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.

Evvine Wright

Photography was my first love—I always dreamed of being behind the camera. But somewhere along the way, I became the subject. Most of the time now, I’m the one in front of the lens. What draws people in is my style, my unique vision, and the way I bring a concept to life. It all started with birthday photo shoots—just something personal—but over the last six years, that small passion evolved into modeling for various brands and collaborating with photographers all over. Read more>>

Hannah Lopez

It’s been an incredibly smooth and well-received journey. From day one, the response from our community has been nothing but positive, and that’s made all the difference. Having such a unique business is what makes it fun — it never feels like work. For us, Fire & Ash isn’t just a business; it’s a passion and a lifestyle. Every event, every cigar, every connection we make is rooted in purpose and joy. We’re truly grateful to be doing what we love and to see it resonating with so many. Read more>>

Deanna Fike

I first got into salt therapy back in 2018 when I moved to Jacksonville and had really bad sinus infections and allergies. A friend suggested that we visit a salt cave in Saint Augustine for a girls day out, and it ended up improving my asthma and allergy symptoms significantly. I quickly found out that one or two visits to a salt cave cleared my sinus infections and improved my asthma for days afterwards. One day in 2020 I was driving down San Jose, not far from where my shop is now, and suddenly received a spark of inspiration that I should open my own salt spa, so I started Earth Salt Stone as a jewelry company in September 2020 in order to manifest opening my brick and mortar business.  Read more>>

Bailey Williams

Currently, I write fiction stories – some of which have been published in literary magazines – and I write online book reviews that explore stories from and about marginalized communities. Inspired by this desire to uplift underrepresented voices, and my own heritage as a Black Jamaican-American woman, I founded the Bare Bookery Book Club – a virtual book club that brings light to fiction books and authors across the African and Caribbean diaspora. I also use social media as a platform to uplift bookstores and bookish events I visit locally and while traveling using digital content I create. Read more>>

Rachel Alexis Ramirez

You could say I was born into it. I grew up in a hair salon — quite literally. My mother and grandmother started our family business over 30 years ago, and now I’m proud to be the third generation carrying on the legacy. Some of my earliest memories are of sweeping hair off the floor or watching in awe as my mom transformed her clients with a pair of scissors and a little color magic. Read more>>

Ashley Men

At Luxe Aesthetics Jax, Ashley offers a variety of services, including aesthetic treatments, skincare consultations, and wellness programs. Her commitment to personalized care ensures that each client receives tailored treatment plans that reflect their unique beauty and wellness goals. Understanding the importance of accessibility, she also provides virtual appointments for acute care or sick visits, allowing clients to receive care conveniently from anywhere. Read more>>

Branden Leay

That instinct led me to study urban design in Kansas City, where I was drawn to the intersection of how people move through cities and how interior space shapes daily life. Over the last 20 years, I’ve bought, renovated, and sold homes—bringing tired or forgotten spaces back to life. It’s always been about storytelling through design—honoring a building’s character while layering in bold, personal, and unexpected details. Read more>>

Mere Mason

I went to Penn State and started out majoring in art education, but eventually dropped out and moved to Florida. I ended up going to massage school and worked as a massage therapist for many years. Around that time, I also picked up the guitar and started writing songs. I spent years performing in Jacksonville as a singer-songwriter. I recorded a children’s album when my daughter was a baby, then a record called Like the Sea. I’ve played shows at the Florida Theatre, Blue Jay, and the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall. Read more>>

Caitlin Birchett

I’ve been a Makeup Artist & Esthetician for 15 years. I started out working in the restaurant industry while chasing creativity wherever I could find it — weddings, photoshoots, theater, you name it. But what I didn’t expect was how deeply I’d fall in love with skin — not just making it look good, but helping people feel safe in it. Read more>>

Caroline Sims

I thought I was going to do the straight and narrow; I was brought to Florida to play lacrosse at Flagler College in the fall of 2021. Very quickly I realized that the college journey wasn’t for me and once I conversed with my parents that this wasn’t for me, they immediately said I needed to go to hair school. Once I started in Aveda Jacksonville in the fall of 2022, it felt like everything had fallen into place. I was a very average student growing up, solid A’s & B’s but if I’m honest I spent much more time studying hair videos. In the hair world, absolutely everything is a learning experience for me because my brain just works in this creative way. I received my Cosmetology license in July of 2023, started at Studio Sage Hair and Headspa in Jax Beach and I truly couldn’t be happier Read more>>

Chris Petraglia

About 2 yrs ago we moved to FL and I’ve been growing locally and using my student athletes that I train to build within the community but also offer a way for kids to make money doing what they love. I’ve been training for 21years and would never do anything else. This year we launched our virtual training platform that offers flexible, convenient and affordable training to busy professionals and moms and dads. Read more>>

Chris Brock

After graduation, I spent over a decade living and working in Maui, Anguilla, and St. Kitts & Nevis, where I designed luxury resort gardens and private residences. These island experiences taught me how to create low-maintenance, climate-adapted landscapes that feel luxurious while being rooted in ecological sensitivity. I became passionate about using native plants, local materials, and natural systems to design spaces that are not only beautiful, but sustainable and site-responsive. Read more>>

Justin Santos

Eventually I decided that cooking for others still brought me joy, but it had to be on my terms. My bulldogs were pandemic puppies, and had never known someone not being home. Being they kept me sane and going through the toughest period of my life, it felt wildly unfair to go back to working 10+ hrs days in a hot kitchen and leaving them home alone all the time. So I decided I was going to cook, but I was going to do it my way. In a way that allowed me to enjoy a quality of life and flexible schedule to spend most of my time doing what really makes me happy. The Blade and Bulldog catering company was born! Read more>>

Jac Kalaher & Jess Swearingen

St. John’s BFF (Business. Faith. Friendship) It started with a lunch for women who wanted more, and turned into a movement that’s serving both locally and globally. Whether you have a business or buy from businesses, we want you in the room, whether you have faith or need it, we want you in the room. We love our Jesus but Matthew 7 is clear, not our job to judge others so it’s simple, we don’t. Friendship, we want the depth, not the breadth. 1000’s of followers on social is great but what we really need is a close knit group of friends who can be in our corner when we’re in need. Read more>>

Julieta Mosqueda

People quickly connected with our products, and that gave us the motivation to keep growing. We added a food truck, expanded the menu with smoothies, fruit bowls, and other unique desserts, and later moved into wholesale. Now, after 11 years of hard work, we’re finally opening our first brick-and-mortar store at the beginning of this year. Read more>>