“Empower-Well,” it’s a name that resonates with me on a very personal level. It was forged from the fires of my own experiences—difficult, painful, yet ultimately transformative. Continue reading…

Story of Me and My Startup (Amaury Casadesus)

The story of Amaury Casadesus is one of resilience, integrity, and unyielding determination, intertwining personal challenges with a broader mission of social justice and equity. Continue reading…

Story of Me and My Work (Jennifer Weinberg

Sitting here in the Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) at Miami Dade College, I often think about how I ended up in this role. My journey to being part of this team, focused on preserving the historic Freedom Tower, was not a straight line, but it all feels like it was meant to be. Continue reading…

Story of Me and My Startup (Mike O'Donnell)

Issaquah, Washington, was a peaceful place, usually a steady presence. But on that quiet December 12th, 2011, the world felt like a storm around me, both literally and figuratively. I was grappling with the emotional turmoil of a painful divorce. Each day seemed like a battle, a step into the unknown after years of certainty. Continue reading…

Difficult Birth

The air in Farmington Hills, Michigan, was crisp, almost unforgiving that May morning in 2020, and I sat gripping the arms of the chair as if they were lifelines. Mother’s Day came with a gentle reminder of what I longed for but feared in equal measure. The thought of having a baby had always been a distant dream, accompanied by an unrelenting anxiety that gnawed at my insides. Continue reading…

Remembering Mom

My name is Mike, and I have the good fortune of being the third child of Audrey—a woman who lived life with a sense of joy and exuberance that was distinctly her own. Audrey, my mom, was a remarkable character, bursting with color and curiosity, much like the tapestries she so lovingly crafted.

Audrey passed away in 2012. I think about her often. I miss her. Continue reading….

Love at First Flight: The Story of Dan and Gretchen's Fateful Meeting

Once upon a time, in a bustling airport in New York City, a chance encounter changed the lives of two individuals forever. Continue reading…