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.
KT ROCKET
I always loved music and was always interested in how the beats behind the music was made so one day i decided to look into on youtube. The moment i got my laptop it was up from there. I would sit there for hours learning everything. Once i got good enough to send them out i started looking for artists to work with. which led me to working with Tre davinci, Moneybagg yo, lil migo, Kiana Nicole, khalil king and alot more Read more>>
Ashley Stafford
When I was just thirteen, I started petsitting for friends and neighbors and quickly became known as “The Neighborhood Sitter.” I loved meeting new furry faces and being the one they looked forward to seeing. What started as a fun way to help out soon became something more — a genuine paw-ssion. Read more>>
Cierra Wood
I decided to take cosmetology. I honestly thought it would be a better career choice. I did get my cosmetology license and work in a hair salon. I really enjoyed the creativity of being a hairstylist, but it was what I was really passionate about. When I gave birth to my middle son I went on maternity leave and never went back. That’s how I started my journey as a fashion designer and my sewing business. Read more>>
Bgs Wop
From Chicago/Memphis BGS WOP provides an avenue for listeners to connect with their own experiences of love, pain, fear, and resilience. BGS WOP’s candid lyricism, creates a space for reflection and emotional exploration. As BGS WOP continues to share his journey through music, his impact on the hip hop and R&B scene is a testament to the transformative potential of musical storytelling. Read more>>
Mary Gunning
I studied psychology and political science at Rhodes College, so it wasn’t necessarily an obvious transition to go into photography and videography. However, I’ve found that my background in those fields has enhanced my appreciation for humans and their stories. I believe in the significance of the relationship between the person behind the camera and the person in front of it, and the best work happens when you’re able to make them feel seen, comfortable, and confident. It’s such a privilege to help others see themselves the way you see them. Read more>>
Milos Jevti
Passion for cars was present for decades, with a dad that was motorcycle champion back in Europe, it was pretty easy to get hooked up. Making metal babies shiny was a hobby since I can remember which doesn’t mean I knew exactly what I was doing. After probably 20 years of doing it the wrong way (like 99.9% of the people) I have discovered that there are levels to this game and that is when I decided for this to actually be a full time job and not just a weekend hobby. Read more>>
Kana Greene
One of my biggest challenges was learning to trust myself. In the beginning, it’s easy to second guess everything-from your pricing to your design choices. I’ve had to grow through that and get comfortable making confident decisions, even when things feel a little uncertain. But even when things felt hard, I reminded myself why I started Kana Greene Design- because I truly love helping people create beautiful spaces. Every challenge has made me more grounded and more passionate about the work I get to do. I feel so lucky to do what I love, even on the hard days. It’s all part of the process. Read more>>
Kiara Stepter-Woods
I completed those goals and graduated at the top of my class. This was my 1st time making a decision for me as it related to school and my career so I was extremely proud of myself for not letting my past or other people’s opinions shape my future. I knew I wanted to have my own business and I had many jobs prior that shaped me to do so successfully, but I was still new to the massage world, had no start up money or business credit so I began making my own natural products and worked with a few other spas to build my experience and clientele. After many trials I finally got my own space in March, 2025. Read more>>
Scott Guidry
The firm was incorporated in July 2012 and officially opened on February 2013. From the beginning, it was not just about creating buildings. It was about building a business that would support people with trust, respect, and purpose. Stories like Jerry’s Place, where design enabled equality and interaction, and Maseratti Mike, where a utilitarian structure became a gateway to neighborhood block parties, served as early reminders that architecture can shape lives in lasting and meaningful ways. Read more>>
Laura Goodman-Bryan
After returning to Memphis, I worked at a small local publishing company for five years. At that time, in the late 1990s, companies were trying to decide what to do with “the internet” and we had no roadmap. We figured out a lot about what would (and wouldn’t) work online. Unfortunately, our sector was hit very hard by the economic results of the 911 attack and the firm did not survive. Seeing that company go from a dynamic growth trajectory to bankruptcy taught me a lot about a lot of things, chiefly crisis management. Read more>>
Katie Silverwings
The biggest struggle for me, personally, has just been getting myself established in a specific career path of any sort. As I mentioned, I finished my glass degree in 2020. That year reset everything I had been working towards, in a way: I wasn’t able to complete the portfolio of final pieces that my three years in university had been working towards, I couldn’t follow opportunities that had existed before lockdown, and I had to move across an ocean to a city with no existing studios for glassblowing. Trying to find my way through all of that took a lot longer than I’d have liked. Read more>>
Grave Lurker
Struggles have been relatively minimal. We do this for fun, so the only real difficulty is getting the gear to the venue. We used to practice at a house where the neighbors called the cops on us frequently, but we never got cited. One of the cops named Ace said he was a fan of heavy metal and would come to a show, but he never did. We practice at a different house now, and the neighbors just move rather than call the cops on us. Read more>>
Mistah Jee Q
One of the biggest struggles was having to teach myself everything. I didn’t have mentors, connections, or guidance—I had to figure things out on my own. That meant a lot of trial and error, wasted time, and setbacks. I also dealt with financial pressure, self-doubt, and the feeling of being overlooked. There were times when I questioned if it was even worth it. I’ve been through things I don’t talk about—some struggles only God knows. But through all of it, I stayed focused and kept building. The pressure made me stronger. Read more>>
Benji Smith
In the Fall of 2021 LaterSkaters Memphis started as an idea to have a well intentioned community group of 30 and over skateboarders. Then it became a way to reach out to kids and help them learn to skate. It kept morphing over time until where we are today. Now we are a group of skaters that teach, that advocate, that get shit done for the skate community, that give more than we got when we were kids. Read more>>
Hayden G. Hall
I grew up in the Mississippi Delta in Clarksdale. I attended culinary school and spent close to 20 years in the hospitality industry as a chef and restaurant owner. My wife Erica and I spent time in Washington D.C. and New Orleans working in various restaurants then moved back home to open our own restaurant called “OXBOW”. I started painting in my spare time to unwind from the chaos of the restaurant and soon found that I had a connection to oil painting. My father, also Hayden Hall is a lifelong oil painter. So I was fortunate to grow up around that. Soon after I started painting and showing my work, I started getting commissions to paint local landscapes, primarily people’s family land, farm land and hunting land. Now that has become primarily what I do full time. Read more>>
Julius Hunt
Along the journey to produce my own music I found my voice giving so much substance to art affiliates in local plays and ensemble projects. I’d been devinley guided to. Memphis Black Art Alliance I believe to have been one of such. I joined the organization in 2013. Since then and hereafter many fruitful projects with Opera Memphis, Hattiloo Theater, The Orpheum ect. have become great milestones in my career to date. Read more>>
Kevin Grant
I was raised in Memphis. I love this city, its BBQ culture, and the people here. I never wanted to leave. As a church pastor who teaches verse-by-verse through different books of the Bible, I was hoping to find a place to pastor and preach in Memphis. My wife and I wanted to find an open door for ministry in Memphis and we prayed daily for this. But after almost a year of looking for a Bible-preaching church in need of a pastor, I eventually had to extend my job search to other states. Read more>>
Wikid Films
A lot of popular artists & talent that we know today were either discovered by Wikid or used Wikid’s platform to gain popularity. Some of these artist are Glorilla, in which Wikid helped gets Glorilla signed to CMg. Sexyy Red’s hit song pound town blew up after doing a “BoxedIn Live performance” with Wikid on his platform. And Big Boogie was discovered by Wikid, to name a few. In 2020 during the pandemic, Wikid created BoxedIn. BoxedIn is a platform that popularized the hanging mic music videos and comedy interviews on a podcast. No Wikid is shifting his focus to artist management and creating a film television network where various shows and other content will be featured. Read more>>
Patricia Posse
In the beginning, I did not even own a camera beyond disposal cameras purchased at local drug stores. I started off being an assistant at weddings, holding the flash and carrying equipment, modeling brides/grooms and attendants. I continued in that role and moved into a part time position in sales, and eventually moved up to Director of Marketing. I worked for that photographer for several years. Read more>>
Liliana Jonkus-Baxter
Even as a little girl, I was captivated by hair, nails, glitter, and anything feminine! My stick figures had hair longer than the pages I drew them on, and I reveled in playing with nail polish, makeup, and tiaras. When I entered the sixth grade, I was finally granted the privilege of coloring my hair, and I never looked back! Every month, I experimented with new hair colors and makeup styles. Eventually, I became the go-to person for hair and makeup for high school dances and other events. I found immense joy in helping others feel confident and beautiful. Read more>>
Kasharri Hence
Envious Gifts was born from a place of love, healing, and heartbreak. It all began during one of the most difficult seasons of my life—when trauma struck close to home. A dear friend of mine lost her daughter, and I created the floral arrangements for her service. Not long after, another friend lost her son. For him, I created something truly one-of-a-kind: a Spider-Man-themed obituary, the very first of its kind, designed like a comic book, paired with matching themed flowers. Read more>>
Kristopher Banton
I even spent some time with the Atlanta Braves Foundation, broadening my understanding of community affairs/marketing. The significant turning point came when I joined Allied Global Marketing, a global PR powerhouse. I worked my way up from Promotions Coordinator to Lead Publicist/Account Executive, leading impactful campaigns for industry giants like Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, WWE, and Essence Communications. This is where I truly honed my skills and built strong relationships, learning the art of connecting clients with their audiences. Read more>>
Porsha Townsel
Going to cosmetology school after high school instead of seeking a college education didn’t seem ideal for success to some. I chose to step out on faith and focus on proving that cosmetology isn’t a hobby, it’s also a career. I graduated from Paul Mitchell The School Memphis in 2011. I specialize in natural hair and nail care. I started a hair product brand in 2017 which is where Hair Goals by Porsh Michelle emerged. I became a certified TN cosmetology instructor in 2022. I’ve taught natural hair courses to the general public, professionals, the youth, and future professionals in the mid-south. Read more>>
Ima Ndon
Still, like many small business owners, I’ve had moments where making ends meet was incredibly difficult. I was working full-time as a Licensed Practical Nurse to support myself while building the business — until I lost that job in May 2025. That unexpected loss hit hard. Not just financially, but emotionally. Suddenly, my safety net was gone, and I had to depend solely on the business to stay afloat. Read more>>
LaToya Humphrey
That’s why I founded my nonprofit, focused on providing education, healthcare access, and affordable housing to underserved communities. I’ve seen firsthand what a lack of opportunity looks like, and I’ve made it my mission to change that. Through workshops, resource partnerships, and advocacy, we help families rise, equipped with tools, support, and hope. Read more>>
Mykerah Robinson
As my career evolved, I stepped into roles as a coach for teachers and as an advisor for future educators, walking alongside them as they learned to serve children with skill and heart. I quickly realized that while great instruction is vital, leadership and culture are what sustain it. I saw how healthy, intentional leadership has the power to transform entire schools not just for students but for teachers too. Read more>>
Sarah Thomas
One of the things I’m most proud of is my book, Chair Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis and Chronic Pain. It’s more than just poses on a page—it’s a tool for daily healing. To support readers even further, I created an online subscription that offers guided yoga videos that align with the chapters of the book. These videos help people move safely and confidently at their own pace, right from home. Read more>>
Janeth Ponder
One of the biggest challenges in any creative career is overcoming your own mind. Self-doubt can be constant — questioning if you’re doing the right thing, if it’s enough, or if you’re truly meant for it. As creatives, our minds are full of ideas, often keeping us up at night with inspiration. But that same mind can also be our biggest obstacle. Read more>>
