Even if you are from the same neighborhood as someone else, you might still be coming from different places. Where you are from is a complicated question and it elicits complicated, but interesting and thought-provoking responses. We’ve shared some of those responses below.

Alejandrina Aguilar | CEO, Dog Mom & Nature Lover

I was born in Mexico and lived there until I was 11 years old. I come from a very humble background. I started working at the age of 5 to help my family with the bills and that experience impacted who I am today in more ways than I can even explain. That part of my life taught me what hard work was like and to truly appreciate everything I had. Read more>>

Loretta Wilburn | Digital Marketing Specialist

I am from Forrest City, AR, a small town with lots of love and southern hospitality. I was born and raised in Forrest City, and it will ALWAYS be home for me. I love my community and the people who make it everything that it is today. From a child up to now, I have watched my dad get up early every day traveling to work. He’s always told my brother and I that “the early bird gets the worm” and “if you want something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done”. That has impacted me in more ways than I know. I’ve always taken my education seriously, and now as an adult, I am dedicated and committed to giving my very best on the job. I am thankful that I’ve had my dad as my example of what it looks like to stay the course. Even on days when I want to give up, I am able to reflect on how he pushes through even in times of adversity. Read more>>

Cast “Casthra” Demosthene | Web Developer & Content Creator

I was born in Haiti and my family migrated to America when I was only 6 years old. They settled in South Florida, and most of my childhood took place in Miami. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, new country, new language, new people and food. This sudden and unexpected change in my environment impacted my upbringing in a way that would shape the woman I would become and the career I would pursue. Read more>>

Veronica Droulia | Content Creator | CEO + Founder of Content Confidante | CMO + Founder of NOA The Collective

I was born in New Orleans, LA. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, our home was completely destroyed. As a kid, you wouldn’t think that would really matter or make a difference in your life – but it was honestly quite devastating. I grew up in something called a “boathouse” which was basically an apartment on metal stilts above a marina. My entire room fell off of the house and washed away in the storm surge. My mother and I relocated to a farm 2 hours away in Scott, LA – which was a total culture shock. I think experiencing such heartbreak and change at an early age really inspired me to want to make an impact. I didn’t really know how I was going to do that, until I became a serial entrepreneur. Read more>>

Jodrick I. Ujaque | Executive Chef/Co-owner

I believe that my ethnic background plays the biggest role in the how and why of the creative process. I was born into the service industry and was raised in a hotel in Southwestern Puerto Rico with our family’s butcher shop established in 1943 (still in operation). Food and service have always been in my life; as a child living in what could be considered the “most modern” island of the Caribbean, we grew up with our heritage’s favorite cuisines. These cuisines include Spanish, Chinese, Italian, and contemporary American cultures, I’ve always considered Puerto Rico to be the original melting pot of the New World; our culture consists of Native, African, Spanish, French, Dutch, Portuguese, and American people. Maintaining diversity in my menu is the biggest tribute that I pay to my race. Read more>>