Through our work we have had the good fortune of seeing firsthand how success comes in every shape, size, color, faith, and orientation.  More importantly we’ve learned that success is often the result of people embracing their unique backgrounds and so we’ve asked the community to tell us about their background and how it has impacted where they are today.

Ana Cruz | Circus Performer and Instructor

I was born in Miami, Florida and moved to New Jersey when I was 11 years old to be closer to family. My father had passed away when I was 8 years old and my mom was struggling to raise me as a single mother. Having two Cuban parents, I was raised in a loving and loud household. We ate a lot and danced a lot. But when my father took his own life, my mother decided to move us closer to her extended family in New Jersey. Read more>>

Brie Michalik | Yoga Instructor & Owner of Craft Yoga

“Where are you from?” used to be a question that made me uncomfortable, feeling as if I had no direct answer. Luckily, I have found a home where I currently live- Longmont, Colorado. If you ask my birth certificate, it would say upstate New York. If you asked friends I grew up with, they might say Denver, Arizona, or New Hampshire- a few places I lived for short periods of time. I have been in Longmont since January of 2010, making this the longest I have lived anywhere. Read more>>

chris mouser | Artist

I spent the first 17 years of my life growing up in the Catskill Mountains of New York. I had parents who encouraged me to explore, and my friends and i would hike everywhere… up and down the Sawkill River and spent lots of time outside. Being outdoors so much enjoying nature and the wonder of discovering new things was, and is, an integral part of who i am. oh – and making things… i remember making furniture as a 10-year old – or learning scrimshaw and pysanky from neighbors as a pre-teen and teenager – just trying everything at least once… Read more>>