Miami’s Most Inspiring Stories

Every neighborhood in South Florida has its own vibe, style, culture and history, but what consistently amazes us is not what differentiates the various neighborhoods but rather what they all have in common.  From South Beach to Boca (and everywhere in between) we’ve been blown away by how many creative and talented people call South Florida home.  Check out some of the inspiring stories we’ve discovered throughout Miami and the surrounding areas.

Anna Lucia Peña

Six years ago, I founded my own company in Colombia, driven by a vision to design kitchens and spaces that prioritize comfort and functionality for everyone. During my life, I felt a strong connection to nature, animals, and humanity, which inspired me to create inclusive designs. One of my most meaningful projects was focused on creating spaces for blind individuals, and I also participated in research groups in Medellín to develop a kitchen prototype for people who use wheelchairs. Read More>>

Julie Labruna

After marrying (and later divorcing) young, I became a single mother to my two daughters. While my corporate job provided financial stability, it was the joy of making costumes, organizing birthday celebrations, and designing every corner of our homes that truly fulfilled my creative needs. Read More>>

Gernise Gregoire

Since elementary school to high school, I was enrolled in all arts magnet programs with my own major, and if you can guess it, yes I majored in communication arts each year. From speech and debate, to morning announcements, school-wide show hosting, graphic design, club presidency, video editing, and magazine editing, I did it all! Read More>>

Fiona Bleetman

When I left my corporate job as a Data Analyst to start my Health Coaching Business, I spent MONTHS trying to sit down and record an online training course because that’s what I saw other people in the industry were doing. But what seemed seamless to them seemed an impossible task for me. I couldn’t get my words out. I sat there day after day trying to record, but nothing came out of me. When I eventually came across Human Design, I changed my STRATEGY accordingly. Read More>>

Vivian Olodun

In 2015 we raised funds to invest in women owned businesses and hosted the first Flourish Media Conference in 2016 at Florida International University. When the women attending looked around the room taking in the quality of the woman in attendance they asked my business partner Dr. Tracy Timberlake and I to create services to better serve them. Read More>>

Wölf Tomas & Lautaro Garcia De La Pena

In 2020, we made a bold move to Barcelona, just as the world was hit by the COVID pandemic. We hustled to get gigs while trying to make ends meet, constantly pushing our boundaries. By 2022, one of us was hired as a designer for a Miami-based brand, giving us a new perspective and a fresh start. Read More>>

Sophia Becker

After high school, I pursued a degree in Business and Marketing while continuing to model and work various jobs. My path wasn’t always clear, but I knew I wanted to combine my passion for content creation with the business skills I was learning. It wasn’t until I met my partner, Mauro, that things really started to fall into place. Mauro, who’s from Argentina, and I began sharing our experiences as an international couple on TikTok. Our content, a mix of culture, comedy, and football, quickly resonated, especially within the Argentine community. Read More>>

Heather Ferreras-Tokan

In 2015, after a decade in Florida. I proposed to my husband Shawn, a builder, artist, and dedicated craftsman, that we form our own design-build studio and pursue our dream of designing and building homes, improving the spaces we care about and inhabit…all while asking HOW do we live? Read More>>

Amanda Macabre

I stayed with art throughout college at Broward College, but I was in deep in love with cinema and literature by the time I started FIU in 2012 – so much that I switched my major from Visual Arts to English Literature and enrolled in their film studies program. I graduated FIU in 2015 with my Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and spent the next few years as a contributing writer on movie websites and an occasional volunteer in film, primarily horror films Read More>>

Kimberly Culpepper

I am the founder of The Experience Foundation. Our mission is deeply personal and rooted in a journey through profound loss and faith. My husband, NFL quarterback Daunte Culpepper, and I share a love for our family of six children. Following the tragic loss of our daughter Aysia and a friend of hers in a car accident in 2020, I embarked on a personal journey of overcoming grief and navigating life to find peace with what happened. This experience has driven my dedication to supporting women who face the complexities of life’s challenges, including the mental health of women. Read More>>

Santiago Marino

Since returning to Miami in 2020, I’ve focused my production expertise into Miami Fit Photos, a project that has deepened my connection with the vibrant community in Miami Beach. In addition to fitness photography, our team specializes in fashion, swimwear , and lifestyle photography. We also take professional headshots for actors, realtors, and anyone looking to elevate their personal brand. Read More>>

Diana Vargas

I started working with growing artists in the city, and thanks to the recognition of my work, I started working with national level artists like Maluma in the promotion plan at the beginning of his career and which would make him known (I did his first tour of media in Cali city and we worked for several years on his radio positioning), I also worked with renowned artists such as Baby Rasta & Gringo, Reykon, Fuego, Andy Rivera, among others. Read More>>

Anastasia Ward

But, having a positive mindset and faith has guided me to the right place in my career and business. Believing in yourself and in your capacity to do good things and great things will get you far. Read More>>

Marvin “hakim” Lyons

people needed to taste my food. So I started selling plates. Although I sold out most of the time the money wasn’t there, but the promotion was the key and it worked out. Read More>>

Carla Paola Gonzalez Lillo

During the pandemic, I took the bold step of establishing my personal brand, Panambí Coaching. This has opened doors for me in the business world through coaching. My aim is to train people who work in the aeronautical industry in soft or social skills, focusing on the four bodies: emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical. In this way, I seek to approach what I believe to be the fundamental link in any company’s chain: the human being. Read More>>

Adrian Alexander Yi-Hernandez

I am best known for my lyrical themes of recovery from addiction, mental health issues, social/political issues, spiritual/metaphysical ideologies, mysticism, philosophy, and a lot of deep niche concepts I.e. “Amor Fati”. I am most proud of the fact that I am “going for it” and actually manifesting my dreams. I don’t just talk about them but I literally put in hard work to achieve my goals. What sets me apart from others is probably my experiences with real world problems and my ability to use those said experiences to better myself and others. Read More>>

Bailey & Pressley Mobile Bartending

We’re a mobile bartending/catering company. The B and P stand for Bailey and Pressley, our last names. Bailey loves to cook and dance and Pressley loves to create good tasting cocktails and make people feel good. We love customizing menus for events, having fun with our clients and providing stellar customer experiences! There may be other brands that have been doing it longer than us but the experience we provide is like no other, that’s a promise! Read More>>

Alanna Noel

My first stroke of luck came in Miami Beach, working as a bottle server while paying my way through community college. I remember working a pool party at Fifty at the Viceroy, although I’m not sure if it’s still there! I was a screen writer, but I needed to break into the industry. One day, while slinging shots of tequila and bottles of Ciroc, a reality show came into the club to film. I was starstruck, not by whoever they were filming, but by the crew. Dressed in my uniform—a white bikini and heels—I approached the camera guy, “Are you guys hiring?” I was hired—as an unpaid intern. With hindsight, maybe it wasn’t “luck” on this occasion. Read More>>

Elizabeth Belizaire

I first attained my braiding license in 2017 and began my entrepreneurship journey. I followed that up with going to cosmetology school and graduating the top of my class in 2019. I’m so blessed to have seen 5 years in this wonderful profession. I have pivoted my passion to specialize in healthy hair care and weaving installs. I am also diligently working on breaking into the bridal industry. The number of thriving avenues is endless, and I am excited for my journey! Read More>>

Marissa Johnson

By Valentine’s Day 2017, we were flooded with flower orders at work. My boss asked me to assist the floral department, and I loved it. I started doing small arrangements for customers, but then discouragement came knocking again. Fast forward to September 2022, I began creating round rose bouquets for clients, which marked the start of Eem John Florals. To date, I have shipped over 100 rose bouquets all over the United States and hope to continue doing so. Read More>>

Dr. Julia Avidane

Well, growing up in South Florida, I developed a love for reading, water sports, and quite influentially, the art of dance. Training as a ballerina from an early age and later joining a college dance team, taught me discipline, coordination, and agility necessary for finely-tuned movements. I have always been interested in the human body and its capabilities. My inclination for health science was nurtured at the University of Miami, where I immersed myself in pre-medical classes. How to keep the body in optimal condition through proper exercise, nutrition, and stress management became both a passion and a career. Read More>>

Melvin Rodriguez’ Echevarria

Thirty years ago, I moved to Miami from Puerto Rico to pursue a master’s degree in Chemistry and to become a Chemistry instructor for undergraduate students at the University of Miami. Surrounded by the smells of chemicals and the clinking of glassware, I passionately explained the complexity of chemical reactions to eager minds. The chemical lab was my stage for four years where I really enjoyed translating the mysteries of molecules into tangible concepts. Read More>>

Reed Horth

The first gallery I managed was straight out of college. There was little real management or guidance, and we were in a low traffic area of Tampa. So, while I knew a lot about art, I had to read a ton about sales and try to figure out the right combination of information and salesmanship would lead me to increased sales. It was a dose of reality to go weeks without sales. So, I quickly realized that following up and writing was going to be my entre into more than floor sales. I created a database of clients and began accumulating email addresses, phone numbers and data points for when artwork of interest arrived. And I started to find some success.  Read More>>