Baltimore’s Most Inspiring Stories

Doris Ponce

I’m not sure when it started but as early as I can remember I always had a memory box filled with pictures and items of special life moments. Whenever I came across a baby photo or any family pictures I treasured it. I just loved going through them and reliving the moment or looking into someone else’s life through that picture. Wondering what was going through their mind or what they were feeling. My imagination goes wild whenever I admire a photo. It’s just not a photo to me, it’s a peek into someone’s life, past, soul. Read More>>

Conor Cusick 

Our goal is to bring professionalism to the junk removal industry. Too often, anyone with a truck can claim to be a hauler, but many of them are unlicensed, uninsured, and may even dump illegally. This not only harms our environment but also reflects poorly on the rest of us. Read More>>

Jastin Artis

I evolved from only focusing on songwriting, producing, and engineering to becoming an A&R teaching artists what I knew, and shortly after being an artist creating my lane of Hip-Hop Renaissance. This is a blend of Hip-Hop, Gospel (I love God), Spoken-word layering guitar as long as I can. Read More>>

Ryan Scarfile, Lisa Sauerwald

At the end of summer 2023 we began to realize that our camp was outgrowing LTRC and we decided it was time to become our own small business and LLC. It was a very humbling but fun experience. In 2024 we were proud to host over 700 campers in our 4 weeks of camp across 7 different style camps in 2 different locations while also providing service learning opportunities for local middle schoolers and job opportunities for young adults and teachers during the summer. Read More>>

Dominique King

My journey as a vegan content creator has been one of the most rewarding challenges of my life. When I was a faceless food reviewer, I enjoyed the lack of physical identity. Then around the pandemic, I lost all inspiration and hadn’t posted to the page or paid it any mind for a while. Until one day in the middle of the night, creativity struck me to leverage my resources and push myself back into my creative space. Since then, I may deal with personal issues or losses that rob my energy or remove my focus, so I have to make sure that I keep my eye on the prize and keep pushing when life pushes through to test you.  Read More>>

Jon-michael Moses

Meet Haus started as a passion project inspired by a love for creating warm, inviting spaces at home. It all began with a simple idea: that candles could be more than just a scent—they could become a meaningful part of daily rituals. While there were plenty of candles on the market, few truly balanced quality, sustainability, and a memorable scent experience. Read More>>

Erin O’malley

It all started in 2010 when I graduated from nursing school. I started working at a local hospital but realized I wanted more autonomy and leadership. This led me to pursue my doctorate in nursing and become a board certified nurse practitioner. I worked in a few clinics where my passion for preventative wellness, weight loss, and injectables grew. During that time I also experienced a health scare. My dermatologist found a precancerous area on my face. This further grew my interest for all things skin, wellness, and regenerative medicine. Read More>>

Fatmata John

Starting off my business was very hard. There was so much to learn going into the entrepreneurial world. First off, making sure that the legal aspect is taken care of then tackling skills such as; time management, adaptability due to unpredictable variables, logistics and coordination and budget constraints. All of this was a learning process and I still get introduced to new hurdles to tackle as the business grow. Read More>>

Elsa Barrientos

I’m a self-taught baker who stumbled into making custom cakes for a living. Growing up I always enjoyed baking and loved any arts and crafts project. In 2020, baking was one of the many hobbies I picked back up during the pandemic. I made my first-ever layered cake for my mom’s birthday and from there, my family and friends started ordering cakes from me. Read More>>

Amanda Lvnar

After posting flyers all around the city, I found a group of artist that are just as enthusiastic about art as I am. We started the Empty Space Artist Collective in hopes to hold pop-up gallery exhibitions in the empty buildings in Baltimore. So far we have only had one exhibition, however that one exhibition has led to opening our very own art space in Pigtown. There will be a permanent gallery space on the main level with studio space upstairs. We hope to run life drawing classes and critiques and other educational opportunities for the community! We are so excited! Read More>>

Simone Day

During the transplant process, I had to move back home with my mom and I’m so grateful I had her support during these times, but mentally I was struggling to accept my new reality. I was physically fighting for my life and didn’t have the tools to mentally process everything I was going through at the time. Read More>>

Julie Miltenberger

I was working at dental office and was really miserable working there for about 5 years, and I just up and quit one day without a plan. I have always loved cleaning and keeping a clean home so when I didn’t have a job one of my mom’s friends ask if I would help her clean for a little bit and give me a little money and it just kinda snowballed from there of me starting my own business. In February I will be in business for 6 years and have about 50 regular clients Read More>>

Tabitha Dillard-turner

I began Tabby’s Vanity in 2021 at the height of a global pandemic after my father passed due to his fight with COVID-19. I knew I needed to create something to help others and I haven’t turned back since. Through the pathway of skincare products, I have been able to meet amazing people. I have the honor and privilege to increase confidence and amplify experiences in beauty regimens. Getting creative and being resilient has been the soundtrack of my life and now I get to add to that rich melody. Read More>>

Michael Smith

The first step He pointed me to was getting my LLC. I obtained it thinking that I was going to invest in real estate. During that time, I had some amazing people helping me to understand some investing strategies and ideas. However, my plans were slightly different from God’s. One night, I was about to go to sleep and I remember God leading me to look into Personal Training Certification. I told my wife and after researching a few programs, I decided to pursue my certification. Read More>>

Rita Carr

Even with my life going downhill I would find time to do what I love when I could through so much going on in my life doing a nail set would bring me peace back to my happy place.. In November 2023 I decided to make a decision that I wanted better for me and my children and after being in Indianapolis for almost 11 years I decided to relocate to Severn Maryland . Not to long after relocating I begin to get back on my feet things begin getting back on track and I felt comfortable with doing nails again. Read More>>

Héctor L. E. Olivencia Huertas

I love and enjoy what I do! My kids at camp know that Hector is there in every aspect even though I haven’t experienced the loss of a loved one like them. Is not about going as a clinician to camp; is about being human. My doctoral degree would never give me the experience and the lessons that kids, staff and every person gives to me in this organizations. Recently I joined “Proyecto Somos Sin Paredes” in a camp program for functional diversity adults (disabled adults) which is going in the same direction of my development as a human being. Read More>>

Crystal Wamalwa

In June 2023, I made the audacious (crazy) decision to quit my job and launch AudaCITY Tours LLC. AudaCITY was born out of the belief that local black artists across America are incredibly talented but do not get the recognition they deserve. I felt compelled to create a platform for Black artists to showcase their talents in a way that celebrates the depth and diversity of Black art. My friends Bryanna, Nigel, and Moses my husband, shared the vision and agreed to co-found AudaCITY with me and create immersive experiences that uplift Black voices across various mediums—music, film, dance, fashion, and more. Read More>>

Halo Grey

This entire process has been a HUGE learning curve for me. I had no idea what actually went into game development…and now I have a whole new respect for board games! From the art on the cards and boards to the music; every little detail matters. I have had to learn how to direct artists, speak to musicians and composers, figure out how board game conventions work, which are VERY different from the tattoo conventions I was used to attending, even the board game rule book language is something I have had to learn. Read More>>

Michael Zampi

I create one of a kind exotic wood pieces, original music compositions, stained glass pieces, mosaics, and larger projects like building a camper, or major household renovations. All mediums intrigue me and inspire me. The medium could be glass, metal, ceramics, wood, musical instruments, technology.. To me it is all about the creative process and developing a one-of-a-kind finished product. Read More>>

Allison Garrett

My journey has been one of self-discovery, growth, and helping others do the same. I began my career in the beauty and wellness industry, where I quickly realized that helping people look their best on the outside wasn’t enough—I wanted to help them transform from the inside out as well. Through my own personal experiences, I uncovered the importance of healing from generational trauma and finding one’s true self.  Read More>>

Jarron Person

life wasn’t really easy for me like i said before i got into a lot of fights. i was a rebel because i wanted to know who was my real parents, i couldn’t hold a job for a long time so i became homeless. i started getting better luck when i worked in a place called noble hops and i would of stayed there for 3 years but we fell out of business and i moved to baltimore to help my sister. Read More>>

Anima Okai-aryeetey

Started of as an Event Planning Company previously known as Ghanaba’s Event. In the passing of my Brothers I decided to rebrand and launch , by using their names. That’s where ZACHI MAX EVENTS CAME ABOUT. Zachi( Zachary, Max( Maxwell) and then the events. But my events was heading towards just the club seen . Promoting, create Fashion shows and I needed with no profit so a friend asked if I could branch out into the wedding seen. Took that advice and ran with it. I’m forever grateful. So I shortened ZACHIMAXEVENTS INTO zmeweddings . And that’s how zmeweddings came about. Read More>>

Katie Gant

As I graduated college, I started to get requests from girls I went to school with to travel and do makeup for their weddings. The itch had gotten me, and I was addicted to the process of “makeovers”, whether for myself or clients. In the earlier years, glam for weddings was not anywhere near what it is today (thanks to social media!), I would book weddings when I could just for the exposure and experience. Any new opportunity that came my way to do makeup, I would say yes – even if it meant for free, I just wanted to keep gaining experience. Read More>>

Tanika “niik” Lennon

I started my LLC during Covid,which was a challenging time for most of us. Even though I was employed I needed more income so I started selling sunglasses and accessories that entire year. With that experience I decided to switch gears and created a hair care line. I was having trouble finding products for my locs anyways so why not . I did some research to find what would work best. Most hair oils, shampoos ,and loc gels didn’t work for me. After having several conversations with my friends and family, I noticed they were having the same issue. Created some samples and started using each product on my own hair to see what works and what doesn’t. Read More>>

Evans Aduful

I started learning the guitar November 2013 few months after i completed my senior secondary school in my country and I had a very good teacher who thought me.Credits to the bassist in my church who introduced me to my first band.I joined a couple of bands in Ghana afterwards doing gigs as a means of survival.It was getting better as the day goes by. I traveled outside the country with a band I was playing called Hewale sounds to Dubai for my first tour concert in November 2021.  Read More>>

Eli Green

Once I was in high school, my desire to create film was fully realized. I began by making mostly short-form sketches designed to have a setup and punchline without much else for the internet. That got some attention from my peers and eventually resulted in me and a few others banding together to make projects as a group. We mostly worked together on class projects, with a few original videos here and there. Fast-forward to the summer after graduation when I started working at a local restaurant, where my drive for making videos slowly withered away. Read More>>