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.
Venkatesh Naga Damarouthu
I was born in a beautiful coastal town called Vizag (Vishakhpatnam) in Southern India, where curiosity was my greatest teacher. I was fascinated by how things worked — taking apart radios, computers, and gadgets just to put them back together. That same curiosity eventually took me halfway across the world — first to Australia, where I earned my master’s in Information Technology, and later to the United States, where I completed a second master’s in Business Analytics and began building my career around one mission: using technology to connect people in meaningful ways. Read more>>
Lenny Foster
My creative journey began in 1991 when I bought a second hand camera in a Pawn shop a few blocks down from where I co-managed the sales department at a Honda car dealership in Alexandria, Va. From the first roll I shot with that Pentax, I was enthralled with the process of making pictures! Read more>>
Joey Daddario
Crowns of Creation Ministries was started in 2010 by singer-songwriters Joey Daddario and Jeanie Scheff. Formed as a 501 (C)3 non-profit the goal was to create an Outreach Ministry that would fill the gaps, especially in neighboring communities, that other services were not aware of and therefore unable to address. Read more>>
Sarah Rivera
My story starts with my family — a colorful blend of creativity and culture. My dad’s side comes from Amish country, my mom’s from Puerto Rico, and both are full-time artists. Along with many other creatives further into the family line. So it’s safe to say, creativity runs deep in my veins. Read more>>
Danielle Illich
My whole journey really started with a simple, quiet dream: owning my own english style tea room. I envisioned a small boutique selling locally made goods I always pictured a warm, inviting, intentional space built around quality and connection. That vision is what’s been driving me through every pivot and challenge. Read more>>
David Reichard
I grew up in a home where shame ruled everything — the kind of shame that teaches you to stay small, to silence your feelings before they even have words. I learned early that expressing myself came with a cost. So I became good at reading the room, studying what people wanted from me, and performing the version of myself that felt safest. Read more>>
Liz Wilson Stitt
I always had a passion for beauty and completed cosmetology school and high school at the same time while living in Southeastern Massachusetts. As a young stylist, I learned that continuing education is the key to success and growth in the hair industry and I got involved with education- working for a large manufacturer as an educator. Read more>>
Tiffany Richardson
My name is Tiffany Richardson, and I hail from the bustling city of Chicago, Illinois. My journey as a life coach began at a young age, as I always had a strong desire to help others. I remember at the age of 9, looking out my bedroom window and thinking to myself how I wanted to become a psychiatrist. Read more>>
Scott Berden
I moved straight out of my parents house at 18 and on to a sailboat full time. I have been on the water ever since. I’ve been a professional captain since I was 20 running everything from sailboats to 80 foot motor yachts. After the hustle and bustle of South Florida my wife and I sailed our sailboat North looking for a new home. Read more>>
Rayvon Griffin-Bright
My story starts right here in Jacksonville. I was born and raised in DUUUVAL and creativity has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. But it wasn’t until my senior project in college at the University of Central Florida that Rayvon Creates was born. Read more>>
Ali Lindenfeld
I started volunteering with Community Nutcracker 15 years ago when my oldest daughter auditioned and received a role. Read more>>
Joseph Lapin
My path into higher education marketing—and eventually entrepreneurship—didn’t follow a straight line. It started with writing. While earning my MFA in Creative Writing at Florida International University, I was introduced to Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. That framework deeply shaped how I thought about narrative—not just as a tool for fiction, but as a structure for understanding human transformation. Read more>>
Morgan Ransom
I’m naturally empathetic, nonjudgmental and curious. I knew I wanted to be a therapist early on in life and found my area of specialization after going through my own treatment for disordered eating as a teenager. I graduated from Vanderbilt University with degrees in Psychology and Child Development. I then pursued a Masters in Counselor Education with a specialization in Mental Health Counseling. Read more>>
James Siboni
I played in touring bands pretty much my entire adult life, from 20 – 30 I never had a real job. Just touring in punk bands. Then when I was 30 my band broke up and I had no clue what to do with myself. I had no real job experience and I dropped out of high school at 16. Read more>>
Celeste Renee
I’ve always had a deep love for creating spaces and experiences that bring people peace and connection. For years, I worked in corporate finance, managing large-scale programs and projects — but over time, I began to crave something more personal, something that let me use my hands and heart in equal measure. Read more>>
Dr.Bob Fischer
I grew up in a small farming village that practiced an Amish-style, rules-based faith. As a young man, I eventually ran away to Daytona Beach, determined to find freedom on my own terms. After many years of wrestling against God, He won — and that surrender changed everything. For 35 years, I worked as a business consultant and owned a group of seven restaurants. Read more>>
Chris Hardison Keith Johnson
What began as a small hobby 25 years ago quickly grew into a thriving side business for owners Chris Hardison and Keith Johnson. Affectionately known as “the boys,” the pair have lovingly shaped Design Additions into a beloved Avondale favorite—constantly evolving, expanding, and inspiring. Nestled along charming St. Read more>>
Lee Vaccaro
Our journey began in 1904 on Bay street. We have done repairs and shines for most every Mayor and Sheriff as well as other notable personalities including John Travolta and Rhianna. In the past 121 years we have moved 5 times but have always remained in the core of downtown. We are now in our 4th generation of family cobbler. Read more>>
Stephani Jahn, PhD
I had already been a counselor for 10 years when I learned that I’m Autistic and ADHD–also called AuDHD. With that discovery, I fell deep into the world of neurodivergence and made big changes to my career. Now, I’m in solo private practice working with Autistic and ADHD adults, with a focus on trauma healing and self-understanding. Read more>>
susan towler
I started The Barking Lot in 2005 as I was retiring from the Air Force reserves in 2006. I had a pet sitting business called Critter Sitters which I combined under The Barking Lot licensee for ease of compliance. I purchased a 1962 concrete block building which has evolved nicely over the years. Read more>>
Shawn Starr
Through my childhood I was always building houses with blocks or Lego, and then started drawing houses and floorplans. I loved visiting model homes, collecting floorplans and studying them. I wanted to be an architect, but got diverted in college and spent the first part of my career in the insurance industry. Read more>>
Trevaris Tutt
I started off in real estate to build capital for philanthropic and entertainment ventures that I had already built up. In the process I fell in love with real estate and built an ecosystem of real estate companies including a real estate brokerage, real estate school, mortgage brokerage, development company, and property management. Read more>>
Aine Healy Richardson
Originally from Dublin, Ireland, I grew up in a family of nine children (all fabulous), aunts, uncles and cousins by the score. I was one of the younger family members in the extended family and was Mothered and Fathered by many loving relatives. We had extraordinary parents who both had a bottomless capacity to love us all. They were fair and they were funny. Read more>>
Olivia Martinez
For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt deeply called to walk alongside women through the sacred transformation of birth and motherhood. What began as a childhood fascination with pregnancy grew into a lifelong mission — to honor the beauty, strength, and intuition that lives within every mother. Read more>>
Catherine Barnes
My story really began long before the titles, the degrees, or the coaching certifications. I’ve always been a teacher at heart. Even as a little girl, I was lining up my dolls and “teaching class.” But what I didn’t realize then was that life would end up being my classroom, and purpose would become my plan. Read more>>
Cristina Duncan
My journey with The Gift of Dance began from a place of both passion and purpose. As a young mother finding my way through life’s challenges, dance was my refuge the space where I could breathe, rebuild, and reconnect with myself. Read more>>
Alex Allaire
I was born in Kentucky and but have lived in Florida since 1985. Graduated from Florida State in 1999. Lived in a monastery in Boston for two years before starting my professional career in business. Got married in 2010 and my wife is now pregnant with our 9th child. Read more>>
Steven Lowenthal
I started my endurance journey back in 2017 when I got into triathlon. What began as a personal challenge quickly grew into a deep passion — learning the sport, training consistently, and seeing my times and placements improve year after year. Read more>>
J. Ivy Boyter
I started as a mom blogger nearly 15 years ago, learned as much as I could about increasing traffic and ad revenue to the blog, started an Etsy shop, then went to work as a Digital Marketing Manager in-house for a local motorsports park. Read more>>
Mila Prado
I am a certified personal trainer and women’s fitness specialist (NASM). I have over four years of experience working with clients. Furthermore, I recently got certified for prenatal and postanal fitness training (FIT4MOM), as I have a lot of clients who are pregnant. I am originally from Brazil, but I have been living in the US for about 10 years now. Read more>>
Quenton Washington
My first job was at Walmart overnight at 18. Worked there for 3 years. Then got hired on as a sales rep at Pepsi, did that for 5 years. At Pepsi you get a lot of alone time being that you work on your own so I had a lot of time to research different businesses to get into. Read more>>
Dan Snyder
I was an Upper School Social Science Teacher in South Florida for 25 years. I have always had a passion for curriculum design, completing a Masters in this field in 2014, and producing more than 200 videos on my YouTube channel. As is the case with many teachers who started when I did, the nature of education changed over time. Read more>>
Chrissy Benjamin Molly Berry
Chrissy & Molly have been partners in crime for almost two decades! Fixtures in each other’s greatest adventures, from themed parties to theme parks and from roughing it in the wilderness for days to sipping Champagne at Michelin destination, they’ve done it all together. But none of these experiences have been without their bestie, booze! Read more>>
Carolennys Ouellette
My name is Carolennys Ouellette, and together with my husband, Nicholas, we built Carolennys Studios and Studio 1807 from the ground up. Photography has been a passion of mine since I majored in Painting & Photography at Douglas Anderson, but for a while, it remained more of a hobby. After college, I didn’t dive into photography full-time immediately. Read more>>
