Nelissa Carrillo radiates a warmth and fierceness that draws you toward her. From the moment you first meet the young designer, you feel welcomed and seen. The longing to make this world a more beautiful and compassionate place guides her through life and drove her to start her genderless clothing brand, STRONGER WISER EVERYDAY (SWE).

Ricardo Bouyett isn’t a big fan of the linear photography process. That doesn’t mean he’ll turn down family clients looking for a nice, “normal” photo session. “It’s not really what fulfills me,” he said. The true portfolio of Bouyett incorporates color, movement, and effects that highlight the light and dark nature of being a human.

Brandon Frein has seven Rachel Comey jumpsuits in her closet, a grey streak in her hair, and a “F*** Trump” sticker on her phone. Spirited, lively, and with a personality big enough to fill up a room, she’s likely to make a lasting impression on everyone she meets. With a love for fashion as deep enough as her love for people, she thrives both as a wardrobe consultant and professor, and despite being in her 50’s, her dreams for the future keep getting bigger.

My perfect happiness is a life where I can create freely and be able to sustain myself through my craft. We spend so much time working to live, I would rather work to build a life.

Fariha Wajid is in pursuit of perfect imperfections. Wajid is the creator of INKMADE, a sustainable company that produces hand-made and hand-printed scarves and stationery. She started INKMADE in 2015, after creating the woodblock print prototype in a product design class while attending the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Whenever I can sit with the sun on my face, I think that’s pretty close, and I don’t take it for granted living in Chicago. But I’ve also decided that happiness and perfection aren’t generally compatible, and I’m pretty content with a little imperfection in life.

Happiness is entirely circumstantial; so my idea of perfect happiness is when I’m playing. Playing while creating or while I’m with the people I love; or even more perfectly… When those two things happen together.