Portraits of Atlanta

It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from in and around Atlanta.

Mikka Simone

I began my creative expression by way of repeating what I saw and heard. Legend has it, my mother knew I’d sing one day when I was 3 and her and my aunt witnessed me singing Mary J Blidge with my eyes closed all my heart was in it. Read more>>

Maru Delarrans

My Story Maru Delarrans is, without a doubt, a dreamer who grew into a determined woman. From a very young age, I felt a special connection to fashion. When I was eleven years old, my mother, who is a seamstress, began becoming well known in the community where we lived in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Read more>>

Renee’ Strong

I was born and raised in Atlanta and graduated from Therrell High School. I always had an interest in the arts whether music movies, books or theater. As a child I had an active imagination and created stories and songs in my head. As an adult I wanted to start a music production company with my then husband. We started ‘Take Note Entertainment Inc’. Read more>>

Lisa Gray

Looking back, I can see that creativity and a desire to help others have always been woven together throughout my life, even before I understood where they would lead. I earned a degree in Graphic Design and later continued my studies in Fine Art and Media Arts. Read more>>

Alessia Aron

I didn’t set out to start a food tour company! After leaving my corporate job in my early 20s, I spent some time backpacking around South America, came home nearly broke, and took a job working in restaurants in NYC. As it turns out, that was one of the best things I could have done for the business I would eventually build. Read more>>

Romello Tilghman

My journey started with my grandmother, who inspired me to begin making soaps. After she passed away, creating became a way for me to keep her memory alive while building something of my own. What started as making soaps grew into Scents by Romello, a handmade skincare brand focused on creativity, self-care, and quality ingredients. Read more>>

Ruby Chow’s

Ruby Chow’s is inspired by the legacy of Ruby Chow, a pioneering Chinese American restaurateur and civic leader, whose name became part of Asian-American culinary history and a symbol of unforgettable hospitality and cultural pride. We wish to carry that spirit forward, honoring her influence through a dining experience that feels beautiful, memorable and deeply personal. Read more>>

DePriest Waddy

Since summer of 2022, DePriest Waddy has served as the President and CEO for the Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia. For over 40 years, the Community Foundation has connected people who care to causes that matter, and DePriest is carrying forward that commitment. DePriest is passionate about serving his community, especially those who are struggling with financial insecurity. Read more>>

Rachael Ann Gliebe

I’ve always been an artist first. My career began more than two decades ago with a camera in my hands and a deep fascination with people, beauty, emotion and storytelling. What started as a love for photography grew into R.A.G.artistry, the creative business I’ve spent the last 23 years building across weddings, commercial photography, branding, editorial work and visual storytelling. Read more>>

Ezell Waddell

My story is an onion-layered, sometimes comforting, sometimes enough to bring tears, yet somehow soothing in the end. I was brought home to 1967 Morehouse Drive in Fulton County, Atlanta, Georgia. The trip there from Georgia Baptist Medical Center, unbeknownst to me, would be only the tip of the iceberg when it came to a life marked by relocation. Read more>>

Ashley Ortiz

As the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, becoming a wedding planner was not exactly on the traditional list of career paths I imagined for myself. From a young age, though, I was always drawn to celebrations, especially when I could help decorate, plan, or create a special moment. Read more>>

30 Hustlez Ent

I was born in Orlando, Florida, and grew up surrounded by dancehall music from an early age. At 12 years old, I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where my perspective and passion for music really began to develop. At 16, I started a click called Cream Team with my friends. We just got fly promoted ourselves on Myspace. Read more>>

Joan Keili

I’ve been in love with stories long before I ever knew how to tell them. My family came to America from Sierra Leone when I was two, and though I don’t remember much about where I was born, I grew up hearing stories about a city in the sun. Read more>>

Jessica Marie

Jessymariecharms began in 2020 as a creative passion that grew into a business I truly love. I’ve always enjoyed expressing myself through art, creativity, and jewelry, so creating unique, handmade bracelets became a way for me to turn that passion into something meaningful. What started as a small idea gradually grew through word of mouth, social media, and connecting with people in my community. Read more>>

Bri Skylar

Ever since I was little, I have always loved documenting moments through photos. My grandmother was the one who gave me my first camera sometime in middle school, and I spent the entire COVID-19 lockdown familiarizing myself with the basics and touching into nature photography around my neighborhood lakes. Read more>>

Antoinne Duane Jones

After working as a professional photographer for 12 years, I moved to Atlanta to spread my wings. Once I got here, that photography turned into celebrity photography. Once I got into that area, I recognized that many of the celebrities were also members of black fraternities and sororities. Read more>>

MALCOLM MONDESIR

How did dream to be a dancer after my junior in high school? I learned out of talent for the arts so I went to school to pick up business but change the major to theater and accomplish. Read more>>

Rochelle McRyans

My name is Rochelle McRyans CEO and Producer at It’s a Really Rochelle Production LLC and how I got started directing was my passion and hunger for the arts as a child. Than, at the age of 22 I directed my very first short film Stability isn’t Enough. Read more>>

Darryl Walker

I founded HynopticMinds out of a simple frustration that grew over two decades: fashion stopped listening to the consumer. For years, major brands dictated what men should wear, relied on inexpensive materials, limited us to a narrow color palette, and attached premium price tags to products that didn’t justify the cost. My perspective on clothing began much earlier. Read more>>

Christine Racheal

I studied Creative Writing as an undergraduate at Florida State University and was first published when I was 25 years old. Over the last 15 years, I have edited and published more than a hundred books for self-publishing authors through Airris Books. In addition, I’ve written eight books of my own and relocated to Atlanta to pursue a career in film. Read more>>

Kevin and Kimberly Griggs

How did two singers who’ve been married for almost 29 years start chasing their singer-songwriter dreams in their 40’s? We met in middle school and became friends in high school. Music—what would be a lifelong passion—is the thing that brought us together. Read more>>

Roy Saunders

I started playing guitar when i was about 20 in Atlanta, Ga. A few years later I moved to Savannah, Ga where my friend Jay Morelock and i formed our duo ‘Escaping Fate’. We played around the Low Country for the following few years. I moved back to Atlanta in 2016 and started gigging out solo. Read more>>

Nilmar Atencio

I am a pastry chef and journalist. My journey toward mindful eating began when I came to the United States, during a period of significant stress and depression when I started consuming products that were not contributing to my well-being. Over time, I became vegan, but after four years, I began to notice that my body was reacting negatively to certain foods. Read more>>

Rae Broyles

My earliest memory of the graphic arts and painting fields were when I was very young. My fateher was a painter and my mother worked with a printing company. I remember the smell of the fresh note pads coming off the press. And the n I was old enough I worked along side my father at his advertising agency. Read more>>

Melissa Harvey

I started out as a nanny when I moved here to Atlanta 8 years ago. I have an extensive background in childcare but my former pediatric mental health position didn’t exist here so I had to pivot. While I love children of all ages babies are my passion. Read more>>

David Diener

My Dad was a folk artist in Greenville, North Carolina. He supported my creative endeavors early on. I started in illustration and painting. My senior year in high school I got a nice camera and started my passion in photography. I took many classes in college. Read more>>

Leyenda LLC

Leyenda LLC was built on the belief that meaningful organizations are created through experience, discipline, and a commitment to something larger than themselves. The foundation of the company is closely connected to the journey of our founder and CEO, Dr. Legend Chea. Raised in Compton & Long Beach, California, and having experienced the foster care system during his youth, Dr. Read more>>

April Sawyer, LPC, NCC, CAMT, ADHD-CCSP

My name is April Sawyer, and I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and the founder of Free Your Mind Counseling & Consulting Services. I created Free Your Mind from my desire to create a space where people could show up as themselves, feel understood, and work through life without feeling judged. Read more>>

Terri Collins

I was awarded the ‘Keen Eye’ award at the age of 11 by my elementary school art teacher. To be awarded something at such a young age was very impactful. I spent my youth exploring all possibilities in the realm of art. The Keen Eye award was something I really needed as a kid to push me further into my passion for art. Read more>>

Brian Hutton

I think my story begins with curiosity and maybe a little bit of resistance to being defined by one thing. I’m an educator by profession, but I’ve always existed creatively outside of that title. Fashion, art, design, music, and storytelling have always shaped the way I see the world. For a long time, though, creativity was something I experienced privately. I knew what I liked. Read more>>

Neiva Green

People often ask how On the Rocx’s Mobile Mixology started, and the truth is, it began with love and a little leap of faith. A close friend was getting married and asked me to bring my creativity to her big day. For fun, I took a bartending class, never imagining it would change my life. Read more>>

Halle Sullivan

My story with acting really started in high school, although looking back, I think God was planting the seeds long before I realized it. Growing up, I could never really find a sport that I enjoyed deeply enough to want to stick with. Then one day in high school, I saw a flyer in the hallway advertising auditions for the fall play. Read more>>

Dí Santana

I started off working in a high demand tech role and got VERY burnt out, At age 23 I experienced a stress induced bald spot and severe head aches. After this wake up call I got in to boxing and yoga. I practiced consistently for a year before completing my first Yoga teacher training. Read more>>

Rogina Carter

In 2017 I closed a neighborhood bar I owned named Blue Bar. I wanted to continue in the industry, focusing more on food vs alcohol. In 2019, I opened Cafe Blue, wanting to provide home-cooked breakfast and lunch items in under 15 minutes. It became an instant success with the support of area businesses and neighborhood locals. Read more>>

Stuart Williford

The Arboretum I oversee today was founded by my grandfather Tom Cox who was my mentor. I spent much of my childhood learning from my grandfather in the gardens. Watching it tranform and grow from raw land into the unique tree sanctuary it is today. Read more>>

Shanice Hernandez

I am a New Jersey native and attended Rutgers University – Newark for Journalism and Media Studies. During covid I picked up roller-skating as hobby. I used to roller skate at Branch Brook Park Roller Rink growing up, but when I picked it back up it was in an entirely different way. While skating I saw a need for a roller-skate wheel company. Read more>>

Karl Heilbron

I’m a touring FOH engineer. Currently on the Happy Together Tour. Started touring in 1994. Born in Miami. Started as a studio engineer at Southern tracks in Atlanta with Brendan O’Brien. We worked with Soundgarden. STP, Pearl Jam, Keith Sweat, Jay-Z, Jeezy and Aerosmith. Happy to be in Santa Fe. Read more>>

Chris Spierer

In 1963, My father bought me a guitar, and I started to learn how to play it at home. I also loved to sing. In 1964, I was attending college in Brooklyn, New York for Architectural Engineering. One day I attended a college Christmas party and heard a rock band playing and I became hypnotized by it. Read more>>

Zarion Uti

My name is Daniel. I make Afrobeat music. The journey started way back in my catholic high school St. Gregory’s Ikoyi Lagos where I met friends who were equally interested and driven, we start writing songs together and recorded our first demo at a studio not so far from our school compound. Read more>>

Londrelle

I was born in Winter Garden, Florida. My story begins in a home marked by pain, loss, and instability. My father was murdered before I was a year old, and growing up without him left questions that would accompany me throughout much of my life. Those early experiences became the beginning of a lifelong journey of seeking, questioning, and discovering who I truly am. Read more>>

CHRIS KING

My journey in broadcasting and media has always been rooted in one simple goal: creating opportunities for people and using media to make a positive impact. What started as a passion for gospel music and storytelling has grown into a career that allows me to connect artists, radio stations, churches, and communities across the country. Read more>>

Kindel

I started my salon suites business at 20 years old , I am a licensed cosmetologist, and certified lash technician Read more>>

Joiya Dai Anderson

My journey started when I was just 5 years old, when I stepped into the spotlight and discovered how much I loved performing, modeling, and expressing myself creatively. What started as a fun experience quickly grew into a passion and a dream that I wanted to take seriously. Read more>>

Russell Wiggins

My story has never followed a straight line—and honestly, I’m glad it didn’t. I started my professional career in corporate sales and marketing, working as a Solutions Executive with Xerox. That experience taught me how to listen to customers, solve problems, build relationships, and walk into a room with confidence—even when I was still figuring things out behind the scenes. Read more>>

OLUDOLAPO AKINKUGBE

My mother was a piano teacher. I started as a classical pianist at the age of 4, and started producing in high school after falling in love with Hip-Hop music. I came to the U.S. for undergraduate studies, starting at Berklee College of Music for a year, before attending Brown University, and later Columbia Law School. Read more>>

Bob Hartman

I stopped drinking alcohol in September 2019. There is a lot to that story too, but for now I’ll jump ahead a couple of years. I found that it was hard to find something to do as an adult, usually with my spouse, that didn’t revolve around alcohol. We have two kids, who were very young at the time that I stopped drinking. Read more>>

Shawn Deangelo Walton

Salutations! My name is Shawn Deangelo, born and raised in Atlanta to a single mother of 4. As the youngest, my perspective has always been centered on ‘Fairness’ & ‘Food’. A common phrase I’d tell my siblings when I didn’t get my turn to watch the T.V. Read more>>

Jordan ‘DJ’ Shade

I was born and raised in Iowa, and in 2012 I made one of the biggest decisions of my life—I moved to Atlanta with a vision of creating greater opportunities for myself and my family. I quickly fell in love with the city, its culture, its diversity, and the mindset of growth that Atlanta inspires. Over the years, my journey has been anything but linear. Read more>>

Mark Morton Jr

My story really starts at a young age of seven years old. I was not exposed to an overly diverse catalog of music in my own home but through extended family, friends, neighbors, and a growing curiosity I started to notice there was more beyond what was playing in the car cd player. Read more>>

LaToya McBeth

I was born and raised in Jasper, Alabama, to Greg and Louise Farris, and I come from a family deeply rooted in service, leadership, and community. My parents and grandparents were servant leaders who believed strongly in giving back and making their communities better. Service wasn’t something we simply talked about, it was something I witnessed and experienced throughout my childhood. Read more>>

Stephanie Maston

My story really began long before I ever called it a brand. I was raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in a family where food, faith, and gathering were simply part of life. The kitchen was more than a place where meals were prepared. Read more>>

Candrice Lewis

My name is Candrice Lewis, founder of 2 Girls & A Brush, a beauty brand built from my passion for helping women feel confident, beautiful, and empowered. What began as a love for makeup artistry evolved into a business that allows me to serve clients while creating products that reflect luxury, quality, and self-expression. Read more>>

Paris Taylor

Tasty A La Cart started as a mobile food cart with a simple vision: small cart, big taste. I invested in equipment, created a brand, and began serving at local businesses, schools, community events, and festivals across the Southside of Atlanta. Along the way I kept expanding my menu from mini pancakes and nachos to açai bowls, dirty popcorn, and root beer floats. Read more>>

Frederick Robertson

Frederick “Freddyrobb Baby” Robertson is an independent recording artist and content creator from Georgia whose music reflects resilience, ambition, and real-life experiences. Drawing inspiration from the challenges he’s faced, he creates songs that encourage listeners to keep pushing forward no matter the obstacles. Read more>>

Kacie Luaders

I grew up in Detroit, where music was everywhere and everyone had some connection to it. I studied music recording technology, then went on for an MFA in sound design, which is what brought me to Atlanta. I spent years doing sound design for theater, but I also kept ending up on the business side, in marketing, in audience research, in data analysis. Read more>>