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.
Jaydon Stevenson
This mindset is what got me to where I am today, firstly being a embodiment of what it means to Axcel (to accelerate towards your dreams you have to excel in each step it takes to get there) and recently I incorporated “Beyond” into the name representing the endless possibilities you can bring to reality when you Axcel. Secondly I continue to incorporate different lessons into each piece I make whether it be in bold words like my first “Push past the Stars” or my more recent designs in denim subtly and elegantly telling you a story. What got me to where I am today is that I have infinite messages that need to be heard and seen by the world. Read more>>
Wyly Bigger
Being near Memphis and the Mississippi Delta, spending plenty of time in both, I grew up around the blues, but never knew a whole lot about playing it. I admired and looked up to the classic blues artists (my first concert was B.B. King at age 8), but it wasn’t until I got involved with the Pinetop Perkins Foundation in Clarksdale, MS that I really learned to play the blues. I attended their inaugural blues piano workshop in 2010, and even got to meet, talk with, and learn a little bit from Pinetop Perkins himself (he died less than a year after). This really laid the foundation for me. Learning the blues and growing confident in it really opened me up then to the rhythm & blues and early rock n’ roll style of playing that I love to play now. Read more>>
Riley Pope
It definitely hasn’t always been smooth. In the beginning, we had no idea how to run a business—we were just figuring things out as we went. We undercharged a lot, overworked ourselves, and had to learn how to balance the creative side with the business side. There were also seasons where bookings slowed down or we doubted whether we could keep growing. But every challenge taught us something. We’ve had to learn how to scale our team, manage multiple weddings at once, and still keep the quality and personal touch that we’re known for. It’s been a process, but we wouldn’t trade it. Read more>>
April Wilson
I was struggling to hold my marriage together, caring for my ill parents, pleading for peace at work, experiencing a financial hardship, while attempting to raise my sons and deal with what appeared to be insurmountable insecurities. But my GOD intervened! He cleared my path and enlightened me to the desires and passions of my heart: my FAITH and FITNESS. I woke up one morning with the confidence to promote and implement a 30-day Bootcamp challenge. I had no money, no equipment, and no clue of a potential venue to host the fitness sessions. Literally, all I had was my FAITH and a desire to be FIT. By the grace of God, I hosted the first FIT FAITH 30-day Bootcamp in September of 2019 that birthed FIT FAITH. Read more>>
Alexandra Powell
For me Interior Design is all about relationships with people. Every home we design takes a central focus around the lifestyle that takes place over the design layer. No two projects are alike, as we strive to highlight each clients personal taste. We believe that just as you get up and get dressed in the morning, your fashion, and your home should be uniquely reflective of your tastes. We believe that the objects in your home are not just objects, but stories. We believe that family heirlooms bring soul to your home. Read more>>
Evan Cantrel
It took me a while to adjust back to the civilian way of life but one day I finally decided to take the steps towards the goal I had set for myself before I left the Marine Corps. Therefore, I enrolled myself in the evening classes in the Success Real Estate School in Cordova and gained the necessary sixty hours in order to be able to take the national and state real estate licensing exams. On the last day of class I was invited to join a study group that turned out to be more than just a study group, it happened to be a divine connection that God lined up for me that would change my life forever. Read more>>
Tom Aldridge
Originally I had been interested in using AI to help me create the video elements, but it was just too clunky and time-consuming to get good results, not to mention that I felt disingenuous using it to create my art. All of the video elements in my work are free-to-use stock footage, edited in InShot. I never was much of a visual artist, so I’ve been taking some online classes for animation and 3D modeling to see if maybe I could get into creating my own visuals one day. Read more>>
Lindsey Luckman
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road! One of the biggest challenges has been rebuilding my business from the ground up multiple times. I started in Memphis, moved to Jackson and had to start over there, and then came back to Memphis and built it up all over again. Each time brought its own set of hurdles, but it also taught me a lot about resilience, consistency, and connecting with the right clients. Read more>>
Carissa Henderson
I had been a client at Memphis Wellness Collective (MWC) for several years and really felt aligned with their group of providers. MWC is a collection of independent, holistic wellness practitioners working together to offer whole body wellness, relaxation and conscious care. I felt encouraged and supported by them as I started to entertain the possibility of opening a solo practice. As luck would have it, they opened their new location in June 2024 and offered me an office space if I was ready for it. Read more>>
Destinee Ramson
My story ultimately begins being born and raised in this Memphis. From a young age, my family taught me not only to love Memphis, but to understand it. The stories, the culture, the history… those became the first pathways toward realizing that if I truly loved my city, I had a role to play in helping shape its future. Read more>>
Joseph Anderson
I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit since a little kid and most of the jobs I have worked have been in the logistics industry from my very first job as a news paper boy to my last job as a supervisor for the United States Postal Service. In between all the jobs I have started multiple businesses trying to find my way. Then one day it clicked. Logistic and Customer Service is what I know best so I left my comfortable government job at the post office and started a Delivery Solutions company. We offer local and regional delivery services and freight recovery services but our focus right now is providing Enterprise level solutions to the owner operators and small fleet companies. Read more>>
Martina Pasini
It actually all started with my dad. More than ten years ago, he began collecting and selling things like figurines and vintage games on eBay What began as a bit of fun slowly turned into a real passion, especially for design pieces and lamps, in particular. Along the way, we both developed a love for vintage finds and flea markets. We’ve spent so many weekends hunting for hidden gems together, and that became a big part of the joy in all of this. Watching how passionate he got about it, I found myself getting drawn in too. It became something we shared, and eventually we thought, why not do something with this together? That’s when we started our Instagram page and began sharing the pieces we love Read more>>
Lawrence Hunter
I was born and raised in North Memphis, where creativity was part of daily life—especially growing up in a family full of artists. That environment helped fuel my love for music early on. I graduated from Northside High, then went on to earn my degree in Computer Science from Lane College, and later my Master’s in Information Systems from the University of Memphis. That blend of tech and creativity has shaped the way I move today. Read more>>
Madeline Lyles
She and I met in 2009, at the City Morgue. We continued to cross paths within Funeral Services; and now we will be celebrating 7 years of service and business as After Life Mortuary Services on October 8th. Through every up and down, I can truly say that we’ve been abundantly successful! We’re the first African-American women to establish, own and operate a funeral home in the state of TN. We’re a first generation business; and we have been continuously blessed to serve bereaved families and provide multiple community services to the public. Read more>>
Markevius Faulkner
Markevius D. Faulkner, an Emmy-nominated vocal arranger, songwriter, music educator and visionary, is the CEO and Founder of Melodic Minds Music Academy since 2014, empowering and enhancing the minds of over 250 students and vocal clients from Las Vegas to the Mid-South. At the University of Memphis, he co-founded The Black Student Association Chosen Generation Gospel Choir an incredible choir that’s still gracing stages for more than 20 years. His remarkable voice has graced prestigious platforms like the iHeart Radio Awards, Soul Train Awards, The Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall, Kensington Palace, sharing the stage with acclaimed artists like H.E.R, Wale, Kelly Price, Gladys Knight, Jekayln Carr, Yolanda Adams and more. Read more>>
Shelby Hartman
I’ve had to teach myself a lot along the way, and while it’s been incredibly rewarding, it’s also stretched me in ways I never expected. Another big challenge has been learning how to mentally clock out. As a business owner, you’re always “on” there’s no real leaving the office when your mind is constantly running through to-do lists, ideas, or what needs attention next. Finding ways to balance that, especially since becoming a mom, has been one of the hardest parts for me. Read more>>
Jeanine Watts
I got involved in fitness classes at the Whitehaven YMCA a few weeks after giving birth. I fell in love with exercise and all the options that were available to me. So I decided I wanted to teach classes parttime. A short 6 weeks later, I was back at my day job; going to college at night; teaching fitness classes on the weekend; and loving being a mom. A work life balance has always been important to me as a women. Women are strong minded, strong willed, giving individuals that take on challenges with a smile and a prayer. Read more>>
Asha Kince
I immediately knew that was something I wanted to PERFECT & offer to my community. I started practicing waxing at home with family & friends, building my social media pages, & recording content. After graduating beauty school and passing the necessary state board exams, I was officially a licensed Esthetician. Soon after, I went to work at a waxing chain to learn even more about the industry & work on bettering my craft. Fast forward to October 2024- AK Esthetics became open for business! I received so much support and love from my community, clients, and family. To this day I am so proud of how far I have come as an Esthetician. I’m so excited for the future and what’s ahead of me! Read more>>
Becky Thomas
For nearly three decades, I poured my heart into education — teaching everything from third grade to preschool, and even homeschooling my four children during different seasons of their early years. My days were filled with lesson plans, story times, and watching kids grow. But never did I imagine that my deep love for children and animals would one day collide in the most unexpected way — through a feisty, squawky rooster named Roscoe. Read more>>
Alexis Smith
I’m a full-time Christian business owner and former educator who loves to talk about the goodness of God and play video games. Somewhere along the way, playing video games and teaching merged into the Jesus for the Win Gamers Tribe, where this all started. JFTWGT is an online community dedicated to creating a safe space for kids to game, connect, have fun, and receive tutoring help. Two of the kiddos in our tribe eventually convinced me to start streaming on YouTube, where I went live weekly to spread the Gospel. Read more>>
Allison Udell
UBFM was started in July of 2012 by Tommy Clark, who was a student at Memphis Theological Seminary. He wanted to combine his love of people and bicycles, and decided to go out with a few homemade burritos and find some people to feed on the streets of Memphis. This ignited a passion in him to continue to go and seek people out to feed them – and there hasn’t been a Wednesday night missed in almost thirteen years. About a year and a half after UBFM’s beginning, Saturday morning rides were implemented. Read more>>
Joshua Nichols
Definitely not a smooth road but I believe the bumps along the way shaped both me and the brand. In the beginning, one of the biggest challenges was confidence learning to trust my voice and vision in an industry that often tries to box creatives in. As someone who didn’t always fit the traditional fashion mold, I had to constantly prove that there was value in doing things differently. Read more>>
Destiney Barton
Hey My Name Is Destiney Barton a 26 your old Hairstylist from Memphis Tn. I started my Journey with doing hair not really taking it serious but grew to Love it. I was about 17 years old when I started doing hair as a side hustle , still working a full time job. Until I turned 22 and stepped out on faith and did Hair full time making more than any job every paid me . I can truly say Being a hairstylist changed my life; the Smiles on people faces , the conversations turning into therapy sessions, all of it is very heart warming. Read more>>
Greg Cravens
Sprinkled into the next thirty years were (literally) tons of advertising cartoons of all descriptions, comic book work, teaching cartooning, Editorial cartoons, even more caricatures, thousands of T-shirt designs, and twenty-odd years (and counting) of syndicated comic strips (The Buckets) and online comics (Hubriscomics.com). There’s more stuff, plus a life mixed in there. Basically, if it’s cartooning of some kind, I’ve done it -or something very closely related. I should also point out that I currently sit on the Board of the National Cartoonists Society (est 1946). The highest honor of my career. Read more>>
Dina Renee
I grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and while I wasn’t always performing publicly, I was always secretly dreaming—singing in my room, acting out scenes in the mirror, and imagining a life beyond my small hometown. I was a really shy kid, but deep down, I always knew I wanted to be a singer. I just didn’t tell anyone until after college. Read more>>
Lexx Coleman
I’m originally from East Memphis—Hickory Hill, to be exact. I went to school at UT-Chattanooga, where I studied business marketing, but funny enough, I actually started out as a nursing major. My dad always pushed me to pick a career that would always be in demand, like something in medicine, and while I understood that, deep down I knew that wasn’t for me. College hit way different than high school—it was tough—but I pushed through and ended up excelling. Read more>>
Angela Williams
I grew up in Germantown, went to Germantown High, and like a lot of folks from Memphis, I carry this city with me everywhere I go. It’s in my grit, my work ethic, and my style. Even when my career took me across the country—leading legal and operations strategy at companies like Meta, Google, and Microsoft—I was still that same girl who got her start right here, surrounded by a village of family and friends who’ve kept me grounded every step of the way. Read more>>
Alexis Osorno
Definitely not always smooth but every challenge has helped shape me as both a business owner and a person. Taking over an existing spa came with a steep learning curve; learning systems, managing a team, and making the space truly reflect my vision. On top of that, balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship hasn’t always been easy. There have been moments of self-doubt, burnout, and learning how to give myself grace. Read more>>
Lesly Williams
Honestly as an educator I decided to take it upon myself and seek out how to become the best at skin rejuvenation. So my hunt was skincare conventions, online classes, podcast, and social media. My vacations were pretty much visits to esthetic conventions in different states for years. I also held down a full-time job to fund my dreams. Fast forward to 2023 and a bigger commercial space was presented to me by my landlord at the time that owned the suite I was current in. The new adventure was the buildout across from Crosstown Concourse which took a whole year to complete. I visualized building a team but who the team would be, I wasn’t sure. So I focused on the new space at hand. Read more>>
