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.

Philip Gabriel Steverson | Artist, Poet, & Designer

I am originally from West Philadelphia, PA, moving around the area a lot in my adolescence years. There were a combination of things that helped shape who I am today, such as family hardships, early responsibilities, and the city of Philadelphia as a whole. Maturity was an aspect of myself that I wanted to develop early without knowing exactly what that meant. Read more>>

Spencer Vandevier | Singer Songwriter & Multi Instrumentalist

I was born and raised in Kingman AZ. My parents are both musical and encouraged my sister and I from an early age to sing and make music. My dad has been in bands on an off his entire life and my mom also played music and minored in it in college. Singing was my first musical interest and I would sing anywhere it was appropriate and sometimes not so appropriate. Read more>>

Douglas Miley | Oil Painter and Instructor specializing in the Grand Canyon and Southwest

I credit my early rural life in Ohio for instilling me for a lasting love and fascination with nature. At age 4, I began drawing with colored pencils, switching to oils by my 8th birthday. My parents were highly involved in creative arts as my mother was an artist and my father was a musician and they both encouraged me. For two years I was an illustrator with the U.S. Read more>>