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.

Yosmany Rodriguez

From a young age, I was fascinated by technology, music, and the stories behind artists’ creative journeys. What started as a love for music gradually shifted into a passion for the behind-the-scenes process—learning how beats were made, how visuals were shot, and how stories came to life. Read more>>

Wadson Simon

“My name is Wadson Simon. I was born in Haiti and raised in Miami, Florida. I came to the United States in seventh grade, graduated from North Miami Senior High School, and earned my associate degree in Criminal Justice from Monroe College in New York City. Read more>>

Alessio Longo

I started my journey in Martial Arts back in 1998, and a couple of years later, I dove into the world of Tai Chi, Qigong, and Meditation. In 2005, I earned my Master’s degree in Oriental Studies, which deepened my connection to Eastern philosophy and practice. Read more>>

Jennifer Mangroo

At the age of 15 I started taking photo’s on my iPhone, by the age of 17 I was gifted a used canon camera. I was doing journalism for my local newspaper at the time and my mental health was getting bad. Read more>>

Nelson Pena

My story is an immigrant’s tale of a young man growing up in Miami during the wild and crazy 1980s. I’ve come a long way from when I first arrived in the United States in 1971 at the age of six. Not long after, my father passed away, leaving my mother and me on our own. Read more>>

Aline Machado

I started Bella Bella Boutique in 2007, at a time when there were very few options for buying lingerie online. After doing extensive research, I saw a demand and felt inspired to fill that space. With my background in fashion and a love for technology, I brought the two together to create a niche site focused on high-end lingerie during our early years. Read more>>

Jessica Velez

My journey with Advance began with a clear observation: countless businesses, led by visionary leaders, were struggling to bridge the gap between their marketing efforts and their core strategy. I saw a fundamental disconnect between their mission and the impact they were creating. This wasn’t due to a lack of ambition, but rather a challenge of alignment. Read more>>

Sheena Cooper

I have been a therapist for over a decade, working in a variety of agency settings that gave me the opportunity to grow as a clinician and serve diverse populations. Opening my own practice had always been a goal, and during the pandemic I felt it was the right time to take that step. Read more>>

Nichole Walz

In our last conversation, we shared the adventurous journey that led us from chiropractic grad school in Florida, to practicing abroad in Singapore, traveling to over 40 countries, and ultimately settling in Miami to build our dream practice — On-The-Go Wellness®. Our experiences abroad shaped our vision to create a company that fits the needs of active, health-minded people living busy lifestyles. Read more>>

Danna Pycher

I came to hypnotherapy by accident. Literally, a near fatal car accident. I am passionate about this work because it saved my life. Not only did it help me exponentially for my Post Traumatic Stress after the accident, it helped me regain focus and structure in my life. Before pursuing this line of work, I was a reporter and producer for many years. Read more>>

Miri Lenoff

I first got into this work in a really unexpected way. A friend asked me how to change the phone number on her website, and she had no idea how to do it. I helped her, and it opened my eyes to how many business owners were stuck with websites they couldn’t update or control. Read more>>

Georgina Benitez

I was born and raised in Cuba, and that’s where my love for gymnastics began. At a very young age, I was selected to train, and from the very first practices I knew this sport would be part of my life forever. Gymnastics gave me discipline, resilience, and confidence, and I poured my heart into every routine. Read more>>

Ibis Penate

My journey in beauty began in the dance competition world, where I did makeup for dancers ages four to nineteen. That experience taught me the importance of artistry, precision, and giving someone the confidence to shine under pressure. Over time, I transitioned into bridal beauty, which became my true passion, and I’ve now worked in the bridal makeup industry for over 16 years. Read more>>

Greta Schroeder

I’ve always found comfort in animals. During a difficult time in my life, my mom’s dog gave me so much love, and that inspired me to work with animals. It motivated me to build a career centered on supporting pets and their families. Read more>>

Jacqueline Blue

Growing up I had envisioned becoming a pediatrician and towards the end of college I realized that was no longer the path for me. I took some time after graduating and worked in undergraduate admissions at Tulane University. While there I realized how much I loved working with adolescents and their families during such a pivotal time in their life. Read more>>

Gabriel Andriollo

It all started over 20 years ago in Buenos Aires. I’ve always been fascinated by storytelling, how real, authentic stories can bring people together, change how they see the world, and even inspire them to act. And honestly, my love for TV and entertainment probably played a big part in that. That’s why I ended up studying Public Relations and Corporate Communications at UADE. Read more>>

James Webb

Professor of Physics, Florida International University Director, Stocker Astroscience center Expertise: Extragalactic astrophysics, General Relativity, Quantum astrophysics, Active Galactic Nuclei, Blazars, scientific search for Life in the universe. Dr. Webb grew up in central Indiana working in an automotive factory full time. He was so inspired by watching men walk on the moon and watching and reading COSMOS by Carl Sagan. Read more>>

Ozan Atalan

I`m currently a visual artist and professor of digital arts/graphic design at Florida International University. Born and raised on Turkey`s west coast, first I studied law in Eskisehir, a city near capital. Following my internship as a lawyer, I made a sharp turn and began studying fine arts/sculpture in Izmir. Read more>>

Ashley Caits

My Journey with Makeup My love for makeup began when I was a little girl. I started competition dancing at five years old, performing on stage almost every weekend. Every show meant a full face of makeup, and I quickly fell in love with the process—lipstick, blush, lashes, everything. Read more>>

Macy Jahoda

I fell in love with the arts when I was nine years old, watching Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal video. It was pure magic. I studied every move until I had it down, then performed my own version—closet costume and all—for my family. They were blown away. That moment turned into a full-on neighborhood tour. Read more>>

Natasha clay & Lationa Sterling

From Lationa: Our story really began with family and heart. Growing up, we had close family members with disabilities, so from a young age we naturally stepped into the role of providing care, support, and advocacy. That experience gave us passion and shaped how we saw our futures. Read more>>

Alexandra Kamper

Kamper’s Kitchen was born from my passion for hosting, cooking and styling all things food. After graduating college, I spent nine years as a wedding and special events coordinator for Hugh’s Culinary in Fort Lauderdale. My passion for culinary styling and food photography sparked a hobby that led me to pursue Kamper’s Kitchen on the side. Read more>>

Alaska Mangialetto

I began my journey as an artist in 2011 when I launched my blog Jacked Fashion. I would interview other creatives in the Miami art scene back when Wynwood was only one block. I also worked as a fashion stylist, collaborating with local photographers and agencies. Read more>>

Rafael Felipe

I’m Ralph, the founder and creative director of Bailey’s Sweets and Events. I started this journey in 2017 as a self-taught baker and cake artist, with a passion for creating custom sweets that bring joy to others. From humble beginnings with custom cakes, I expanded my offerings to smaller desserts, full dessert tables, and eventually, full-service event planning. Read more>>

Douglas Blake

I began my career in the insurance industry 15 years ago with a simple goal: to master the fundamentals and build a system that could scale. In the early days, it meant long hours, countless phone calls, and more rejection than most people would endure. Read more>>

Jose Mena Diaz

“From Sneakers to Storytelling” By Jose Mena Diaz, Founder of La Vie Studios My love affair with photography began with sneakers. In high school, I was deep in the sneaker forums — buying, selling, connecting with collectors around the world. The photos in those threads were electric. Read more>>

celena benjamin

I started off as a young mom just finishing massage therapy school and jumping into work at a chiropractors office. There are so many different directions you can go with massage and I was still getting a feel for what I really wanted to do in my profession. Read more>>

Kayin Knighton

I was an only child who kept myself busy by making things. The arts weren’t just a pastime; they were the way I learned to think and feel—customizing denim, singing with my mom, mixing music with my dad, dancing, painting. By high school, I was everywhere creativity lived—clubs, shows, collaborations. At the same time, athletics ran in my family. Read more>>

Charles Odenz

Professional Background My career in real estate began in high school, where I worked as an assistant stuffing mailers. From those early days, I grew into a licensed real estate agent and helped build a top-producing team. After earning my Marketing degree from the University of Florida, I returned to real estate and partnered in launching a successful brokerage in Fort Lauderdale. Read more>>

Yulia Basova

I came to Miami over a decade ago, starting with English courses to prepare for the TOEFL and my MBA at FIU. During that time a classmate introduced me to her husband, a real estate broker, and I began working as his assistant. That’s when my love for real estate truly took root. Read more>>

Athena Petrou

I grew up in upstate New York and moved to Tampa Bay to pursue a degree in Apparel Design. My career then brought me to South Florida, where I worked in the cruise industry designing uniforms and costumes. Read more>>

Jenna Hubka

Honestly I didn’t know the first thing about being an influencer and was hardly even on Instagram at the start of this so just learning the platforms I had content on was a huge challenge. I also vastly underestimated the amount of time it takes to truly curate your own brand Read more>>

Daniella Batlle

From a very young age, I understood that fashion was not just an aesthetic choice, but a language of life. I grew up in a family where fashion was both sustenance and refuge: my grandmother, who became a widow at an early age, found in this craft a way to provide for her children; and my mother, with her passion for elegance and detail, passed down to me a deep love for this universe. Although in my childhood I dreamed of pursuing politics, what I was truly seeking was to serve and transform. I discovered in fashion a powerful vehicle to build community, narrate the identity of a country, and give voice to those who create with their hands. Read more>>