Those of us who were lucky to have someone see something in us long before we saw it in ourselves know how impactful it can be. We are thrilled to highlight some of those stories and honor some of the OG heroes.
Regis Terencio
Two mentors fundamentally shaped how I approach business and creative leadership today. The first was Rubem Paulo Saldanha, currently Senior Public Sector Business Development Manager at Amazon Web Services, but back in the early 2000s he was my manager when I was a trainee at Microsoft Brazil. Read More>>
Doneida Simpson
God .. He knew me before I was formed in my mothers womb and He had plans for me before I could even catch on And so everyday I draw closer to Him so I can walk into my purpose Read More>>
Chuchu Wang 
For me, it was my grandmother—my mother’s mother—who saw me clearly before I could see myself. When I was in middle school, she believed I should pursue art seriously, even though it was an unconventional path in China at the time. She discussed it with my parents, who were hesitant. Read More>>
CAL Eden
My mother, may her soul rest in peace, was the one who always encouraged me to be the creative I am today. She unabashedly supported my endeavours to her last breaths and always showered me in love the best she could. Read More>>
Wendy Hee
Without a doubt, my husband. I believe he saw me clearly before I could see myself. For much of my life, I felt pressure to meet expectations and present only the “acceptable” version of myself, which made it hard to show vulnerability. My husband, though, has always encouraged me to be my authentic self – without regret and without apology. Read More>>
Taylor Lianne Chandler
Michael Phelps saw me clearly before I could clearly see myself. At a time when I was still learning to embrace every part of my identity, he looked past the noise, the labels, and the judgments of others, and simply saw me as a woman—whole, worthy, and enough. Read More>>
Deran Wright
Anyone who met me as a kid could tell I was artistic by nature. Apparently I was drawing recognizable pictures by age three. I drew on everything with anything that would make a mark. My parents started providing sketch books out of self defense. I never went anywhere without one. 10,000 hours of practice? I easily surpassed that by the time I was a preteen. Read More>>
Beami
My father saw me clearly before I could see myself. I believe we saved each other’s lives. He was patient, loving and always understood the grand scheme of things, the larger picture, better than anyone I’ve ever known. Read More>>
