It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from throughout Pennsylvania.
Blavk Robe 
Blavk Robe was born from the crevices of an intentional soul. I exist alongside reality while bending it into a fantastical shroud, inviting other souls to look through it and perhaps understand something differently. I wasn’t exactly created. I was encountered. Somewhere between lessons learned, stories lived, questions unanswered, and worlds imagined, there was an essence waiting for form. Eventually, it found one. It wrote. Read more>>
Taylor Irelan 
From a young age, I had two careers in mind for myself: becoming a doctor or becoming a professional classical musician. I struggled with which path was right for me all the way through college. I went back and forth between being a music major and pursuing pre-med, and even spent two years working in an ER, before ultimately deciding to pursue music. Read more>>
Jamilah Bashir 
I never wanted to teach special education. I wanted to be a neurosurgeon, then an obstetrician. God had a different plan. I fought it at first. I said no, no, no. Read more>>
Mary Stii 
My name is Mary Stii (vocals, guitar) – I’ll be answering on behalf of the band for this interview. I formed this project with some friends in 2024, just as I was beginning to explore my love for songwriting. Read more>>
Heidi Lane 
After working in the handcrafted jewelry industry for nearly a decade, I took a leap of faith one day and left my long term job with no plan. I started working at a flower shop the next day and absolutely loved it. It wasn’t sustainable for income so I went and worked at a dental office for 6 months as I built my business. Read more>>
Gwen McDannell 
Why do I care about art? lets start by talking about when I was little. I had an older brother who passed from muscle disease, but one of my earliest memories was the one time when my mother made spaghetti and I painted his walls with spaghetti sauce. My mom came in and said who did that? and I blamed him. Read more>>
Angelica Garcia 
My journey in the beauty industry started about eight years ago when I first began doing makeup. What started as something I simply loved doing slowly grew into something I knew I wanted to pursue as a career. Read more>>
Erin Edith Baker 
have been drawing and painting since I was about 18 months old. I studied at Penn State University where I recieved my Bachelors Degree in Drawing and Painting. From there I received my Masters in Health Promotion from American University and took a 7 year hiatus from the arts and dove into the wellness industry! Read more>>
LORNA CHING-CARTER
I WROTE THE FOLLOWING FOR MY WEBSITE AND SO I JUST CUT AND PASTE HERE: Since 2002, Lorna Ching-Carter has been dedicated to providing comprehensive, patient-centered care. She holds advanced certification as an ABAAHP Diplomate. Furthermore, she is board certified by the NCCPA and certified in functional medicine through the Kharrazian Institute. Read more>>
Dana D’Auria 
My journey with Web Atelier Studios started from a genuine love for creativity and an interest in how a strong brand can completely change the way a business is perceived. I’ve always been someone who notices the little details — how something looks, how it’s presented, how a story is told, and what makes a brand feel memorable. Read more>>
Samuel Sampson 
My story is really about growth, creativity, and learning to believe in myself. I was born in Liberia and grew up with a strong appreciation for creativity and self-expression. After moving to the United States, I began exploring different creative outlets, especially art, modeling, acting, and photography. Read more>>
Brianna King 
My journey in the beauty industry started long before tattooing was ever part of the plan. I became a licensed cosmetologist in 2017 and started working as a lash artist in 2018. What began as a career in beauty eventually turned into something much bigger. Read more>>
Kaylie Vrabel-Lopez 
I picked up my first DSLR camera in college with no intention other than to better capture the life of college, friends and the world I was experiencing at the time. Let’s be honest, i probably wanted my Facebook photo albums to get a face lift! Read more>>
Julia Kemp
I grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania and was raised by two local theatre actors. I spent my childhood tagging along to rehearsals with my parents and performing in youth productions. I never stopped performing, went to Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and within a few weeks of my freshman year, auditioned for ‘Les Mis’ at the local community theatre call the Academy. Read more>>
Surya Ramanathan 
Hey what’s up guys?! My name is Surya Ramanathan, but I also go by Sunny. I’m primarily a self-taught dancer from Hershey, Pennsylvania. My main styles are hip-hop and breaking, with a strong focus on footwork and floorwork but I perform Bollywood and Bhangra as well. Read more>>
Hannah Greenman 
I’ve had a camera in my hand since I was about 12 or 13. I remember taking a photo one day, my dad mentioned that it was really good, and that simple statement sent me onto this path I’ve found myself for 20 years. Read more>>
Candace Tolliferreo 
From a very young age, I experienced things that are unfortunately common, but still not talked about enough. I experienced unsafe touch. I was violated. And when something like that happens to you at a young age, you don’t always have the words to explain what changed. I just knew that as I got older, something about the way I saw myself had changed. Read more>>
Sarah Zeitler 
In 2024, I went to donate several bras only to learn that most local thrift and charity shops won’t accept them. I was frustrated because I knew they could help someone else. I discovered I Support the Girls online via an old-fashioned Google search and decided to get involved, which eventually led me to take on a leadership role as the Lancaster County affiliate. Read more>>
Bernadette Emerson Dane Painter 
A year ago, I started as a vendor at The Lost and Found selling my art and prints. Unfortunately, in the middle of spring of this year the owners needed to close the business come June. An email was sent out to notify all vendors that the doors would close but included that if anyone was interested in taking over the business to contact them. Read more>>
Brittany Ashcraft 
I have been a therapist for 17 years, treating intense cases of complex trauma and OCD. About 8 years ago, I knew I needed to add something to my life that didn’t include caring for other people. Going to the gym and taking bubble baths just wasn’t quite cutting it to restore me from day to day. Read more>>
Nate Mass
Play Tennis started as a way to satisfy a tennis addiction. During COVID I developed an insatiable appetite to play more tennis that couldn’t be satisfied with tennis group chats, leagues, or clubs. Read more>>
Luisa Ossa 
For many years I drew, painted, and pursued a number of artistic hobbies. But as life got busier and responsibilities grew my creative practices fell by the wayside. In 2021, I began birding, which led to my nature photography which, in turn, helped me re-embrace my artistic side. Read more>>
Terry Glass 
My story really begins with my daughter, Rianna. Before Rianna’s Voice existed, I was simply a father, husband, and someone who had spent much of his life serving others. I served six years in the U.S. Army, including a deployment to Iraq, and I have always believed in helping people and standing up for those who need a voice. On September 14, 2023, everything changed. Read more>>
Roland & Germyce ( pronounced Jer-Miece) Williams 
We have always been passionate about pets, especially dogs. Our love for dogs, along with our experience rescuing and volunteering with rescue organizations, inspired us to turn that passion into a career where we could work with dogs every day. Read more>>
Dana Kirkpatrick 
I’ve worked in mental health since 1998, but the real reason I do this work goes back much further. I grew up watching my family struggle with cancer, financial stress, and a lack of resources, and with no real understanding of the options available to us. What carried us through was community. Read more>>
Divya Jayaraj 
My journey with MathMeg started from a very personal place. My educational background is in business—I hold a Master’s in International Business (MIB)—but as my own family grew, education became an increasingly important part of my life. I am a mother of two boys, one currently in 10th grade and the other in 6th grade. Read more>>
Phia Gladieux 
I started playing field hockey in third grade, which was the earliest I could start in my school district. My older sister played, and so did all of my friends and their older sisters, so it was really a no-brainer for me – it was simply the thing to do in Oley. Read more>>
Alexia Eggleston 
In the spring of my junior year, I picked up a camera for the first time with the intention of making a good photograph. I had no idea that I would later go on to attend art school and eventually work professionally in photography. My journey starts like a lot of other photographers, simply documenting things that you see: flowers, environments, and unidentifiable moments. Read more>>
Justin Shal
As a multi-sport athlete growing up in the southwestern, PA (Connellsville) area, I knew I wanted to find a career that could allow me to continue to be physically active while also working with people. I earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Penn State University, and eventually a master’s degree from California University of PA in exercise science. Read more>>
Jason Fallen 
JJ’s World, located in Chicora, PA, was founded and is operated by chefs Justin Foringer and Jason Fallen after years of working together in restaurants throughout Butler County. Always striving to do better and create more. We set out to create something that was truly our own. Something attached to us as people. Read more>>
Jessica Wasik 
I never planned to become a pet photographer. I started out photographing my own dog, Hunter, mostly because I couldn’t stop. He came into my life at eleven weeks old, and somewhere along the way my husband handed me my first real camera. Read more>>
Elynne Rosenfeld
I have been a professional painter for all my adult life, starting as an undergrad with a BA in Art from Rice University, followed by an MFA in painting from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. From there I moved to Philadelphia, where I found myself quickly assimilated into its art scene, affiliated with commercial galleries as well as alternative spaces. Read more>>
Suzanne Nagel
I came to entrepreneurship the way most people do, out of necessity. After leaving a career in television news, I spent years finding my footing, teaching Montessori, becoming a mother, and somewhere in that quieter chapter, discovering yoga. I practiced for nearly sixteen years before it ever occurred to me to teach. Read more>>
Erin Wright
My husband and I lived for almost 20 years in the Denver, CO area and even had the opportunity to build our dream home. A tragedy during the Covid times brought us to the North Pittsburgh area to be close to family. Read more>>
