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.
Shaquille Fuller
My journey started over 15 years ago with a simple passion for capturing moments. What began as a creative outlet quickly turned into something much bigger as I realized the power photography has—not just to document life, but to shape how people and brands are seen and remembered. I founded Kre8ions, LLC in 2016 to turn that passion into a full-scale creative business. Read more>>
Bart Caldwell
I started Caldwell Painting in 2012 with my father, Billy. We both saw too many companies treating painting like just another commodity, something to be rushed through with minimal care. We wanted to build something different. We wanted to build a company that puts true craftsmanship and attention to detail at the center of every job. Read more>>
Rebekah McConnell
On July 27, 2022 my 14 year old son, William, was struck by a car and killed at East Parkway and Broad Ave. After the initial shock started to lift, we were reminded over and over that how unsafe Memphis is for pedestrians. By September of that year, we were in front of the Memphis City Council asking them to start focusing on this problem. Read more>>
Jayson Underwood
I graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana with a degree in Finance, always having an interest in real estate but not fully understanding how to break into the industry or turn it into a career. After graduating, I had opportunities to step into corporate roles with FedEx and International Paper as a financial analyst. Read more>>
Kimberly Taylor
How I got started is I was working at a factory for 5 yrs because me and my husband had 2 small children, we were trying to take care of and provide for them. Read more>>
CORY JONES
My name is Cory Jones. I am an educator. My work is centered around making Christian education accessible for low and middle income families. I was born in Memphis, Tennessee May 23, 1989. My mother was a working woman with only a high school diploma. My father was a man of the streets. Read more>>
John Daniel
I grew up in Pittsburgh as the third of nine children. We lived on the edge until my dad became a police officer when I was nine-still a very modest income for a family of 11. I started working as a teenager to support the family and to have some money for myself. Read more>>
Melissa Coleman
In 1974 when I was a little girl, my parents moved to Memphis and opened a restaurant called the Whitehaven Ranch House. I remember having to stand on a milk crate in order to operate the register. In the 1980s the restaurant was renamed Marlowe’s in honor of my sister, and began to specialize in BBQ. My sisters and I were raised in the restaurant. Read more>>
Kristy Whatley
When I was 14 my dad gave me his 35mm Olympus camera. It was top of the line for the time. I taught myself to use it and to develop my own film and I felt like I was on top of the world. The love for photography would follow me through the rest of my teenage years and well in to my 20’s. Read more>>
Bubba Hogan
I was a Deputy Sheriff for Five years retired and during that time had started Midsouth Ponds. When COVID hit in 2020 business completely took off and expanded. I retired from the Sheriff’s office and now run the day to day of Midsouth Ponds. Read more>>
Linda Sutphin
Mutt Strut 5k began as idea in 2016 when one our dogs named Artie was being adopted. I had been wanting to start a 5k and Artie’s adoptive mom is a runner. We began tossing around ideas, settled a date and began planning. We had our 1st 5k in Millington in June of that year. Read more>>
Terri Walker
My journey as an auctioneer began when I was a teenager. My dad became one of the first car and personal property auctioneers in our hometown of Hayti, Missouri, hosting auctions in homes, yards, and business lots – long before online auctions existed. I started by helping however I could: clerking bids, running the concession stand, setting up chairs, and organizing items. Read more>>
Rohan Peart
My name is Rohan Peart. I was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and migrated to the United States with my family at the age of eight. I was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, alongside my parents and two sisters. At 12 years old, a doctor informed my mother and me that I had a learning disability that would limit my ability to comprehend and communicate effectively. Read more>>
Shranda Williams
I lost my fiancé in March 2021 and wanted to do something positive with the insurance money, I started my nonprofit Brothers and Sisters of the Light. The name comes from me being an active member of International Free & Accepted Modern Mason and Order of the Eastern Star Read more>>
Twin Macaya
I come from a place where friends dying at 14-15. Family absent, dead or even incarcerated. I started my own brand 2-3 years ago T2M/Trenches2Millions. I grew up singing with Read more>>
