We asked members of the community how their organizations help the community. We’ve shared some of the responses below.

John Lopez | Sculptor

My home base is in a small town in north-western South Dakota and my work really stands out because it’s really the only public art in a 100 mile radius. My hope is that youngsters in the area see that if ranch kid like me can make something out of nothing they can do it to. I have renovated several buildings downtown In hopes to start a momentum of change in out small cowtown. It’s a risk for sure financially and professionally but I think k it’s worth it if it impacts the community in a positive way. Read more>>

Adara Cox | Writer & Content Creator

The whole idea behind Adara Affirms, Healing + Community for Women, is to provide young women with inspiration to walk into the highest versions of themselves, as they are embarking on their healing journey. The healing journey is not easy, and I, myself, know first-hand what the waves of healing are like. The healing journey can be a lonely place, especially, because many people may not understand how to support you while you are finding yourself again. Read more>>

Stacy Bauer | Author

I am a mom and teacher from Minneapolis, MN. I’ve always had a dream of becoming a published author. A few years ago, I decided to try and make that dream happen. Since then, I have started my own publishing company, Hop Off the Press, LLC and self published 11 books (2 series). I have also consulted with and helped hundreds of other people with their author journey. My series Cami Kangaroo and Wyatt Too is a funny, Read more>>

Renee Manzari | Social Entrepreneur, Earth Lover and Founder of Livity Yoga

Livity Yoga designs and manufacturers a unique line of sustainable yoga products sourced discarded from recycled plastic bottle for the yoga industry. The company is a member of 1% for the Planet with a goal of creating a sustainable business model around preventing plastic waste from polluting our oceans to expand our social and environmental impact. Read more>>

Isabella Green | Recycling Artist

My company is an art & recycling studio that utilizes old sports equipment as the canvas. The goal is to teach others how beautiful something can be, if you are willing to give it a little TLC. If you have a used item, and it looks like its life cycle is over, it actually has just begun; as this is the time to get creative and push boundaries. The day I heard this quote, was the day I started my company: Read more>>

Hilary Mangel | Artist at Paints Like A Girl

When COVID hit in March of 2020, everything seemed to go on hold. There was so much going on not only with the pandemic, but also with social injustice. I wanted to do what I could to help, so I organized an event called Create4Change. I asked local artists to donate pieces they had created for us to auction off to the highest bidder. I also asked artists to attend the event to live paint, auctioning off their pieces at the end of the event. We ended up having 9 artists paint live, and over 20 donated pieces of art. Read more>>