We are so inspired by the businesses in our community because of how many of them are committed to helping to make the world better than it is today. Check out some great businesses below and how they are helping others.

Tom Brennecke | Editor & Researcher

Presumably, the question I asked myself was what can I add to the discourse (in my case of architecture & urbanism in post-soviet countries) that is not already there (on social media and elsewhere) or that I am missing? I have realized quickly that many Instagram pages or, generally speaking, existing magazines or publishers operated on a purely aesthetical level: Take a picture of that building in Moscow, post it, report it, reprint it. Instead of this bridging the gap between what post-soviet countries are and what the Western World thinks they are, it has rather participated to mystify these countries even more (e.g. Russia). Read more>>

Jordan Daniels | Storyteller and Fashionista

I often think of this excerpt from Marianne Williamson that says, and I’m paraphrasing here, something like, “As we liberate ourselves from our own fear, our presence liberates others.” My work is centered on liberating self. Liberating self from social pressures on bodies, on fashion, on queerness, on Blackness, Jewishness, etc. Everything that I do in my work is me in practice. I don’t ask others to do anything or challenge anything I wouldn’t do or challenge myself, nor do I expect them to do it. Read more>>

Yesenia, Jax Garcia, Menjivar | Co-Founder & CEO, Co-Founder & COO

Diosa León is a Latinx brand rooted in community & inclusion. We are sisters with a combined expertise in the field of 15 years — We created Diosa León as the antidote for those who have felt out of place and secondary to the fashion industry’s beauty standards. While creating this brand the most important thing to us was to give underrepresented customers a platform of complete freedom, self-expression, and empowerment. While working in the fashion industry, we found a lacking component: authenticity in representation and environmental responsibility. We are daughters of an immigrant from Honduras who worked in an American owned factory where she was treated poorly and paid pennies. We are determined to disrupt the industry that hurt her by taking ownership of these spaces and treating our people with dignity and respect. Read more>>

Annie Caplan | Fine Art Editorial and Boudoir Photographer

As a fine art film photographer with a background in naturopathic medicine, I focus on intimate portraiture that encourages self love for all humans, through all experiences, in all bodies, at every stage of life. I have been featured in numerous publications: ‘Willendorf’s Legacy: A Sacred Body’ a self love anthology for women available on amazon, the May 2021 cover of Plus Model Magazine with model Kayla Logan being the first body love, mental health advocate to be featured on the cover, and I am a winner of the Shutterstock women’s day ‘Through Her Eyes’ Create Fund grant, classifying me as one of the top female artists globally changing the world and promoting diversity through art. Read more>>

Amber Thibaut | Founder of Coco Moon Hawaii & Mother of Two

1% of all purchases is donated directly to non-profits doing powerful work on the ground here in Hawaii—helping local families thrive, preserving our cherished islands, and building a web of positive influence around our kids. Since 2017, Coco Moon has helped more than 30 local organizations support the health of our communities, environment, and children. Over the last two years, Coco Moon Hawaii has used our Giving Back program to donate to Kapiʻolani Medical Center’s NICU — an organization that hits close to home for us. Read more>>

Misty Jackson | Hair artist, Herbalist, founder of Detangle Your Thoughts

“Doing hair” is more than just styling and combing through strands. Yes that’s an important aspect of cosmetology but when you look at what’s happening beyond that, you see the moments when self esteem rises, the connections and bonds built, and the “therapy” sessions that take place in the salon chair. The beauty shop is a staple in the black community. It’s a place to come let your hair down, literally and figuratively. A place to sort out your thoughts. A place to have some “me time.” I have made it my mission to create a safe space for women to come and feel uplifted by the time they walk out the door. I’ve also created a “healing space for black women” called Detangle Your Thoughts. It takes place at the salon every second Monday of each month. My co-host Jasmin Jackson is a licensed therapist and we work together to give these women a place to feel heard in a world full of microagressions, silencing, and judgment. Read more>>