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.
Adam Loeffel
I started doing ceramics with my mother when I was a small child and that led to studying ceramics at the University of Memphis, which led me to Seize The Clay in 2001. After serving as the studio manager for Molly Norfleet, I purchased the business from her in December 2009 and have been the owner ever since. Read more>>
Kiona Pharr
I started with Palmer Home for Children six years ago. During my time at Palmer Home, I have had the opportunity to work within each program we have that serves children, young adults, and families. Currently I am the Senior Director of Children’s Programs. Read more>>
Cheryl Malik
I started my site after graduating college in 2009. I was heading to law school and knew I’d need a creative outlet; combining two of my hobbies–writing and cooking–made perfect sense. Shortly after starting law school, I knew it was not for me, and I happily quit. From there, I tended the site at varying intensities for years, until it grew suddenly starting in 2016. Read more>>
Cameron Donlin
I’m a born-and-bred Memphian, and I’m deeply grateful that my work allows me to live at the intersection of connection, creativity, and celebration. I currently serve at ALSAC/St. Jude as Liaison for Collegiate Partnerships, supporting national fraternity and sorority partners Tau Kappa Epsilon and Tri Delta. Read more>>
Pametria Brown, LCSW
My journey to becoming a therapist started on the back of a tragedy that occurred while working as a foster care worker. One of my favorite clients died by suicide and it impacted my mental health and ultimately led to me resigning from my job. Read more>>
Lawrence Dennis
Lawrence Dennis began his career outside of technology, spending nearly a decade working in retail. While the experience gave him a strong foundation in customer service and problem-solving, he knew he wanted a career with greater opportunity for growth and long-term impact. That desire led him to Tech901. Read more>>
Javina Driver
Javina graduated from Vanderbilt school of nursing in 2010 and started her professional career the same year at Frasier Family Counseling. Javina moved to private practice and then into telemedicine. She started her own practice Fresh Perspectives Group in 2024 and continues to change lives. Read more>>
Meg Ross
Memphis by Meg started as a lifelong passion for decorating, turned into few projects for friends and charities, and now I have a business that’s been growing ever since. Growing up in Dallas, there was always something fun to be seen especially around the holidays! The goal was “bigger and better” and I loved watching how everyone would go overboard. Read more>>
Jay Woods
It actually started by accident back in college. My roommate, Jean, had some DJ software on his computer. He showed it to me one night before heading to bed, and I was immediately hooked. When he woke up the next morning, I was still there—I had stayed up all night teaching myself the ins and outs of the program. Read more>>
Hayes Hora
I’ve always had a natural pull toward sales and relationship building. While attending the University of Memphis, I landed an internship with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, where I learned how to prospect, present insurance products, build trust, and close deals. That experience gave me a strong foundation in networking and long-term client relationships. Read more>>
Rafi Chowdhury
I didn’t start out with a clear plan or a straight line. I grew up constantly curious about how things worked, especially systems, people, and decisions behind the scenes. Early on, I realized I was less interested in just “using” technology and more interested in understanding why it worked the way it did and how it could be improved. Read more>>
Brittany Murray
My husband & I had the honor of being my moms caregivers for 13 years while she fought early onset Alzheimer’s (diagnosed at 52 years old). I used to run with my mom before she was sick as a way for us to catch up while I was in college. Read more>>
Tawanda Pirtle
I was taught the importance of communication at a very young age. My parents owned a community grocery store for over 40 years, so from the time I started walking and talking until today at 68 years old I have always worked with the general public in some fashion. Read more>>
Victoria Smith
The VSmith Media Story: My Journey to Natural Marketing The whole reason I started VSmith Media was to close the ridiculous gap between the fancy, complicated world of digital strategies and the real, human needs of small business owners. Read more>>
William Flippin, Jr.
Some 41 years ago, a group of Lutherans met in Pastor David and Jo Hood’s home and began to dream of a Lutheran congregation on Germantown Parkway in Cordova. Some future thinking synod planners had pre-purchased some land in east Shelby county, on a two-lane road, with the hope that one day the city of Memphis would grow east in this direction. Today, St. Read more>>
