​Danie Matthews

As LaQuanda Sims makes preparation to open her store for the day, she gently adjusts a hair wig on one of her store fixtures. She goes through new packages of hair products she has ordered for customers. She marks each product in detail from style to purchase date, which helps her with organization when dispersing the orders. This is a typical occurrence for the young entrepreneur, who has always had a passion for style, although her journey has had some shifts and turns.


In 2008, the 31-year-old owner of Quan's Beauty Boutique and Brandon graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology from Millsaps College and planned to attend medical school. But Sims' plans shifted, and she began working as a director for the 1 Campus, 1 Community Program at Millsaps—a community-outreach program for local schools and hospitals—only to realize that working a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job was not the right fit for her.

Mike McDonald

​Hal and Malcolm White have had a huge influence on Jackson, from their namesake restaurant, bar and venue, Hal & Mal's, to the Hal's St. Paddy's Parade & Festival (formerly known as Mal's St. Paddy's Parade & Festival) that serves as Jackson's version of Mardi Gras.


Even though Brad White, brother to Hal and Malcolm, moved to Franklin, Tenn., in 1984, he still considers Mississippi his home, often visiting family here, and of course, stopping by Hal & Mal's, and participating in the St. Paddy's Parade each year.

by Amber Helsel

Some people may know the name Rudolph "Cotton" Baronich well. He was a mixologist who worked for years in places such as the Edison Wathall Hotel, George Street Grocery (now Ole Tavern on George Street) and Hal & Mal's. But others may also remember him from his days bartending at the Sun-n-Sand Hotel.


He got his start in the club business in 1955 and went to the Sun-n-Sand in 1970, creating cocktails for legislators and others who populated the hotel. These days, the 86-year-old (he'll be 87 on Dec. 1) doesn't mix drinks, but he still remembers his time at the Sun-n-Sand.

by Onelia Hawa

Early in the summer on the 13th floor of Capital Towers, 20 high-school students gathered in a space that overlooked the city skyline for a pizza social to learn more about an intensive, hands-on summer project that teaches reporting, podcast and videography skills to teenagers from the Jackson metro area. Students ate pizza with friends and relatives who came in to support them, and waited anxiously to hear what the next two months would mean for them.


The Mississippi Youth Media Project brings young people, age 14 to 19, together to learn how to report on their community and tell their own stories, with a focus on juvenile justice. Supported in part by the Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance (kfla.org), the project's nonprofit fiscal agent, YMP is a volunteer project of Donna Ladd—BOOM editor-in-chief—and four other Kellogg fellows.

by Brynn Corbello

Sara Kiparizoska was in a sorority at the University of Mississippi, and she needed suddenly a dress, which is a crisis many women in college face.


To solve fashion dilemmas like hers, Kiparizoska partnered with William Ault, Eli Allen and David Oates to develop an app called Nimble, now called Curtsy. Curtsy is a free app in Apple's app store where users can rent dresses from their current location and also post dresses for rent to earn cash.

by Dustin Cardon

For Charlie Mozingo, the customer service is as important as the clothes in his men's clothing store, Mozingo Clothiers.

by Amber Helsel

Restaurants all over the Jackson metro area cater to many locals' needs, whether it be coming in for lunch or catering for a large banquet.


They give us their services, but who helps the restaurants? For many in the area and all over the state, the answer is the Mississippi Hospitality & Restaurant Association.


This year, the organization celebrates 62 years. It's the only trade association in the state that exists solely to help the state's hospitality and restaurant industry succeed.

by Abigail Walker

​Nestled behind a Fondren house, little chicks, with their signature fluffy coats just starting to come in, scamper through the dust in their Silkie Motel. Then there's Phyllis, with her distinct feather mop on top of her head, keeping the young ones in line.

by Amber Helsel

Some health-conscious people may occasionally utter this phrase: "I eat to live, not live to eat."


I understand that sentiment, but I don't agree with it. I think you're limiting yourself if you believe that. Are you really appreciating your food? Are you savoring every single morsel that the cook or chef fussed over? I don't think a lot of us do.