Tessa Shane, founder of The Donation Closet, learned the importance of giving back at a young age. “I have an older sister and she was involved in a lot of community service work,” she said. “I started seeing her getting involved in things, like the Friendship Circle, and other community service. She kind of guided some of my decisions and opened my eyes up to what you can do for others.” Shane also became involved in the Friendship Circle, a non-profit that offers programmin

Bloomfield Hills native and chef Justin Tootla appears on Season 23 of Bravo’s award-winning culinary competition series “Top Chef,” which takes place in the Carolinas. This season launched in March and will conclude in June. Tootla fondly remembers an “idyllic childhood” growing up next to Cranbrook Schools campus. “It was an amazing place to grow up…I was born in the ‘80s and grew up in the ‘90s, so the last generation to leave the house in the morning and come home at nigh

While getting high certainly had its appeal, Willy Vlasic knew his appreciation for cannabis was destined for something greater. His first flirt with cannabis was in high school, like so many others. After graduating from Cranbook Schools in 2014, Vlasic went to the University of Miami for film production and screenwriting before reassessing career goals and transferring to University of Michigan for business. During this time, Michigan’s marijuana scene was undergoing dramat

Antonio Musse was a shy, reserved child but at 27-years-old, he picked up the saxophone and today, his sultry, soulful music can be heard at venues all over southeastern Michigan. “I grew up on R&B and rap music,” he said. “When I was in high school, I’d walk by the music class and I’d think, ‘What a bunch of nerds.’ I had no idea how beautiful other music was. But I started paying attention and I realized that I really liked the saxophone sound. Now, I’m the nerd.” According

Restaurateur, tech founder and entrepreneur Beth Hussey tapped her decades of restaurant industry experience to not only become a successful restaurant owner but to also launch two thriving problem-solving apps. Hussey grew up as the youngest of seven in the unincorporated community of Union Lake and attended high school in Phoenix, Arizona. She worked in her family’s steakhouse where her love of training staff was sparked. Interestingly, she said that all but one sibling sti

Cyber attacks are happening at an alarming rate to businesses, with reports from the Michigan State Police indicating that already in 2026, Business Email Compromise (BEC) and ransomware activity are a significant cause of financial loss. As a business owner and tech end user, Kelly Siegel was facing these potential hacks, attacks and ransom requests against his own IT company – and decided to do something about it. “National Technology Management (NTM) evolved out of a need

As if lifted from a “My Most Unforgettable Character” series, Detroit Country Day School teacher Beverly Hannett-Price is just that to students she has had the honor of teaching at the school for the last 33 years. The passionate English teacher has been a groundbreaker and left an indelible mark on both her students and the educational community since beginning her teaching profession in Albion, Michigan, nearly 68 years ago. Her lifelong achievements that broke the glass ce

Ava Pruden is an award-winning swimmer who was diagnosed with significant hearing loss as an infant, but that has never stopped her determination to succeed. “I wasn’t born with hearing loss. I actually passed my newborn screening,” she said. “They discovered (I had hearing loss) when I was two months old.” Pruden, a 17-year-old junior at Seaholm High School in Birmingham, was first introduced to swimming as a young child. “My mom put me and my brother on the swim team,” she