PHOTOS BY CHARLENE MANN PHOTOGRAPHY

We all know, there’s a story behind every beautiful face and sometimes people endure trauma which would break others. Only the strong survive! Those of us who find the strength to rise above, find a way to use the experiences we survived to be our driving force to success and as a foundation to help others. Karen Mungenast is an inspiring woman, who rose above the darkness she experienced and is a woman on the top of her game. She has it all. She is a successful travelling Information Technology (IT) executive. She’s a mom. She’s a survivor.Continue reading

PHOTOS BY TELLIER STUDIOS

City of Syracuse Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens’s story leading up to her lifelong journey as a public servant begins with how she was raised. She had a mother who believed that when God blesses you, you have to give back. Her mother also believed that one has to give to return on their blessings which can be considered an investment. One has to decide and strive to really be all in and be the best person that they can be for the people around them.Continue reading

PHOTOS BY CHARLENE MANN PHOTOGRAPHY

Last fall, Rochester native Toni Natalie published her memoir, The Program: Inside the Mind of Keith Raniere and the Rise and Fall of NXIVM. In it, she shared her harrowing story of living with and – the relentless pursuit from the man that the world would one day come to know as Vanguard, the leader of the sex cult, NXIVM.Continue reading