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.

Sean Casey

I was 17 years old in highschool when I found out I was having a child ! Sold drugs someone hired a confidential informant to murder me through the course of that investigation they picked me up for drug trafficking and sentenced me to 65 months ! Read More>>

Brian Lopez

Well, I started out in a rather strange way. The first thing I did was search the internet for how to make money online; that was always my dream: to be able to make a living from the internet, one way or another. We are talking about back around 2013. Read More>>

Onajide Shabaka

I identify as a creative practitioner but obviously didn’t begin there. I think the initial way the creative came into my life was through literature. My mother and grandmother would read short stories and especially poetry to us siblings and cousins. Read More>>

Jenna Zeratsky

When I was a young girl, I was full of energy and fascinated by anything related to movement, health, and science. I had two left feet, and many things did not come naturally to me, other than my ability to connect with people. I started in competitive gymnastics at a young age, which taught me discipline, commitment, and the value of hard work. Read More>>

Jenny Goldfarb

Like so many entrepreneurs, my journey started with my family. As a wife and mom to three daughters, I wanted to put healthier food on our table without giving up the comfort foods we loved. Growing up in a Jewish family, deli sandwiches were more than just meals—they were part of our traditions and some of my favorite memories. Read More>>

Shara Armprester

Natural Beauty Cuties was never part of a business plan. It started with a simple moment that opened my eyes to a much larger issue. One day, a young girl asked me for a pad. I didn’t have one, so I went to the main office to get one for her. When I saw the product she was given, I was surprised by the quality. Read More>>

Kidsan Barnes

I was born in Jamaica and raised with a strong sense of resilience, ambition, and responsibility. My path was not always linear, but I have always been driven by curiosity, hard work, and a desire to create impact. I started my career in telecommunications and connectivity, building my foundation in customer relationships, operations, and commercial strategy. Read More>>

Fernanda Negromonte

FERNANDA NEGROMONTE Biography & Professional Background Broker/Owner, Nova Real Estate Services | Orlando, Florida Fernanda Negromonte is the CEO and Broker of Nova Real Estate Services, a boutique real estate brokerage based in Orlando, Florida. Read More>>

Noam YATIV

A friend of mine had told me about an interactive mirror photo booth he had seen on social media and suggested that we should buy one and start offering it at events. Interestingly, we actually started doing exactly that about seven years ago. After two years in business together, I bought out his share and continued growing the company on my own. Read More>>

Yokany Reyes

I’ve been passionate about the arts for as long as I can remember. As a child, I was constantly drawing, painting, and exploring different creative outlets. Over time, I developed the belief that almost everything we experience and interact with is a form of art in some way. Read More>>

Erika Delgado

In high school, I was heavily involved in theatre and student government, where I helped plan homecoming and other special events. Looking back, those experiences really laid the foundation for my career. Theatre gave me an appreciation for storytelling and production, while student government sparked my interest in event planning. Read More>>

Alex Valle

I’ve been in the restaurant industry for 26 years! I was at 15 years old working at a Mexican restaurant as a dish washer and moved all the way up to cook at 15. I opened a gourmet peanut butter and jelly sandwich food truck in 2012 and had it for 8 years till 2020 and sold the company a month before Covid happened. Read More>>

Ryan Provost

I started as a TV editor & producer in 2012. I was involved with this industry for about 10 years until switching over to DJing and throwing events in Brooklyn. Shortly after this, I ventured into beverage which was during the summer of 2020, right when the pandemic was kicking off. Read More>>

Melissa Mercily

My love for beauty started at a very young age. I would paint my baby dolls nails and style their hair, I was also raised around women who took beauty and self-care seriously, My Mom is the type of woman that has to have the heels to match the outfit or the belt to match the heels. Read More>>

Alexandra Shatokhina

I started in the art world from a place of instinct rather than structure. I was always drawn to aesthetics, atmosphere, and the emotional impact of visual work, but I didn’t begin as a traditional gallery insider. Instead, I approached art more intuitively—through travel, relationships, and exposure to different cultural scenes. Early on, I began connecting artists with collectors informally, almost organically. Read More>>

Shauna Caletka

Before adding swimwear designer to my resume, I was a full-time travel physical therapist with a love of arts and crafts and an awesome bikini obsession. When COVID hit my husband and I decided it was time to plant some permanent roots and start a family, so in 2021 we welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world. Read More>>

Catalina Ospina

I am a woman of Latin origin. My childhood was spent between a traditional, close-knit family and the mafia wars in Medellín. Since the age of 5, I have been fighting the consequences of neurocysticercosis (a parasite contracted through pork that reached my brain). This happened in the midst of the separation of my parents, who had me when they were just teenagers. Read More>>

Dr. Connie Siskowski

My parents were divorced at a time when divorce was less prevalent. We lived with my grandparents. I was very close to my grandfather who taught me many skills and who loved me – even when I didn’t behave – he called me Sarah Jane McCluskey then! Read More>>

Myra Weaver

Having been a music lover from an early age – but never a performer – my outlet was providing music lessons to my sons. Instead of rebelling against the rigor of music training, they embraced it, eventually joining the school bands. Being invited to participate in the (former) Florida Philharmonic’s ‘Side-by-Side’ concert changed everything; They discovered Classical music. Read More>>

Yitzchok ‘Isaac’ Kessler

I grew up in a large Orthodox Jewish family with five brothers and five sisters, and I’m the eighth of eleven children. For most of my childhood and early adulthood, my education focused exclusively on Jewish studies. After graduating from rabbinical college, I earned my GED and later graduated Magna Cum Laude from Florida International University with dual bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Real Estate. Read More>>

Kaila “Key” Gumbs

As a young kid growing up in South Florida, I was always fascinated with animation and video games. With channels like Toonami, WB for Kids, and Cartoon Network, I spent hours after school watching my favorite cartoons. I would imagine myself as part of these grand epics – inserting myself into fantastical worlds of grandeur and exploration. Read More>>

Wan Seijas

I actually really got into music of my dad. He was always playing 90s R&B in the car when I was little. Then as I got older, I started playing Guitar Hero and rock band. Those games open my mind to instrumentation and melody. Read More>>

Onke Magqaza

I was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, and my journey has been shaped by my faith, a passion for serving others, a love for learning, and a commitment to personal growth. While my path has included many challenges, those experiences have helped shape the person I am today. Read More>>

Amina Ly

My journey began in Dakar, Senegal, and took me through France and Italy before bringing me to Miami, where I now call home. Food has always been my language of love, and after studying and working in Europe, I spent many years as a private and executive chef, including on luxury yachts and in hospitality. Life has not always been easy. Read More>>

Patricia Schnall Gutierrez

From a young age, I never questioned any life path other than that of an artist. Art was always my strength, and the encouragement I received from teachers and family gave me the confidence to pursue it as both a career and a lifelong journey. After earning my BFA, I immediately began exhibiting and continued to develop my practice over the years. Read More>>

Lorane Rhoden

I’ve always been passionate about communication, storytelling, and helping people discover opportunities that can transform their lives. Growing up in Jamaica, I was drawn to media, marketing, and community development because I saw how powerful communication could be in shaping perspectives and creating impact. Read More>>

Max Zorn

My art began with a streetlamp and a woman across the street. I was living in Amsterdam and had lost my voice for a while, which is a strange problem to have when you are trying to impress someone. So I made her a small drawing on clear plexiglass and fixed it to a lamp near her window. Read More>>

Mona Rain

My Shamanic Teachings and earth restorative path came to me through a healing crisis that began in 1999. In searching for my own personal healing from a vaccine poisoning I was led into the indigenous cultures of Ecuador and Peru. My experiences and subsequent healing physically and on a soul level led me fully into providing these profound healings for others in the years since. Read More>>

Joanne Fisher

My journey as an author began with a lifelong love of storytelling and a fascination with the choices people make when faced with extraordinary circumstances. Like many writers, I started with a simple idea and a desire to create stories that would entertain, inspire, and stay with readers long after they turned the final page. Read More>>

Andrea Conner

My journey began six years ago in the most unexpected way. I was making balloon creations at the place where I worked, earning tips and discovering how much I loved bringing joy to children and their families. At the time, I never imagined that those simple balloon figures would become the foundation of my own business. Read More>>

Gabriella Maenza

My love for events started when I was ten years old and appointed myself ‘Official Family Talent Show Planner.’ My family still talks about that show — and looking back, it was the first sign of what I’d end up doing with my life. Read More>>

Christian Parla

My name is Christian Parla, and for over a decade I’ve built my career as a hairstylist, helping clients feel confident through beauty and transformation. I was one of the founders of That’s It Salon in Miami Shores, where I grew both personally and professionally. Read More>>

Tuana Schumacher

Having grown up in a family with businesses in the fashion-industry, my heart was always with the latest trends in fashion. When I was a little girl, I cut photographs from magazines and newspapers, and created combos by pasting the different photos in a notebook. Then I tried to convince my parents to buy me similar clothes, or have it tailored. Read More>>

Enrique Chiriboga

I’ve been obsessed with movies from a very young age. I have vivid memories of my dad showing me The Ring and The Sixth Sense when I was about five years old. As a kid, I started creating scenes for movies that didn’t exist with my toys and telling stories before I was even fully aware of it. Read More>>

Dwight Thomas

Dwight Thomas is an author, entrepreneur, and community leader committed to making a lasting impact through education, safety awareness, and family support initiatives. As the founder of Thomas For Them Inc., he leads efforts focused on family reunification, child safety education, and community outreach programs designed to protect and empower vulnerable populations. Read More>>

Manny Garavito

I started doing stand-up comedy in Miami back in 2009. At the time, there really wasn’t much of a comedy scene here. If you wanted opportunities, you had to create them yourself. So that’s what I did. Read More>>

Anil Singh

I am Anil Singh, keyboardist, harmonium player, music producer, and core member of GY2MX. I come from a deep Indo-Caribbean musical lineage as the son of the late great Hari Singh, who performed with the BWIA National Indian Orchestra and played alongside legends of the chutney foundation like Sundar Popo. Read More>>

Neal Oates, Jr.

I started my professional journey in real estate in 2007, during one of the most challenging seasons the industry had ever seen. That experience taught me early that success could not be built on convenience, shortcuts, or perfect conditions. It had to be built on faith, discipline, service, relationships, and a commitment to excellence. Read More>>

Alexias Kinsey

As a little girl, I always had a passion for baking. My grandmother was known for making tea cookies, homemade sweet potato pie, and bread pudding all by sight. Nothing was ever measured. I can still remember gathering ingredients and standing nearby, watching her effortlessly create delicious sweets from scratch. Years later, I worked in a bakery and gained valuable experience. Read More>>

Nashlee Joseph

I first started my makeup journey in 2020 while I was in college, but if I’m being honest, I didn’t truly believe in myself back then. Makeup was something I loved, but I hadn’t yet realized it could become my purpose. Everything changed in 2022. At the time, I was living in Massachusetts, working a security job that I absolutely hated. Read More>>

Steven Goralnick

BOP SHOP BRASS was started in early 2021 by my friend Alex Larinov, another fellow trombone player who I’ve been friends with since high school growing up in Miami. During the tail end of the pandemic, as things starting opening up, Alex was able to get a couple weekly gigs playing at the Vizcaya and Legion Park Farmers markets. Read More>>

Mariana Ferreras

My name is Mariana Ferreras. I moved to the United States on May 15, 2015, at the age of 21. Like many immigrants pursuing a better future, I arrived with big dreams and a strong determination to succeed. From the moment I arrived, I worked hard while studying full-time. Read More>>

Mariah Amad Dominguez

I started my career in medicine in 2018. I graduated as a Physician Assistant and started working in primary care. I worked helping people manage diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, depression, anxiety, blood pressure issues, a little bit of everything. I started to begin questioning why everything was being treated just with pills, and not with lifestyle or diet change. Read More>>

Peter Polyak

I’ve been involved with art for as long as I can remember. I won my first painting competition in kindergarten, started studying music and fine art at eleven, and had my first exhibition at twelve. After earning a degree in art education in Hungary, I continued exploring different creative fields, including painting, filmmaking, photography, music, and directing. Read More>>

Malak alzghier

Title: Out of the Rubble, A Masterpiece is Born’ My name is Malak Al-Zghier. I am 16 years old, born into a modest Syrian family. When I was only six, my mother noticed that my tiny fingers weren’t just drawing random lines—they were sketching art years ahead of my age. That was the spark of my journey. Read More>>

Chloe Crowley

When I was a kid, I picked up a camera and never really put it down. I grew up involved in theatre and was given opportunities to photograph shows, headshots, and promotional work, which sparked my love for visual storytelling. Read more>>

Emma Terlizzi

I am currently a music therapy intern working at Trustbridge Hospice at Empath Health. I always had a love for music. Growing up with my very non-musical, paving business-owner family members, I chose my own path when I picked the flute in fourth grade. Going through regional bands and state orchestras in Connecticut, I fell in love with performing and classical flute. Read more>>