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 throughout Maryland.
Tammi Rogers
I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland surrounded by theater, music, and live performances, often attending plays and concerts with my mother. That early exposure sparked my love for the arts. Read More>>
Chiara D’Amore
My story really begins with a lifelong connection to nature. As a child, I felt most at home outdoors — exploring, observing, and sensing early on that the well-being of people and natural the environment were deeply intertwined. That curiosity eventually became both my academic path and my life’s work. Read More>>
Tyler Henson
By the grace of God, honestly. I’m just paying attention and staying humble. Read More>>
Sonia Osorio
My Story – Sonia Osorio I am a professional in International Business, and I have always believed that growth begins with bold decisions. Although I built my academic foundation in global commerce and strategy, I felt a calling to create deeper, more meaningful change — not only in my own life, but in the lives of other women. Read More>>
Tasha Haight
My journey into this work grew out of a lifelong love of storytelling, performance, and the ocean. What started as creating a mermaid character for appearances quickly evolved once I saw how meaningful those encounters could be — especially for kids. I realized this wasn’t just entertainment; it was a way to spark imagination, confidence, and curiosity about the ocean. Read More>>
DEBORAH JOHNSON
I’ve been a creative at heart since high school, when I would turn my mother’s Mary Kay makeup bag into my very first beauty kit, glamming up friends before events and watching their confidence bloom in real time. What started as teenage fun quickly revealed itself as something deeper — a calling rooted in transformation, connection, and purpose. Read More>>
Tamika Williams
My story really began in fifth grade when I was labeled the troubled child and faced very low expectations about my future. But I had a village of women who believed in me when I did not believe in myself. Read More>>
Symone Barnes
My journey really started with family. After my grandmother passed, I felt this pull to fill a gap. She was such a central figure in bringing everyone together, and I realized how much those shared meals meant. Cooking became my way of keeping that connection alive — holidays, random Sundays, celebrations — I was always the one in the kitchen making sure everyone felt together. Read More>>
LaWann Stribling
With my return to Cannabis in 2018 as a Medical Patient, it piqued my interest in what other plants can I grow aside from flowers. I advocated for home grow access for the residents in Maryland so I, along with others, can feel safe while utilizing nature for healing. Read More>>
Michael Hassett and Chiara Collette N/A
Chiara and I come from pretty different worlds—she grew up in Indonesia and eventually studied at Goucher, while I’m originally from north of Pittsburgh. We didn’t meet until 2012, when we both ended up in the Kingdom of Tonga as Peace Corps Volunteers. Read More>>
Jahrobi Ihsan
I grew up in Trenton, New Jersey, and my journey has always been rooted in community, creativity, and resilience. From a young age, I was immersed in the arts — dance, drumming, performance — and that creative foundation shaped how I see the world. Read More>>
NOURA KNOWS BEST
I WENT BUSINESS SCHOOL @ UMD AND GRADUATED WITH HONORS AND JUST UNDER A 4.0 I GOT MY CPA LICENSE @ 21 YEARS OLD AND SPECIALIZED IN FINANCIAL AND TAX CONSULTING, TAX RETURN PREPARATION, AND IRS REPRESENTATION. I’VE SAVED PEOPLE LITERALLY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN MY CAREER. ALONG THE WAY, I’VE HAD MANY LIVES AND DIFFERENT BUSINESSES AND VENTURES. Read More>>
Miss Lucky Long
My journey began in a small apartment on the Eastern Shore of Maryland while I was in college. What started as simple meals to get through busy days quickly became something much deeper — cooking became my outlet, my therapy, and my way of connecting with others. In that tiny kitchen, I discovered not just a passion, but a purpose. Read More>>
Krystal Vernee’
I’ve been an entrepreneur for over 20 years, but my journey didn’t start with a perfect plan, it started with vision, grit, and a deep desire to create something of my own. At 16 years old, I launched my first business selling handbags on eBay. I didn’t know it then, but I was already studying branding, positioning, and customer psychology. Read More>>
Erica Orgen
I had the privilege of growing up surrounded by art and artists. I am a third-generation artist, allowing me to have ongoing exposure to all facets of the art world. From that early introduction, I understood that creating and studying art was a passion I had to pursue. Read More>>
Amy Regeti
We didn’t set out to build a brand around South Asian weddings. We set out to build a life. Photography started long before it became a business. It began with curiosity — documenting family, milestones, ordinary days that didn’t feel ordinary to us. Over time, what began as creative exploration became a calling. We realized that photography wasn’t just about beautiful images. Read More>>
Angie Parker
My business partner, Billie, and I had been work peers for years when one day I came across a Mobile Book Truck. She lives at the beach, and I asked her, “Would you ever consider opening a Book Truck at the Beach?” (We both share a deep love for reading.) She immediately said YES and the rest is history! Read More>>
Abigail & Ellyn Daniels
We are sisters and always dreamed of owning a coffee shop or bakery! It was the place we wanted to visit wherever we traveled and love coffee and pastries so much and wanted to get to spend the day sharing those things with our community. Read More>>
Hilda Marquez
My journey has been one of growth, resilience, and partnership. Alongside my husband, I stepped into the auto body industry – a field that is traditionally very male-dominated. While it wasn’t the path I initially envisioned for myself, I quickly realized that my strengths in communication, organization, customer service, and relationship-building were exactly what the business needed. Read More>>
Jay Mason
My journey through life has been very twisted with an occasional road block I had to maneuver around or get over. My mom’s mental illness had a huge impact on my childhood. She spent time away from our home during my adolescent years, which caused some difficult times for my family. Most importantly, I was fortunate to have a caring and loving family. Read More>>
Eric Levinson
I opened Hummingbird Inn in 2017, but the path to becoming an innkeeper and chef was anything but linear. I grew up in the Washington, DC area and later returned to the Eastern Shore, where I felt a strong pull toward creating something rooted in hospitality, community, and genuine connection. Read More>>
Becs Blough
Well, i started to try to crochet back in elementary school but i could not get the hang of it. Fast forward to when im about 18ish and i wanted to give it another whirl because crochet is like witchcraft lol. I started off with headbands, scarfs and hats. A goal of mine was to sell my creations to strangers and share the art. Read More>>
Ladonia Spence
My journey began long before I ever called myself a chef. It started in my kitchen — cooking for my family, learning how food could comfort, heal, and bring people together. Over time, I realized food was more than flavor. It was care. It was dignity. It was service. Read More>>
Alex Lieb
After high school, enlisted in the USAF but was cut short by pre existing condition after 4 months. Moved on to college at Pennsylvania State University, did some intern work in NYC at CBS and Nickelodeon then eventually found my way to the DMV. Kicked around in publishing, food sales then found my place in the mortgage niche. Read More>>
Najee Ellerbe
I’m from Northeast DC, and I’ve always been wired a little differently. I question things. I don’t just accept systems because they’ve always existed. I’ve always wanted to understand what’s underneath the surface. A major turning point came when I turned 24. I took a birthday trip to Lake Tahoe and ended up getting extremely sick. Read More>>
Mirahmad Kamali
I was in my twenties when war changed my life forever. In the early 1980s, during the Cold War, my homeland of Afghanistan was invaded by Soviet forces. Fear and uncertainty became part of everyday life. Many innocent people were killed, especially those who were educated or worked as professionals. Read More>>
Todd Tolson
I have always been intrigued by customer service and sales. I started my career in the restaurant industry and loved that I could get immediate gratification by making someone smile within an hour or two. Not to mention, I would receive a good tip if my service was good. I have an easy and light personality with a desire to make people feel good. Read More>>
Mustafa Aycan
Baklava is more than a dessert — it is a legacy. At the height of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, baklava was a symbol of prestige and celebration. Carried by merchants, bureaucrats, and travelers along bustling trade routes and sacred pilgrimages, it journeyed from Algeria to Afghanistan, becoming a beloved staple across the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Read More>>
Wendy Kaufman
I have been involved in community affairs my entire life – and have always been a big history buff! Growing up in Florida, I was a Girl Scout, Candy Striper, and senior class treasurer. I also interned for my congressman and worked on political campaigns. I moved to DC to attend American University as a political science major. Read More>>
Bren Cisneros
I had just graduated from college with a BA in graphic design in my hometown of Cuernavaca, Mexico. I was completing an internship at a local design studio when I received a message from an old friend in Maryland who owned a small interior design firm. She needed help and offered me a position as a junior interior designer. Without hesitation, I said yes. Read More>>
Kimmoly LaBoo
I started my writing journey twenty years ago as a part of my healing process. I thought I would just write one book, and it would be over. To my surprise, writing that first book unleashed my purpose in the most amazing way. Twenty-four books and a publishing company later, I am still going strong. What began as a way of self-healing became my assignment. Read More>>
Stephanie Lightfoot
I was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, the daughter of an Irish American paralegal secretary and an African American singer, ventriloquist, and radio entertainer. My parents’ marriage was an act of courage. At a time when segregation still shaped daily life, my mother chose love over fear and married my father despite the resistance around her. Their union shaped me deeply. Read More>>
Rockell Jackson
I officially started Hire A Character LLC in August 2019. At the time I was booking artists nationwide and was heavily in the entertainment industry. I was managing a DJ in Baltimore, a model in DC, and a couple artists in PG County. I was coordinating events in Baltimore city for Morgan and Copping College Students on a weekly basis. Read More>>
Iahndra Love
My name is Iahndra Love, i’m born and raised in East Baltimore. Growing up, i was the shy, quiet, socially anxious kid. I’ve loved drawing ever since I could hold a pencil. In school i’d be doodling and daydreaming about playing dress up games and hairstyles to try on my Bratz dolls. I attended Hamilton elementary/ middle school from K-8th grade. Read More>>
Chanaé (Chaé) Jones
I’ve been somewhat of a visual artist all my life: painting, drawing, sculpting clay, mixed media, you name it I probably did it. However, my journey with henna really began when my best friends, who were Tanzanian and South Asian, introduced me to it. The first time I held a henna cone I didn’t want to put it down. Read More>>
Gabriela Van Sickle
I became interested in physical therapy when I was a patient in high school. I had been to several physicians who did not help me, and even told me that there was nothing wrong with me, and started with a physical therapist who figured out what was going on during the first visit and I knew that was what I wanted to do. Read More>>
Cicely Tanisha Santa
My journey has taken many twists and turns. If I were to describe it, I would compare it to a river that began as a small puddle in Brooklyn, New York, on Friday, June 11, 1971. With the weight of childhood sexual trauma at the tender age of three, that puddle pushed its way through dry, rocky ground until it found a nearby brook. Read More>>
Beamon-Caldwell
My name is Essie Beamon-Caldwell. I was born in Andalusia, Alabama, into a lineage of Black women whose strength was shaped by generations of survival, migration, and reinvention. My childhood was split between the quiet of the country woods and the realities of the Deep South, and those early years taught me resilience, truth-telling, and the importance of honoring where you come from. Read More>>
Jesse Raudales
My name is Jesse Raudales, born Jesus Guadalupe Raudales. My mother named me after making a promise to the Lord and the angel Guadalupe after I was born stillborn and miraculously came back to life. From the very beginning, my life has always felt like it had purpose. Read More>>
Lauren Ashley Whitaker – Ajayi
I started my career in the industry as a Licensed Massage Therapist. After 12 years of working the field, I made the decision to go back to school and obtain my Cosmetology license. Read More>>
Simeon Esprit
I wish I could say I planned to be here and that everything is going exactly the way that I mapped it out. I grew up as an athlete in London, England and have the fortunate dilemma of choosing between becoming a junior professional in Italy or going to play at an Ivy league school in Philadelphia. Read More>>
Malaysia Harrell
My journey has never been linear, but it has always been purposeful. I began my career serving in the United States military, where I spent more than two decades learning about leadership, resilience, and the human capacity to endure difficult circumstances. At the same time, my own life story was unfolding in ways that shaped the work I would eventually do. Read More>>
Ricky Fitzhugh
Over two decades, Ricky grew Baltimore-based Rosedale Ice into one of the Mid-Atlantic’s largest commercial ice companies. In 2021, he sold the business to a publicly traded company operating the Reddy Ice brand. Read More>>
Devan Southerland
I am a natural information gatherer who believes deeply in sharing knowledge rather than gatekeeping it. After years of posting events, programs, and resources on my personal social media, it felt like a natural progression to create a dedicated space for that work. At the same time, I noticed a lack of spaces specifically centered on Black and Brown members of the Autism community. Read More>>
Erik Korzen
Our Story Thrive Sports & Spine was originally created in 2023 by Dr. Wolfe and Dr. Korzen, with the sole focus of providing high-quality, personable chiropractic care. After the sudden and unexpected passing of Dr. Wolfe in May 2023, Dr. Korzen has continued the work the 2 initially envisioned. We believe we should PROGRESS THE PROFESSION. Read More>>
Isaac Berry
I entered the automotive repair industry more than 20 years ago, working with Curry’s Auto Service, known to many drivers as Mr. Tire. At the time, the entire industry revolved around brick-and-mortar shops. Customers brought their vehicles to us, waited in service lounges, and structured their day around the repair process. That was simply the model everyone accepted. Read More>>
Sue Felter
The Street Dog Coalition is a national non-profit that was established in Fort Collins, CO in 2015 to provide free veterinary care to the pets of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. They use a One Health approach to street medicine to provide preventative veterinary care via pop-up street clinics and collaborate with community partners to offer additional services. Read More>>
Tiimy Reid
Not to sound too cliché, but I’m convinced I was creating in the stars before I even arrived. My creativity is a tapestry woven mostly from the vibrant threads of my mother’s lineage though I did inherit a distinct ‘musical ear’ from my father’s side to keep the rhythm. Read More>>
Ada
Growing up, I’ve always been involved in a lot of activities and driven by a passion for sports, fashion, and business. From a young age, I had clear goals and a strong vision for the life I wanted to build, which naturally led me to move with intention and plan with purpose. Read More>>
Crystal Nicole
People have always felt comfortable talking to me. Women and young ladies seek me out for advice, guidance and prayer.on a regular basis. I love helping people and giving back. Read More>>
Callie Hodge
I am a prenatal/labor & delivery doula focusing on providing a holistic, compassionate care that empowers mothers and families throughout their birthing journey. I became a doula 4 years ago. At that time, I didn’t know what a doula was. My church had the opportunity to co-sponsor a Community Baby Shower in DC with HHS and another organization, CocoLife.Black. Read More>>
Bre’elle Hamilton
My journey into fitness didn’t begin as a business — it began as my outlet. I’ve always had a love for movement. As a lifelong track & field athlete, being active was second nature to me. It was how I maintained my health and found a space to express myself. But nearly a decade ago, my life changed unexpectedly. Read More>>
Tangi Singleton
Well first I want to introduce myself. My name is Tangi Singleton-Jones. I am a proud woman with Lupus who wears many hats especially those of service. I have several ventures, where all of them are being of service to other people. Read More>>
Jonathan Kim
My journey to becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy was long and filled with challenges. I was not the strongest college student early on, and my grades reflected that. But even during that time, I knew I wanted to work in physical therapy. I spent six years working as a PT aide while I was in college and later during PTA school. Read More>>
