We asked some of the city’s rising stars to reflect on what made a difference in their journey. We asked them to tell us about what they think the most important factor has been behind their success.

Stardust Sonata | Rock Band

Success for us is the fact that we get to create music that we love, share it with an ever-expanding audience, and have fun doing it. The key driver of our success is the mutual respect between the four members of our band, who bring their unique perspectives to the creative process. Though we have different philosophies of art and life, we are all driven to create music we are proud of. We want the end product to be the best it can be, so we aren’t afraid to allow our ideas and talent to shine when we collaborate on a project. The end result is something much more interesting than anything we could have come up with individually. Read more>>

Tamatrion Javers | Biologist | Organic Juicer

One of the most important factors behind the success of Sublime Juicery is our individuality in the industry. All of our cold-pressed beverages are made with 100% organic, non-GMO produce. We do not use any preservatives or additives in our recipes. Every sip of cold-pressed goodness that our customers receive is all natural and juiced with love! We only have one product that uses natural sweeteners in its recipe, which is our infamous ‘X’ juice, boldly featured on our website. Sublime Juicery’s ‘X’ juice is an activated charcoal lemonade that utilizes agave nectar and manuka honey to sweeten its profile and is one of our top selling recipes and customer favorites. Read more>>

Varonica Mitchell | Actress, Viral Social Media Personality, Comedian, Musician, Dancer, Model, Instructor & Youth Community Activist

The most important factor behind my success is God being my rock, my family’s love, support and dedication and their amazing encouragement and me understanding the power that God gave me to be fearless and brave in trusting what he told me to go forward and do. I knew that the calling on my life and the gifts and talents that he gave me were not just for me to sit down on, but to share them with the world to inspire and help others while spreading joy and his love. Read more>>

Donte Stokes | Fine Artist, Painter & Illustrator

I truly believe the two most important factors behind my brand are my supporters & my limitless mindset. My supporters whom are family, friends, friends of friends, some I never even met in real life are truly incredible. I always recall a time in my life where I didn’t even have the confidence to believe in myself. So now to have so many different people genuinely supporting me, it truly means the world. I don’t take the love for granted at all! As far as my limitless point of view, that’s something that’s been with me since a kid. Growing up I watched my mom overcome so many things that the average person would have folded in a second. She beat the odds so many times. Read more>>

Shronda Seay | Hairstylist

I’ve always been a people pleaser. I listen to my clients and make sure that they have an comfortable experience when visiting my shop. I ensure that I give back to the community and provide affordable prices. Read more>>