We asked some of the most generous entrepreneurs, artists and creatives we know to talk to us about where they think their generosity comes from.

Alexis Castillo

I developed my sense of generosity from my parents. My mom, my dad, and my step mom all are the embodiment of generosity. I had a fairly religious upbringing, which in today’s political climate can be controversial. Religion is often weaponized and used as an excuse to hate and judge. My parents pretty much solely used religion as a way to teach me and my sister what it means to give back to others. My dad always told us the only spot in the Bible where it’s explicitly written on how to get into heaven is when Jesus said when I was hungry you gave me food when I was thirsty you gave me drink because what you do for my brother you do for me. So he has always said it’s not our place to judge how people receive, we will be judged on how we give so we give with an open heart. Read More>>

Linda Daubenspeck

The quality of being kind and generous seems to have been in my genetic as well as my environmental makeup from day one. Those who have gone before me planted the seeds. I grew up in a rural area of Southern Indiana, in the town of Canaan. I could, and still can, name the individuals who lived in every house in town. All tolled, the grand total was almost one hundred. I realize this will sound like fiction, or like a story written a hundred years ago, but my house had one bedroom and no indoor plumbing. There were two double beds in the bedroom. My parents slept in one. My older sister and I slept in the other. Was I poor? Not that I knew. Oh, looking back, we didn’t have much money or possessions. My sister and I wore homemade clothes and hand me downs, but poor? Absolutely not! As far as we were concerned, we were rich beyond our wildest dreams. We had everything we needed. We were loved by our parents, grandparents and extended family. We had a literal ‘village’ of a hundred people that treated us as though we were family. We had a fantastic church. Everyone gave of their time, their energy, their possessions and their love to anyone who needed it. Read More>>

Curtis Boggs

My generosity comes from a few places, but mostly from my mother.
At an early age I was the kid who would go out of my way to help people. The neighbor carry bags of groceries,
the friend fix their car and today the interest in documentary film making and telling people’s stories.

I’ve always been acutely aware of peoples feelings and situational awareness.
Seeing outside of an immediate situation to the larger picture gives a better understanding of actions and reactions. Read More>>

Grace Bishara

My generosity is rooted in my faith. I believe that we are all called to be a reflection of God’s love—and for me, that means showing up for others, especially those who are often unseen or overlooked. The Becoming Grace Foundation was born out of that belief. It wasn’t just an idea; it was a response to pain, both my own and that of women and children who’ve experienced deep trauma. I didn’t set out to start a foundation—I simply followed God’s lead. As I healed, I realized my healing wasn’t just for me. It was meant to make room for others to heal, too. So my generosity comes from a place of surrender, from knowing what it feels like to be held by grace, and from a desire to extend that same grace to others. Read More>>

Billy Dees

My belief is that one of the worst things you can do is deny somebody something when whatever it is they need is relatively easy for you to provide. For example, if you need a million dollars I am not going to be able to give you that. However, often times people just need a friendly voice or a little bit of your time. There are times when it can be worth a lot more than money to someone who needs it. Read More>>

Diana Ponce

I truly think this comes from my parents. I’ve had the great privilege of having wonderful examples in both my mom and my dad of how to be generous and kind. My parents were raised in households with lots of scarcity and both of them worked very hard to be at the point in their lives at which they are right now. This being said, that in no way made them parsimonious, on the contrary, I can recount countless of times in which both my parents sort of took people in under their wing and offered to pay for their studies, created work to be able to give and just plainly acted from kindness and I guess a certain amount of comprehension of not being in the best of scenarios. I learned from a young age that money is something that is hard to come by and that luxuries and opulence were unimportant and not worth the money that could go into making other people’s lives easier. In that same way, I just grew up around charitable spirits, I always saw my mom take over the care of sick people in out block when me and my brother were growing up as well. Read More>>

Anushka Kalyan

Generosity ties in with the entire narrative of VR’ing Democracy, an initiative I started with two other Civics Unplugged fellows. This stems from my upbringing, which taught me a lot about being there for each other, especially for your family members. As someone who grew up in the U.S. with values like this, I ensured that this value was also translated in our work for VR’ing Democracy. We aim to give back to the community and individuals who are not able to connect with civic policies, engagement, etc. Read More>>

Gloria Kloter

My generosity comes from having faced—and overcome—many challenges myself. As an immigrant architect building a new life and career in the U.S., I know firsthand how isolating, overwhelming, and unclear the path can feel. I didn’t always have someone to turn to for guidance, so now, I make it a point to be that person for others. Every time I share my time, knowledge, or support, it comes from a place of deep empathy and a desire to make someone else’s journey a little easier than mine was. Read More>>

Céline Rosenthal

My generosity comes from the people who believed in me early on—mentors, artists, and teachers who took the time to nurture my talent when they didn’t have to. Their support gave me the confidence to grow and the permission to take risks. I also think about my parents, who always encouraged my creativity and made space for my curiosity, even when they didn’t fully understand where it was heading. Read More>>

Alexa Rabini

As *Mindful Dog Mom* and your go-to *Canine Concierge*, my generosity comes from a deep-rooted desire to make pet lives better—because I’ve seen firsthand how much love, healing, and joy dogs bring into our world, especially the seniors and special-needs pups I care for. 💛

I give so freely because I know how overwhelming pet parenthood can be, and I believe no one should feel alone navigating it. Whether it’s sharing trusted referrals, offering a cozy boarding spot, or simply listening with compassion, my heart is in it because *they* deserve the best—and so do *you*. 🐾 Read More>>

Clemón Charles

My generosity comes from a deep love for music, community, and the joy of shared experiences. I have built a career around bringing people together through my art, whether it’s live performances, fundraisers, or mentoring emerging Artists. Read More>>

Ryan Rolle-Jackson

Jesus Truly!!! Without him nothing is possible! & my father unconditional love to me and my siblings Read More>>

Mike Fishkin

Throughout my career one of the biggest compliments I’ve received is how generous people see me as. I remember in middle school/high school and even most of college I was never really included in anything. Weather it be an invite to a group outing or party or anything, I was never the first to get invited, included, or given a chance. When I started my show I was so stoked with the amount of artists that were reaching out to be on the show that I wanted to be able to give everyone a chance. Read More>>

Nancy Bruscher

Generosity is key to who I am. Most of the time when the word generosity comes up, you think of money. Money doesn’t consume you when you give it away & you’re able to have a healthy view of money. Beyond financial generosity, I love being generous with my time. Every day I ask myself this question…at the end of my life, however long or short I have on this earth, what will be most important to me? Are the things I am doing now, every day, part of what I believe are the most important things? Many times the “things” that take most of our time really don’t matter. This keeps me intentional and on task. When I don’t think I have time for something, if it’s on “my list” of importance, I make the time, and everything else falls into place. It really does. Read More>>

Monica V. Seide

Growing up as a little girl, I always watched my mother go above and beyond—not just for our family, but for anyone she encountered. Even in the smallest moments, her kindness and generosity stood out. She had a heart that gave without expecting anything in return, and that left a lasting impression on me. Read More>>

Zeenat Isaacs

Growing up in an underprivileged ,underresouced area in South Africa where Children and youth in South Africa suffer various challenges. The most vulnerable and most affected are the poor communities and I grew up in Lenteguer Mitchell’s Plain an area notorious for drugs gangsterism and poverty. Read More>>

Laura Johnston

My generosity comes from the generosity of others–it’s a perpetual wheel of receiving and giving back. So many people have selflessly shared their time and talent with me, personally and professionally–that I’m continually inspired to pay that generosity forward. Read More>>

Liisa Lee

I think, honestly, my generosity comes from a sense of safety, of having enough
and also from an innate sense of helping. 
Being able to help others feel good about their work or talent is so fulfilling. Just that simple act of humanity, support and sharing together has always meant a lot to me.
Generosity is a great glimmer of happiness. Read More>>