. Read more>>
Dr. Megha Mohey
I’ve been practicing medicine for more than 20 years, and for most of that time I worked as a traditional internal medicine physician. I loved building long-term relationships with my patients, but over the years I found myself increasingly frustrated by a pattern I saw every day. Read more>>
Meghan Stimmel
If you had met me several years ago, you probably would have seen someone who looked successful on the outside but felt disconnected from her own voice on the inside. I used alcohol as a way to feel confident enough to speak. I performed my way through life. Everyone thought I was happy, successful and free. But internally, I felt imprisoned and trapped. Read more>>
Sarah Brown
Like many other businesses in the wedding industry, it all started when I was planning my own wedding. When I was looking for invitations, I was frustrated that I couldn’t find what I really wanted, and back then there weren’t as many options as there are now: you could either pick a generic invitation or go with a completely custom design. Read more>>
Jen Thompson
I have loved to write for as long as I can remember. I have stacks upon stacks and bins filled with old journals that contain records of how I have spent my days, along with some of my deepest and most true feelings. Read more>>
Ashleigh Hibbit
My journey has really been a blend of creativity, community, and a desire to help people bring their visions to life. Even as a child, I was drawn to the performing arts. I grew up dancing at Detroit Windsor Dance Academy, where I developed a love for creativity, storytelling, and connecting with an audience. Read more>>
Erika Alvarado
Five years ago today, I was working full-time for the friend of the court, under one of the best bosses I know to this day — Jason Walker, who was supervisor and manager of Family Court on the 3rd floor at the time. Read more>>
Samantha Ford
Green Garden has always believed that childhood deserves more. What began as a small home daycare, 14 years ago then moved to a small child development center and has now grown into a multi-campus organization serving hundreds of children and families across Southeast Michigan. Read more>>
Matthew Johnson
I started making Movies in the early 2000’s( high school) mainly,comedy skits. I also, developed a passion for shooting and editing footage. I was awarded by the University of Toledo, for ‘ high school media day’ Years later, I would make my first short horror film, ‘The Ultra’ while working a season in Yellow stone national park, in 2014. Read more>>
Chinelo Onuigbo
For as long as I can remember, I have been driven by creativity and connection. In grade school, I sought out art classes and opportunities to express myself through various artistic mediums. I took a painting class in high school that really introduced me to the power of grounding yourself through art practices. Simultaneously, I noticed a strong lack of equitable representation in mainstream art. Read more>>
Jess Perreca
Everyday Ascend was never about starting a clothing brand. It started with trying to become a better version of myself. Like a lot of people, I’ve experienced setbacks that forced me to take a hard look at my life. I’ve battled my weight for years, lost more than 200 pounds, regained much of it, and had to find the strength to start over. Read more>>
Martinese Gregory
My story began long before I ever stepped into a recording studio. When I was three years old, my parents discovered that I could really sing. Once they realized I had this gift, they encouraged me to perform anywhere I could. During one of my very first performances, I was approached by playwright Tiffany Boyer, who asked if I could act. Read more>>
Julia Solis
Born in Germany in the 1960s, I was raised in an environment still traumatized by World War 2. Early on, this gave me a sense of the personal toll inherent in the surrounding ruins, yet also revealed these sites as spaces for shelter, reflection and imaginative reinvention. All my life, the transformations and narratives of these places have inspired my creative work. Read more>>
Tammy McCreadie
My story does not start where most wellness founders’ stories start. I spent 24 years in corporate America as a senior leader in event planning and production at one of the country’s largest financial companies. I was exceptional at my work. What I did not know how to do was take care of myself. Read more>>
McKenzie Kenrick
I started baking when I was 14 years old. I grew up in a very health-conscious household where desserts were a rare treat, so I became fascinated with figuring out how to make them myself. I loved science just as much as I loved creating, and baking felt like the perfect combination of both. Read more>>
Efe Ersoy
I grew up in Bursa, Türkiye, where I studied psychology, but photography wasn’t always part of my life. Everything changed when I stumbled upon film photography and discovered an entirely different way of seeing the world. Until then, I had never experienced the process of creating photographs that demanded patience, intention, and trust. Read more>>
Steven McQuown
I’ve been deeply involved in the arts for as long as I can remember. Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, the performing arts were my creative outlet and my primary connection to community. That passion led me to study musical theatre and business at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, where I discovered that my interest extended far beyond performing. Read more>>
marco bertoldi
I’ve been a hairstylist since 2007, and from the very beginning I was drawn to the combination of creativity, technical skill, and the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with people. Over the years, I’ve worked with a wide range of clients in both Michigan and Los Angeles, continued my education, had the opportunity to educate other stylists, and worked backstage at New York Fashion Week. Read more>>
Daniel Brito
I have always had interest for electronic music even when I was little. At first, it started with more commercial songs produced by names that you’re probably familiar with like Avicii or Tiësto. Eventually, I started discovering more music and more sub genres of EDM. I became really obsessed with the music and about two years ago, I bought my first pair of decks. Read more>>
Isaiah Owens (IRO)
I started Photography back in 2020 I also graduated college during Covid-19 so after that I knew that I wanted to keep being creative but not put the camera down. I ended up going to an event that was for all people that wanted to learn how to take photos and I attended the event. Read more>>
Niki Feldkamp
I have been a hair stylist for 25 years and worked in a variety of different types of salons including commission, chair rent and owning my own salon. Over the past decade, I realized that the concept of salon suites would become the new, evolving trend in the beauty professional industry. Read more>>
Ashlee Washington
Beyond Bare Beauty started in 2021, when my best friend and I decided to enroll in esthetician school. At the time, we had no idea that one decision would completely change the direction of my life. I graduated in 2022, and what began as a new opportunity quickly turned into a true passion. Read more>>
Nicholas Veine
I grew up loving music. My dad played guitar and banjo and sang around the house. My mom wasn’t a musician, but she always sang along to the radio and new the words, even if she didn’t know the song titles. We went to bluegrass festivals and concerts all throughout my childhood and we were always spinning a record or playing a cassette or CD. Read more>>
Sharlyn Claxton
Picture it, it’s 1998 , I’m 8 years old and I’m watching MTV. Probably not appropriate for my age but what I saw was color, fabrics, great fit and confidence. I got my sketch pad (I had always been an artist) and I began to draw what I saw. Read more>>
Laura Keller
I’ve always had that entrepreneurial drive to build something of my own—something that I truly love—alongside my full-time career. Over the years, I explored a few different ideas, but nothing quite clicked. That all changed when friends started consistently raving about my cookies. That was when I realized I might be onto something worth pursuing. Read more>>
Mayuri Bajaj
Hi, I’m Mayuri Bajaj, the creator behind The Twisted Knob. My relationship with home, independence, and creating with my own hands started long before I ever picked up a tool. Growing up, so much was handled for us. There were helpers, contractors, and experts for almost everything. Read more>>
Lauren Mitchell
My story started very young i was raised by my mother. Her being a single parent we often lived in low income areas. Growing up i noticed a difference in what was available were we lived compared to other areas we would visit. As i got older i always had a passion for helping people and finding beauty in things others didn’t. Read more>>
Mia Amador
I started creating content because I wanted a creative outlet to share my love for beauty, fashion, travel, and lifestyle. What began as something fun quickly became a passion as I connected with people who related to my journey. Over time, I realized I wanted my platform to be about more than just aesthetics. Read more>>
Josie Bays
I worked a corporate job for close to 20 years, doing payroll, HR, benefits. I felt my time in that industry was done. I took some time off to spend with my family and let my mind wander with ideas on what to do next. During this time off, I started thinking about opening a retail store of some sort…then covid hit. Read more>>
Kate Cassidy
Fling Together Collective is a registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to the promotion and development of performance-based Scottish Highland dance through the creation of accessible educational opportunities, scholarship programs, and cultural exchanges. Fling Together was initially founded in response to the global pandemic that physically separated our community. Read more>>
Doug Kadzban
I found myself out of work in late 2019, and decided to spend my free time at the Herrick Library in Holland, Michigan. Out of idle curiosity, I started perusing the local history section and doing research, when I realized that I had studied history in college and how much I loved doing research on local topics. Read more>>
Ysahai Honor-Marie
Ice Cream Detroit has been serving the city since 2018, starting as a pop‑up with bold, handcrafted flavors that always stole the spotlight. From the beginning, the product was the star: liquor‑infused (under 0.5% ABV) and non‑alcoholic ice creams and sorbets built with premium ingredients and Detroit personality. Read more>>
