Where you grew up and your background can often have surprising effects on our lives and careers. We’ve asked folks from the community to tell us about how their background has affected them.

Rachel Kois | CEO & Founder of Simple Switch

I’m one of the lucky ones who is actually from Colorado; in fact my family has been in Colorado for 5 generations!) and I grew up just north of Denver. Looking back on my life it’s clear why I’d end up starting a company like Simple Switch, a company at the intersection of sustainability, social impact, and entrepreneurship. Read more>>

Bailey Olerich | University of Iowa Softball Player and Student

My mother’s side is from Venezuela but my dad was born in Iowa. I was brought up with two completely different type of cultures. They both have impacted who I am now enormously and I think it helps me want to know more of the world. I want to go out and learn about all the different other type of cultures I don’t know of. Read more>>

Ellie Punch | Master Trainer (dog)

I’m from Australia. And came to Canada in 2007 as a mid stop in a year long travel to earn some more cash to continued to Europe. I didn’t make it to Europe and instead bought a landscaping business in Vancouver. I didn’t graduate high school and the chances of doing well in business according to most was slim to none. Since then I have found a career in which I can monetize skills that have been looked over as well as help stop behavioural euthanasia in dogs. Read more>>

Chris Naranjo | Artist and entrepreneur

I was born in Los Angeles and then at the age of 13 I moved to Santa Clarita CA my hometown, where I got most my influences and friends, I lived there till 2017. I started rapping because I loved rhymes at the age of 15, my Dad’s friends would hear me rap and then one day I got the opportunity to freestyle for my label boss and he signed me to his independent label at the age of 19, Read more>>

Myla Pearce | Equine Artist

Myla Pearce, of Half Fast Farms Studio. I am a farm girl, born in Pennsylvania in 1959. I grew up on the Menzie Dairy draft horse farm in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. My father trained and drove their six horse hitch. I was closely involved, but felt I had to spend way too many hours polishing harness! The upside of that were the detailed drawings I was able to do of them. Read more>>

Stefano Parodi | Fitness & Lifestyle Content Creator

I was born in Peru! I lived there until I was 10 years old. I then moved to Miami where I spent for 4s before moving to Sydney Australia! I left australia and moved back to Miami when I was 17. Finished high school and went straight into college! Through my life I was always a very competitive and very athletic individual- I played soccer, tennis, football, and MMA. Read more>>