Over the past decade we have had the chance to learn about so many incredible folks from a wide range of industries and backgrounds and our highlighter series is designed to give us an opportunity to go deeper into their stories with to goal of understanding them, their thought process, how their values formed and the foundations of their stories. Check out some incredible folks below – many of whom you may have read about already and a few new names as well.
Vitória Ressineti
Honestly? Very recently. Life changes when you have a baby. Especially for a woman. I thought I didn’t have a choice, I thought I couldn’t ‘do it all’ and… well, I can’t. Not in the way we might think, but finding that balance is possible. Sometimes we have to be a little delusional to make things work in life. Read more>>
Gina Boyett
Suffering taught me resilience in a way that success never could. Success feels good — it validates your efforts and gives you confidence. But suffering humbles you. It strips away ego, comfort, and certainty, forcing you to look inward and discover what you’re really made of. Read more>>
Stevél Reyes
I remember growing up I felt extremely powerless to change my situation. I always had a sense of being different and a desire to change the world, but my reality did not seem permitting. I felt the odds stacked against me, as if I was never supposed to succeed all that I envisioned at such an early age. Read more>>
Jasmyne Sippio
If you asked my friends, they’d say what matters most to me are the things that fill my life with love and creativity — my pets who bring me joy, my students who inspire me, my art that lets me express myself, and the people I care about most. I pour my heart into everything I do, and it really shows. Read more>>
Larissa Smith
Integrity. When we look at the world around us. Bad things are happening to people every day. What if integrity was the difference in someone having an amazing day or a really terrible day? Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Read more>>
Norine Dworkin
I put a high premium on intelligence. You’ve got to have some smarts to pick up on what makes for good stories, then go down the rabbit hole to thoroughly report them. And then there’s what it takes to run a local news outlet in today’s hyper partisan media environment. Read more>>
Dallas McClain
My Father taught me the most about work and he mostly led by example. Read more>>
Shari Dworkin-Smith
Standing up for what we believe in can be challenging, especially in the fractured times we’re living in. I am not shy about sharing my beliefs or being a voice for those who are being marginalized and disempowered. Read more>>
Qichao An
The things I’m most excited about right now are exactly the ones that won’t “pay off” for 7–10 years. On the creative side, I’m slowly building a long-term body of personal work around the theme of East–West dialogue—posters, installations, and visual essays that are less about any one client and more about a consistent language. Read more>>
John Carlazzo
I’ve heard, over the years of doing this, some variation of…’Wow you guys get THAT much for playing a 90 minute show?’ What I’ve learned is that unless you’re in this business of playing on stage in a band, most people have no idea the amount of work it takes to put on a 90 minute concert. Read more>>
Jessica H. Maurer
Burnout is such a buzzword. We talk about it in conferences, post about it on social media, and wear it like a badge of honor. Burnout seems to show proof that we’ve been grinding hard enough to “earn” our exhaustion. But here’s the secret a lot of professionals don’t say out loud: many of us aren’t burned out… we’re bored. Read more>>
Dr. Jennifer McNeil
I think the part people will most misunderstand about my legacy is that my strength was not built on perfection—it was built on obedience, boundaries, and the courage to walk away from anything that dimmed my calling. From the outside, people will see the degrees, the leadership work, the businesses, the confidence, and the clarity. Read more>>
Mico The Entrepreneur
I think the thing people might most misunderstand about my legacy is that it’s not just about me — it’s about the movement. I call it a “forever movement” because it’s bigger than any one person. Some might assume it’s just another initiative or business venture, but it’s really about creating lasting change for customers, drivers, and merchants in the delivery ecosystem. Read more>>
Mariah Emery
My fiancé is someone who has truly helped shape who I am today. He’s helped me realize that there are far more important things in life outside of business—like God and family. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day work that comes with running a business, but he’s reminded me of what really matters. Read more>>
Kincie Farnell-Williams
My relationship with God has shaped every part of who I am. It grounded my healing, guided my calling, and continues to refine my character through every season. I grew up in a little Florida town called Fort Pierce, where weekends meant fishing trips with my dad and sewing sessions with my mom. They were both all-in parents, and I loved every minute of it. Read more>>
Lars Stadig
There are a few truths I don’t always say out loud, but they guide everything I do. Art has power. It connects people and turns struggle into something beautiful. Respect matters. Performers deserve safety and honesty, not exploitation. Community is strength. Circus Inferno exists because of the incredible people who believe in it. Creativity is survival. Read more>>
Tiffany Somar
As a child I believed that giving into the desires of others would make me more valuable to them. I guess you can say that I was always a people pleaser and learned to swallow my own voice a lot. I let other people determine how much space I would take up in this world. Read more>>
