Stories

When asking Rosanna why she went down the road of entrepreneurship, she had a lot to attribute to her family values. Rosanna grew up in Buffalo, New York as a first-generation Italian immigrant. Her father was an orphan who immigrated from Italy to Canada in 1954, and at 14-years-old, he was completely alone. He didn’t have […]

Nakiea originally started a business with a mission in mind of helping the next generation.  She set off to show teens the importance of understanding cash flow, how money moves and how financial literacy is extremely important in order to navigate life efficiently and effectively. Then word spread about her knowledge and expertise. Her business […]

Carley started with 15 years working in her family’s concrete business, had an executive MBA and saw an opportunity.  She saw a need to educate the next generation of construction workers with the same knowledge she was lucky enough to gain throughout her experience with her family’s business. She thought she would capture and deliver […]

Robbie’s sister was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer after being misdiagnosed for 2 years with what doctors thought was a blocked milk duct.  That was the tipping point for Robbie. She wanted to change the focus from sick care to health care – first, to help her sister and then ultimately others. Her sister was […]

Gaitrie started Devi Bollywood in 2013 to serve the community. She wanted to serve a greater calling by offering something new and exciting to Buffalo. When she began offering Bollywood classes, workshops and programs to individuals from all backgrounds, she noticed that people were genuinely interested and excited about learning about Indian culture and traditions. […]

Knowing how to best use your resources and connections can help you become a successful business owner. And that was especially true for Faustenia L. Morrow and her business, Monarch of Infinite Possibilities, LLC (MIP). Morrow started her business as more of a side gig in 2005. In December of 2020, she decided to make […]

Maintaining our mental health was, and continues to be, a difficult thing to manage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, Anna Shurmatz, LCSW-R, has prioritized helping others for decades, making it a priority of her profession. Anna, CEO and Founder of Shurmatz Counseling, LCSW, PC, and her staff provide individual therapy and support to children, couples, […]

While no one would wish for the challenges COVID has introduced to families and business owners over the last 18 months, many people discovered hidden blessings and unexpected shifts during this unprecedented time. Rebecca Bailey, owner of Higher Ed Hustle, found herself juggling full time work, her side business, and the added tension of managing […]

There are certain plants that can only release their seeds when they encounter the heat of an intense fire. In other words, they need a disaster to strike so they can continue to grow. Such is also the case for many people who entered the pandemic working from home in quarantine and emerged on the […]

Baking takes a certain level of skill to make sure things always turn out right. There’s a lot of experimenting and testing of new recipes. But for the truly talented baker, whipping up delicious treats is never really work – it’s just pure joy, especially when you see the look on a customer’s face. That […]