ATL’s Most Inspiring Stories

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. Check out our favorite stories from across the Voyage family.

D’Vaughn ROSE-NUNES

My story has honestly been a lot of becoming, rebuilding, and learning who I am in different seasons of my life. I’m a mom first, and becoming a mother changed the way I looked at myself, my strength, and the kind of life I wanted to create. Fitness became a huge part of that journey for me. Read more>>

Florent Tabaro

I started sewing back in high school. My mother had aspirations of becoming a designer so she had a sewing machine. I would often ask her to make my jeans skinnier and one day she got tired of it and just showed me how to do it. Read more>>

Ebony Mitchell

Beltline Baddies honestly started by accident. One day, my friend Kenyahna (Co-Founder) and I decided we wanted to join a run meetup on the BeltLine with another group. We got there about 15 minutes early, found the correct meetup spot, and waited. And waited. And waited. The scheduled start time came and went, and no one showed up. Read more>>

Annette Bentley-Smith

I’ve always loved writing stories for children. I published my first children’s book in 2015, but the idea that changed the direction of my business came from my granddaughter. Read more>>

Maira Bondre

My story as an actor began when I was very young in my hometown of Athens, Greece. I’ve been acting for almost 20 years now, and I’m 25, which is honestly unfathomable to me. I genuinely cannot imagine my life without my art. As a kid and teenager, I studied theatre and took part in as many performances as I possibly could, including professional productions. Read more>>

Evenie Bour

If I had to describe my journey , it would start when I was little and I was obsessed with gemstones and gold jewelry. Later on, I started drawing and enrolled at the Savannah College of Art and Design SCAD. I graduated with honors with a major in Metals & Jewelry Design and a minor in art history. Read more>>

Valeria Lake

I was born in Miami, Florida and grew up low- income in Ocala, Florida until my family relocated to Atlanta when I was about 11 years old. I am the true definition of a country- suburban- southern belle! Read more>>

Aaron Bryant

My story started in a small town called Gordon, Georgia, in Wilkinson County, where I grew up playing rec league football with my childhood friends and family. At the time, I had no idea where football would eventually take me. When I moved to the south side of Atlanta for high school, things really started to take off. Read more>>

Harold Robles

My story started with very little. I grew up facing challenges, with limited resources and not many opportunities. I didn’t have much experience, but I was determined to find a way forward. I eventually got an opportunity with a payment processing company. I worked hard, learned everything I could, and grew both personally and professionally. Read more>>

Jose Perez

I’m a film producer, writer, and Actor. I stared writing books in Jail. When I came home I started turning my books into movies. I’m on my 3rd movie. I have two out now Sons of Sin on Tubi and Sons of Sin 2 on Amazon prime. I’m also in post production of my 3rd movie called “COLD DISH” Read more>>

Brittany Woodard- Hampton

My path to acupuncture began with my own health journey. Growing up, I was often sick, and conventional medicine didn’t seem to have many answers for what I was experiencing. My mother took me to a naturopathic doctor, and during that time, I made dietary changes and began to see improvements in my health. That experience sparked my interest in becoming a practitioner myself. Read more>>

Makayla Smith

Throughout my life, I have been an athlete in some capacity. Starting with competitive cheer in my elementary school years, then transitioning to playing volleyball in middle school and high school, I have always been physically active. After hanging up the jersey after my senior season, I began to find ways to continue my active lifestyle. Read more>>

Nikolette Soden

From a young age I always had a passion for sports, music, fashion and art. Whenever I was not playing in a basketball game, or running bases with softball, I wondered how I could combine my interests. Soon, I picked up a camera and photography became the centerpiece for everything I loved. Read more>>

Stephanie Carter

The Stef & Ny Channel began during the pandemic, at a time when life suddenly slowed down and so much of what we knew felt uncertain. What started partly as a way to document our journey became something much more meaningful to us—a way to capture memories, experiences, and the everyday moments we knew we would one day want to look back on. Read more>>

Lamare Fuller

My name is Lamare Fuller. I’m originally from Omaha, Nebraska, and in September 2016, I made the move to Atlanta, Georgia. I’m a husband, a father, an entrepreneur, a fitness professional, a nutrition coach, and now, an author. But long before any of those titles, I was simply a kid who fell in love with being active. Read more>>

Thomas Shek

I picked up a badminton racket at eight years old in Hong Kong, where I was born and raised. At 15, my family moved to the United States, and badminton disappeared from my life—not because I stopped loving the sport, but because it simply wasn’t as developed or accessible here yet. Read more>>

Cheyenne Summerville

I started photography as a hobby while living in Oklahoma City while my husband served in the military. We had our daughter pretty young at 17 and 18, so after graduating a year early I went to Oklahoma City to live with him, and I went to college at Rose State University. I started in criminal justice and very quickly appreciated art and digital design. Read more>>

Nadia Thomas

My story really started long before I ever became a business owner. Growing up in Chicago, I was always a dreamer with big ideas. Read more>>

Erica Gifford Mills

I didn’t start out with a grand plan to become an author, speaker, coach, and nonprofit founder. I started with a question: How do we help people find their voice when life has taught them to stay quiet? My professional background is in leadership, human resources, and legal/compliance, so I spent years seeing what happens when people feel they have to be everything to everyone. Read more>>

Chip Ivie

In 1994 I was in another industry that had me traveling a 3-state territory regularly. Out on Sunday, home on Friday with little time for myself and friends. I longed to sleep in my own bed. I had just bought my first house and decided to get my real estate license. The rest is history. Read more>>

Jerin Polk

MEET JAY — LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY For me, becoming an artist wasn’t necessarily the plan. Music was something that found me. Growing up in Kentucky, I was surrounded by different sounds, personalities, and experiences that would eventually influence the artist I’m becoming. But it wasn’t until college that hip-hop really became something personal for me. After attending an underground hip-hop event in Cincinnati, something clicked. Read more>>

Quenice Coaxum

QUENICE B. COAXUM, professionally known as Q, is a Queens, New York–born serial entrepreneur, creative director, drummer, and event producer whose career is rooted in creativity, culture, and community. A musician from the age of three, Q’s professional journey began through drumming and has taken her to stages and platforms across the country, including performances with nationally recognized artists, ministries, conferences, and major entertainment events. Read more>>

Kaimera

Back in my (Landon Marler) freshman year of highschool. I met our bassist Moxxie in PE. We would always talk about music and eventually, she started coming over to my house to play bass guitar. We told ourselves that we were gonna start a band one day, we just needed a drummer. Read more>>

Kayla Jones

I’m Kayla Jones, the owner of Washington Elite Tax Professionals in Atlanta. Over the last 17 years, I’ve grown my business around helping individuals and small business owners feel more confident about their finances. What began with tax preparation has expanded to include tax planning, bookkeeping, payroll support, and business consulting. Read more>>

Jerry Washington

I did my first dance showcase called “The Allure” back in 2023! I wanted to create an experience where we have a platform of talent, perform various dance routines, and conjunction to the theme of the event. Each showcase have a different theme. Read more>>

Ashley Olivier

I was an only child, but instead of making up imaginary friends, I made company with the characters in movies. I would learn every line and each time I watched it I would act out a role. It was educational and almost theraputic for me to jump into another person’s emotions and to feel what that moment would feel like to live in. Read more>>

Maria Merritt

My name is Maria L. Merritt, and I am a boxing coach, educator, entrepreneur, and wellness advocate originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. I began my boxing journey thirteen years ago and transitioned into coaching nine years ago. What started as a personal commitment to improving my health and fitness evolved into a passion for helping others discover the transformative power of boxing. Read more>>

Whitney Rice

I started doing my own nails around middle school/high school, never imagining it would eventually become my career. By the time I was halfway through my Business Management & Human Resources degree at Georgia Southern University, I was the self-taught nail artist on campus, taking clients between classes. By graduation, I knew I wanted to pursue nails professionally, but then COVID hit. Read more>>

Grainne McClain

Our story begins in 1990, when the property opened as the Hotel Nikko Atlanta, home to one of Buckhead’s most unexpected treasures: a serene Japanese zen garden with a three-story waterfall that we have preserved and cherished through every chapter since. Read more>>

Sean Kaltier

I started in Columbus,Ohio 1st born in my intermediate family . Always was creative from a kid painting my friends bikes to clothing at the schools in my city. Made a name for myself doing customs likes fabricating sneakers using men’s ties I got from Walmart with scooby doo and SpongeBob patterns, with matching shirts and fit to match. Read more>>

Leigh Ebberwein

One hot July morning in 2019, my husband, John, and I snuck off to daily Mass. Our favorite little Irish Monsignor was celebrating that morning, and his homily was about his homeland—Ireland. My mind began to wander, and before I left church that morning, I had outlined an entire story in my head. Read more>>

Kelah Hines

My acting career started in 2018 with my first stage play. never no more then from there GOD just continued to opening doors for me with different stage and eventually I moved into movies and my first sitcom. I also now have three movies on Tubi at this time. I also have my own sugar scrub business where I make body, scrubs and body butters. Read more>>

The Real Dee Martin

I am originally from McComb, Mississippi, and I am currently based in Siem Reap, Cambodia. My work and creative journey have taken me across several countries, including Ghana, Thailand, and Turkey. Founded in Dallas, Texas at Luminous Sound Studios, Brick Baby Productions is rooted in my American background, but my creative perspective has become increasingly international. Read more>>

Shiloh Therrien

I got into real estate because, growing up, we had a family business. My parents ran an automotive repair shop and I ran the office. After some time my parents decided to sell the business so I needed to do something else. We, as a family, got into house flipping for a little bit but then the market crashed in 2008. Read more>>

Suhailah Wright

I was born and raised just south of Atlanta in Clayton County, Georgia. From an early age, I knew that natural hair care was a passion of mine. I was always drawn to the beauty, versatility, and uniqueness of natural hair, and as I grew older, that passion continued to develop into a vision for what I wanted to create. Read more>>

Gustavo Ruthes

My career started in sport. I studied Physical Education and Sport Sciences in Brazil, then moved to Canada and completed a master’s degree in Kinesiology focused on coaching, sport psychology, and physiology. I spent years teaching, coaching, competing, and working with athletes, which gave me an early interest in what allows people to perform well under pressure. Read more>>

Kevin Sandoval

My love for travel started long before I ever thought of myself as a content creator. Growing up Dominican-American, travel was part of my life early on. Flying at a young age and experiencing a culture beyond the one I was growing up in made me curious about what else was out there. Read more>>

Carlos M Vergara Jr

My story really starts in Milwaukee. I’m born and raised here, and I’ve always been somebody who saw more in things than what was sitting right in front of me. Fashion became one of the first ways I learned how to communicate that. I understood early that getting dressed wasn’t just about clothes. Read more>>

Alex Richard Thomas

I started training as an actor in the Atlanta area in high school where I developed a love of classic film, literature, and plays which led to my attending film school at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. My love of old Hollywood inspired me to direct numerous period piece films, one of which, ‘Jukebox Girl’, screened at the Atlanta Film Festival. Read more>>

Aundre McLean

My story really started with surviving a lot of instability, trauma, and emotional abuse growing up. For a long time, I was just trying to survive and make sense of things that happened to me, while carrying that pain into adulthood. Read more>>

Andrew Russo

I grew up a Military Brat, born in Germany and traveled most of my younger life. I started my career in corrections at 19 and spent nearly 20 years in corrections and law enforcement, eventually becoming a K9 sergeant. That work gave me a deep connection to my community and showed me how much it matters to be there for people when they need help. Read more>>

Rachel Keebler

Rachel Keebler has been a painter since high school. She was a SA member of USA 829 from 1981-1994. Well known for co-founding Cobalt 1988, she has been the sole Owner and Director of Studies at Cobalt Studios since 1993. She has been actively charging, painting, and overseeing the Jobs and Programs there ever since. Rachel began painting scenery professionally in 1977. Read more>>

Emmanuel Mollel

My journey as a documentary filmmaker started with a deep fascination for storytelling and the rich, diverse cultures here in Tanzania. I wanted to create a bridge between local reality and global audiences by using the lens to amplify voices that are often unheard. Read more>>

Kennedie Scurry

My story has never really been a straight line, and I think that is probably the most honest way to describe it. I have always been creative, but over the years I have learned that creativity shows up in a lot more ways than just making something visually beautiful. Read more>>

Dominique Hines

Hi, I am Dominique. At work, I have the privilege of being called Dr. Hines. I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, with my four siblings. Since I was in the second grade, I knew that I wanted more out of life than what I saw in my immediate surroundings. I set my sights early on becoming a doctor; specifically, a pediatrician. Read more>>

Chasity McKenzie

I started my journey serving four years in the United States Air Force, where I learned discipline, independence, and how to push through challenges. After transitioning out of the military, I decided to fully pursue my passion for music and entertainment. Read more>>

Vallean J.

My story is rooted in being resilient, both unintentionally and intentionally. With so much adversity encountered throughout my life, I never thought I would be where I am today. Read more>>

Taahir Abdul-Basit

As a child, I was always creating stories and characters. I used to write books and make up different worlds in my head. As I got older, though, I slowly fell out of touch with that creative side of myself. Whenever people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would sometimes say “neurosurgeon” just so they would stop asking. Read more>>

Aaliyah Nadir

I’m a Philadelphia native, and my journey as a makeup artist simply started with me. I consider myself a born diva. Growing up, I was always drawn to beauty and fashion. I’d play in my grandmother’s heels and jewelry, watch fashion shows, and was fascinated by the beauty and artistry behind the looks. Read more>>

Dwayne Noble

When I hear the question, “What’s your backstory?” I immediately think, Which life do I talk about? You know the saying, “Curiosity killed the cat”? Well, I’m that cat—and just like that cat, I have nine lives. I’ve lived many different versions of myself throughout my life, and I mean that in the best possible way. I’m naturally curious. Read more>>

Adeola Omonira-Feracho

My name is Adeola Feracho, and I’m the founder of OneVisionWeb, an Atlanta-based web design and website care company. I originally started the business as The A Projekt in 2016, with a focus on helping businesses establish a professional presence online through custom WordPress websites. Over the years, the business naturally evolved as I saw that clients needed more than just a website. Read more>>

Naimah Muhammad

I started competitive gymnastics when I was nine years old and fell in love with gymnastics by looking up to greats such as Gabrielle Douglas and Dominique Dawes. I moved up pretty quick over the years and committed to do college gymnastics on scholarship aid the University of Bridgeport in 2020, the same year as the Pandemic. Read more>>

LaTroy Mckinley

Well My Name Is PHITTED, And I’ve Been Writing Music Since I Was 11 Years Old. At least That’s My Earliest Memory. Music Has Always Been Much Bigger To Me Than Just Being A Rapper/Singer Or Making Songs. I Consider Myself An Artist Because Music Is My Form Of Self-Expression, My Way Of Communicating With People, And Ultimately My Way Of Telling My Story. Read more>>

Ej Vasquez

Im from New York born and raised, I played sports since I was 5 mainly baseball but at times I’ve also played basketball and football as well. I’ve always had love for music since I can remember, from drumming on the tables at school, to singing to girls and downloading those beat making apps on the phones. Read more>>

Naomi Davis

My journey has always been driven by the intersection of technology, culture, and community. I graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Business Administration and Information Technology, which laid the analytical and strategic foundation for everything I do. I had 7 internships across sports, media, entertainment, tech companies. Read more>>

DR. TAMU SPRUILL BARTON

I’ve been a nurse for more than 20 years, and I’m now a Doctor of Nursing Practice and board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. I spent over eight years in pediatric primary care, caring for children and walking alongside their families. Today I care for geriatric patients in primary care, and I still work in the emergency department once a month. Read more>>

Heather Edens

I’m a scientist by training and I now work in medical communications, but I’ve always had a love for creating things with my hands. When I’m not working to communicate clinical trial data, you’ll usually find me outside — hiking, backpacking, or trail running. The outdoors has always been my reset button. My stained glass mosaics journey started unexpectedly. Read more>>

Sean Lumpkin

I was moving out of being a full-time musician and started my specialty coffee career at Meadowlark Coffee, where I worked for JP McKenzie. He taught me about the craft of coffee. From there, I fell in love with the artistry and science of specialty coffee and catapulted my way into the industry. Read more>>

Malcolm Ali

My journey started in public procurement, where I spent more than a decade helping government agencies turn public dollars into meaningful results. Through my direct work and team contributions, I’ve been involved in more than $1 billion in contract awards. Along the way, I saw talented business owners struggle to navigate government contracting while procurement teams faced complex requirements and limited resources. Read more>>

Savannah Louie

From the newsroom to the islands of Fiji – and back again! Everything I’ve done has stood on a foundation of adventure, connection, and resilience. I found my love for communication after my parents forced me to take a public speaking class in high school. In college, I initially pursued communications/PR, but made the switch to journalism. Read more>>

Natalie Chemaine

My career began in advertising, working on the marketing and client-facing side. In all honesty, I fell into the industry, but I loved it — particularly the creativity, the people, and understanding how ideas connect with people. When I became a mom while living in Dubai, I stepped away from my career to focus on raising my family. Read more>>

Rachel Seals

Hi! 😊 I’m a physical therapist, and my path to founding Movela began with a question I kept coming back to: Why is it so hard to access quality, specialized rehabilitation? I grew up in Kentucky, earned my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Mercer University, and completed a neurologic physical therapy residency at Emory. Read more>>

Demiah Lee

Booties Shoetique is a story that started with my big brother, Derrick Hatter Jr., and a simple idea drawn on a piece of paper in 2015. After having children of his own, Derrick noticed that many parents were moving away from traditional hard-bottom shoes when their babies were learning to walk. Read more>>

Vivacious P

In 2015, I saw the need for America, the people, to become the source of this nation’s democracy, justice, freedom. But I also saw a nation of broken people, politics, governance.. I understood that we must fix the people, to fix the nation. Most importantly, I understood that we the people must save ourselves.because every institution was out to grow rich. Read more>>

Bodega Reg

My name is Bodega Reg and I’m a Music Artist/Producer/Engineer/Actor. Growing up in Queens NY I shadowed my mother’s music career as a Singer. From watching her rehearsals to setting up and performing live shows all with a live band and her own equipment. Eventually I would learn and help set up all the equipment from microphones to PA Systems. Read more>>

Sheefra Blumenthal

Growing up, I developed a deep curiosity about people and the world, and an understanding that even though we may come from different backgrounds, there are fundamental things that connect us. Read more>>

Deborah Chambers

My fitness journey began as a professional dancer and choreographer 16 years ago. After training at The Ailey School and New World School of the Arts, I spent several years performing as a freelance artist between Atlanta and NYC. Over time, my desire to understand the body on a deeper level led me to the personal training world. Read more>>

Tyler Drouet

I began my career as school counselor. After staying home when my children were young, I transitioned to working one on one with parents.. The difference that parents can make is remarkable. Read more>>

AWALL MG

I started out in Detroit, MI in the youngest of 4 children. My dad did work for Motown records and Gladys knights and the pips were in our basement. One of my other brothers plays drums for everybody and I have another brother that plays bass for Charlie Wilson. Read more>>

Roshawn Jones Chambers

My story began with imagination. From a young age, I have always had a strong desire to create, tell stories, and connect ideas that might seem unrelated at first. Writing became one of the ways I could bring those ideas to life, and over time, that passion grew into something much bigger. Read more>>

YOG Sheera

I’m a Florida girl. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, FL. I’ve always been into singing and dancing and was just really into arts and entertainment in general. Read more>>

Charlese Walker

My love for storytelling and production started early. In third grade, I joined my school’s morning broadcast crew as a news anchor. At the time, I was convinced I belonged in front of the camera, but by middle school, I realized I was much more interested in everything happening behind it. Read more>>

Tiffany Richardson

My creative journey has always been about finding different ways to tell stories and bring ideas to life. I’m Tiffany ‘MzzSkittles’ Richardson, a multidisciplinary creative, senior graphic and digital designer, published cosplayer, and entrepreneur originally from the DMV and now based in Atlanta. Read more>>

Shane Manier

I was working a 9-5 job as a graphic designer, while building a nonprofit and artistic career on the side. It started to feel like I was living two different lives. Something had to give. I wasn’t sure if I could make it as an entrepreneur, but I knew I could no longer stay where I was. Read more>>

Tierra Edwards

I got started as a shy only child. Very reserved and shy to speak to those who I wasn’t comfortable or close with. As a young adult I remember volunteering with a girls event for a church I was attending at the time. That interest was a foreshadowing. Read more>>

Kay’lah Green

My story is really about growth, self-discovery, and learning to believe in myself. I started by expressing myself through the things I loved music, creativity, modeling, dancing, and performing. Modeling became a major part of my journey because it gave me a way to express my personality, confidence, style, and creativity while becoming more comfortable in my own skin. Read more>>

Laila Johnson

I always had aspiration to create content. I created my first video five years ago. At that time, I did not have everything I needed, the equipment, a foundation, or community. All started in 2022, my first TikTok video went viral while I was working at Chipotle on break. Read more>>

Shakti Shetty

I have always been the girl to take over the aux chord at a party, give my unsolicited opinions on music and artists, and have always loved a good night out on a dancefloor. DJing has been on my mind since I was a teen however the financial investment in the equipment felt too large. Read more>>

Nareasha Willis

I didn’t relaunch AVNU simply because I wanted to make clothes. I relaunched it because I saw an opportunity to rethink what getting dressed could mean for women who are building, leading, creating, and taking up space. My journey has been an education in both creativity and business. Read more>>

Bobby Williams

I started drawing when I was around 10 years old, I’ve always been alittle “eclectic” but I never knew what that meant for me or how it would affect me and the relationships I went on to develop. Around that time I was visiting my grandmothers and managed to catch a glimpse of my uncles sketchbook whenever he was around. Read more>>

Tony Sailor

Sick On Skates Crew, or SOSCREW, has a story that actually goes back much further than the name itself. In the early 2000s, I created a skate crew called Georgia Rampage Skate Crew. At the time, the crew was doing really well. We were building relationships, forming the ATL skate community, and bringing skaters together. Then I had to leave for a military deployment. Read more>>

Megan Neese

My journey into the travel industry started after I was a Cast Member at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. I worked for Disney for about three years, and when I moved back home, I was constantly being asked to help friends and family plan their Disney trips. Read more>>

Kaira Quiller

I graduated from college in May 2022 and used my degree to begin building my career in Human Resources. I genuinely loved HR and was fortunate to build a career that I was proud of, but I also knew early on that I never wanted my career to limit me from exploring other opportunities or learning new skills. Read more>>

Tomiya Stevenson

My journey into interior design has been shaped by creativity, hands-on experience, and a genuine passion for transforming spaces. Before fully stepping into the design industry, I spent years working in visual merchandising and Atlanta’s hospitality and nightlife industry. Those experiences taught me how much a space can influence the way people feel, interact, and experience a brand. Read more>>

Marlon Hyde

I was born in Jamaica, Queens New York to two hardworking Jamaican parents in 1999. I moved back and forth between Brooklyn and Queens. On my trips in the car with my parents, my dad would always play 1010 Wins radio news. He believed I needed to stay informed early. Read more>>

Phrederick Ferguson

Mister Ferguson is… How should I begin? The beginning is a long time ago. At least the first beginning. The fourth beginning is probably best. Mister Ferguson was discovered in a drawer, in a cabinet, in a boiler room, in the basement of a warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia that had once been used as a tank factory during World War II. Read more>>

Dr. Lathan Wood

I’m a preacher’s kid, a pew baby, and the middle child. My dad is a former pastor, and my mom is an ordained minister. “Pew baby” means I’ve been in church as long as I can remember. I grew up in the suburbs of DeKalb County, Georgia, where music, people, faith, and a little strong personality all came with the territory. Read more>>

Larry Sheftel

When my kids were first born I would buy them sports cards and comics on their birthdays or whenever I saw something interesting. They soon became interested in the stories and the people/players behind the pages/cards. We started to heavily collect cards first. We would sell them on ebay and Whatnot. Read more>>

Paige Ma

I started Paige’s Pantry from home, really just doing something I loved and never expecting it to turn into what it is today. As orders continued to grow, I eventually took the leap and opened our storefront in Denham Springs. We’ve now been open for three years and have grown into a team of nine. Read more>>

Gwendoline Kamara

My journey in the beauty industry started when I was very young. I began learning and doing hair around the ages of 8–12, and over time something that started as a natural skill became a passion, a profession, and eventually a business. Read more>>

Destiny Edmond

Just a troubled kid from the southside of Chicago who wanted to be a lawyer but instead plans changed and I ended up becoming a hair care stylist when my mom needed an assistant one day ..and from there I begin to expand. Read more>>

Pan People Steelband Kiara Nyomba

Pan People Steelband is a steelpan band that has been part of the Atlanta community for more than 30 years. The band was founded by my father, Dr. Ajamu Nyomba, an economist and pan activist from Trinidad & Tobago. Read more>>

Roy Davidoff

My fascination started early. I was about four when a watch shop window first stopped me in my tracks. At 13, my father gave me my first vintage watch, a 1969 Omega Speedmaster Mark II with a racing dial, and I kept collecting through my childhood, following him through the auction houses. Luxury was in the family: we were wholesale gem dealers. Read more>>

Cedrick Wiley

I learned very early that life is precious and not guaranteed. I lost my father to gun violence when I was four years old, but I was fortunate to be raised by a strong mother and surrounded by a village of men and women who helped shape me into the man I am today. Read more>>

Queenie Yang

I’m Queenie Yang, a 24 illustrator, bird lover, and D&D player. I was born and raised in Guangzhou, Canton, a southern coastal city in China, and graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Illustration in 2025. Since then, I’ve been continuing to build my career as an illustrator and artist, one project and one opportunity at a time. Read more>>

Ashraf Nahlous

My journey into storytelling actually started with a video game. One of my first professional storytelling projects was writing *Ocean Quest VR*, a virtual reality game for the University of Manchester. That experience made me realize that storytelling could exist far beyond the traditional formats I had imagined, and from there, I became increasingly drawn toward film. Read more>>

Roberta Rodriguez

I started in the window tint industry years ago and built Modesto Window Tint from the ground up. Back then, there really wasn’t social media to help grow a business the way there is today. I was using the Yellow Pages, phone books, flyers, going door to door and approaching car dealerships trying to build accounts and get my name out there. Read more>>

James (Jaymye) Horn

Man, how did I get started… So I’ve always been around music, since I was about four years old, really before then. I grew up in a Christian household, and my father is a Baptist minister, so there was always music everywhere. Mostly gospel, a lot of Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Ty Tribbet, etc. Read more>>

Brandi Alexis

I first began dancing when I was 3 years old at Christina Cultural Arts Center. I had a passion for dance very young. My mother enrolled me in early childhood movement, tap, jazz, hip hop, modern, acrobatics, ballet, dance company, and acting. I danced at several dance studios as a child up until I went to college. Read more>>

Aahil Virani

Absolutely. I’d make it feel less like a career summary and more like your actual story, especially the uncertainty of coming to America at 19 and choosing to trust yourself. I came to the United States when I was 19 years old, and honestly, I didn’t really know what I was going to do with my life. Read more>>

Cyrus Anderson

My journey really started after COVID. My parents saw how much I loved music and bought me a cheap little studio setup because they wanted me to actually follow my passion. It wasn’t anything crazy, but that setup gave me somewhere to start. I began recording myself, learning how to make songs, figuring out my sound, and slowly teaching myself more about the whole process. Read more>>

Kelsey Oenning

I started @boppinaroundtheburbs shortly after having my twins, who are my third and fourth children. At that point in my life, I was looking for a hobby something that was just for me and would help me feel like myself again. Our family has always loved exploring and finding things to do outside of the house. Read more>>

Will Smeltzer

Everyone’s story is a miracle unfolding. And I suppose everyone must find, at some point in their life, a greater purpose or design that allows them to remain curious about what comes next. The miracle of this story, is that I’m here to tell it. The road to The Circle City Bandit wasn’t a smooth stretch of highway, in fact it wasn’t paved at all. Read more>>

Jaz Daley

Social for me started in college after bringing Her Campus to Kennesaw State University. I just immediately fell in love in the ever changing landscape (or ocean) of what social is. Read more>>

Daryl Weaver

I’ve always been a creative person. I’m originally from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and I studied Graphic Design at North Carolina A&T State University. After graduating, I knew I wanted to take my creativity beyond traditional design, so I continued my education at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where I earned my master’s degree in Broadcast Design. Read more>>

ebony spivey

i grew up in a small town in the south where the Bible was heavily pushed. whether you went to Church or not, you knew plenty of scriptures. i always knew i was a feminine being, but i always felt like it was so wrong to live my life as a woman since i was born male. Read more>>

Mehtap Nickname Mimi Drayton

I started Mimi’s Spa in 2017 in Buckhead, focusing on facials, chemical peels, microneedling, and advanced skincare. I’ve always been passionate about a holistic approach to beauty—helping people not only look their best, but feel confident and relaxed. After moving to Brookhaven, I expanded my services to include Head Spa treatments because I wanted to offer my clients a more complete luxury experience. Read more>>

Isaac Yu

It all started during my high school years. I was deeply passionate about breakdancing, and my dance teacher’s streetwear style became a major source of inspiration for me. I noticed that many of the clothes my teacher wore were from Taiwanese streetwear brands, which sparked my interest in fashion and made me start paying closer attention to clothing, design, and street culture. Read more>>

Shanice Wheatley

For most of my working life I was in a traditional 9-to-5 corporate environment. I showed up to work on time every day gave my best and worked toward one main goal: to grow within the company and eventually be promoted. Read more>>

Tori Williams

My journey started with a genuine love for creating beautiful experiences and bringing people’s visions to life. What began as a passion eventually grew into Tori Williams Events, and over the years, I built my company from the ground up learning the business through experience, taking risks, making mistakes, and continuing to evolve along the way. As my business grew, so did the opportunities. Read more>>

Erin Selby

Vitality Bartending really started from my love for people, hospitality, and creating experience that guests remember. I started the business around 2018, and in the beginning, it was very much something I built from the ground up. I didn’t have a team, investors, or a roadmap telling me exactly what to do. Read more>>

Isabela Ferraro

I moved to Atlanta from El Paso in June of 2025 after being medically retired from the Army. The transition out of the Army was very difficult, as I had to reevaluate my whole life and essentially what to do with myself! I started Fast N Steady Media after finding my photography passion that started with my own car, a 2018 Toyota GT86. Read more>>

Tanmay Donti

FutureLead started in February 2025, born from two problems I noticed as a high school freshman. I wanted to learn about business and leadership, but there were hardly any opportunities to learn about either. And when these subjects were taught, the lessons were rarely engaging. Business and leadership are best learned by doing, not by sitting through a presentation. Read more>>

Myles Smutney

During COVID, I was looking around my neighborhood and seeing storefront after storefront close or get boarded up. There were people fleeing the city and leaving everything behind, and people who desperately needed these things, with no infrastructure connecting the two. In October 2020, I decided to do something. Read more>>

Kris Henry

As far as how I got started, I’ve talked to spirits since I was a child. Later in life I got disciplined in ancestor veneration to recover from organizing burnout and being terrorized by systemic oppression. Over time I advanced in my practices as I learned more, and eventually began doing spiritual work for other people. Read more>>

Caroline Skanecaroline

I’m Caroline, a content creator from Skåne in the south of Sweden. What started as me simply sharing my personality, humor and everyday life online gradually grew into something much bigger than I ever expected. I’ve always been a very creative person, and I’ve never really been afraid of being a little different. Read more>>

Leela Owen

It started when I was 15 years old. I did background acting work for Marvels Spider-man Homecoming and fell in love with being on set. From there I wanted to do more then just background acting. I tried for an agency and was extremely happy to get an offer from my top choice agency Houghton Talent Agency here in Atlanta. I’m still with them today. Read more>>

REBECCA MACNEILL

From a young age I knew what I wanted to do as I got older – I knew I wanted to take photos and I definitely had the eye for it. I studied photography and graphic design in college and pictured myself working in advertising. That all changes when I started doing freelance work as favors for friends. Read more>>

Daniella Marie

I’ve always been a creative soul. Long before I ever considered myself a designer, creativity showed up in every part of my life — from the way I dressed, to how I styled spaces, told stories, or expressed emotion visually. Design was never just one lane for me; it was a language I spoke instinctively. Read more>>

Susan Reed

I attended Columbia College in Chicago. I started as an extra on shows like Sirens, Chicago Fire, several movies, etc.. I began an independent production company and created several indie films which were getting exposure in the city and being accepted into various festivals across the country. I felt the entertainment bug bite me..i landed a job on radio and began doing VO for commercials to supplement making films. I created my own film festival which ran in. Chicago for five years before I was asked to come out to VP a start up media company in LA.. Read more>>