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.
Tywanda Williams
My professional journey began in business. I earned my undergraduate degree in Business Management from LeMoyne-Owen College, though I quickly realized that I did not feel a true passion for that path. The turning point came when I enrolled in an elective course while still in my undergraduate coursework at Lemoyne, Life Stages of Development. From the very first lecture, something clicked for me. Read more>>
Jaye Carter
Heyy, I’m Jaye Carter and I am the founder of Jaye Sent Me! Jaye Sent Me began as a simple passion back in 2020. I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur and I started attending networking events around Memphis. I started meeting like-minded people and everything formed afterwards. Read more>>
Brad Glover
I’ve been in the restaurant industry since I was 15, and for as long as I can remember I’ve dreamed of owning a place of my own. Over the years I worked in bars and restaurants all across the greater Memphis area, learning the ins and outs of the business and building a real passion for hospitality. Read more>>
Devin Duncan
I started young. At 14 I was mainly using my talents in graphic design in different ways, and one door led to another. Before I knew it, I was running my own clothing brand. I always knew my clothing brand was just the beginning. Read more>>
Renee Lee
I got my start working for my parents at Lee’s Coin-Op Laundromat and Cleaners in the Westwood neighborhood where my siblings and I attend elementary, middle and high school. That’s where I first learned the essentials that carry you far in life and work: being on time, treating people with respect, showing up with a good attitude, and giving great customer service. Read more>>
Shaun Payne
In 2019, Shaun and a group of close friends launched the Bluff City Cigar Club, a monthly subscription that delivered five boutique cigars to members’ homes. The club quickly grew beyond what they ever expected. Read more>>
Christy Brown
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I entered the travel industry in 2013 as an independent contractor with a large agency, where I specialized in Disney Destinations. After five years — and rising to become the #2 advisor in the company — I knew it was time to take the leap into entrepreneurship and create something of my own. That’s when I founded Little Luxuries Travel®. Read more>>
Katie Hunt
Old Soul Floral Co. was born in 2021 as I was coping with the forced slow-down caused by COVID. My Grandma Blanche had gifted me $100 for my birthday/Christmas the previous year (I’m a December baby) and I decided to launch a business selling no-contact wrapped bouquets. Read more>>
Harry Laughlin
I was born in Memphis on 1526 Massey Rd in a 100-year-old farmhouse on 4 acres. My life was partly rural, being between Memphis and Germantown, and trap shooting was allowed. I could walk out our back gate and be at a pond within sight. I could fish or hunt. Read more>>
Francheska “Fancy” Rogers
I actually started doing taxes back in 2018 as a side hustle. At the time, I wasn’t running a company; I was just helping out family and friends who trusted me to handle their returns. The more I did it, the more I realized not only did I enjoy the work, but I was actually good at it. Read more>>
Erin Swinney
The Greater Memphis Area’s LGBTQ businesses did not have a dedicated chamber of commerce to address their concerns or champion their unique causes. In 2021, we started the MidSouth LGBT Chamber to create a network of rainbow and allied professionals across the tri-state area. Read more>>
Hayley Brooks
Hi! I’m Hayley Brooks, and I built a business around a simple truth: it’s really hard to talk about yourself. Read more>>
Emily Guenther
My husband, Stephen, and I own The Broom Closet metaphysical store. The Broom Closet first opened its doors in 2014 with a clear intention: to serve the Mid-South’s alternative spirituality community by creating a welcoming, inclusive space for exploration, education, and connection. v
Luke Tylee
I started Nice Tintz in 2006 as a mobile window tinting service for other businesses and car dealerships that wanted to offer automotive tinting but didn’t have tinters on staff. My wife and I were new parents so it was a scary jump into entrepreneurship but It turned out to be the best decision. Read more>>
Antwoine Clark
I founded South Side Wildcats in 2010 because I wanted to meet a need for Christ-centered youth outreach in my childhood community. I grew up without a support system to give me the direction I needed to be successful. Instead, I followed a path to drugs, alcohol, thieving, and failing school. Read more>>
Missy Shackelford
This is a hard one because it is a long one haha! My story in a summary, is basically overcoming domestic abuse, crippling anxiety and PTSD from losing my parents at a young age, mental health and financial struggles as a single mom and rebuilding myself later in life- in my forties. Read more>>
Courtney and India Rose
With research, prayer, and wise counsel, we purchased our first two investment properties in Bartlett and Jackson, Tennessee. Shortly after, Rose Restorations & Development, LLC was born, and I obtained my contractor’s license. As a husband-and-wife team, we’ve poured our hearts into this work. Through our own renovation experiences, the highs and the lows, we discovered a passion for revitalizing communities—transforming neglected houses into beautiful, safe homes with that signature Rose Restorations touch. Today, we’re proud to be building not only a business, but a legacy—founded on faith. Read more>>
Tish Young
It hasn’t been smooth. Pilates is HARD and it really takes developing the discipline and desire to show up for yourself. Trainings are intense and it takes time. You’re always learning in Pilates. I feel like I’m always signing up for another training but that’s what I love about it. I love learning more to give more. Mentally it challenged me to make a complete lifestyle change. I started to learn so much about myself. I stopped drinking alcohol completely. My daily routine was altered. It caused the best shift to happen in my life. It sort of reshaped me from the inside out and the reshaping was not at all comfortable but so worth it. Read more>>
