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V O L . X X I X N O. X X I I I 14 N E X T U P | 4 0 U N D E R 4 0 F O C U S An accomplished leader in the arts Jordia Benjamin, 37 Executive director, Indigo Arts Alliance Significant professional accomplishments: Over the years, I have had several that I'm particularly proud of. The ones that have a really special place are those that continue to have an impact today. Twelve years ago, under the auspices of the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, I created the first teachers arts resource guide (over 100 pages) that provided an arts curriculum for each grade school level based on Bahamian artists and history. The guide is still in use today. In addition to this educational guide, I fostered a program allow- ing gifted emerging Bahamian artists to exhibit their work alongside Bahamian masters in conjunction with the gallery, many of whom are now rep- resented by international galleries and have exhibited in international museums. Nine years ago, while at the Saint Louis Art Museum, I oversaw the teen council and I'm proud to say, several of those teens pursued col- lege degrees in arts and are now gainfully employed full time in the field. At Colby College Museum of Art, I launched a virtual art and wellness program that had over 70,000-plus views on YouTube which also assisted wellness pro- fessionals during the pan- demic. Presently, my work at Indigo Arts Alliance allows me to advance the profes- sional development of Black and Brown artists aligning with my moral compass. With an amazing team, we are able to advance through our residency pro- gram, the artistic excel- lence of local/national and global creatives. Passion project: A proj- ect that has been in my heart for a while is to develop a fam- ily archive through documenting a c o l l e c t i o n o f stories via text and video. Audacious goal: Being from the Bahamas, I would love to be a conduit for other Caribbean youth to pursue, grow and achieve their dreams in the arts, by way of mentorship or through scholarships. Favorite quote: "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with cour- age, need not be lived again." — Maya Angelou Influential book: "All About Love," by bell hooks Favorite movies/TV shows: Rom-coms have my heart How do you recharge: Meditation, yoga, naps, short sunbaths, outdoor walks, quality time with family and friends. Co-founder of a skincare company that treats eczema Amber Boutiette, 29 Co-founder and chief product officer, Marin Skincare Significant professional accomplishment: Launch- ing Marin right out of grad school and bootstrapping our way to seven figures profitably without any significant prior startup experience. We faced so many hur- dles on the road to get here, includ- ing navigating the pandemic and I'm so proud of how much we have grown and learned. It took an incredi- ble amount of grit and personal development to become a per- son who could accomplish this! Passion project: Marin is truly a passion project for me! I suffered from eczema for several years before finding something that worked, and it was life-changing for me. Every day I get to wake up and help bring this kind of relief to many other people and I am forever grateful to be able to do this! Audacious goal: Make Marin a household name for dry, damaged skin, replacing topical steroids with a more gentle, effective, natural alternative for debilitating skin conditions like eczema. In doing so, I hope to help normalize "imper- fect" skin and bodies and help people see the beauty in their perceived flaws. Favorite quote: "Plan ahead, hang loose." — Shawn Curtis Influential book: "Mindset," by Carol Dweck Favorite movies or TV shows: "The Office," "Schitt's Creek" and "Fringe" How do you recharge: Nothing recharges my battery and gets me into a flow state more than walks through the forest or exploring beaches along the coast. Boostraping a startup to seven figures Patrick Breeding, 28 Co-founder and CEO, Marin Skincare Significant professional accomplish- ment: Becoming the person I needed to become to profitably bootstrap Marin to seven figures while maintaining our values, staying mission-aligned help- ing others with chronic skin conditions above all, and doing it with my best friend and life partner. Passion project: Getting K-12 stu- dents excited about a career in STEM through volunteering at schools across Maine and as a board member of the Bioscience Association of Maine. Audacious goal: Bring relief to the 30 million people in the United States who are struggling with eczema. Favorite quote: "The destination is the path." — Aubrey Marcus Influential book: "Outwitting the Devil," by Napoleon Hill Favorite movies or TV shows: "Star Wars," "The Office" and "The Profit" How do you recharge: Nothing recharges my battery more than taking time for mindful- ness, movement and nature. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E O C T O B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3 P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Jordia Benjamin, the executive director of the Indigo Arts Alliance, has a range of experience in the arts, higher education and nonprofits. P ROV I D E D P H O T O Being from the Bahamas, I would love to be a conduit for other Caribbean youth to pursue, grow and achieve their dreams in the arts, by way of mentorship or through scholarships. — Jordia Benjamin Amber Boutiette is co- founder and chief product officer of Marin Skincare. P R OV I D E D P H O T O Patrick Breeding is co-founder and CEO of Marin Skincare.

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