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.

Mariah Snow

I also hold a B.S. in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing from Old Dominion University and spent 13 years in D.C. working for KPMG Consulting/BearingPoint providing professional consulting services to more than 15 Federal Government agencies. I specialized in Business Process Improvement, software implementation, client relations, and training. Read more>>

Brittney Mannszz

I have been planning and hosting Events practically my whole life. I took the initiative to start my business in 2018 from being inspired while working at Merrill Lynch and and speaking with with High networth clients who were Business Owners/Entrepreneurs. I stayed up day and night studying my craft from the balloons, to custom decor, to Event Management and more. Read more>>

Saji George

It was always a dream of mine to open a restaurant. I had been looking at spaces for many years and when I would call, normally the landlords would ask if you ever owned a restaurant before and when I would say no, they would hang up the phone. However, we found a vacant shop on Herschel St. Read more>>

Amanda Mincey

I noticed there was a great need for notary services after normal business hours, weekends as well as holidays. I thought to myself and asked God if I should pursue the opportunity to become a notary. As a result, I became a licensed/insured notary public and then started advertising that I was available for notary services. Read more>>

Ingang Han

Founding a beautifully designed, inspiring music school has long been a dream for me. I grew up in structured music school systems, where I learned how good training shapes a musician’s future. While most professional violinists begin training at their early age, I started later age, facing challenges such as poor posture, slow progress, and the need to rebuild technique from the ground up. Read more>>

Iris Rhett

“From Rejection to Resurrection: How Jesus Redeemed My Life — Body, Soul, and Spirit” By Iris Darlene Stokes Rhett, Jacksonville, FL My praise has been and will always be: ‘To God Be All The Glory.’ They said I wasn’t wanted. Read more>>

Ivan Ramirez

My name is Ivan Ramirez, owner and operator of Earth Flavors, an indoor farm located in Saint Augustine Beach specialized in microgreens and edible flowers cultivation. For a bit of context, microgreens are young herbs, vegetables, and certain flowers harvested at a very specific moment, after sprouting but before reaching the baby-leaf stage. Read more>>

Nathan Dowd

The Father’s Heart began in 2008, right around Thanksgiving. What started as a small outreach with just 27 families quickly became something much bigger. We partnered with several local churches in Jacksonville to share meals and hope with our neighbors. Read more>>

Amery Baygents

I’m a wife, mother, and founder who is passionate about helping people find freedom, identity, and purpose in their everyday lives. I believe that emotional freedom and personal wholeness are essential for everyone. No matter who we are, life brings challenges—grief, trauma, anxiety, burnout, broken trust, or seasons where we feel lost. Read more>>

Charlotte Tzabari

I co-founded Olive My Pickle with my husband, Shai, back in 2010. We started truly from scratch — selling small-batch ferments at farmers’ markets, labeling jars by hand, making our own equipment and learning every skill the hard way. When two of our biggest retail partners suddenly closed in 2018, we reinvented ourselves overnight and shifted fully into e-commerce. Read more>>

Aivia Jones

“My passion, my purpose, and truly the reason I am who I am today.” When I was 19, my life changed overnight. I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called dermatomyositis and trust me, trying to pronounce that is almost as hard as the journey itself. Read more>>

Luke Wittig

Born in Chicago, but raised in Medellin, Colombia, as my parents were missionaries. Grew up around extreme poverty, but in an environment of always loving and caring for people. My wife & I came up to the US in 2005, at the age of 20, with $23 in my pocket, but full of hope and a desire to work. Read more>>

Jennifer Roberts

Growing up, my childhood looked nothing like the one I’m intentionally creating for my kids today. Fast food was a staple in our busy lives—filling the gaps between after-school activities and late-night practices. I honestly thought I was doing okay with my “fruit” consumption, proudly snacking on fruit roll-ups and Gushers. Spoiler alert: I was very, very wrong. Read more>>

Dawn Grant

My journey began with a deep desire to help others overcome the limitations of their minds and unlock their full potential. From a very young age, I was drawn to understanding human behavior, emotions, and the power of thought. That curiosity became a passion, which then led to a calling.  Read more>>

Lori Osborne

My journey into this business wasn’t part of some long-term master plan… it was born out of a turning point in my life that made everything crystal clear. Read more>>

Lauren Henry

Greenhouse started end of 2019 beginning of 2020 as an idea that formed from a mobile experience bar, Lauren Henry owned. She wanted to created a wine bar with interior plants in the community she lived. As she was starting, covid hit. She pivoted her idea into a mobile plant pop-up. Capitalizing on the interior plant boom that quickly happened. Read more>>

Samantha Schultz

I’ve spent years working in administrative roles across multiple industries, from New York to Florida, building a reputation as a dependable office manager and executive assistant. When I became pregnant with my first daughter during COVID, the office I worked for transitioned to virtual, right when the concept of a “virtual assistant” was starting to gain momentum. Read more>>

Carl Weiss

An Online Gamble that Paid Off My story starts before the turn of the century. Back in the 1990’s I made my living as a professional blackjack player. In 1995, I published my first website called Players edge.com that shared playing tips with the world. Read more>>

Lisa White Butler

My name is Lisa. I’m originally from the Hudson Valley in New York — a deeply spiritual place that shaped much of who I am — and I’ve been living in Jacksonville, Florida for almost 30 years now. I’ve always been a spiritual person, but it wasn’t until I lost my son two years ago that I truly discovered the power of healing. Read more>>

Emily Bukow

From a young age, I found joy in maintaining a neat and organized home, inspired by my mother’s appreciation for tidy spaces. This passion led me to pursue a degree in Interior Design from the University of Arizona. Initially, I worked in commercial space planning and design, but I eventually transitioned to freelancing as a decorator, enjoying the autonomy it offered. Read more>>

Sunny Wroten

My name is Sunny Wroten and I am born and raised in Jacksonville Beach, FL. I have a passion for construction and helping my community. Family Legacy: My heart for service is part of a long family legacy. My father, Billy Cooper, served as a Jacksonville Beach councilman in 1989. Read more>>

Tim Horvath

I’m a Jacksonville native through and through, so I’ve always cared a lot about this city and the direction it’s heading. My career actually started in healthcare—I earned my Doctorate as a Nurse Anesthetist and spent years in the operating room and trauma settings. Read more>>

John (Mark) Smith

I was raised in a small town, where everyone knew everyone in a time without cell phones and if you did anything wrong, your parents would know about it before you got home. Both my parents were hard on me to be my best self; your chores had to be done before you could play. I still live by that today. Read more>>

Megan Exantus

I started my real estate business, Peace of Mind Homes LLC back in 2013, but did not utilize it due to a new baby, personal/family obligations. As a woman of Haitian descent, I did not grow up with any business role models or mentors. Read more>>

Leah Jung

I began my real estate career in 2020, and I’ll never forget those early days every challenge, every moment of doubt, and the struggle of trying to sell that first home. There were times I felt completely defeated and seriously considered walking away. But everything changed when I met other agents who shared their stories of success. Read more>>

Blakely Moore

I didn’t grow up dreaming of being an estate attorney. But I’ve always liked puzzles, and the law has plenty of them. After law school, I realized that trust and estate work was the perfect combination of technical problem-solving and real human connection. I opened PTM Trust and Estate Law because I wanted a practice built on clarity and practicality. Read more>>

Dr. JJ Green, MAT. CE

I am Dr. J.J. Green, MAT, CE—a wife, mother, preacher, educator, author, consultant, and licensed life and annuities broker. Everything I do is rooted in perseverance, purpose, and a deep belief that transformation is possible wherever God places me. Read more>>

TED kOSTEK

I’ve always been interested in esoteric, spiritual and holistic healing arts. In 1999 I became a Reiki Master. I practiced this work on a limited basis. My career did not allow much time for other interests. I did, however, continue reading, studying and attending various workshops and seminars when possible. I certified in Silva Mind Control Healing. I attended training under Dr. Read more>>

Stephanie Dale

I have been an avid traveler for as long as I can remember. When I began planning my transition out of Corporate America, I knew I wanted to help others discover the joy of exploring the world. After my ex-husband and I divorced more than 23 years ago, my son was only three years old. Read more>>

Sandra Silverman

I opened my little bookshop in 2020, a month before Covid shut everything down. I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to let my dream die so I delivered books curbside and waited to be able to open my shop to the public. In the years that have followed I’ve been able to create a unique experience for those looking for special books. Read more>>

Cristina Chinchilla

I didn’t grow up in a peaceful or predictable environment, and for a long time, I didn’t understand how deeply that shaped me. Like many of the people I work with today, my early life was marked by instability, trauma, and a sense of never quite feeling “at home” in my own family. Read more>>

Daniel Gurzi

Captain Dan – Your Guide to Adventure on the Water Meet Captain Dan Dan Gurzi, known by many as Captain Dan, has spent a lifetime chasing adventure on both land and sea. Read more>>

Jared Bludsworth

I first realized my own home needed a good cleaning when I noticed the siding getting dirty. Like most homeowners, I grabbed a pressure washer and tried to tackle it myself. But after a full day of blasting away, it still didn’t look as clean as I hoped. That’s when I knew there had to be a better, safer, and more effective way. Read more>>

Jacob Willman

I graduated from University of Buffalo with a BA in Communication, I am an Eagle Scout, and I am a USN veteran. I pursued civil service after graduation, but worked for my uncle’s HVAC company in New York in the meantime. Read more>>

Nancy Tuttle

I was seven years old when my mother took me to my very first dance class at Virginia Dell School of Dance in Avondale on Park Street. I still remember walking into that studio—the music, the mirrors, the older girls in leotards—and knowing, even as a child, that I had just found the thing that would shape the rest of my life. Read more>>

Joshua Levine

Cedar Acres is a small, family-run, 10-acre farm specializing in breeding the remarkable Kunekune pig. As proud members of the American Kunekune Pig Society (AKKPS), we are dedicated to promoting this exceptional breed to other small farms and homesteaders. Read more>>

Steph Dale

I have been an avid traveler for as long as I can remember. When I began planning my transition out of Corporate America, I knew I wanted to help others discover the joy of exploring the world. After my ex-husband and I divorced more than 23 years ago, my son was only three years old. Read more>>

Kelly Weary

I began working in salons at the age of 16 but decided to try college before committing to cosmetology school. In 2004 I signed up for school at the Aveda Institute of New Orleans. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans so I decided to to relocate to Jacksonville with my 2 year old daughter and her father, my now husband Fred. Read more>>

Henry Pridgen

I’m actually from North Carolina but funny enough, I got started in Florida by going to rehab for alcohol. Then when I got out of that I really needed a job so I worked for someone for a couple months then bought the name and phone number from him and took off from there. Read more>>

Mimi Culpepper

However, I am blithely aware of the etiology of the behaviors. I can commiserate with the unmet needs and frustration of the people living in the communities where gun violence has created fear and uncertainty. I lived it. I survived. I am so incredibly grateful and will never forget my past. My past made me who I am and prepared me for what I am do. More importantly, my past experiences are certainly not in vain and always serve to help someone somehow. Read more>>

Veronica Nabizadeh

Before that moment, my whole life had been guided by a desire to help people find peace—in their hearts, their homes, and their relationships. I studied human resource management at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio because I was fascinated by human behavior and the invisible emotional contracts we carry into every interaction. Law school at Florida Coastal School of Law only magnified that. You don’t need a legal degree to see how the adversarial system fails families—but working inside that system made it impossible to ignore. Read more>>

Kathy Wallis

My family was a musical one, so I grew up singing in choirs and ensembles, including in college. After graduating from Duke, I moved to the Jacksonville area in the mid-seventies, where I met Jim Johnson, the Founder of Beaches Fine Arts Series, who was the choirmaster at St. Paul’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, the home venue of BFAS. Read more>>

Lynn Yeager

When Jacob was three, we got the news—severe autism. That single word upended everything. Overnight, life became a whirlwind of appointments and therapies, a blur of experts and interventions. I couldn’t keep doing my old job; I left teaching behind so I could be there for Jacob, for every step and every milestone. Years went by, and communication remained a huge challenge. Read more>>