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.
Veronica Clark
My generosity comes from a place of knowing what it feels like to be small, overlooked, and misunderstood. As a young child, I was bullied, and those moments stay with you. They shape you. I remember what it felt like to walk into a room and wonder who would have my back—or if anyone would. Instead of hardening me, those experiences softened me. Read More>>
SiRr Xecellence
My generosity didn’t just appear out of nowhere. It comes from the journey… the highs, the lows, the moments when I had nothing but still found a way to give something. I learned early that real wealth ain’t measured in money — it’s in spirit, in service, in how many people you can lift while you climb. Read More>>
Yvonne Garcia-Spence
I’ve found over the years that helping people is just the healthiest way to live. I get it from my mother she was always first to jump to help those she could.. I am a strong believer in paying it forward. Read More>>
Gizelle Perez
My generosity really grew out of the challenges I’ve had to walk through in my own life. There were seasons where a small act of kindness or support would’ve made a huge difference for me. Because of that, I feel called to show others the encouragement I wish I had at certain moments. Read More>>
Josh, Zach, Amelia
We believe our generosity really comes down to how we were raised by our mom – she was someone that always worked hard and gave more than what she had to others and to us kids. Even around the holidays when we didn’t have much as a family we still contributed to the salivation army, adopted angels to provide something for, and did toy drives. Read More>>
Sue Davies
Being giving is part of what makes us human. We have the capacity to give to each other in many different ways–by volunteering, helping our neighbors, making donations, smiling at people on the street, and so many more ways. I believe that being giving is a life choice. I have tried throughout my life to give. Read More>>
Eddie Palmer II
God, the greatest amongst us are servants to others. So I believe in helping my fellow human whenever possible. The measure of a man is how he treats those whom can do nothing for him. So every room I enter I strive to leave the people in it better than when I and they arrived. Read More>>
Mary Jo Hunt Hatchett
From a young age, I was raised in a home where generosity was a core value. My parents consistently shared their resources with others, and that spirit of giving became deeply ingrained in me. When I married, my husband was a local politician who was heavily involved in community work. Read More>>
The Penny Farthing Tea Room
Our generosity is sparked by the drive to create a space for members of our community and beyond to feel at home. As we always say “we were built by a community that we now want to serve” Read More>>
Mitzi Martinez
My generosity comes from knowing what it feels like to be broke, homeless, and even bullied. I understand what it means to start at the very bottom and work my way to the top. Now that I’m stable, I choose to help others in need. Growing up, I watched my parents struggle with poverty and homelessness.
Kali Delaney Somerville
My generosity was born in the boldest chapters of my life, the ones that nearly broke me. I didn’t become a giver because I had excess. I became a giver because I know what it feels like to have nothing but God’s hand holding you together. Read More>>
Seth Graye
Growing up, I struggled a lot. Without going into too much detail, I was born very premature with a lot of health complications and my mother tried to commit infanticide against me. Custody of me was given to the state, and I was raised by my great-grandmother. Read More>>
D-Win
My generosity comes from my humble beginnings. I was raised with the mindset that when you’re blessed, you’re meant to bless others. That stuck with me throughout my life. Sometimes I actually have to remind myself to slow down, because I naturally want to give, support, and pour into everyone around me. Read More>>
Evany Turk
My generosity is something I was born into. I grew up in a community where people looked out for one another instinctively where somebody’s child was everybody’s child, and where support wasn’t a question, it was a way of life. I was raised in a building full of strong, resilient women: my great-grandmother, my grandmother, my great-auntie, and my mother. Read More>>
Darin Roberge
To be perfectly honest, I’ve spent a pretty good chunk of my life being one of those down—but never out—kind of stereotypes. I fully understand how difficult it is to pull yourself back up once you’ve screwed something up, tripped and fallen a little bit, or even had a run of bad luck. Read More>>
Alexis Shupe
My generosity comes from the life of going without. Growing up, my family didn’t have a lot of money. My older sister and grandma helped a lot with big things like the electricity bill, groceries or school clothes – all the way to the smaller things like field trip fees. Read More>>
Steve Ustin
My generosity comes from lessons my father taught me at a very young age. He always believed that giving back—whether through food, clothing, money, or simply lending a hand—was one of the most meaningful things a person could do. That value stayed with me throughout my entire life. Read More>>
Lauren Allison
My parents. I grew up in a household where I’d wake up for breakfast and often there would be a stranger at the table with us who was down on their luck or a foreign exchange student who needed a place to land for a few weeks. Read More>>
Ezra Gilmore
My grandfather who recently passed away always told me if I’m blessed enough to receive blessings; I should be a blessing and bless others. Read More>>
Janelle Douglas
I’ve come to believe that the things we offer others the most freely are often the very things we need or needed most ourselves. Support. Steadiness. Safety. Loyalty. Care. Those were qualities I learned to embody long before I felt anyone could consistently offer them to me. Read More>>
Antonio Hart
My resilience is rooted in years of perseverance, mentorship, and an unwavering dedication to my craft. Although I believed from an early age that I was born a musician, my abilities were not immediately recognized. Read More>>
