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.

Reebok Brown | Custom Pet Portrait Artist

This is the question it all comes down to, isn’t it? Because if you aren’t using your business to help someone, then why are you doing it? I enjoy helping people, but my favorite way to help has always been to combine utility with the element of surprise. Things along the lines of painting a room while my husband is at work, or finding the perfect birthday gift that I know a person needs when they haven’t realized it yet. I enjoy doing things for others, but I love doing it in such a way that it’s surprising and delightful. That’s what I do with my business. Sure, lots of people love their pets, and anyone can print off a photo and stick it in a frame. But when I draw a Pet Portrait for someone, I’m not only preserving the memory of someone’s pet; I’m doing it with a quality of detail and beauty that brings my clients surprise and delight. That’s what Treebok Pets is all about: surprise and delight. And we could all use a little more of that in our lives, couldn’t we?. Read more>>

KB2FUNNY | The Bearded LADY of Comedy

I help the community through my comedy by speaking on mental health issues and sharing my experiences growing up as a masculine presenting lesbian with a conservative Christian mother. I like to share my story in hopes other people will embrace themselves in ways we were not taught to as children. I use my comedy to share my story of how I became the bearded lady and often times people are able to see themselves in me. I also speak a lot about my experiences in therapy in my comedy and like to spread awareness of mental Heath issues in both the LGBT and African American communities. When people leave my shows they often think to themselves…if she can live her life free as a bearded lady I can live my life and be happy as well. I also recently started a clothing line called “Aggressively Beautiful” that is all about combining feminine and masculine energy. I came up with this concept to empower people to be a beautiful balance of these energies and be unapologetic in expressing themselves. Read more>>

Brandy Anderson | Founder & CEO

Acceptance Recovery Center’s mission is to lead those displaced by addiction through care, support and education into long term recovery. Our vision is a community free from addiction. Our purpose is to break the cycle of generational trauma and addiction and we do this through modeling our core values. We started this organization as a vision to serve an underserved and overlooked population, individuals who are experiencing homelessness due to their substance use disorder to have a moderate to high risk/needs substance use disorder. Our program was created out of my own personal experience as somebody who has needed help before. As somebody who has needed a another chance. These individuals have some sort of entanglement with the criminal justice system. Society seems to be scared of individuals with substance use disorder. They look down on people that are experiencing homelessness however they deserve an opportunity. Read more>>

Shamia Davis | Brand Copywriter & Owner

Kopy Fresh serves as a sounding board for service-based brands all over the world. We amplify their positioning and brand story in an authentic way. Often, brands understand their business, but they struggle with their messaging. They either lack the time, skill, or will to effectively convey their services’ benefits to their ideal clients. That’s where we step in. Not only do we help brands sell their offers with precision, but we also craft messaging that forges connections with prospects. From there, one thing affects the next. Clear, compelling content and copy provide more opportunities for the right kind of visibility. That exposure then leads to better clientele and a boost to brands’ bottom lines. And those profits empower brands to attain success, contributing to a thriving economy. Read more>>

Montoya Smith | Curator of The Mental Dialogue CommUNITY Club

The Mental Dialogue CommUNITY Club mission is to create a nationwide virtual neighborhood where African Americans learn to trade ideas, goods, & services through paradigm shifting fellowships via meetups, podcasts, and social media. By connecting good and smart people together we have created an organic network that has lead individuals and groups to work together in so many ways. The Club literally started in a barbershop in 2008 and now the testimonies are too many to count to include people finding employment, mental health therapists, real estate agents, financial & estate planners, business consultants, doctors, dentist, etc. Each year the Club also adopts a nonprofit to donate to such as homeless, youth, or domestic violence outreach, etc. We typically accomplish our deeds by meeting once a month, but of course during COVID we have moved our meetings to Zoom and in the last year we have added a Black business marketplace. Read more>>

Teresa Moody | Self-Publisher ~ Author ~ Life Mentor ~ Speaker ~ Song-Writer ~ Gospel Artist

By sharing my path of struggles, which tested all of my emotions; I published my first book, “My Faith Brought me Back. In this book, I share how you through faith and a willingness to cope with the loss of a loved one, how God will lead you back to Him. I’ve received a lot of positive feedback. Several people stated to me, “as they read my book, they received their healing from grieving the loss of their love one”. Others shared; “I love the transparency of the author and the tips on how to deal with the lost of a love one. “This book was beyond amazing and I recommend that everyone read it. We all suffer the pain of losing a loved one in our lives, this book provides words that will soothe the soul and let you know that your faith in God will bring you through any trial or tribulation in your life”. “Powerful!!!! Anyone who has lost a loved one or not will be blessed by this book! Amazing Testimony, Amazing God”!!!! “For anyone dealing with loss, for anyone in pain, this is for you. Read more>>

Dani Parks | Founder & Mental Health Wellness Activist

When I saw the opportunity within my own home to empower my daughter through this amazing time in her and I decided to make it a party! Yep, that’s the Grand inception of this remarkable event which evolved into a movement! Our Social impact within the community (this s a national online puberty party) We are four years into empowering the girls of our community and more than ever we are realizing how period poverty is an overlooked issue in the inner cities right here in the United States. Right here in GEORGIA. The reality of period poverty in the inner cities is more serious than one would like to imagine. Families every day are struggling to make ends meet and unfortunately, feminine hygiene products such as pantyliners, pad, and/or tampons are not a necessity when a parent has to choose between paying the light bill or water bill. Young girls and teens, miss out on school and various activities due to inadequate feminine hygiene products and/or running water in the home. Read more>>

Paige McKay Kubik | CEO, Frazer Center

Frazer Center was started back in 1949 by some visionary Atlanta women. They rejected the prevailing wisdom of the day, insisting that the best place for a child with a disability was not an institution, but at home with their family and their community. That vision of inclusion has been at the center of our work ever since. Today, Frazer Center’s mission is “to foster inclusive communities where children and adults, with and without disabilities, gather, learn, and flourish.” In our NAEYC-accredited, Quality Rated inclusive early education center, children with disabilities receive the therapeutic supports they need to participate fully in a school readiness program alongside their typically developing peers. Growing up in an inclusive environment, Frazer Center children value differences, seek common ground, and learn how to be helpful and creative to make sure everyone is engaged. Frazer Center also provides services to support adults with intellectual disabilities so that they can share their unique gifts with the world. Read more>>

Josh Solis | Independent Plant-Based Chef

When clients taste my creations, their perception of plant-based food is changed for life. Those who have tried my food cannot tell the difference in taste and texture between the food they are used to eating and the plant-based dishes I create. They learn that if they want a healthier alternative, they can continue to enjoy familiar foods. Soul Vegan Cuisine presents food that inspires gratitude. Some dishes may stimulate nostalgic memories while others may take the palette on a voyage to another country, culture, or era. Soul Vegan Cuisine changes the community and the world one dish at a time. Read more>>

Ashley Clark | Really Dope Chick

I coach families on how to change their beliefs about money and break the generational financial curse for children. Parents count on my practical resources, kid-friendly tools and easy-to- follow guidance to deposit financial freedom into their children’s’ futures. Read more>>

Dj Dontey | Producer/Car Audio/Custom Lighting

My business helps the community and the world because I give people the chance to really enjoy their vehicle through car audio and custom lighting. In the area I live in it is not many companies that do car audio and custom lighting correctly or at all , so that is why I started my business Dj Dontey Kustoms. Read more>>

Evann Webb | Blogger, Influencer & Podcast Host

My platform helps the community by highlighting local businesses, entrepreneurs and creatives. I think it’s so important to let others know that you see them and appreciate them, and I believe that the “Damsel in Detroit” platform does just that! I love being able to act as a resource for other people, and I think my podcast has turned into a directory of local businesses for people to support!. Read more>>

Ariel Omarzu | Singer/Songwriter

As a musician I believe in the rhythm inside of all of us. We all have our heart beats, and though some of us beat a little faster or slower, there is a harmony that can connect us all. It is my goal to help people recognize that harmony. In a world full of so much individualism, finding that we are all connected has healing potential for not just ourselves but for the animals and other creatures that we share this planet with. I believe fully in the fact that that is why we musicians are here, to hack into the shared beat and to connect us all. My music is not for myself, it is for other’s. Sometimes people need an excuse to drop the stress, to gather, to connect, and my ultimate goal as a musician is to provide that. Read more>>

Sanna Moravek | W.I.L.D. Founder & Executive Director

“The health benefits of connecting with nature” – but not everyone has grown up knowing how to access the outdoors or even begin to recreate. There are over 600 million acres of public lands in the United States – and Women’s Initiative for Learning and Discovery (W.I.L.D.) helps to bridge that gap – to provide free and low cost outdoor education on all levels and for all women and girls. We have generations of women that growing up were not allowed to go camping, as it was “for the men and boys only”. These women grew up, had children and a new generation of women still have the desire to go into the wilderness, but since their mothers never went camping, they never brought their daughters. With the world at our fingertips now – women and their daughters, and even their daughters daughters are peppered with Instagram photos, advertisements, magazine articles and in film of people in these incredible places, soaking up the beauty and health benefits of our public lands and National Parks. Read more>>

Ryland Gore, MD MPH | Breast Surgical Oncologist & Community Advocate

I love what I do as a breast cancer surgeon, because I am in the unique position to really change the trajectory of a patient’s life. I am able to guide people on what is a very scary journey and get them to healing. As a black woman who happens to be a surgeon, it is humbling when I get to educate the community or a patient tells me that they feel better because someone that looks like them is caring for them. Beyond that, providing excellent, compassionate care and listening to folks is universal. Everyone can relate to that. Read more>>

Girls Running Shit Girls Running Shit | Markeea Hart, Mia Marshall, Janita Kilgore

Not only do we uplift local women and femmes in the city, but we also try to make an impact through our social media platforms to be a resource to our community. We highlight the local events, fundraisers, businesses and more! We also bring those who are doing great things in the city onto our podcast to share more about themselves and spotlight who they are and what they do. We host our Speak Your Truth Open Mic Nights where local spoken word artist had a safe space to express themselves by speaking their truth. Whatever it was on their hearts, minds, spirits – they were able to connect to their community from being in a trusting group. We also hosted meet ups/happy hours for creatives in the city (podcast, artists, photographer, etc.) to connect and network. Read more>>

Jamila Brown Hairston | Co-Founder & CIO

Women of color account for 80 percent of new female-led businesses. However, black women in the technology industry account for less than 4 percent of female-led startups. There are only a few women of color in tech who have been in positions of power to implement real office-to-community change within the male-dominated industry. I know there is a strong lack of diversity and inclusion in tech because I’ve actually lived it. I have been the only ‘me’ in board rooms and on conference panels for many years. After a while, you start to realize you need to figure out new ways to fix that, and so I did. This is the reason why I created Cloud Tech Academy. We are an enterprise software training company that provides high-level technology skills and certification prep for individuals who are looking to transition into new tech careers. We also work with fortune 100/500 companies and government entities to help provide solutions for workplace productivity and user adoption. Read more>>

Arlaysia Bell | Attorney & Entrepreneur

Bell Legal & Consulting Firm helps the community by providing legal advice and counsel for many small businesses in different industries on legal matters ranging from corporate structure, contracts, and intellectual property. The firm takes a personal approach to understanding the needs of entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses without having to go through big firm rates and processes in a stage and time where capital is limited. Read more>>

Ariel Young | Chief Paper Pusher at Copper and Brass Paper Goods & School Psychologist

Copper and Brass Paper Goods isn’t a typical stationery company. Our paper goods are designed to feature diverse characters in scenes depicting everyday life in the black community, some of our products even feature amazing career options for our kids to explore, and we also incorporate black culture and traditions. The idea for the company grew out of my own personal experiences shopping for paper goods that reflected my life and that of my family. I was severely disappointed with the limited options available. I can remember searching unsuccessfully for wrapping paper and stationery products with characters that looked like my son and my family. This was a huge problem and I intended to “fix” the problem. Promoting diversity helps build acceptance in the real world. As more people are exposed to more products featuring marginalized groups then there are more opportunities for communication between different ethnic groups. Read more>>

Lori Rissetto and Rebecca Galla-Jones | Co-Owners of The Yoga Hive

Our business is Yoga. We teach people how to live comfortably in their bodies. We start each of our classes with a short opening meditation to get you centered and to begin incorporating breathing. We continually cue throughout the class to keep you focused on your breath, because as a society, we tend to hold our breathe a lot. With the breath we can release tension, manage stress and allow the body safely open, creating more flexibility, strength and overall well-being. Cultivating community within our yoga studio is our mission. We are a safe and inclusive space where everybody can find themselves in a supportive environment. We believe the work we share, this practice of yoga, has a profound and positive impact on the individual, creating a pay-it-forward outlook, which in turn brings more joy to the world at large. Read more>>

Kaja Brielle | Tiktoking Actress & Singer-Songwriter

Over the past year I’ve grown my tiktok account from 38 followers to 140,535 followers! I’m sure natural talent had something to do with it but my content is really for the people. I make a point to encourage, uplift, and inspire anyone who comes across one of my videos. I love to make people smile! I make funny and relatable content hoping that it might make even just one person’s day a little better. I want people to leave my page feeling better than they did before or feeling inspired to go out and chase their dreams just as I am doing now. My goal is to continue creating a safe space for my lgbtqia community. This journey called life is a tough one and I’ve learned that we can’t do it all on our own. Read more>>

KIA LEWIS | Fitness Advocate and Sisterlocks Brand Ambassador

I’ve always wanted to help people in some way. At first, people knew me for being an athlete because I was an Olympic hopeful. I didn’t have sponsorship, so I had to use my talents of doing hair to support my lifestyle. At first, it was just, ‘let me do this until ends meet,’ type of thing, but seeing people’s expressions after doing their hair was a priceless euphoric feeling. I then realized my gift is helping people feel more confident about themselves, and it inspired me to keep going. What I do is more like being a hair doctor. By doing consultations I’m able to diagnose and give solutions to their issues. I take a wholistic approach focusing on the whole person and their lifestyle and this method had impacted the lives of many in a very positive way. Read more>>

Coach Patrick | Online Lifestyle Coach

I teach busy professionals how to get fit & burn fat without the chaos. My clients learn a real life sustainable approach to staying healthy for the rest of their life. During our coaching time together, clients begin to understand Real, Whole Food, Calories & Macros. They learn how to implement a simple solution in their whole families life. This changes the legacy of overweight kids, make families healthy and impacts the entire community💪. Read more>>

Kevin Fuller | Furniture Designer

A lot of pieces I do are old pieces of furniture that would normally be found in a landfill or dump. So recycling is good for the planet. Read more>>

Ryan Czarnonycz | Assistant Operations Manager at CompostNow

I am the Assistant Operations Manager at CompostNow. CompostNow is a collection service who empowers community members and local businesses to divert their compostables from the landfill, and instead, use those nutrients to build healthy soil. In short, we help people compost! To date, our members have diverted over 29 million pounds of compostables from the landfill which has created over 9 million pounds of nutrient-rich compost for local use!. Read more>>

Quiana Hairston, MFA | Graphic Artist & Business Owner

My life’s task is to use my talents as a creative to contribute back to the world. Ironically, my business started out as something for me—a way to feel fulfilled outside of my day job. It now has become the way I bless others in the community like me. I offer logo and branding services exclusively to small business owners and entrepreneurs in a time where many designers only want the “big clients” with the big checks. I provide my clients with an intimate branding experience at a reduced price with payment options. In addition, I annually choose one individual or group to receive a free logo and brand strategy to elevate their mission. Read more>>