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.

Nola Schoder

I became interested in how imagery could help communicate the ocean’s stories and spark a sense of connection and responsibility. That led me to pursue my master’s in marine conservation at UMiami and eventually make Miami my home, where I could further blend water, storytelling, and science. Read more>>

Zipporah Ruth

So I went back to school. I pushed through classes, teachers and tests — all the things that once scared me — and became certified in holistic health and nutrition. I started teaching young girls, hoping to plant seeds of self-worth early. One step led to the next: private coaching, deeper studies and certifications in hormone health, gut health, emotional eating… and eventually, the missing piece — the nervous system. That changed everything. Read more>>

Diana S Rice

Over the last 20+ years, my career has woven together mental health, education, and even the South Florida film industry. I completed a year-long practicum at Cross Creek School, a CBT-based K–12 therapeutic school, working alongside psychiatrists, nurses, and clinicians. I later served with Friends of Children, providing in-home and school-based therapy to underserved BIPOC communities. After that, I spent time in education and media, which sharpened my storytelling skills and gave me a wider lens on culture, systems, and how stories shape identity. Read more>>

Alejandra Diaz

As Founder and Lead Attorney at LEGAL COLLECTIVE, I work tirelessly to protect my clients and their companies. My mission is to offer proactive, personalized legal guidance that minimizes risk before it materializes. My service is direct, exclusive, and rooted in a deep understanding of both the legal landscape and the realities businesses face. My clients sleep better at night knowing they have LEGAL COLLECTIVE on their side. Read more>>

Shiffy Goldstein

I spent over a decade working as a surgical technologist, a role that was both meaningful and fulfilling. But as my life evolved—raising a growing family, managing a home, commuting long hours, and attending nursing school—I found myself stretched too thin. Read more>>

Ashley Niebles

I’ve always been drawn to art, fashion, photography, anything creative. Making things by hand was part of how I grew up. My mom has always crocheted, and it was just something that lived naturally in our home. MAYSHA started when I wanted clothes I wasn’t seeing in stores. Read more>>

Lin Cherry

Nobody in my family was a lawyer. Growing up, my dad’s message to me was simple: be independent and have a profession. Law became my path to a real seat at the table in business. Once I became a lawyer, I realized how much I was drawn to the creative side. Read more>>

Ronnie Gnesin

Ronnie Gnesin is a seasoned entrepreneur and visionary businessman based in South Florida, widely recognized for his success in the hospitality, automotive, and advertising industries. Over the course of his career, Ronnie has built a reputation for innovation, determination, and the ability to identify and capitalize on business opportunities that serve both locals and tourists in one of the nation’s most competitive markets. Read more>>

Adriana Vera

I started with a transportation business, but it didn’t go the way I expected. It was a very stressful business — when something breaks, it can cost thousands of dollars. That’s exactly what happened to me: my equipment broke down, and I spent all my savings just to repair it and keep it running. Read more>>

Aroon Surani

I started my career in social media in 2016, shortly after graduating from the Nicholson School of Communication with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations. I began freelancing as a social media manager, publicist, and magazine editor, working with small businesses and startups across South Florida to grow their online presence and brand awareness. Read more>>

Juan Stella

I was born and raised in Argentina in a family with over 50 years of history in entrepreneurship and real estate. As a second-generation member of that business, I grew up learning the value of long-term thinking, responsibility, and resilience. Rather than simply continuing what already existed, I chose to build my own path. Read more>>

Tim Kassouf

I didn’t grow up confident or comfortable in my body at all. I was the overweight kid with deep insecurities and those body image issues followed me into adulthood. I had a need for others to like me, because I didn’t like myself, so I needed that external validation to have any sense of worth. Read more>>

Michi Hung

From an early age, I was always making something – creating Club Penguin videos, filming home movies and vlogs with friends, and editing early YouTube projects. That hands-on start taught me how to tell stories, collaborate, and follow through from idea to finished video. Read more>>

Alonso Rodriguez Segarra

From a very young age, I’ve always been fascinated by how millionaires built their fortunes. I clearly remember starting to read about the life of John Rockefeller when I was 12 years old, and I always wanted to understand how these great magnates managed to create such empires. Read more>>

Dr. Nahomie Mirville, DNP

My journey began with a deep desire to serve and care for others, a value rooted in both my culture and faith. While I initially aspired to become a neurosurgeon, over 25 years ago, I stepped into nursing with curiosity, heart, and a willingness to lead, and that decision opened doors I never imagined. Read more>>

CHRISTINE RINCON

My story really begins at the bedside. I started my career as a Critical Care Nurse, where I spent years mastering the complexities of human physiology in high-stress, high-stakes environments. I loved the clinical work, but I always had this pull toward something bigger—specifically, the stars. ​For a long time, the space industry felt reserved for pilots, engineers, and physicians. Read more>>

Mark Gibson

Interestingly, I didn’t start in tech or art sales—I started in hospitality. Years ago, I owned a small French café on Newbury Street in Boston, right in the heart of the city’s creative scene, surrounded by galleries, musicians, and constant creative energy. That environment shaped me more than I realized at the time. Creativity was part of my foundation from the very beginning. Read more>>

Kimberly Rodriguez

I’m a first-generation Honduran American raised in the inner-city neighborhoods of Miami. My parents worked relentlessly to provide for my sister and me, but growing up where I did, there were very few examples of what “making it out” actually looked like. I didn’t know what was possible—I just knew survival. Read more>>

Serviette Love

Serviette Love was formed in 2022 however, when the really started was January 26th, 2024 with the release of ‘Lately’. From there we started to perform at local venues such as Tea and Poets, Naomis Garden and Dear Eleanor. Read more>>

Mariana Lema

I was searching for new hobbies to try at home and kept hearing the same refrain: “technology is the future.” So, out of curiosity, I taught myself computer programming and data science. What began as curiosity quickly became practice. I built websites, developed software, and created branding for anyone who needed it. Read more>>

Daniel Yanes

Wise Choice Summer Camp was founded over 21 years. It started initially as a tutoring camp but after years of listening to the feedback of the parents and the campers, we have adjusted the schedule to what it is today. Read more>>

Charisse Collette

I’ve worked independently and taken on leadership responsibilities from a young age, long before I ever thought of myself as an entrepreneur. By 19, I was managing my own workload while juggling college, leading on-site product promotional teams, and representing national brands. That early experience required discipline, communication, and accountability, and it taught me how to earn trust and perform in fast-paced environments. Read more>>

Tessa Johnston

I am originally from Windsor, a small town in Canada, but I developed an early drive to push boundaries and pursue opportunities on a global scale. My career led me to Dubai, where I served as a house model for luxury fashion brands and expanded my on-camera experience across high-end commercial and fashion work. Read more>>

Kimberly Rasor

I originally began my professional life as a ballet dancer. I lived in New York City and was dancing professionally on and off, but quickly facing the economic realities of that profession. In my mid twenties I returned to college. I had been dancing since I was 9 years old and wanted to use my personal experience with overcoming challenges that I faced dancing ballet. Read more>>

Cherise C Irons

My journey in entrepreneurship began in 2016 following early retirement from my 17 year educational career. The early retirement came as a result of a traumatic encounter at work which triggered migraine. I had been in remission for five years until the incident occurred. Between June 2016 to October 2016 I became extremely ill. Read more>>

Anthony Arnone

My name is Anthony Arnone. If you told me 10 years ago I would be running Boca Raton’s largest crystal shop, I would have probably laughed. You truly never know how the cards you were dealt will play out. I originally started this journey through an ad I posted on Craigs List. Yes, a fruitful and successful crystal business was made possible through CRAIGS LIST. Read more>>

Erica Kanjan

My journey into home care is deeply personal and intentionally strategic. On a personal level, my grandparents played a defining role in my life. Watching them age made me acutely aware of how vulnerable even the strongest people become when care systems are fragmented, impersonal, or reactive. They deserved care that preserved their dignity, independence, and emotional well being, not just basic task completion. Read more>>

Francisca Almeida

My name is Francisca Almeida, and I am the founder of FCA Cleaning Services. I am Brazilian, and I arrived in the United States in 2016. When I first came here, I started working in residential cleaning for a family, from Monday to Friday. It was during that time that many doors of opportunity opened for me. Read more>>

Jack Baier

My story started with legos. My parents noticed I had a knack for building things – and I was always good at math – and they thought I’d be good at Architecture. The next step was when I went off to college, I was signed up for business school. Read more>>

JULIETA ATTONATY

From Argentina to Miami: My Journey as a Stylist and Entrepreneur I moved to Miami in 2021, after the pandemic, in search of a fresh start. Back in Argentina, I had built a solid career as a hairstylist and owned my own salon for over ten years. But I felt it was time for a deeper change — personally and professionally. Read more>>

Elise Meurrens

My story begins a few years ago, during Covid. Like everyone else I discovered TikTok and Instagram could be used for so much more. I started a wellness account to share my recipes, workouts and more. Over the years I grew the account but I went through a rough patch my first year of college and ended up taking a gap year. Read more>>

Daulet Toiymbetov

I started as truck dispatcher and evolved into dispatch agency with 7 people and covering 20 trucks. Plus I own a brokerage company that helps me to find customers. Read more>>

Lana Tymchenko

I started photography in 2019 in NYC, but it didn’t last, because at that time I was trying to do tourist photography, and it was boring and I didn’t see how I could grow in it.. I didn’t know anything about the business and was struggling to get booked. I thought it’ was not for me and gave up. Read more>>

Martha Ramirez

I started with few clients in my house then I shared a space in a commercial premises with another person and then I grew to rent my own place, it was an office and there was born a Cute And Nace Nail Art Studio, it was not a nail salon it was a more private place where you receive more treatment then my daughter came to work with me, now we have two more people who also make art and we have the best comments on Google! Read more>>

Deja Futrell

I started Coffelle from something very personal to me, the joy of sharing my favorite pastime with the people I love. Before coffee, I was actually a fashion designer. I founded my clothing brand in 2019 and truly believed that would be my long-term path. But when COVID hit, everything shifted. Read more>>

M Kane

The South Florida Amateur Astronomers Association (SFAAA) is a 501c nonprofit organization that exists to promote education in Science ( Astonomy, Astrophysics, Chemistry, and Geology) and serves as a community platform for astronomers in South Florida. SFAAA is made up of members that share an enjoyment and curiosity for all things related to astronomy. Read more>>

ADRIAN BENITEZ

My father was a commercial shrimper in the early 2000s, he transitioned from shrimping, to lobster and stone crab, to fin fish. He would get up early AMs and catch fish, then would go on a little truck selling fresh fish around Miami. He was never able to stay in one spot long enough because they would kick him out. Read more>>

Catherine Rojas

I was born and raised in Colombia, and ever since I was little, I dreamed of moving to Miami, even though I didn’t know much about the city. I’ve always been passionate about music—I attended music school, loved singing, dancing, and playing the piano—and I saw Miami as the perfect place to explore and build a career in music. Read more>>

J.C. Destini

I’m originally from Miami, and my story began in survival long before it ever became a title. I grew up without a sense of safety, trauma, and moments where I had to mature way too earlier than I should have. For a long time, I carried those experiences quietly, believing strength meant silence. Read more>>

Vanessa Santillana

I didn’t begin with a perfect plan or a clear roadmap. I began with curiosity, ambition, and a deep inner knowing that God had placed a calling on my life to build something meaningful, purposeful, and impactful. From early on, I was drawn to growth personal, professional, and financial. Read more>>

Louis J. Terminello

My career has always revolved around the alcohol beverage and hospitality industry, just from very different vantage points. I began in the 1980s as a Senior State Law Enforcement Investigator with the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. Read more>>

Joe Embres

My name is Joe Embres and I am the Founder, CEO, and the sole owner of Kyanos Farms, home of Vero Beach Spirulina. My Fresh Spirulina and my Freshly Frozen Spirulina Ice Blender Sticks are the only two products that I grow and distribute at Kyanos Farms. My team and I use the very best cutting-edge technology to grow the highest quality Spirulina anywhere. Read more>>

Slava Di

My story began over 20 years ago when I first held a camera and realized how powerful storytelling through images could be. What started as curiosity quickly turned into a passion for photography and videography, and over time, that passion evolved into a career. I naturally gravitated toward weddings, where emotion, artistry, and precision meet. Read more>>

Jim Levinson

In the middle of COVID, I made a life-changing decision. I stepped away from a 21-year career as a senior project engineer designing heavy truck axles and chose a very different path-one centered on giving back. I felt a profound calling to help people and, in some small way, help the planet. Read more>>

Lindsey Margolin

That training opened my eyes not just to my own capabilities, but to a bigger issue happening in the background. The more I trained, the more I kept hearing the same thing from the people doing this work every day: they weren’t getting access to realistic, modern, pressure-driven training that matched the situations they were actually walking into. Read more>>

Nikki Drea

I began going to church at a very young age, often tagging along with my neighbor, Mrs. Brown. Nearly every day she brought me to a lively Caribbean church where the congregation sang, clapped, and danced with a joy that filled the room. I was no older than six, but even then I felt how powerful music could be—how it could lift spirits, even at funerals back home in Jamaica. Read more>>