Most of the media often paints all businesses with a single stroke, but in our experience businesses are each unique and so many of them are focused on making the world a better place. We’ve highlighted a few such gems below.

Betina McCadney | Financial Wellness Strategist, Entrepreneur & Speaker

Umbrella Financial, Inc. helps the community by helping families and individuals improve their financial positioning through financial coaching, credit repair, business credit, executive coaching, budgeting, saving and financial forecasting. Many of us don’t know what we don’t know about finances and the power of a good name. Here at Umbrella Financial, we use finance to put you on your path to purpose. Our belief is that everyone of us was born with the seed of purpose. This purpose, gifting, oil on your life (whatever you choose to call it) is supposed to provide perpetual provision for you. Unfortunately, many times before we even identify our purpose in order to operate in it, we’re already bogged down with debt or some other form of financial oppression. This change in path creates a mental fog of worry, frustration and stress that prevents us from doing our purpose work. Read more>>

Chris Trovador | Tattoo Artist & Comedian

This question is quite complicated for what I do specifically. I guess, you can say I am in the business of human connection and interactions. Artist are meant to reflect the times and have changed the world throughout history. Which is exactly what I do with all my businesses. My first and longest running business has been tattooing. As a tattoo artist, I change the outer appearance of my all my clients, and that can either be a good or bad thing. Such as, I can create a beautiful tattoo that has an elegant font with the name of someone’s lover, but the moment the relationship ends they’ll end up hating the tattoo. I have had many people cry from the joy that my art brings but the other side of that is, I can create a drawing for someone’s tattoo and they immediately hate the design. With paintings I create what I love and if other’s feel captivated they can purchase my artwork or have a custom made piece that suits what they desire. Art is extremely subjective. Read more>>

Kiara Aileen Machado | Visual Artist

I believe that we, Central Americans, should have the ability and platform to tell our own stories. I identify as Central American, as my mother is from Guatemala, my father is from El Salvador and my great grandmother was from Honduras. Through this cultural framework, my work brings into question the absence and exclusion of Central American folx from mainstream U.S. & Latinx narratives as well as institutions that have been built around the exclusion of POC folx while simultaneously profiting off of them. The challenges and discrimination I’ve faced as a Central American woman have equipped me with a broader perspective to recognize the power that comes with representation and the validity of one’s experience and identity. Through my work I am able to highlight the erasure experienced by Central American folx. My paintings serve as documentation of our existence, a means of healing from trauma, and empowering our identities through visibility. Read more>>

Kris Taylor | Co-Founder

Lumen is founded on the concept that food is medicine. In fact, my co-founder and I left our spots in medical school because we felt like that concept was not adequately explored in Western medicine. At first glance, our products themselves seem to be the most direct way we help our community. Each of our shots has been formulated to have the highest efficacy possible. We use ingredients like cold-pressed hemp juice, hemp seed oil, turmeric, Irish sea moss, and lion’s mane mushroom to improve the health of our communities. However, when you dig deeper, you find a holistic approach to health with Lumen. Personal healthy, communal health, and environmental health. We source as many ingredients as possible from regenerative farms. These farms have lower carbon emissions (some times NEGATIVE carbon emissions, because the crops capture so much carbon) than traditional industrial or organic farms. Read more>>

Ellen Schinderman | Fiber Artist

When the pandemic began, I was staying up much too late, fretting, watching tv, whatever, and I realized I was rebelling against the lack of control. So, I decided to find a healthy way to rebel, and still get my rest. Inspired by Portland artist Shana Lee Hampton, I began embroidering lyric about love and hope and joy (“everybody is a star,” “ooh child, things are gonna get easier,” “you know we’ve got to find a way to bring some loving here today,” etc.), and stapling them on electrical posts around my neighborhood. I’ve done upward of 40 so far; the response online has been overwhelmingly positive and grateful, I’ve even had few friends spot them “in the wild.” Usually they are gone within 24-48 hours, though one was up a week or more, before someone snagged it. I love that people take them. I love the idea of someone living through these stressful times going for a walk, and coming upon an embroidery that says, “if only you knew, how much i do, do love you,” and it making them feel a bit better. Read more>>