Despite military experience and more, Robin Bell felt institutional racism was depriving him of one job after another. So he created his own business, began employing other veterans and working to break down barriers to success for the disadvantaged.         Robin Bell has worked since he was eight years old, and he’s had to prove himself every step of the way. He started by mowing lawns and shoveling snow, and at age 11 he delivered newspapers,

by Dean J. Millerdjmillercommunications@gmail.com Current headlines underscore hard lessons of history as they are dusted off and the nation learns them once again. Tariq Collins, Sr. is helping to teach a better outcome. “If you’ve been blessed with the vision to see a problem, you’ve an inherent responsibility to make a change,” said Tariq. “To the Black community: Stay educated, know yourself, and have a vision of who you want to be. For others who

Lytle Electric achieves American dream by Dean J. Millerdjmillercommunications@gmail.com Less than three years old, Lytle Electric, co-owned by Megan and John Lytle is a successful family business that provides quality, affordable electrical service delivered with honesty and integrity. The Lytle’s credit much of their success to the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center and its strong partnership the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado. For the Lytle’s, it’s a story of the American dream: the

Lauren Wallace had spent 14 years in the nonprofit sector, the last few of which had her coordinating with students and families and traveling internationally. Since leaving her home state of California, she’s lived in Germany, China and Italy, as well as a few states in the U.S. She moved to Colorado Springs in 2018, and her career path would have continued indefinitely were it not for the Covid pandemic. In 2020, she lost her job.