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.

Orla Barry

My name is Orla. An expat finance coach based in Dubai who’s a little bit ‘unconventional’. I’ve worked in hospitality in Dubai, which is a polite way of saying I worked in an industry that could disappear overnight. In March 2020, it did. So I sat down and took stock of my life when that happened. Read more>>

Morgan Duke

I picked up photography as a senior in high school, and that love grew throughout the years. In college, while pursuing a nursing degree, I started taking photos of families that I knew and nannied for, as well as my friends’ weddings. I continued to pursue photography as a part time gig while finishing up my nursing degree and working full time. Read more>>

Aviva Leebow

My story is grounded in sseing beyond the limits other people place on us. At 19, less than two months into college, I experienced a severe episode of bipolar disorder. A doctor told my parents I would never graduate college and would never amount to anything. My parents refused to accept that as the story of my life, and eventually, I stopped accepting it too. Read more>>

Solomon Judge

Hello, my name is Solomon Judge, otherwise known as Anima. Before I tell you about how I got to where I am now, I’m going to explain to you what the word anima means. It’s comes from a latin term being defined as soul. Although this is only a rough approximation of its original intended meaning. I didn’t always view myself as an artist. Read more>>

Jadin Rivera

Growing up, I always had a passion for creativity. In my early teenage years, I dreamed of becoming a model, but as I got older, I realized I wanted more creative freedom and control over the stories being told. That led me to film photography. Making that switch has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. Read more>>

Barbara Gomide

Sixteen years ago, my husband and I left Brazil with what felt like the perfect plan. We had spent years preparing, saving money, organizing paperwork, searching for housing, and carefully planning every practical detail of our move to the United States. What nobody prepared us for was the emotional journey. Read more>>

Destiny Hale-Jennings

My dance journey started with watching my older sister dance around the house to music I’ve never heard before which was both K-POP and J-POP music. I always admired how hard she worked and how much she practiced to the point where I began following in her footsteps. We soon started dancing together, which led us to performing side by side in numerous events. Read more>>

Ronnie McLaughlin

My mom has always been my biggest motivation. She was always the epitome of courage and strength. For many years, she suffered verbal and physical abuse by the hands of my father, Ronnie McLaughlin Sr. I grew up with an insatiable desire to uplift, encourage and inspire others to overcome their obstacles through my story of perseverance. Read more>>

Mikel Caldwell

I grew up on the west side of Atlanta, Georgia, in a family that taught me the value of faith, hard work, and serving others. My mother worked multiple jobs to make sure our family always had what we needed. My father instilled lessons in me that I still carry every day, teaching me that your character is your greatest asset. Read more>>

Sharell Thorpe

My name is Sharell Thorpe and my journey as an author is really a story of starting over. Writing became more than a creative outlet, it became the foundation I used to rebuild my life. Read more>>

Julie Champeau

I have always been deeply interested in finding ways to support mothers and babies using my background in occupational therapy. When I was furloughed from my OT job during the pandemic, I saw it as the perfect window of opportunity to pivot and begin my training as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Read more>>

Roberta Riežniece

My name is Roberta, and I’m an artist from Latvia. Art has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a little girl, I used to paint on the lids of my mum’s shoe boxes because, in my eyes, they already looked like framed paintings. Read more>>

Samuel Kennedy

I’ve always been passionate about competition, leadership, and helping people reach their potential. Growing up, basketball was my first love. I was fortunate to become an All-American basketball player in high school and college, and I graduated from Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina. Read more>>

LOVETEDDY.

The journey started under the name KoVu, releasing early projects like Playboi and Diffy. Those records captured the beginning of me finding my voice, building an audience independently, and performing hundreds of shows over several years Then came a reset. Rather than staying in the same lane, KoVu evolved into LOVETEDDY. not just a new name, but a new identity. Read more>>

Zylia Montes

My story started as a young girl who grew up in an extremely sheltered environment. I wasn’t allowed to do much, and I did experience a bit of a toxic childhood, so my nervous system and mental health were always rocky. At school, I was an honors kid and ended up winning an iPad during a raffle for good grades. Read more>>

Naomi

My journey in video games started when I was just a little girl. My brother had all of the retro consoles. NES, SNES, N64, Gameboy – you name it. Him, myself and my sister would play games like Pokemon Stadium, Pokemon Snap, and Super Mario, to name a few. Gaming has been part of my life since. Read more>>

Simone Smith-Gillette

My name is Simone Smith-Gillette, Co-Founder and CEO of Sistahs With Ausome Children (SWAC). My journey to creating SWAC began with my own lived experience as an autism mom. After my daughter was diagnosed with autism, I found myself searching for community, resources, and a safe space where I could connect with other mothers who truly understood what I was experiencing. Read more>>

Alanna Miller

Background Story: Escaping domestic violence and moving to Atlanta to start a new life, I did not know that when I moved here in 2017 broken, that I would become the woman that you see today. Raised in Clarksville, Tennessee in a strict military and religious household, my life was different from my peers. Read more>>

Serena Jones Corbett

Wise Learning Connections was born out of a passion for serving children, parents, leaders and the educators. After spending years in early childhood education in various leadership roles, I recognized that many educators and parents desired practical tools, encouragement, and professional development that not only built knowledge but also strengthened relationships and confidence. As my career evolved, so did my vision. Read more>>

Riley Bryson

I began my dance journey at a small recreational dance ministry in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Ironically, I only started dancing because it was the only studio willing to welcome my sibling, who has sensory needs. More than 20 years ago, there were far fewer accessible dance programs in our area, and that one decision unexpectedly changed the course of my life. Read more>>

Allie Sheaffer

My path to becoming a therapist began with community based work. After graduating from college, I spent a year in Kansas City working for a nonprofit organization that provided wraparound support for families experiencing poverty. Alongside housing assistance and access to food and clothing, the organization offered meaningful mental health services. Read more>>

Sydney Ibarra

For me, there’s a specific kind of soul-ache that comes from sitting in a gray cubicle, watching the seasons change through a five-inch window, and realizing that is what your life could be forever. That was my life, about a year out of college, in my first ‘big girl job’ at a commercial lighting company. On paper, it was everything I should have wanted. Read more>>

Daryl Boothe

My name is Daryl Boothe, and before I became known as a producer and recording artist, I built my career as a designer and creative director. Design was my first passion. I spent years developing brands, creating apparel, illustrating artwork, designing album covers, and building visual identities inspired by hip hop, streetwear, anime, and futuristic storytelling. Read more>>

Andrea Figueroa Brandi Board

We’re sisters, and real estate transaction coordination in Atlanta wasn’t something we stumbled into. We’re third-generation real estate agents, raised around a grandmother who owned her own real estate brokerage and a mother who built a real estate career of her own alongside several businesses, including a hair salon in Little Five Points, Atlanta, GA. Read more>>

KeiLon Daniels

I start very young with my interested in music because I come from a very musical family. My Charles was a blues guitarist and session player, my uncle Mark, and Milton Daniels were both DJs with the former being a Rapper and B-Boy as well. Read more>>

Adriana Chong

I’ve always been fascinated by lighting, cameras, studios, CGI, VFX, and visual storytelling. As a child, I simply didn’t have the words to describe it. When my family moved to Mexico, I began photographing tourist spots wherever we went. Friends started complimenting my shots, which gave me the confidence to take photography more seriously. Read more>>

Ethel Omondi

My story is one of rediscovery. At my core, I’m a mother, nurse, creative, and aspiring beauty, fashion, and commercial model—but more than anything, I’m a woman learning to become the fullest version of herself. Like many women, I spent years pouring into everyone around me. Read more>>

Keena Bass

My name is Keena Bass and my story started long before real estate. It started with desire for more purpose and to build something of my own. Before real estate, I was working in a corporate office in Washington, DC as an auditor for Laborers’ International Union of North America, just one block away from the White House. Read more>>

Nick Bradley

After graduating from Morehouse College, I spent the next two to three years exploring what music could become for someone like me. I’m a self-taught pianist with no formal music education—everything I know started with YouTube. Even so, I never saw myself as a small fish in a big pond. Read more>>

Monica Bergquist

I’m back to painting after spending a couple of decades focused on a science-related career and raising a family. I earned my undergraduate degree in Fine Arts, concentrating in painting and drawing, but later transitioned to science for graduate school, largely because I was guided towards a ‘real’ career with financial stability. Read more>>

Mia Winget

Prior to my introduction to the wedding world, my background and skills surrounded project coordination and client care. From boutique styling to managerial roles, I’ve always had a deep desire for serving my clients: not because it was my ‘job’, but because I wanted them to have the best possible experience. Read more>>

Tanmay Kirani

Flare to Care actually started out as an Entrepreneurship Innovation Plan event in DECA as of 2024. I wanted to create something that could genuinely help Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients all around the world. Read more>>

Yujin Hur

I was born and raised in South Korea, growing up in a warm and supportive family where art and music were always around. Ever since I was a kid, I loved playing instruments like the piano and making things with my hands, so art naturally became a big part of who I am. Read more>>

Desareé Kadabell Daley

Creative expression has always been a part of my life. From dancing to one of my first jobs at a paint-your-own-pottery studio, I’ve always found myself drawn to making things. I’ve also always felt compelled to challenge myself creatively through different mediums, including drawing, painting, perfumery, graphic design, and, most recently, tufting, punch needling, and sewing. Read more>>

Connie Minish

In 2021, my sister, business partner, and co-host inherited our circa 1962 childhood home and embarked upon a challenging renovation. The effort was definitely a passion project with the goal of updating the home that meant so much to us and our parents for our guests to enjoy and rest, relax, and recharge. We completely renovated the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and laundry room. Read more>>

Javier Santana

My story really began with art. My dad was a musician, so creativity wasn’t something we talked about, it was a part of everyday life. Through music, especially classic jazz, he taught me that creativity isn’t about perfection, but about exploration, experimentation, and trusting your instincts. After his death, I lived in Puerto Rico with my uncle and aunt, who were entrepreneurs and art collectors. Read more>>

Raya Ackleh

As an Arab-American, I grew up in a musical household, especially due to my father who is a professional musician, singer, and performer. I always loved music growing up, and as you can imagine I grew up listening to music from both cultures – Arab and American – and I’ve always loved writing songs. Read more>>

Odd Mojo

My name is Odd Mojo, and I’m a hip-hop artist from the DMV. I started making music because it gave me a way to express things I didn’t always know how to put into words. What began as a creative outlet eventually turned into something I knew I wanted to pursue seriously. Read more>>

Brianne Atkinson

Around 14 years old, I started styling friends hair and eventually went into business for myself gained a small clientele and began traveling to clients houses. Once I finish high school I went straight to cosmetology school. When I graduated from cosmetology school, I began my entrepreneurship journey. Read more>>

CRLZ

My name is CRLZ (pronounced “Curls”), always written in ALL CAPS. I’m an Atlanta-born and raised ceramic artist, curator, educator, and Co-founder of Framing By Design. I grew up with a mother who is an interior designer, so I was surrounded by creativity and visual storytelling from an early age. Read more>>

Maxine Lund

I’ve always loved helping people feel confident. Before getting into aesthetics, I spent five years working for Chanel Beauty while I was in college, where I discovered how much I enjoyed connecting with women and helping them feel their best. Almost seven years ago, I found my passion in medical aesthetics. Read more>>

Blessing Bamgboye

My journey actually started informally back in high school. Long before I ever thought about founding an organization, I somehow naturally became the go-to person among my peers whenever they had questions, conflicts, or confusion about relationships. Read more>>

Stef Parker

My journey has never followed a straight path, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I was born and raised in Clayton County Georgia, I served as a combat medic with the U.S. Army during the initial invasion of Iraq, an experience that profoundly shaped the way I see people, resilience, and service. Read more>>

Artavious E. Morgan

Artavious E. Morgan is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and President of The Art Morgan Influence, L.L.C., a leadership, branding, and organizational strategy firm dedicated to advancing operational excellence, educational innovation, and equitable organizational transformation. Through his firm, Morgan provides strategic consulting in leadership development, branding, business systems, organizational design, marketing, and professional development for entrepreneurs, educational institutions, and community organizations. Read more>>

Stephen Michael Brown

I specialize in media and speaker training, national media relations campaigns and customized brainstorms to help companies break through the ordinary, change behaviors or attract attention in new and different ways. With more than 30 years of practice, I’ve represented some of the world’s biggest and most-recognizable brands on award-winning and notable campaigns. Read more>>

Stehfaní Thomas

My journey started at Fort Valley State University as a writing and reading tutor in the WINLab under the leadership of Dorothy Hardman and Dr. Strange. What started as a work-study position became a side hustle. I found myself helping students strengthen their writing, organize their thoughts, and gain confidence in their academic work. Read more>>

Briunna Smith

I started UGC in 2024 after getting fired from my job. I was honestly at a really low point in my life and my self-esteem wasn’t the best. I kept thinking, “Okay… what next?” And that’s when I decided maybe this was finally my time to really go for something I had always wanted to do. I’ve always dreamed of having a social media presence. Read more>>

Alice Bunny

It all started back on May 2nd 2024. I traveled to Chicago to see a family friend and famous Dark Caberet musician Aurelio Voltaire who was touring with our good friend Dusty ‘Goth Dad’ Gannon formally from Vision Video. Read more>>

Kat Luzny

My journey started during the pandemic when I was furloughed from bartending and photography Like many others it was a difficult time staying home and trying to preoccupy one’s self. Started off by breaking in my sewing machine making masks for friends and the community. Took the time to learn and expand my knowledge of sewing and seamstress work. Read more>>

Jessica Lostetter

I’ve always been a natural planner and organizer. In my 15 corporate operations and IT career, I’d walk into departments and roles with scattered workflows or other inefficiencies and see the fix immediately. I always had a desire for a life of time- and location-freedom and knew that one day I would leave the corporate world, so I started investing in real estate. Read more>>

Rheam Hood

I am a singer, youtuber, and actor and as an actor, I’ve done a few projects that halted filming after putting in so much time & energy. I’ve also filmed projects that were fully completed, but just never saw the light of day or aired. Read more>>

Bettina Dickson Rusher

I joke that I never really chose art—art chose me… creativity is in my DNA. I am the 4th cousin of celebrated Cincinnati mural and portrait artist Frances Wiley Faig,1885- 1955. Her wonderful large scale mural panels located in the engineering library of the University of Cincinnati are in the process of being restored by The University of Cincinnati. Read more>>

Kymani Williams Baynes

My whole journey started with one friend, one phone and one verse. Right after high school, at 18, I had a friend record my first freestyle video to put on Instagram — and that’s what started it all off. But music was in me long before that. Read more>>

Teri Lee

Eight years ago, my children had grown up and went to college after they graduated from high school. I had more time to do what I wanted to do. At that time, my older brother was in the hair export business in China. He owned a hair factory in our hometown and wanted to develop US market. Read more>>