It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from in and around Miami.
Laura Aguiar Diaz
I was born in Havana, Cuba, and immigrated to the United States with my family when I was two years old. We spent several months in a refugee camp at Guantánamo Bay before beginning a new life in America. Watching my parents rebuild from the ground up taught me resilience, hard work, and the value of opportunity from a very young age. Read more>>
Carlo Krockel
A Lifetime Behind the Chair: The Journey of Carlo Krockel My journey in the beauty industry began in Germany, where becoming a hairdresser was not simply a career choice—it was a true profession, built on discipline, craftsmanship, and dedication. As a young apprentice, I was hired by a local salon to train under a Hairmeister, a master hairstylist. Read more>>
Sighren McCullough
I started out very young, wanting to be in the entertainment, industry, acting, dancing, singing, where my main focus. Read more>>
Marta Blanco
My journey with Sofia’s Hope began as a mother. My daughter, Sofia, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma as a toddler. She bravely battled cancer and was declared cancer-free, but years later we learned that the chemotherapy that saved her life had caused irreversible damage to her heart. We lost Sofia when she was just 13 years old. Read more>>
Kat Brigian-Sierra
I’ve spent more than 20 years working at the intersection of the arts, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement. As a visual artist, I’ve always believed that creativity has the power to connect people, challenge perspectives, and strengthen communities. Read more>>
Color. The Creative
I started when I was around 5 years old. My grandfather was a jazz musician, and because of him I was exposed to instruments like keys, guitar, and drums, playing by hearing and composing very early. Read more>>
Jennifer Weinberg
My Co-Founder Mayela Lanza and I started Sustainable Supperclub in 2017 and hosted our first event in 2018 at Verde at PAMM with Top Chef Janine Booth. At the end of the event, everyone was asking us when the next one would be, and we knew were were on to something. Sustainable Supperclub has remained an important part of my life ever since. Read more>>
Gloria Rodriguez
My photography business began in 2010 and transitioned into Glopink Studios in 2013. I always had a passion for photography that developed naturally or maybe through osmosis. I grew up watching my father capture all the small moments with both his film and video camera which ultimately created our story although at the time I didn’t fully understand that. Read more>>
Nestor Correa
I’m a producer and fashion photographer based in Central Florida, and for more than 25 years I’ve had the privilege of building a career around storytelling through both photography and motion. Read more>>
Jose Li
I was born and raised in Lima, Peru — the grandson of Chinese and Italian immigrants — and studied Industrial Engineering, eventually earning my MBA from Carnegie Mellon. From early on, I was drawn to operations, efficiency, systems — how things move and why they break down. My career took me through some interesting stops. Read more>>
Avery Akkineni
I’m Avery Akkineni, CMO of VaynerX. My career began in Silicon Valley at Google, where I first developed my passion for digital marketing. In 2018, I joined VaynerMedia, and then spent a few years building our Asia Pacific business from scratch. We grew from zero to 150 employees across Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, and Sydney, eventually earning Marketing Interactive’s Independent Agency of the Year. Read more>>
Samantha Mills
My journey as a nail technician began in 2014 with a simple love for beauty and creativity. What started as a passion quickly grew into a purpose. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to help women feel confident, express themselves, and celebrate life’s special moments one set of nails at a time. As my experience grew, so did my desire to teach. Read more>>
Corrine Smiley
I’m a Miami native whose career has always centered around communication, relationship building, and connecting people. After graduating magna cum laude from Florida International University with degrees in Organizational Communication and Communication Arts, I spent more than 16 years in South Florida real estate, where I developed a passion for marketing, branding, and helping clients navigate some of life’s biggest decisions. Read more>>
Joshua Hardinger
I started at a very young age (13) at high end salons of Philadelphia area using my art talents to create beautiful technique’s for happy customers. I worked for a few other salons based on my talents and skills before getting accepted to and graduating from Ringling College of Art and Design where I graduated #2 in America for Illustration. Read more>>
Jose & Jennifer Martinez
My husband was not happy in his job. He got to the point where he need medication to continue there. He came to me and said, ‘He wanted to quit his job and follow his dream!’ So as any good wife would do I asked, ‘what’s your dream now Jose? Read more>>
Elijah Ible
My name is Elijah Patrick Ible, I am the Founder of Bourn Media and its residual company DrivenFocus, an independent book author with KDP ( Ali Ahu & The Magic Tree) on Kindle and Amazon and the new face of Hempire, a clothing brand that makes it clothes entirely of Hemp. Read more>>
Greg ‘G Sharp’ Benjamin
My journey as a DJ started long before I ever touched a pair of turntables. As a kid, I volunteered to play records at my parents’ house parties, but everything changed after I attended my first school dance. Watching a DJ mix records on two turntables opened my eyes to an entirely new world. Read more>>
Jason Joshua
My name is Jason Joshua, and I’m a Latin Soul and Funk singer from Miami, Florida. My story really begins with an obsession—an obsession with music that carries emotion, longing, heartbreak, passion, and all the beautiful complexities that come with being human. I grew up captivated by artists like Joe Bataan and Ralfi Pagan, artists who understood that a great song isn’t just heard—it’s felt. Read more>>
Carmen Quintero
Art has always been my way of transforming simple materials into something meaningful. What began as a curiosity soon became a lifelong passion for creating beauty by hand. My journey started with carved candles, where I discovered the extraordinary possibilities hidden within wax. Read more>>
Heidi Monika Romer
My story is rooted in identity, culture, books, and the belief that our stories deserve to be seen. I am a first-generation American and grew up between the Bronx and Miami, shaped by my Puerto Rican and German roots. Read more>>
Lauren Finkelstein
My career began in television at MTV, where I got my start in the industry. I later became a promo producer at CNBC, Court TV, WNBC, and King World. I loved telling compelling stories, but over time I realized that media could do much more than entertain—it could save lives. Read more>>
Rudy Mage
Rudy Mage’s journey began far from the colorful walls and creative spaces that would later define his career. Born in Peru and raised in Miami, he discovered a passion for art at a young age, using drawing and design as a way to express himself and connect with the world around him. Read more>>
Jeannine Tilford
Like many entrepreneurs, Jeannine’s path wasn’t a straight line. She was a single mom, a high school science teacher, and a singer-songwriter who performed with a local band while juggling multiple jobs to support her family. Before teaching, she worked in veterinary medicine, which gave her a deep appreciation for wildlife, conservation, and the delicate balance of our ecosystems. Read more>>
Brenda Caurant and Annabelle Bare
We are two French creators who followed very different paths before finding ourselves on a shared journey of healing, and entrepreneurship. Although our backgrounds were very different, we were both driven by a desire to better understand ourselves and the deeper forces that shape our lives. Read more>>
jorge ramirez
Back in 1999, I started a rock band called Mermelada Bunch in Venezuela. We became quite popular, touring all year round. But as I grew up and had a family of my own, I wanted to start my own business. I decided to learn how to assembly computers that was my fisrt bussines, selling computers. Read more>>
Camilo “LUXLIFE” Yanez
Was Born in Bogota, Colombia and brought to South Florida. Grew up in Broward & Miami Dade County. In high school and college hung around many different social circles and gatherings. Feel in love with music, parties and bringing people together. Read more>>
Sylwia Stachyra
My story has always been driven by curiosity, hard work, and a love for bringing people together through food. I grew up in Poland, where cooking was more than just preparing meals—it was a way of expressing love and creating memories. My career has taken me on an incredible journey. Read more>>
Casey Gentile
When I was 19, I started working as a pharmacy technician, where I saw firsthand how hundreds of people were prescribed antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications. I noticed that many of those patients had been taking these medications for years, some for over a decade, which made me curious about the long-term approach to mental health treatment. That curiosity led me to start The Expose Report. Read more>>
Mariana Ortiz
I often describe my story as the story of a girl who kept saying yes before she felt ready, and then figured out the rest on the way. I grew up in Medellín with a very specific obsession: I needed to understand how things are imagined before they exist. Not who built them, but who conceived them. Read more>>
Demetrius Conley
At the age of 10 or 11, I was to listen to tons of alternative rock music. I’ve listen to bands such as 3 Doors Down, Nirvana, Boys Like Girls, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linkin Park, Green Day, Foo Fighters, Weezer, and many more. Read more>>
Nic Huey
I moved to Lake Worth in December of 2022 and began hosting mixers out of my apartment in May of 2023, which is where my interconnectedness in the community grew and my passion for gathering people really ignited. Read more>>
Kristine Cumberbatch
I am a self taught makeup artist from Staten Island, that has relocated to the Bronx. My focus is on educating individuals about beauty products, cosmetics and makeup techniques virtually. I am currently working on visibility and overall getting my name out there. Read more>>
Daniel Pozo
I started out in hospitality. That world taught me how to take care of people. Not in a transactional way, but in the small details that make someone feel genuinely looked after. That instinct stuck with me and shaped how I approach everything. From there I moved into health and wellness. The deeper I got, the more I kept noticing the same pattern. Read more>>
Kaela Genovese
It all started at the ripe age of 3 yo. I was a little fashionista and loved dressing up in my moms high-heels, my grandmothers oversized sunnies, and my great-grandmothers pearls….it was a family fashion affair. I knew I was destined for the fashion industry. Read more>>
Brandi Williams
People often know me as Dread, but my journey into entertainment really started with a willingness to show up, network, and say yes to opportunities that aligned with my passion for media and connecting with people. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work across several areas of the entertainment industry, building experience in reality television, film, music videos, digital media, and brand partnerships. Read more>>
Carole Ann Taylor
My journey truly began in the choir of my father’s historic Baptist church and continued through my college days at Central State University. Many extraordinary musicians attended Central State, and like so many of them, my foundation was built on those deep, sacred church traditions of singing and harmony—roots fundamentally inseparable from the evolution of jazz itself. Read more>>
Ishika Purpose
The Multi Award Winning Music extraordinaire Ms. Ishika Purpose launched her first CD titled ‘ I Got a Purpose ‘ in 2013 and released her second CD ‘ Ishika Charles Project ‘ in 2015 both inTortola, British Virgin Islands. In June 2016 she was placed in the Top Three in a Christian-based competition ‘ America’ Got Anointing ‘. Read more>>
Kari Thurmond
Growing up, my father blew glass and built abstract aluminum public art sculptures at Railroad Square Art Park in Tallahassee, FL. I was in awe of this work and it was the catalyst for me to have the lifelong desire to create artwork. I took a 2D art class in college wherein I created my first paper cutting. Read more>>
Juan Henriquez
I was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, and my relationship with art began very early. I studied graphic arts and design at the Julio Árraga Art School, and later continued my training at the Neptalí Rincón Superior Academy of Art, where I explored painting, printmaking, and experimental processes. Read more>>
Mariia Shirokova
I’ve always been fascinated by people who choose change. Whether it’s moving to another country, launching a business, or simply deciding to change your life—I’ve always admired people who take that leap. Looking back, it makes sense that my own journey naturally evolved around those moments of change. I studied law, but early on I realized that my heart wasn’t in becoming a lawyer. Read more>>
Shaykayla Smith
As far back as I can remember, I found myself asking questions about why we think the way we do, what shapes our beliefs, and why people experience the world so differently from one another. I was a quiet, observant, and curious kid. I’ve always loved learning, asking questions, and understanding how things work. Read more>>
Gabriel Rhenals
Looking back on my creative life after completing a glut of projects as a filmmaker (i.e., 16 short films, four feature films and a series), I feel like my journey as a creative has been largely defined by a pervasive tension between a sublime ideal and a brutally disharmonious reality. Read more>>
Sarah Galvan
Music has always been part of who I am. As a child, I simply loved making music, but as I got older, that love grew into a curiosity about people, psychology and the incredible diversity of how our brains learn, communicate and experience the world. Read more>>
Shannon Menchaca
For over a decade, I was a domestic manager mom(At home mom lol). While it has been one of the most important and rewarding roles of my life, there were times when I felt lost in who I was outside of being a wife and mother. Read more>>
Raven Wachler
When I graduated from Coral Springs Charter High School in 2016, my path looked different from many of my classmates. While most were preparing to leave for four-year universities, I chose beauty school. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve always loved the beauty industry, although my first obsession wasn’t hair—it was nails. Read more>>
Layanna Lilac
I got into J-pop about 3 years ago and through that discovered kaigai idols! Groups like Non-Sweet and people like Paida really inspired me and made me want to pursue this path as well. Read more>>
Leslie Lozada
Hey hey! So, Lola’s Soap Shop was born during a season when I needed something creative, hopeful, and completely my own. As a mother of 3, life can be demanding, and creating became both an outlet and a lifeline. Soap literally kept me sane during some of the most challenging times in my life.. Read more>>
Gabriela Gamboa
I was born in Pittsburgh and raised in Venezuela, where I developed a deep connection to the landscape, history, and cultural complexities that continue to shape my work. Growing up between different cultures taught me great adaptability and, I believe, a sense of openness and communication. Read more>>
Yaris Lemus-Pedroso
I was born in a small rural town in Cuba called Aguacate, a place surrounded by simplicity, nature, and the kind of quiet that stays with you long after you leave. Some of my earliest memories are tied to books, words, and the feeling that stories could take me somewhere beyond what I could see. Read more>>
Jesse Bratter
I always knew I wanted to be a writer for a living. When I was in college, I thought that meant I had to be a news journalist. I attended Florida State University in the state capital and served in various editing roles for our school newspaper, including editor-in-chief, so I was constantly exposed to government-related news. Read more>>
Shatawn Reid
I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I wanted to own a business that would help others. I wanted to do work that wouldn’t feel like work to me. This is the reason why, when I received my Master’s in Business Administration, I also obtained a concentration in Entrepreneurship. My photography business started before I actually had a business. Read more>>
Sophie Soudai
When I was a child I knew things before they happened and I was very sensitive but didn’t know exactly what that was. My parents were survivors of the Holocaust, and because my gift distressed my Mother, I stopped sharing. Read more>>
Heidi Yancey
My name is Heidi Yancey. I am a mother to a beautiful daughter Rosa Skinner and grandmother too two beautiful grandchildren. I am Delaware’s First African American Ballerina. I have been dancing since the age of 5 years old. At the age I made history but wasn’t recognized until the age of 23 years old. Read more>>
Patricia Delinois
Born in Montreal, Canada, I was raised in a multilingual and multicultural environment that shaped the way I see the world. I learned French naturally by listening to my family speak around me every day. I never attended a French school, but language became part of my identity through connection, observation, and immersion. Read more>>
Jenny Snyder
It was just meant to be a hobby at first. At five years old, I started taking piano lessons with the teenage girl who lived next-door to me in Alaska. But I took very quickly to reading music and when she would ask me to work on one piece, I would come back the next week having played through the whole book. Read more>>
JEREMY BOYD
Here’s a more natural version with a smooth conversational tone and no hyphen breaks: — I actually got started pretty early without realizing it. I was born in Fuchu, Japan, just outside of Tokyo, because my parents were teaching at an American school there. Read more>>
Mariela Notario
Bitácora Collection was born in 2015 as both a love story and a creative partnership between Mariela Notario, an industrial designer specialized in costume design, and Senén Tabares, a photojournalist. We began in Cuba, in a small home workshop in Pinar del Río, at a time when material shortages were a part of everyday life. Those limitations pushed us to experiment. Read more>>
