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

Jess Obert | Executive Director

Our nonprofit organization, Payton’s Lemonade Stand, aims to sweeten the lives of kids facing medical, personal and economic hardships. Whether that’s providing brand new coats to keep kids experiencing homelessness warm in the cold months or providing brand new swim suits to local public swim clubs so children can join their peers without feeling ashamed. We help so many kids in so many different ways all year round. We’re making an even bigger impact via our Community Serving Kids program where we’re able to donate items in bulk to local nonprofits whose mission aligns with ours. Read more>>

Adrian Huff | Owner Of Drown In Gold Clothing & Sports

Drown In Gold brand gives out opportunities to the public when they purchase our products, such as media share on our Instagram page of a customer wearing our product, public photo shoot, free gifts along with certain items. Read more>>

David Huffman | Vegan Baker

As a gay, vegan business owner I am aware that what I put out into the world could be potentially judged by some in a negative light event before they have tried my baked goods. For that reason, I want to make sure that what I produce and how I present it are going to help reflect positively on the communities I am proud to be a part of. While I consider myself an “ethical vegan” who has made this choice primarily for the animals, I am aware of the positive environmental impact plant-based products generally have over traditional resources. I also use compostable plastics for my packaging since I don’t want to keep putting more and more plastic into the world. Read more>>

Anece Rochell | Author/Writer & Entrepreneur

The uplifting messages in my books help bring empowerment to our communities. When I started Beautiful Minds Publishing, I vowed to write and publish books that not only entertain but inspire and help bring change to this upcoming generation and the world. Read more>>

Isaac Hamlin | Restauranteur

At Better Blend, our main goal is to conveniently provide a well-rounded meal that caters to diverse lifestyles, body types, and dietary needs. We take pride in creating blends that not only meet nutritional requirements but also taste indulgent and satisfying. From Brownie Batter to Peanut Butter Pie and Blueberry Cake Donut flavors, we offer a variety of options that appeal to different palates and dietary preferences. Driven by a mission to make the world happier and healthier, we strive to create a positive impact on a global scale. By making healthy eating more accessible through our flavorful Blends, we can to make a difference in people’s lives. Read more>>

Isis Arrieta-Dennis | The Arepa Place/Colombian Restaurant

As a black, Hispanic, female business owner, I would like to think that I embody the area’s cultural and ethnic diversity, and minority-owned businesses have proven to have a positive impact on the overall stability and morale of the diverse communities in which they operate. Also, I believe my business contributes to local economic growth by offering local residents employment opportunities, by providing food items for all income levels, and lastly, by satisfying the growing demand for Hispanic products. Read more>>

Jessica R. Shely | Award-winning entrepreneur | Creating digital spaces through web, video | MBE | WBE | EDGE | 10KSB | Forty Under 40

GPD Creative Agency was founded on the pillars of sustainability and social justice. Those two pillars are what drive our decision-making. Our business purpose is Doing Business and Doing Good. We live out this purpose every day by supporting small businesses and non-profit organizations to increase their brand image and awareness. There are so many organizations that are doing great work. Our Agency seeks to help them become more visible in the marketplace and increase their conversion rates. Read more>>

Matthew Kist | Audiologist, Small Business Owner

There are a couple of things going on here. A stigma audiologists run into in their career is that we are simply hearing aid salesmen and women, but there is so much more going on both with the patient and behind the scenes that, if you’ve never spent time in an appointment with an audiologist, you’d have no idea it’s happening. First, I think audiologists play much more of a “rehabilitative specialist” or “counselor” in the early appointments. In my office, we often counsel a patient about addressing hearing loss for the first time in their life, and that can be a difficult bridge to cross mentally for a patient. Read more>>

Kathy Vogel | Founder, Enduring Olive

I created Enduring Olive as a resource/community for women over the age of 40. Many things change when women hit this special age of 40. While life settles in nicely because we’ve truly become who we are, have evolved in many ways, society views us differently. Those micro-aggressions and “isms” may not be intentional, but they exist. From my own experience and from those women around me my age and older, I’ve discovered that many women feel “put out to pasture”, ignored, shuttered, and disregarded as if we have nothing else to offer now that careers are established, children are raised, etc. But this is not the case. Read more>>

Emerson Geter | Entertainment Executive & Author

As for how my business helps the community or the world, G-ED UP ENTERTAINMENT contributes positively in several ways. Through music, films, and other entertainment aspects, we have the power to inspire, uplift, educate, and bring joy to audiences. Additionally, our work can promote diversity and inclusion, which is essential in the entertainment sector. By engaging and working digitally with people from around the world on events, partnerships, and other programs, we aim to create a positive impact globally and foster a sense of togetherness through the power of entertainment and knowledge. Read more>>

Jerome Barkley Jr | Podcaster, Founder of The Columbus Podcast Awards & Editor at A&R Studios

My main focus was to offer a platform and service that would give the city of Columbus creatives a voice and visually to be heard and seen. Often times we can get caught up in the awe of what comes forms creatives & leaders we also should take the time to hear from them and let them tell their stories. Our job is to make them look good! The podcasting community and those alike have been very receptive to the CPA’s as well as what we do with A&R Studios. Read more>>

Nicole DiTommaso | Owner Sauce Boss Gang

At Sauce Boss Gang, we’re committed to igniting your encounter with taste and aesthetics by using confidence as an ingredient to create bold products with a powerful presence.. Developing dishes, drinks and desserts with our products allows us to highlight many cultures and bring awareness to independent artists that create our labels. We understand the power art has in its many forms, our job is to share it with the world. Read more>>