Paul Lamar Hunter grew up in a two-bedroom house with twenty-one siblings, often without enough food, clothes or space to sleep to go around. Despite this, he’s overcome the perils of poverty, neglect, abuse and family dysfunction to become the first in his family to earn a college degree. His story is proof that it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. The proud father of four shows that neither limits nor lineage determines the quality of one’s life. Though adversity changed the trajectory of his life, his touching story about personal triumph and beating the odds will inspire you to persevere.
“Life is what is happening to you now, so try to live it as best you can, and keep trying to grow and learn.”
Ultra_Eko is an independent hip hop artist from South London, UK. He writes songs based on the message he wants to put into the world, from a place of passion and love for music. His debut album Off the Grid works on several levels in terms of its meaning and can also be interpreted as a call to arms in terms of how we are all living our lives.
Dr. Alan Barnard is a serial entrepreneur, app developer, author, speaker and one of the leading Decision Scientists and Theory of Constraints experts in the world. His life goal is to help people discover and overcome their own limiting assumptions or beliefs that could be blocking them from seeing and unlocking their inherent potential.
For over thirty years, Dr. Barnard’s research has been focused on two simple questions. Firstly, why do good people make, and often repeat bad decisions? And secondly, is it possible to develop simple decision support methods and apps that can help people avoid common decision mistakes to help them make better, faster decisions when it really matters?
With an enormous career in helping those touched by war and pain, Saber Azam has dedicated his life to making a difference. In his first novel, Soraya: The Other Princess, he pens a compelling story recounting what transpired in Afghanistan over the past seven decades. This historical fiction is inspired by the life of an exceptional woman, Soraya Ludin, who was the only woman of her country to study at and graduate from the University of London in the 1960s. It attempts to portray how women were and are perceived and treated by their still tribal societies.
When the world was shaken with the most horrific pandemic humanity had ever seen, UStrive Manufacturing answered the call to help front-line workers in need. When the pandemic hit, they immediately got to work making a difference. They pivoted from being a U.S. certified organic t-shirt manufacturer for some of the top brand names in the country to making masks and gowns. UStrive is helping communities in big ways by innovating, scaling up to meet demand and partnering to expand capabilities. A pivot helped this company not only make an impact, but show what forward-thinking innovators can do in a time of need.
Gabriella Eva Nagy is a Hungarian-born American who is an illustrator and storyteller known for creating colorful children’s books. Her whimsical illustrations of nature use bright and vibrant colors that are an invitation to the sweet surroundings of the natural wonders and serenity. Her books are both visually stimulating and educational, reflecting values that are eternal. Gabriella has published over a dozen children’s books during the past six years including her first work in 2014, Lady, Lady, Ladybug. She is the director of a non-profit organization, Reflection, that was founded to reflect Christian values through art, literature and multimedia on a multicultural platform.
There are a lot of untold stories out there, and if we stop and listen to people, you’ll find even those around us have struggled in unique ways. Anne Hutcheson writes stories that focus on human depth, dysfunction and the complexities of relationships whether it is about abuse, surviving tragic circumstances or coping with disease. She writes stories that she hopes open pathways to communication between one another. Tackling the personal demons so many face, told in story, is a great way to surface issues that are often swept beneath the carpet.
Did you ever step outside after being inside all day, and just breathe in the fresh air? Nature is soothing in a way that goes down to our soul. We reconnect on a cellular level with healing that slowly unravels our tightly bound stress. For some people, that’s enough. Others need more, like talking or healing modalities that allow you to release those bits of you trapped inside. That is where Dr. Tanisha Denise Manning comes in. She answers nature’s soothing call.
Tanisha is a combat veteran, author, certificated yoga instructor and the owner of Dama Bonita Holistic Counseling and Spiritual Retreats in beautiful Puerto Rico.