We asked some of the city’s rising stars to reflect on what made a difference in their journey. We asked them to tell us about what they think the most important factor has been behind their success.

Damien Diaz | Co-Artistic Director and Choreographer of Luminario Ballet

The most important factor behind our success is that we have an exceptional team of artists and staff who are passionate and completely dedicated to what they do. We have a team of individuals, each bringing their special gifts to the table. We all have the same end goal in mine and work together under any circumstances to achieve that. Read more>>

Omoniyi Gabriel | Visual Artist (Painter)

My most important factor, I will say is My passion and consistency over the years. It’s not been easy but it’s worth it. Read more>>

Nancy Dillingham Marks | Artist, Instructor, Small Business Owner

One of the key factors behind the success of Glass Arts Collective is exceptional customer service. In today’s fast-paced world, I believe that true customer care is becoming a lost art, but it’s something I value deeply. To me, great customer service means more than just being helpful—it’s about truly listening to each person, being flexible where possible, and recognizing that every individual has unique needs, ideas, and aspirations. Read more>> 

Roberto Flores | Chef & Manager

Our family is the most important factor behind our success in our restaurant. We would not be where we are without our families. We are a family-run Italian restaurant that is just family working here. We help create a sense of family atmosphere when people dine here. Read more>>

Jonathan Lopez | Artist

I think one of the most important factors is staying committed to your craft. Being motivated to continue to inspire through my artwork as well as pushing my personal limits and boundaries of what can be done through my art. I believe another successful factor is to simply network and meet other artists or people that share that same passion and want to see you succeed and surrounding yourself with positive people. Read more>>

Kevin And Sam | Owners and Coaches

We are, for lack of a better term, complete idiots. We take our coaching seriously, we take our business seriously, but we are fundamentally, genetically, and in all other ways entirely incapable of taking ourselves seriously. That, along with our shared moral code (do the right thing, not just the right thing for the business), has helped to cultivate an amazing community built on trust, acceptance, and…childlike whimsy? We proudly refer to our classes as “Adult Recess” because our members get to take a break from their day-to-day responsibilities and play with their friends for an hour at a time. Read more>> 

Tj Fairchild | co-founder – Commonplace Coffee

The most important factor behind Commonplace Coffee’s success is the people who have connected with our mission. This includes both our guests and our staff. The first couple of years it was just my wife and I working the coffee bar. A this point, the most important factor behind our success were the people that came in and supported our desire to create space for people to gather. As the business grew we realized that the connection to our mission was also seen in the people that desired to work alongside us to accomplish that same mission. Read more>>