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.
Keepushin Kp
I started recording seriously as a freshman in high school, when I connected with a guy through my godfather. Along the way, I’ve had ups and downs — working with people who didn’t always have the right intentions or experience — but every situation taught me something I could carry forward. Eventually, I made my way to Atlanta to chase my music dreams. While grinding at open mic nights, I went through a major setback when I was shot after a performance. Once I healed, I put that experience into my art. I started posting on social media again, and one of my freestyles about the incident went viral, opening new doors. Read more>>
Akira LaSha
At that point, I felt disappointed in myself. I remember thinking, “My next decision has to be my best decision.” I was only 22, but I knew it was time to get serious. I decided to enroll at Paul Mitchell The School here in Memphis — and that ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Read more>>
Timara Barton
Hi, my name is Mara Barton! It all started when people loved how I did my own eyebrows and eyelashes and asked me to do theirs. At the time, I didn’t have a place to work, so I told them I’d have to do it in my car—and surprisingly, they were perfectly fine with that. That’s truly where my journey began: me in the driver’s seat, my client in the passenger seat, not even realizing it could turn into a career. Read more>>
Colby Midgett
No, it has not been an easy road. Premier Flowers has faced many challenges along the way. Post pandemic there have been challenges with hiring willful and skilled employees. Challenges with logistics has increased due to shipping demands, tariffs, and climate change. Product isn’t the same as it once was. There’s the constant insomnia of supply and demand. Tariffs has played a part in that as well, however, we’re still navigating our way through and around these constant changes because it’s inevitable. You just have to know how to weather the storms. Read more>>
Roderick Shipp
I started out in the 7th grade wanting to be a D.j. watching D.j. Jazzy Jeff as he invented the transform scratch. I learned how to do it on my pops old school turntable. So from there I started scratching for local rappers in the neighborhood of 3rd World. I later meet some guys and formed GTN (Gangsta Type Niggas) and we started recording together. Later we change the name to 3rd World Click and then link with D.J. Fela and started recording with him. I started producing and rapping and became D.J. Rod and we put out D.J. Fela and Rod Bassmix. I continue producing and got my own label Clownmazk Ent. And here we are… J-Rod (Da SampleKing). Read more>>
Danielle/Lekendris Chavers
In 2019, God placed a clear vision in our hearts, and we chose to trust Him every step of the way. We connected with our pastor, Courtney Franklin, whose prayers propelled us forward. Grill Grabz launched on November 19, 2021, and in our first year, we became the top mobile restaurant in Memphis Burger Week, ranking #1 out of ten—even alongside major corporate dine-in spots. Today, Grill Grabz is known for the best burger on this side of town, with our signature Salmon Philly as a standout on the menu. God has been faithful, guiding us through challenges and helping us overcome them all. Read more>>
Lauren Pitchford
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a passion for creating art. I’ve tried my hand at drawing, painting, photography, knitting (that one didn’t go so well), sculpting, pottery, all the things! But none has given quite the thrill that ice dyeing has. The final product of each piece is like opening a Christmas present each time. The creative process requires me to find balance between my vision for a piece and allowing the dye to express itself. As a combination Type A and creative person, it has been a liberating journey. Read more>>
Brandon Alexander
I’ve always been creative in some aspect but as my hobbies changed so did my creative outlet. I wanted to do something with cars that would allow me to bring different designs to life. Read more>>
Lauren Brown
We provide compliance, management, training, and intellectual property protection (IPP) solutions to start-ups and small businesses in a variety of industries. Our company uses a strategically sound and a coordinated approach that ensures compliance, management savvy, accountability, and profitability. Our motto is “Your Regulatory Health is Your Business Wealth™. Read more>>
Galey Grimes
Fast forward to August 2023, when, encouraged by a dear mentor, I made the bold leap into entrepreneurship by founding Galey Grimes Interiors. With a deep passion for design and a commitment to creating luxurious, functional living spaces, I embraced the challenge of building a brand from the ground up. One of my first breakthrough opportunities was collaborating with Chris Dickens of DickensBuilt for the 2024 Vesta Home Show—a project that perfectly captured our vision of blending timeless elegance with modern sophistication. Read more>>
