Making an Impact in Innovative Ways
MEET Aziza Salukombo
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Aziza Salukombo is a multifaceted individual who excels at all that she does. She is a Highschool Educator by day, as well as an Afrobeats dancer, instructor, event Host, and part time actor. She is very much passionate about dancing, more so whatever pertains to the entertainment industry.. She is a part of a team called RSG, which is a team packed with entertainers ranging from Dancers, musicians, comedians, producers and more. Being a part of such a team keeps her surrounded by her passion for entertainment. Teaching on the other-hand, is something she is currently doing as she prepares herself to hopefully go to law school.
Salukombo has been dancing since she was a kid. Her mother says that she started dancing way before she could walk, but it really took off when she and her siblings started a dance team. When she went off to college, she formed her own dance team, The Royal Descendants, which she ran for 3 years. After that, she went solo and started performing with various artists. Later on, Salukombo figured she shouldn’t just box herself in as only a dancer, especially since the dance world had become heavily saturated. She then decided to start hosting events. So far in her hosting career, she has hosted and performed for various Afrobeats artists like BM, Davido, Diamond Platinumz, Teni, Kizz Daniel, Rema and more. She also hosts and teaches dance classes at different studios, High schools, and universities across the country. |
When asked about why she does what she does, she says,
“I do what I do because it makes me happy, it keeps me healthy and the joy that people get from me performing or just learning from me is exhilarating. Putting a smile on someone’s face and making them forget their problems for just one hour simply because they are into the music and dance steps is something I would give my time to over and over.”
As a woman in the industry, she has definitely dealt with her fair share of obstacles. She overcomes that with the love and support of her brothers and teammates who keep her grounded, and like lions, surrounding her in protection at all times. The other obstacle she has faced is that she wonders how she can juggle her life as a professional in the law field as well as being a dancer, because they are in fact two completely different professions. Salukombo expresses that when the time comes to make a decision on what to do, her path will be made clear to her.
She says her team, her manager, and her future self are all who keep her going. She hopes to open up a company that is all things entertainment with her team, while also working in a law firm.
We asked Aziza Salukombo what Valiance means to her,
“Valiance to me means being bold and heroic in a humble manner. I think it is Letting your presence and influence on others speak for itself.”
Follow more of Aziza Salukombo’s journey via social media @adancingqueenofafrica_
“I do what I do because it makes me happy, it keeps me healthy and the joy that people get from me performing or just learning from me is exhilarating. Putting a smile on someone’s face and making them forget their problems for just one hour simply because they are into the music and dance steps is something I would give my time to over and over.”
As a woman in the industry, she has definitely dealt with her fair share of obstacles. She overcomes that with the love and support of her brothers and teammates who keep her grounded, and like lions, surrounding her in protection at all times. The other obstacle she has faced is that she wonders how she can juggle her life as a professional in the law field as well as being a dancer, because they are in fact two completely different professions. Salukombo expresses that when the time comes to make a decision on what to do, her path will be made clear to her.
She says her team, her manager, and her future self are all who keep her going. She hopes to open up a company that is all things entertainment with her team, while also working in a law firm.
We asked Aziza Salukombo what Valiance means to her,
“Valiance to me means being bold and heroic in a humble manner. I think it is Letting your presence and influence on others speak for itself.”
Follow more of Aziza Salukombo’s journey via social media @adancingqueenofafrica_
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Photographer: @rts_visualz_llc
Meet Elizabeth Elswick
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Elizabeth Elswick grew up with a mother who encouraged free thinking and an open mind. Her mother was considered to be a “hippie,” a free spirit. Being around her mother allowed her to be herself and have a spark of creativity. Macrame is her main focus, and it holds a special place in her heart. She makes just about everything macrame such as - wall hangings, plant hangers, keychains, and more. Elswick expresses that it’s hard work, hours upon hours of knotting but she wouldn’t trade it for anything. Though this is her passion, she is so much more than macrame. She also creates illustrations and graphics with her iPad, PC and the Adobe Suite. While most of the things she creates are for her brand, Hippie’s Daughter, she also does Graphic Design work when she can. Not only is she pursuing her dream and side business for Hippie's Daughter, she also has a part-time job and does contract work in stormwater management. Though it is an entirely different world compared to her art, she still finds it rewarding in its own way.
Elswick explains that she cannot imagine not being an artist and entrepreneur, she does not hesitate to admit that this is indeed her passion. Though she has a part time job, the thought of a full-time non-creative job gives her a cringe feeling because she thrives on creativity. For Elswick, there is just something about getting lost in tying knots or drawing a new design. For her, it is both thrilling and terrifying to put a part of herself into a project and see how it is received by the world. In addition, the feeling of being able to help and inspire others to do their own thing is so humbling and rewarding. She feels fortunate to have found her passion and to be able to do it for a living. |
Art has always been something that she loved. She has been gifted to have grown in a wildly creative family that nurtured her creative spirit. Naturally, Elswick’s creativity started at a very young age with those art brief cases and hemp jewelry that was all the rage in the 90s and 00s. Elswick grew up with her dad’s watercolor paintings hanging in her house and a musician for a brother. Going to her grandparents’ house where her grandmother was always painting or cooking and her grandfather always building one object or the other. Being surrounded by such creativity and inspiration everywhere fueled her skills and talents in the arts. Elswick started drawing and painting at a young age and little did she know that her father teaching her how to make macrame jewelry would come back into her life after college. She went through High School taking every art class they would allow her to take, including college credits. Then, went on to earn a B.S. in Graphic Design and Printing in college. Elswick still couldn’t figure out why, but after college she was more focused on getting a secure full-time job, and art took a back seat for a few years. After a while, the feeling of torture that she felt of the mundane full-time job actually pushed her to create more. Soon, she started with paintings for friends and family.
She focused more on lots of hemp jewelry, which caused her husband to often call her the “hippie’s daughter''. Before she knew it, her business, Hippie’s Daughter, was born in 2017.
One of her favorite quotes is, “I want to make beautiful things, even if no one cares” -Saul
Bass.
Elswick feels that the world absolutely needs more authentic art and less big box store art. She often looks at things and wonders how they are made or how she would have designed them. She thrives most by being an artist and entrepreneur. She was always the ‘odd’ kid, total introvert and admits that she still is. Elswick wants to show people that it is okay to embrace who you are, being your authentic self is always enough.
Her largest obstacle was and still is time. She started her business while still working a 9-5 job. As her new business grew, days quickly became too short, which also brought on a lot of stress. She dealt with overcoming her obstacles by spending a couple years looking for the right part-time job. She soon realized that having a part-time job doesn't giver the full time she would like to be creative, but she does it mostly to help pay off her debts and health insurance. Elswick expresses her gratitude to have been able to find a fun yet challenging part-time job. It helps give her more time, but of course she’s still working hard and waiting for the right time to solely be a business owner..
Elswick expresses that being her own boss keeps her motivated in pursuing her dreams. Having more freedom and being able to create is what she hopes to achieve. The love and support of clients, customers, and other small business owners are also a big boost to keep her going. She has been able to meet amazing people who support one another, which is also encouraging and motivational for her. She gets this incredible feeling of being able to inspire others which contributes to her drive. Elswick expresses how being an entrepreneur for her has been a humbling, rewarding, fun, and yet a very hard path to take, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Elswick hopes to be able to offer more, share more, inspire more, and help more.
One of her dreams from the start was to create a brick and mortar that was more than just Hippie’s Daughter. A retail and learning space for her community that showcases local art, small businesses, and can help with important issues and causes. She feels People can achieve so much more together.
We asked Elizabeth Elswick what Valiance means to her,
“I see Valiance as being courageous and having great determination. Your authentic self will always be enough, you just have to be courageous enough to shine and determined enough to fight like hell.”
Check out more of Elizabeth Elswisk journey via her social media platforms @hippies_daughter
She focused more on lots of hemp jewelry, which caused her husband to often call her the “hippie’s daughter''. Before she knew it, her business, Hippie’s Daughter, was born in 2017.
One of her favorite quotes is, “I want to make beautiful things, even if no one cares” -Saul
Bass.
Elswick feels that the world absolutely needs more authentic art and less big box store art. She often looks at things and wonders how they are made or how she would have designed them. She thrives most by being an artist and entrepreneur. She was always the ‘odd’ kid, total introvert and admits that she still is. Elswick wants to show people that it is okay to embrace who you are, being your authentic self is always enough.
Her largest obstacle was and still is time. She started her business while still working a 9-5 job. As her new business grew, days quickly became too short, which also brought on a lot of stress. She dealt with overcoming her obstacles by spending a couple years looking for the right part-time job. She soon realized that having a part-time job doesn't giver the full time she would like to be creative, but she does it mostly to help pay off her debts and health insurance. Elswick expresses her gratitude to have been able to find a fun yet challenging part-time job. It helps give her more time, but of course she’s still working hard and waiting for the right time to solely be a business owner..
Elswick expresses that being her own boss keeps her motivated in pursuing her dreams. Having more freedom and being able to create is what she hopes to achieve. The love and support of clients, customers, and other small business owners are also a big boost to keep her going. She has been able to meet amazing people who support one another, which is also encouraging and motivational for her. She gets this incredible feeling of being able to inspire others which contributes to her drive. Elswick expresses how being an entrepreneur for her has been a humbling, rewarding, fun, and yet a very hard path to take, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Elswick hopes to be able to offer more, share more, inspire more, and help more.
One of her dreams from the start was to create a brick and mortar that was more than just Hippie’s Daughter. A retail and learning space for her community that showcases local art, small businesses, and can help with important issues and causes. She feels People can achieve so much more together.
We asked Elizabeth Elswick what Valiance means to her,
“I see Valiance as being courageous and having great determination. Your authentic self will always be enough, you just have to be courageous enough to shine and determined enough to fight like hell.”
Check out more of Elizabeth Elswisk journey via her social media platforms @hippies_daughter
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Meet Maylea Harris
Maylea Harris is a 14-years-old from West Virginia who specializes in the arts of handmade clay earrings. The process began as a hobby and through hard work and the support of her friends and family, it has become much more. Harris designs, perfects, and produces many styles of earrings by hand. The process can be tedious and involves careful mixing, molding, and customizing of multi-colored clay materials.But it’s all very rewarding for her. She loves spending time creating new earrings...the process of visualizing new designs and working to bring them to life is what she enjoys.
Harris expresses that the year of 2020 was tough for her because she had to complete the entirety of 8th grade virtually due to the pandemic, and she felt like she missed out on a lot of time making memories in her final year of middle school. The silver lining to the Covid-19 pandemic was that she was able to use her free time to focus on her art and business; she has also seen her engagement and passion for the process grow as well.
Harris always had an artistic side and a flare for creation. From a younger age, she was always looking for her next excuse to make something, anything. Cakes, bracelets, slime, earrings, etc., if you can think of it, she’s tried her hand at it. The difference she found with her earrings is that it garnered more attention and profit than anything else.
Harris expresses that the year of 2020 was tough for her because she had to complete the entirety of 8th grade virtually due to the pandemic, and she felt like she missed out on a lot of time making memories in her final year of middle school. The silver lining to the Covid-19 pandemic was that she was able to use her free time to focus on her art and business; she has also seen her engagement and passion for the process grow as well.
Harris always had an artistic side and a flare for creation. From a younger age, she was always looking for her next excuse to make something, anything. Cakes, bracelets, slime, earrings, etc., if you can think of it, she’s tried her hand at it. The difference she found with her earrings is that it garnered more attention and profit than anything else.
When asked about why she does what she does, She shares that it is because she loves creating. Harris expresses that the process all started out as a hobby that she enjoyed, and she had no intentions of making any money from it, however, it has grown into something bigger than she imagined.
“The fact that people wear those things, and look good doing it, is just a bonus.”
In regards to obstacles she has faced, Harris says,
“As I said before, I’m 14, and making earrings is the easy part. The business aspects of what I do are more challenging. I am lucky to have my mom to help me along the way but dealing with customers and vendors has been a challenge for me.”
She is most comfortable at home designing new earrings but meeting and dealing with people has been a whole new process that she is working on.
She shares that her shyness and backwards nature are not easy for her to overcome but she has realized that if she is going to be successful, she will need to learn to sell herself as much as she sells her earrings. Harris is currently working on becoming more comfortable in handling her business dealings and believes that her confidence is a constant work in progress.
Harris has a large family that is always there for her and supports her in anything that she does. Her dad and mom and 4 older siblings are always helping her and pushing her to take whatever she does and to do it to the fullest. Her desire to continue learning and getting better keeps her going is also a huge factor in pursuing her passion of creating.
Harris hopes to continue to grow her business and look for ways to diversify products she can create and bring to customers. She already has her products available in several small stores in her local area in West Virginia, and she utilizes the internet via social media and websites like Etsy. Her ultimate dream is building a website of her own, to improve as a business woman and an artist. She believes that if she can dedicate herself to doing that, the rest will work itself out.
We asked Maylea Harris what Valiance means to her,
“Valiance means having the courage to try something new, the vision to see what others can’t, and the determination to push beyond self-doubt and into a future that you helped create. Valiance is overcoming inexperience with hard work and achieving your dreams!”
You can find more of Harris’ work on her social media platform @handmadeby_maylea
“The fact that people wear those things, and look good doing it, is just a bonus.”
In regards to obstacles she has faced, Harris says,
“As I said before, I’m 14, and making earrings is the easy part. The business aspects of what I do are more challenging. I am lucky to have my mom to help me along the way but dealing with customers and vendors has been a challenge for me.”
She is most comfortable at home designing new earrings but meeting and dealing with people has been a whole new process that she is working on.
She shares that her shyness and backwards nature are not easy for her to overcome but she has realized that if she is going to be successful, she will need to learn to sell herself as much as she sells her earrings. Harris is currently working on becoming more comfortable in handling her business dealings and believes that her confidence is a constant work in progress.
Harris has a large family that is always there for her and supports her in anything that she does. Her dad and mom and 4 older siblings are always helping her and pushing her to take whatever she does and to do it to the fullest. Her desire to continue learning and getting better keeps her going is also a huge factor in pursuing her passion of creating.
Harris hopes to continue to grow her business and look for ways to diversify products she can create and bring to customers. She already has her products available in several small stores in her local area in West Virginia, and she utilizes the internet via social media and websites like Etsy. Her ultimate dream is building a website of her own, to improve as a business woman and an artist. She believes that if she can dedicate herself to doing that, the rest will work itself out.
We asked Maylea Harris what Valiance means to her,
“Valiance means having the courage to try something new, the vision to see what others can’t, and the determination to push beyond self-doubt and into a future that you helped create. Valiance is overcoming inexperience with hard work and achieving your dreams!”
You can find more of Harris’ work on her social media platform @handmadeby_maylea
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