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.

Philippe Horowicz

I grew up in a small town in the Swiss Alps and came to the United States alone at 16 with no English, just a work ethic shaped by sport and a will to succeed. Athletics became my real education. It taught me discipline, resilience, and how to think long-term, and I’ve carried those principles into everything I do today. Read more>>

Jake Stamatis

I was always a shy and misunderstood kid. I grew up in Tunkhannock, PA, which is a beautiful rural town in Northeast Pennsylvania. I was not good at making friends in my youth, and my middle school years in particular were shaped by the bullying I experienced for being a closeted gay kid in the early aughts. Read more>>

John Gillet

I started my journey in 2007 when I first became licensed to sell Life Insurance and soon after Investment Securities Licensed. At the time I was still a High School Mathematics teacher and Chess Coach. I proudly coached a State Championship Chess team that also placed 4th in the National Scholastic Chess Championship. Read more>>

Ariel Levin

VEGAN BLOCK PARTY was born out of a vivid dream that came to me after I had sat through a semester of college classes that I had no interest in. Read more>>

Ashley Gutierrez

I started my business in a small room in my house, sharing the space with my mom who also is an esthetician. At the time, it was just a way to make extra money during college, but as my clientele grew, so did the dream. In 2019, we opened Mercy for My Skin, named after my mother who taught me everything I know. Read more>>

Alexandra Milton

My journey began with very little except faith, vision, and an unshakable belief that I could build something meaningful. I moved to the United States with big dreams and no blueprint, and over the years I learned through experience, sacrifice, and resilience. Read more>>

Claudia Sanz

Studied bussiness in Colombia, then Marketing in FIU and after i joined IFAc international fine arts college because i always loved fashion, i started working a few months with silvia tcherassi , then a year with Diane Von furstenberg and then decided to create my own line … after the ups and downs of production decided to open a retail in front of where now is Mary Brickell .. it was a cool art gallery and luxury brands concept .. but after recession it was to costly .. Read more>>

JR Lopez

After years working as a border officer, I realized our niche industry lacked mission-specific tools for our unique duties—especially an anti-narcotics probe used to check hidden compartments for drugs. For decades, officers relied on a dangerous homemade tool with no safety features, no sheath, and no standards. Read more>>

Cristina Young

I graduated from Barnard college with a double major in English and Education, and with a NY Certification to teach. I spent the following seven years teaching in the D.C. area, and Hawaii, mostly middle and high school English. Read more>>

Sebastiano Di Meo

I was born and raised in Italy, and my journey began with classical ballet. It was my first language, the way I learned to express emotion before I even understood what expression was. Even as a child, I found myself drawn not only to performing but to imagining the entire world around the performance: the mood, the atmosphere, the storytelling. Read more>>

Francesca Dalboni

We are a family-run online retailer specializing in organic groceries, natural products, and home medical devices, based in South Florida. Our goal is to make high-quality food, personal care items, wellness essentials, and reliable home medical equipment accessible to households nationwide—delivered directly to your doorstep at a fair and competitive price. Read more>>

oliver dolabany

I created Ancient Standard, a natural skincare company, because I felt as humans we have deviated so far from how we used to take care of our health, our skin specifically, and I wanted to create a product that combined all the ancient knowledge from around the globe into one product. Read more>>

Juan Gomez

I began my career in the U.S. Army in 1999, enlisting as a Combat Medic before earning my commission through the Green-to-Gold Program at Florida International University Army ROTC Program. Read more>>

Evan Snow

I came into this work taking taking the hard road, though I didn’t know it at the time. I wasn’t someone who grew up thinking I’d become a community builder or a placemaker, but I’ve always been fascinated by culture and the ways people connect. Read more>>

Adam Dulger

My name is Adam, and I’m originally from Izmir, Turkey. I moved to the United States in 2009 and have built both my personal and professional life here in Miami. I’ve been married since 2022, and together my wife and I run a women’s fashion company called Athena Fashion, a brand that has become a meaningful and growing part of our lives. Read more>>

Dr. Crystal Amilcar

My journey with Viv Essentials started long before I ever mixed my first batch of body butter. It began with me and my children struggling with our skin. I was buying products left and right, hoping something would work, and nothing gave us the relief or results we needed. As a mom wanting results, that didn’t sit right with me. Read more>>

Brandon Braswell

What’s my story? The funny thing is… I’ve spent my whole career telling everyone else’s stories, and somewhere along the way I kind of lost track of my own. My path has never been linear, but it has always been rooted in storytelling. I graduated from Miami International University around 2008, right when digital production was still the wild west and film was king. Read more>>

Paula Salamanca

Paula (MP) was born in Bogota, Colombia and moved to Miami at the age of 5. Working full time since she was 17 years old, MP always knew she had a passion for the beauty industry but decided to dedicate herself to the “stable” 9-5 job in private banking. Read more>>

Altanese Phenelus

I am a practicing attorney who once played it safe in every financial and career decision I made. For years, I believed the safest path was taking as little risk as possible–saving diligently and investing only for retirement, never considering the possibility of owning my own business and investing in myself. Read more>>

Arantxa Salazar

My journey really began at the intersection of design and wellness. I’ve always been drawn to creating spaces that make people feel something, so with my background in interior design and a growing passion for holistic health, I wanted to merge those two worlds in a meaningful way. Read more>>

Luciana Boaventura

My story began very intuitively, from a quiet urge to listen to the questions hidden between the lines of life — why we sense certain things before we fully understand them, and how nature subtly calls us closer. I believe that, many times, the work chooses us. Read more>>

Sammy Hunter

My story began long before I ever picked up a camera. I’ve always been driven by a deep curiosity — about people, emotions, energy, and the invisible threads that shape our lives. Creativity was my first language, and healing was the undercurrent that guided me even before I knew how to name it. I built SourceFilms from that place of intuition and purpose. Read more>>

Karen Baraguz

I always say my story starts long before I became a mom or a wife. I was brought to Miami at a young age to help my grandmother after she fell down the stairs and needed surgery. What was meant to be temporary became permanent, and eventually I found myself completely alone in a new city. Read more>>

Taty Caro

For most of my career, I’ve thrived in the luxury fashion industry, a world filled with beauty and elegance. But deep down, I always felt a pull toward something more grounded in everyday life. The pandemic was my wake-up call; I realized I needed to transition into a more resilient industry—transportation. Read more>>

Valerie Washington

I started Starting Over Community Outreach in 2020 after witnessing firsthand how many individuals and families in my own community were struggling with basic needs, stability, and support. What began as a small act of service—helping a few neighbors during difficult times—quickly grew into a mission I felt called to pursue on a larger scale. Read more>>

Daniel Morales

I am a second-career pastor, though my calling to spiritual leadership had been quietly forming long before I ever stepped into a pulpit. My professional life began right after high school, when I landed my first job as a file clerk at a local credit union. From there, I quite literally climbed the ladder—first becoming a teller, then a customer service representative. Read more>>

Marie Lim

I started HAPPI Farm simply by caring for animals and helping families who needed a safe, supportive place for their kids. Over time, more people came, the programs grew, and it naturally became a nonprofit. I’ve spent years running the farm hands-on — caring for the animals, managing the property, and supporting the families who come here. Read more>>

Natalie Norfus

I usually start my story not with my résumé, but with where and who I come from. I grew up in between Cleveland Heights, OH and Washington, DC an only child surrounded by music, photography, and the beautiful contradictions that come from having a Black Christian father from the South and a White Jewish mother whose family fled the Holocaust. Read more>>

Marian Padilla

I stumbled into the soft play industry in 2019, right after my son turned one. For his baptism and first birthday, I went full DIY—soft pastels, handmade details, everything perfectly coordinated—until the rentals arrived. Soft play was still new in Miami, and while bounce houses existed, the modern all-white and pastel styles we see today didn’t. Read more>>

Fernando L Panizo

This sweet journey began 50 years ago, when my mother Helena set out to fulfill her dream of becoming a renowned Peruvian chocolatier. Helena Chocolatier started in our own home, with the support of my father and siblings, and grew from a humble family workshop into a true chocolate factory in Ica, Peru. Read more>>

Ryan Alman DMD

Dentistry has been a lifelong calling for me. I started my educational journey at the University of Florida, where he completed his undergraduate degree. The heritage of dentistry runs deep in his family as I am a 3rd generation dentist. Read more>>

Annie Tao

Since the original Voyage Miami story in 2020 , our journey at Always Keep Progressing has grown in ways we never imagined. What started as a small clinic built from passion, music, and a deep desire to empower children with autism and developmental delays has now expanded into a thriving organization serving families across Miami. Read more>>

Rachell Soler

I started singing very young. I was only six years old in elementary school when I began vocal training. I grew up performing in school and church choirs, often being assigned solos, and from that age I already knew I wanted to be a singer. As a teenager, I began writing my own music and uploading it to SoundCloud under the name rachi relos. Read more>>

evelyn concepcion

305 Teddy – Our Story 305 Teddy was born from my own childhood in Little Havana. I grew up in a community where resources were limited, but moments of kindness left a lifelong impact. I still remember standing in line at local toy drives and feeling the joy that came from receiving even the smallest gift. Read more>>

Dori Shwirtz

I started my business about 8 years ago. I saw a need for easier divorce options for people in the community that didn’t want to spend their entire life savings on an unfortunate life event. I am an attorney and University of Miami school of law grad but never felt drawn to any field in particular except connecting with people.  Read more>>

Dwight Thomas

My name is Dwight Thomas I am the Founder and President of Thomas For Them Inc, a little bit of our story… I am a State Licensed Private Investigator, during the pandemic of 2020, I started this nonprofit organization to reunite the homeless with their families while also conducting people search for them to be able to find their love ones. Read more>>

Lois Leonhardi

I never really knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. My choices and career path always seemed a bit accidental. I majored in Business Administration with an accounting concentration simply because a high school class let us “run a business,” and I found it fun. But after one tax season at a CPA firm, I quickly learned that lifestyle wasn’t for me. Read more>>

Jennah Leach

My story really began long before I ever picked up a pen. My mother had a deep love for poetry, and some of my earliest memories are of sitting in her room with Bob Dylan and Cher playing in the background while she broke down the meaning inside every line. She taught me that words are more than language. Read more>>

Clara Andrade

I started in photography in 2018, two years after moving abroad from Brazil to the US. At the time, I was working as a PR in the art industry in South Florida, and would take my camera to the exhibits, photographing the events, people, the small and big moments. Read more>>

Brenda Forman

My start, I am a active License Realtor by trade for 19 years now, but at the time that I ran for this office, I had been a realtor for 10 years. It was not a dream of mine to run for this office at this time, just on my own. I am a woman of faith and believe in the power of prayer. Read more>>

Kevin Medina

Well let’s start right at the beginning. In the summer of 2012 I was running a lot and going to Chemotherapy with my mom in the late morning and afternoon. I was 15 at the time and never once did I imagine that my mom would lose her fight with cancer. Read more>>

Maritsa Campos

My acting journey began when I was 15 and living in New York. I have always been drawn to the Entertainment industry since I was young. I participated in pageants as a kid in Brazil, did theatre and some photoshoots. When I was 15 I heard a commercial for an acting workshop being held in NYC. Read more>>

Randdy Fundora

Your Story – How It All Started My name is Randdy Fundora, a Creative Director originally from Havana with over a decade of experience working across Cuba, Spain, and the United States. My journey began while studying Communication at the University of Havana, where I discovered my passion for visual storytelling and design. Read more>>

Stephanie Contramaestre

When I immigrated to the United States in 2017, I left behind my third year of Dentistry and all the plans I thought were already written for me. I arrived with dreams, uncertainty, and the determination to start from zero—just like so many immigrants do. I worked as a waitress, receptionist, and took any opportunity that allowed me to move forward. Read more>>

Shaheem Ross

My photography started with me moving to south Florida from New York where I met really good friends who were into videos and photos. Long story short I became obsessed with cameras and my friends never had enough time for my ideas because they were busy creating their own. Read more>>

Alaysia Miller

I actually started my CPR business in a very unexpected way. I attended a business networking event and found myself surrounded by women in healthcare who were also entrepreneurs. Being in that room shifted something in me. Read more>>

Marlo Planas-Sade

As a single mom of three, I always knew I wanted something “more”—not just for my own children, but for families in my community. My path has never been conventional. For over 20 years, I worked as a teacher and therapist, supporting children with learning differences and special needs. Read more>>

Julie van Wieringen

My journey began in February 2021, when I started creating luxury picnics on the side while still working my full time job. It was a creative outlet at first, somthing that brought me joy during a season when I knew I was ready for a change. Read more>>

Seth Eisenberg

My story really begins with my mother, Lori Heyman Gordon. She created PAIRS — Practical Application of Intimate Relationship Skills — out of a very personal search to understand what makes love last. In the 1970s, she launched the first comprehensive relationship skills training course at American University. From there, she founded the nonprofit PAIRS Foundation to bring these tools to the world. Read more>>

Kimmarr Brown

Dr. Kimmarr Brown: Jamaica’s Young Visionary and Changemaker At just 20 years old, Dr. Kimmarr Brown is a powerhouse of talent, passion, and ambition. Hailing from Jamaica, she proudly held the title of 4th Runner-Up in the 2023 Mrs. Universe Jamaica pageant, showcasing her grace, confidence, and drive. Read more>>

Yael Rodriguez

As a kid, I struggled with being extremely overweight. I was teased and laughed at for my appearance, and food became my emotional comfort. By the age of 13, I weighed 240 pounds.

After finishing middle school, I decided I couldn’t live like that anymore — I wanted to take control. But back then, we didn’t have Google, YouTube, or easy access to fitness information. Even gyms weren’t common in my community. So, I had to figure it out on my own. Read More>>