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.
Ross Hill
My name is Ross Hill. I am the founder and director of Mariner Learning Collaborative. I have over 15 years of teaching experience in public schools, charter schools, colleges and homeschool. I have taught in a variety of settings from pre-K and elementary age children’s church, VBS, and youth ministry, to middle school students, high school, college, and adults. Read more>>
Lance Collins
Our company started in 1989 when Jim Collins retired from the South Carolina Highway Patrol. He was a pioneer in the driver training business in South Carolina, starting the business before it was made a requirement in 1994. Read more>>
Lorraine Holeman
In 2022, after suffering burnout from my previous careers as a public servant, I courageously became my own boss and opened Summit GVL. Read more>>
Jean Fruh
In 2006 I joined the staff at Outside Brands as kayak guide and retail associate. Over the years my position expanded to include overseeing the intern program, leading team building programs, and in 2011, leading the company’s ‘Green Team.’ This Green Team organized a number of sustainability initiatives including bringing recycling to Outside’s flagship store and boat service area, and eventually to a nearby marina. Read more>>
Marvin Hess
Started as a trainee for 4 Years at a Mercedes dealership in Germany, went to master tech school in Germany and worked in 2 more shops in Germany before I opened my own business in Germany, had the business for about 1 year and closed it to come to Greenville to work as a contractor in the BMW plant as master tech in 2017, worked also in Mercedes pant in Tuscaloosa and Charleston till Corona shut down plants. Read more>>
Samyukta Anand
My journey with dance began at the age of three, when movement first became my language of expression. Rooted in classical Indian dance, I grew up immersed in its discipline, storytelling, and grace. As a first-generation immigrant in the United States, dance became more than an art form. Read more>>
Adahy Oropeza
I’m a first generation immigrant, born in Mexico, but have lived in South Carolina since I was about 2 years old. My mom made many sacrifices to provide a life of opportunity for my sisters and me. She was a single mom and taught us, through example, how to dream big and work incredibly hard. Read more>>
Audrika Gadson
My journey in the decorations business started in a very simple and meaningful way. While working at a local community center in Sumter, I began doing balloon decorations for senior citizens. It was something small, but it sparked a passion in me that I didn’t even realize was there at the time. Read more>>
Starr Fox
I’ve been a hairdresser for 29 years. Traveled all around The country doing hair. I was interviewing for positions so that I could be home with my kids and not traveling and one of the interviews that happened upon was for a wig company. I was so intrigued with some thing I’d never done before and I wanted to be part of it. Read more>>
WAYNE TRAGNI
My journey began with a concept to create a property unlike any othe home on the beach. Four years ago we gutted the home, donated all of the furniture that came with the home and created a Luxury modern beach home. We choose colors that were subtle and focused on Zen. Every room is labeled with a tranquil relaxed space feel. Read more>>
Camila Sanchez
Well, it started when I was a little girl watching my Mom put on her Mary Kay, and I would steal her makeup palettes and samples out of her kit. Read more>>
James Cameron Dodds
Sure! Well, I believe it all starts with imagination. Everything does, really. All of our experiences, for better or worse. My parents thinking of having me, creating a child. I believe this ability is part of what makes us human and is inherited from our Creator. Read more>>
Buren Martin
I grew up in Inman…many, many years ago… 🙂 After a long career in professional theatre, I decided to relocate in Inman, after buying the old Inman Theatre building. My family and I (All theatre people) went to work restoring the old building.. After two years we began a children’s theatre program. Read more>>
Tiffany Sigler
I became a licensed cosmetologist while I was still in high school, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that my true passion was in nail care. During that time, I was nominated to compete in a statewide nail competition in South Carolina, where I placed third. Read more>>
Lyndsi Caulder
I have always been fascinated with photos. Starting at the book fair, always choosing posters that were photos, versus the drawings, and illustrations that were plastered on friends’ walls. It turned to the human form later in life with photos of people I admired on my walls, and in college, the true human form with nudes covering my walls. Read more>>
Dana Jacobs
I was previously a project manager in the signage industry and wanted to branch out to become my own boss. My mother is a retired appraiser in NC and began a home measurement service in her retirement. I looked at her business model, analyzed the market here in Columbia, and found a need for Home Measurement Services. Read more>>
Landon Thompson
We started Beacon Coffee and Cafe with a desire to create something that, honestly, we felt was missing in a lot of places. Real community, genuine hospitality, and food and drinks made with ingredients you can actually feel good about. From the beginning, it was not just about opening a coffee shop. Read more>>
Jennifer Lopez
I started my journey in dermatology as a nurse practitioner, fueled by a lifetime in healthcare where I witnessed patients’ frustration with a broken system—long waits, rushed visits, and dissatisfaction with care. Read more>>
Christie Nelson
I didn’t set out to start a business—I just loved creating things that helped people feel celebrated. What began as a simple creative outlet quickly grew when I saw how much joy something personal could bring to a special moment. In the very beginning, it was my friends who really got things moving. Read more>>
Andrea Chiorazzo
BRief please elaborate. From Argentina. Arrived with no English and then… Studied International Business. Then Esthetics. Worked for more than 15 years in the industry with training from Europe, North American and Latin America. Now I have my own private studio in Mount Pleasant with a holistic approach using the latest results driven ingredients as well as modalities. Cozy and elevated atmosphere. Read more>>
Teri Trifiletti
For 22 years, my office was an operating room. As a cardiovascular perfusionist, I was the person running the heart-lung bypass machine during open-heart surgery, quite literally keeping patients alive while surgeons worked on their hearts. It’s one of the most high-stakes, high-pressure roles in medicine, and I loved it. Read more>>
Suzanne Humphreys
My husband, son and I stumbled upon Sunrise Farm B&B many years ago, when we visited the Upstate of South Carolina to hike, admire the changing of the fall leaves, and visit the many waterfalls in the area. Staying at Sunrise Farm B&B offers a nostalgic ‘step back in time’ experience. Read more>>
Vernon Wright
After earning my undergraduate degree in Economics and Finance from Texas Wesleyan University, I began my journey in the corporate world. I was fortunate to join a financial services company where I learned the many facets of business and took my first steps into leadership as a proud Texas Wesleyan graduate. Read more>>
John Nussbaum
I started out learning how to fix, or trying to fix different things around the house when I was little, my brothers started fixing different devices for different family members and friends and building their own computers. I was always fascinated with how technology worked. I took apart radios, rc cars, pretty much anything that was broken i wanted to fix. Read more>>
Tracey Harris
I joined the military shortly after high school. I trained to be a diagnostic imaging technologist. During my training I grew interest in ultrasound imaging. After 3 years I went to ultrasound training and became a registered sonographer. I did 4 more years in the military and then transitioned to the civilian sector. Read more>>
Javion Whetstone
My story didn’t begin in a place of confidence or clarity. It began in survival. I became a mother at 15, navigating pregnancy, marriage, and adulthood all at once. During a time when I needed support the most, I was met with judgment, silence, and a lack of advocacy. Those early experiences shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand at the time. Read more>>
Jessica Brady
Nearly five years ago, my husband and I began daydreaming about opening a glamping retreat, something we once imagined as a distant retirement plan. But after one particularly difficult day at work and a terrible boss, I realized I didn’t want to wait any longer. I called my husband and said, “Let’s do this now.” From that moment on, everything changed. Read more>>
Brian Hollifield
I have always had a love for beautiful old things. I learned at an early age to appreciate the quality and history vintage and antique pieces hold. My great grandfather worked in fine furniture factories in the mountains of North Carolina. My father did upholstery work, so I came by my love for timeless quality easily. Read more>>
Kayleigh Kamienski
I have always had a love for beautiful old things. I learned at an early age to appreciate the quality and history vintage and antique pieces hold. My great grandfather worked in fine furniture factories in the mountains of North Carolina. My father did upholstery work, so I came by my love for timeless quality easily. Read more>>
Justin Bates
I got started in cabinetry working alongside my father around the age of 16. My We worked together daily for years, focusing on installation and learning the trade the right way, from precision and craftsmanship to understanding what it takes to deliver a quality finished product. By 2015, after years of hands on experience, I decided to start my own business. Read more>>
Toni Gattis
I started out at Merry Maids in Greenville, where I got professionally trained. Then I went to Holiday Inn and worked there until COVID hit and I got laid off. Fast forward 7 years later, we ended up moving to a new city. We wanted to give back to the community and volunteer and just meet new people. Read more>>
Jonathan Pritchard
Counseling is a later-in-life career for me. I went back to school in 2020, right in the middle of COVID, to earn my Master’s in Social Work from USC in Columbia. It was a big pivot, but one that felt like a clear calling, to be present with people in difficult seasons and helping them feel seen, heard, and not alone. Read more>>
Tim Graves
I’ve always believed hospitality is something you learn best by jumping in and doing the work, and that’s how my story started. Early in my career, I took on a variety of roles in resorts and hotels, getting a feel for everything from guest service to operations. Read more>>
Oksana Chabot
I was born in Russia and moved to the United States as a teenager, which meant learning how to adapt quickly—new language, new culture, new identity. But even before that transition, my early life shaped me in ways I’m still uncovering today. I grew up in a home impacted by alcoholism and domestic violence. It was unpredictable, and at times, overwhelming. Read more>>
Holly Gorman
I am 52 years old and at 21 years old I become a Mom and then a single Mom for 15 years. The majority of my life I loved being a mother to my children and when they were adults I was definitely going through the empty nest phase of my life struggling like a lot of mothers do. Read more>>
Emilie Keene
I started my career in healthcare leadership. By year 17 and post-COVID, I was tired! My once hungry passion for the field was gone and I knew I needed to make a change. I called my husband on a particularly difficult day at work and said ‘I’m turning in my notice’. Read more>>
Matt Matthews
I often say where I am today, and where Elite Logistix is today, was built on two things: vision and execution. In 1996, I bought a book called The Idiot’s Guide to Starting Your Own Business. At the time, I didn’t have a business idea, I had intent. I was 26 years old, working in transportation, loading and unloading trucks. Read more>>
Dakota Boisseau, DO
River Direct Primary Care was born out of both a lifelong calling to medicine and a growing frustration with the traditional healthcare system. I was inspired to become a physician at a young age, and that passion only deepened during college when I participated in medical mission trips to underserved communities in Honduras and Nicaragua. Read more>>
Mindy Richardson
My path to becoming a travel advisor and founding Passport To Postcards wasn’t exactly linear, but in hindsight, it makes perfect sense. As a second-generation French American, my passion for travel was ignited on a trip to Paris at age 10 to visit my family, and it’s been a defining part of my life ever since. Read more>>
Heidi Cripe
The Chapin Pup Club opened July of 2025. Aly’s dream has always been to work with animals. She fell in love with the pet industry after gaining experience in boarding, grooming as a vet tech. As the Chapin community has grown greatly over the past decade, the need for luxury dog boarding in the area became apparent. Read more>>
Preston Trippe
We were first introduced to Beginnings SC shortly after our daughter was diagnosed with hearing loss at age five, but it would be a while before we reached out to them for support. As parents, when you receive a diagnosis like this, there are sometimes a lot of emotions involved that have to be navigated through, and it took us a while to do that. Read more>>
Kelly Waldren
I spent most of my career building another business, which made me realize how much I love the operations side of things; building and figuring out how to make things run better and more efficiently. The idea for One Party Rental came when I was planning my son’s birthday. Read more>>
Jonele Graham
I started my journey as a business owner during Covid when I was furloughed from my job at benefit cosmetics. During that time I worked as a mobile wax specialist and makeup artist. I worked my way up into my first official brick-and-mortar up until I had gotten pregnant with my daughter, Eden. Read more>>
Deadra Peterson
My journey didn’t start with a perfect plan—it started with passion, faith, and a willingness to step out and try. What began as me planning and designing my daughter’s wedding quickly grew into something much bigger—it became the foundation of the entire Southern Chic Brand. From that moment, I realized I had a gift for creating beautiful, meaningful experiences. Read more>>
