Melisa Ann Cruz is an artist and owner of Stilomio Resin Art & More. “I have a passion for creating handmade jewelry and arts,” said Melisa. She has an office assistant associate’s degree. She credits her family as her inspiration and for pushing her to advance her business to where it is now. In her spare time, Melisa loves cooking and spending time with her husband, Jonathan, and their children, Mia Bella and Nathan.
Samantha Abbott is a physician assistant with Novant Health Vascular Specialists. “In 2022, I graduated from PA school at the University of Florida School of Physician Assistant Studies and moved from Gainesville, FL to Winston-Salem to begin my career as a vascular physician assistant,” said Samantha. She loved North Carolina and decided to apply for jobs in the area because she wanted to live close to the mountains where she would be able to take advantage of the great hiking available. “A few of my favorite spots are Grandfather Mountain, Grayson Highlands and Hanging Rock State Park,” she said.
Sonya Nicole Wagstaff is the founder and CEO of Wagstaff Cosmetics, Inc. Wagstaff Cosmetics specializes in providing the best in high quality vegan friendly formulated products by making you feel good, look great and produce more. Launched in April 2018 with only one product, Wagstaff Cosmetics has grown exponentially from carrying lipstick to a full line of cosmetics in 8-15 shades, skincare, fragrance and accessories. Dig Deep by Wagstaff is the apparel aspect of the brand that carries beanies, coffee mugs and gym duffle bags. “We are steadily expanding and have more products on the way,” said Sonya. She is also the founder and CEO of Kid Fit For Life, Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit organization specializing in comprehensive educational programming for underserved youth as well as The Wagstaff Investment Group, LLC., a real estate investment company. “We invest in buying and holding properties, buying & flipping, and wholesaling,” she said. Sonya has a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Winston-Salem State University, several licensing degrees in teaching, a faith-based nonprofit leadership certificate from Wake Forest School of Divinity and is currently a second year PhD student at Northcentral University for education with a specialization in special education.
Terri Moy is the president and founder of Favored Conferences and Events, LLC. She has a bachelor’s degree in communication from Lee University as well as a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from North Carolina State University. “All in all, I’m immensely blessed, and I can truly say I have received a favor that is amazing and humbling,” said Terri. “I have handled weddings, festivals, conferences and other local events both in-person, hybrid and virtual with events ranging from 25 people to 12,000 people. Alongside event coordination and planning, I have had the pleasure of traveling with Leading To Change as a speaker for both state and national conferences throughout the US. Additionally, I have had the pleasure of speaking as a national expert in community engagement at several national educational conferences. I was also blessed in a position to support training and technical assistance for North Carolina substance use providers which led to coordinating large conferences and statewide training within the field of substance use and misuse. Through it all, I have had the opportunity to bring people together and support the community by participating in non-profit events such as Christmas for the City and the Triad Walk for Apraxia. In her spare time, Terri enjoys exercising, teaching seniors at the Kernersville YMCA, her active role at church, hosting events at her home and spending time with her husband, Alex, and five-year-old daughter, Kailey.
Stephanie Miles is a nurse practitioner and CEO of Smith’s Primary Care and Wellness; IV Smiles Hydration & Wellness. Fondly known as “the drip queen,” Stephanie is a courageous leader with an admirable business acumen. She is a leader in the innovative primary care model of Direct Primary Care (DPC) as an independent provider in Forsyth County. DPC is a membership-based patient care model that typically offers routine screenings, management of chronic conditions, acute-care visits and laboratory access to its members. In addition to her businesses, Stephanie has mentored multiple nurses and nurse practitioners as well as collaborates with community healthcare providers and organizations to improve health equity. She has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Winston-Salem State University as well as a master’s degree in nursing from Walden University. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, going out to eat, online shopping and spending time with her husband, Chris, and sons, RJ and CJ.
