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.
Alex Attaway
Growing up my Grandaddy began teaching me all about farming, whether that be working with and raising livestock, and growing fresh vegetables for the family. He taught me the joys, the struggles, and the discipline to grow animals and plants, and It became my passion. Read more>>
Candice Jones
I’m Candice Jones, a nurse practitioner and founder of Coastal Health and Hormone. I’ve been practicing for the past ten years, and early in my career I was introduced to hormone replacement therapy, and it opened my eyes to how many patients-especially women-were struggling with symptoms and often over looked or dismissed. Read more>>
Clarrisa Munford
Hello, my name is Clarrisa Munford, proud owner of Clarissa’s Kitchen and Catering Service, LLC, a veteran-owned business located just outside Columbia, South Carolina, in the charming town of Irmo– where my culinary passion comes into fruition…. My journey began in the U.S. Army, where I proudly served for 10 years. Read more>>
JOHN BATES
I’ve had a variety of careers throughout my life. I slowly discovered that I found the most satisfaction in jobs that allowed me to help others. Working for SC Vocational Rehabilitation Department allowed me to pursue my Master’s Degree and opened the doors to becoming a counselor. Read more>>
Drew Brashier
I was born and raised in the upstate. I’m one of the few people I’ve ever known who was actually born in Simpsonville. Although I’ve traveled all over the world, this is home. I think being a part of this area in this community is a big part of who I am. Read more>>
Caroline Satterfield
I started out as a spa attendant working in downtown Greenville when I was 16. I loved the spa environment and saw firsthand how beneficial those services were for people, physically and mentally! I also had an interest in natural health and wellness, it was the perfect fit for me. Read more>>
Bridgett Kelly
As the journey began, perseverance played a major role in the success of the program. The Girls Empowerment Conference was founded after an African American History program at Mt. Zion of Cayce Complex. Ashley Smith and Bridgett Kelly recognized a greater need within the church and community—a program dedicated to refining young girls into young QUEENS. Read more>>
Shanequa Joe
Tiny Steps Foundation started after we became aware that many parents even those above the poverty level still struggle to afford basic necessities. The truth is, a lot of families simply have more month than money. I learned this through serving on community boards and through real conversations with caregivers who were doing everything right and still falling short. Read more>>
John Sterling Poole
It can be a little tough to briefly walk through anyone’s story! How I got to this position could be tied to my very beginning and even before then, but I’ll spare y’all the amateur theology I could produce. Instead, I’ll cover from my freshman year at the College of Charleston in 2016 to today in 2026. Read more>>
leith larson
I started my company in Massachusetts in 2020 after working for Renewal by Andersen installing windows and doors. I saw an opportunity to give customers better service while saving them money, so I stepped out on my own. Two years in, I faced a major health battle with Crohn’s disease that kept me out of work for nine months. Read more>>
Lindsay Lundquist
I started in the field of behavior analysis in 2016 when I found my job as a registered behavior technician. I was in college at the time, changed my majors and immediately went to grad school for Applied Behavior Analysis after, graduating in December of 2019. I moved to SC in 2020 from Michigan, needing a change of environment. Read more>>
Marci Chestnut
My story didn’t start in beauty — it started with purpose. I’m a North Myrtle Beach native. I grew up in the Poplar area, and graduated from North Myrtle Beach High School. From there, I went on to South Carolina State University, where I earned my undergraduate degree in psychology, followed by a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling. Read more>>
Eljielyn Kohler
Scoops N Cups Café started from a simple desire to serve joy—one scoop, one cup, and one conversation at a time. What began as a small idea rooted in my love for food, hospitality, and community slowly grew into a place where people could gather, slow down, and truly feel at home. Read more>>
Laura Doby
The Cotton Boll Boutique started as a dream shared by two friends who loved to shop! Laura & Rosemary worked together in healthcare and spent their off-time in their traveling careers at the mall. During the pandemic (yes, we opened a store during a pandemic), the boutique we dreamed of got its start in Laura’s family room at home. Read more>>
Tiffany Patterson
I started my private practice back in 2016 when living in Dover, Delaware. I had been in the field doing a variety of relatable work and began to think maybe it was possible I could do this for myself. So I began the process of opening my practice while working full-time as director of a local mental health agency. Read more>>
GiL Vargas
My journey into barbering began in an unexpected place—a youth detention center in Massachusetts. While cutting hair for young boys there, I saw firsthand how something as simple as a haircut could restore confidence, dignity, and a sense of identity. That experience sparked a passion that would ultimately shape my life and career. Read more>>
Bently Brazel
Electronics has always been a passion of mine. It began thanks to my older Half brother, Bret, and his cousin Davi, who used to bring their desktop PCs over to each other’s houses as kids/teens. Because of this, I was introduced to lots of tech most people my age never got to see, and taught how it worked. Read more>>
Brandi Smetana
After more than a decade as a stay-at-home mom to three incredible girls, I took a leap of faith five years ago and entered the beauty industry. I started my aesthetician journey with one purpose in mind: to help the women in my life and in my community feel confident, empowered, and beautiful in their own skin. Read more>>
Morgan Cooper
I began my business in 2018 offering lash extensions in a small salon booth renting. In 2021, we expanded into a new location and began hiring employees to support our growth. As demand continued to increase, we quickly outgrew our space and, in 2024, relocated to a larger facility. Read more>>
Carlton Hoskins
My road to becoming a Financial Advisor began in 2005 with a phone call with my college roommate. I was considering my next career move when he stated ‘ Why don’t you move to New York and work for a financial service company?’ It was just something that never crossed my mind as a career. Read more>>
Ivey Jacops
My professional story began not in real estate, but in the analytical world of healthcare. After graduating with a degree in Biology, I went on to earn my MBA in Finance. Read more>>
Anita Murphy
My story in the financial world really began in 2002. Fresh out of Piedmont Technical College, I stepped into the accounting field with a passion for organization and a drive to understand the ‘language of business.’ I spent the first chunk of my career working within various CPA firms. Read more>>
Marley (and Tony) Costin
Joy in the Journey was born from lived experiences—both personal and professional—and from a deep, unwavering belief that even the most unexpected paths are never without purpose. It is rooted in faith, shaped by perseverance, and guided by the truth that God is present in every season of the journey. Read more>>
Teaira Mack
My journey into holistic wellness began in 2018 during one of the most challenging seasons of my life. I was newly married, working a demanding corporate job, and searching for a way to manage my mental health that felt sustainable and whole. Diagnosed with Bipolar I at the age of 12, I had spent most of my life being shown only one approach to healing. Read more>>
Todd Garland
Sweet-Haus Cabins | Founder Bio & Mission | Todd Garland COO After the real estate crash of 2008, I was recruited by a friend to help stabilize his struggling small home manufacturing company. Unknowingly, that moment placed me at the ground floor of what would soon become the tiny home movement. Read more>>
Ruzanna Carter
I came to the United States in 1992 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. I first lived in Massachusetts before eventually moving to South Carolina. Experiencing multiple cultural transitions at a young age deeply shaped who I am and how I understand the world. Read more>>
Elizabeth LEE
I started by volunteering at MUSC’s children’s hospital and in my time spent with a severely burned teenage girl who had lost her whole family in a fire, this sparked something that made me think about helping people as a career. I never felt ‘capable’ before but in those situations, I realized I didn’t have to have all the answers. Read more>>
Gayle Boone
Before Sweet Mae’s filled grocery shelves across the Southeast, it began in a kitchen on Mobile Bay in Fairhope, Alabama — a place where salt air drifts through open windows, family gathers around big tables, and generations of women pass down recipes the way others pass down heirlooms. For founder Gayle Boone, those early memories are the heart of everything she makes. Read more>>
Phillip Beardslee
Upstate Office Cleaning — A New Standard of Clean At Upstate Office Cleaning, we believe the difference between a cleaner and a partner is the level of care you feel when the job is done. Most cleaning companies focus on checking boxes — vacuum, wipe, mop, repeat. But we built Upstate to go beyond expectations. Read more>>
Jason Christensen
Father left Tile Center wearhouse when I was around 5 years old to install tile. He would take me on jobs when he could and got to be a regular thing as I got older. At 12 years old I would work weekends and summers. I got my High school diploma at 16 and started in tile full time. Read more>>
Thomas Buchanan
I took the scenic route on my journey to professional counseling. I graduated from Clemson University in 2008 with a degree in Business Management, though at the time, I had no idea how I would eventually use it. While a student, some friends and I started a wakeboarding camp, and we truly believed it would be our lifelong career. Read more>>
Brandye Burton
My professional journey spans more than thirty years in the service industry, including restaurants, hotels, retail, and grocery operations. Over that time, I worked within a wide range of organizations—some small, family-owned businesses and others large, complex corporations. This breadth of experience gave me a ground-level and executive-level view of how businesses actually function day to day, not just how they look on paper. Read more>>
Evan Carr
I got started working in nonprofits through serving on various boards and committees while working as a Marketing Assistant for Dantherm Cooling for four-and-a-half years, including for Spartanburg Young Professionals, One Million Cups with the Kauffman Foundation, the South Carolina Association of Volunteer Administration (SCAVA), and Pique (an annual young professionals’ networking event from Ten at the Top in Greenville/Spartanburg, SC). Read more>>
Stacey
I grew up in an Iowa farming community and attended college in the ‘big city’ of Kansas City before graduating with a Computer Science bachelor’s degree at age 21. From there, I spent 28 years in the computer industry, consulting with large companies such as McDonald’s, Abbott Laboratories, Chase Bank, USAA, Exelon and many more. Read more>>
Noni Langford
Here’s my bio: Noni Langford serves as the Special Projects Coordinator and Pocket Urban Farm Manager at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). In this role, she designs and implements campus improvement projects, focusing on making gardens more accessible for people with disabilities through thoughtful landscape and hardscape modifications. Read more>>
Michael Strickland
My name is Michael Strickland born in Greenville SC raised in Slabtown SC . I am 49 married and 4 kids. I went into massage therapy because of the effects I saw from getting a back injury when I was 19. I went to school at Alpha School of Massage in 2002. I spent a few years working part time while working in factories. Read more>>
Kebbeh Autry
I spent many years working in structured professional environments for over a decade. Those experiences shaped me in important ways and gave me a strong foundation, but over time I realized I was craving something more creative, and more connected to the natural world. Read more>>
marci Delaney
After retiring from the corporate world, I decided to return to Aesthetics School – I was in my 50s – yes, Im old. I had my solo room all ready for business while still in room – paying rent, so I knew I had to complete the necessary hours and pass State Boards. I did that and jumped right in to the deep end. Read more>>
Joe Gallagher
My life has been a collision of extremes—beauty and chaos, ambition and ruin, applause and isolation—like God kept letting me walk right up to the edge so I could finally see what was waiting on the other side of surrender. For a long time I thought my story was about talent, hustle, and survival. Now I know it’s been about something deeper: transformation. Read more>>
Her Place
In November 2019 Regeana Phillips and Sue Fullerton were volunteering at St. Mary Outreach on Crawford Road when they saw many single women who were living in the woods, sleeping on benches or in their cars. Read more>>
Heather Cooper
Animals have always been a huge part of my life. Since I could walk strolling my poodle around in my baby doll stroller, to having hamsters, rabbits, and any other pet growing up. As an adult, I have always helped any animal that crosses my path and helped with domestic rescue. Read more>>
Jack Alterman
I was born in Charleston, SC and grew up there in the 1950s. After graduating from high school I went on to the University of South Carolina. In my sophomore year I took a photography course with Professor Jack McGrail. He taught the basics of photography & darkroom techniques and had a keen eye for detail. For our final assignment we were to submit a photo essay of black and white prints on a topic of our choice. Read more>>
Lena Hopkins
From marketing to building clientele there is never enough hours in the day for a solo esthetician. My greatest hurdle by far has been navigating the world of Social Media. Not having very much experience in the past with creating and editing content has its own challenges. Taking myself out of my comfort zone to do so has been a great confidence builder these fast few months. Read more>>
