Born from a long line of female artists, it’s no surprise that Noor Gharzeddine has forged her own creative path as a film director. More surprising was her gutsy decision to shoot her first movie, not in her hometown of New York City, but in her ancestral homeland of Lebanon more than 5,000 miles away.

Allison and Danielle met through an unlikely shared goal: to climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. That experience changed both their lives so profoundly that their friendship blossomed into a business partnership. Find out how they took a leap of faith to found their own adventure-travel company, which brings women together around the world.

A first-generation American, Ness Okonkwo has balanced a life between two cultures, pushed through barriers to build a successful career in finance, and worked passionately for grassroots change in the city she loves. In our conversation, she teaches us about finding inner grace and seeing life as a work in progress.