Where you grew up and your background can often have surprising effects on our lives and careers. We’ve asked folks from the community to tell us about how their background has affected them.

Johnika Green | Real Estate Broker/Owner

I’m originally from a small town called Douglas, Georgia, I currently live in Atlanta. I came from humble beginnings, being raised in a small town allowed me to be well rounded and able to function in different environments when it comes to business. My real estate company is not specifically for buyers and sellers in Atlanta, we serve all areas and markets. Read more>>

Dennis A Goodman III | Actor/Model/GameChan

Originally I’m from Memphis,Tennessee. ( Lives in Stockbridge, Ga) My background let’s see…..I grew up staying to myself due to living situations. So with that time I read Tons of books,comics,magazines anything I could get. I would image myself as these characters and do voiceovers on them and create my own little scenarios. So I guess the creative process began there. Animé is my first love before alot of things! Read more>>

Beulah Davis | Creative Director, Curator, Mood Maker

I pride myself on being a black girl from the south who makes it happen. One who knows what it means to “get it out the mud” and do so with grace, as black women do. What most people don’t expect, I’m a small town girl, from a rural neighborhood – Soul City, North Carolina. Read more>>

Kevin Cruz | Business Owner & Creative Entrepreneur

I’m Kevin Cruz, born and raised in Atlanta, GA; but my roots are from El Salvador. During my childhood, I grew up on the southside of Atlanta, where times were tough. As a child living in that environment, aka, the hood, I didn’t realize that there were opportunities and resources outside of the area I was living in. Read more>>

Alexandria Richardson | Travel Specialist

I am from Clinton, SC. I grew up in the country where traveling was a luxury. My mother took us on trips almost every summer and I realized that everyone deserves to see the world. Traveling is the world’s classroom and what better to learn about the world than seeing it for yourself? I started my business to give working families a chance to do more than work and create memories for their families. Read more>>