For Palm Springs native Casey Jones, it is all about creativity and welcoming new ideas.

When Emily Bird-Hrivnak visited the desert 14 years ago from the Pacific Northwest to oversee the renovation of the then–Palm Desert Town Center, she didn’t plan to stay.

Dr. Nicole Ortiz found the Coachella Valley ideally sized to be able to make an immediate impact and allow her dream, Live Well Clinic, to come alive.

Jeff Patterson, the COO for Desert Regional Medical Center, manages the day-to-day operations of the hospital, serves on the board of United Way of the Desert, and volunteers at Hanson House.

Matthew Buehler has a main career goal to create the best STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) program in the desert.

Casey and Gerry Washack are making a powerful impact on anyone looking for fitness inspiration through Next Level Fitness, and their own 42-day program, Fit in 42.

Chris Pardo is on the forefront of so many new, innovative projects in the valley that it is becoming hard to keep score.

Splash House co-founder Kelly McLean had aspirations of being a performer herself, starting her own girl pop group in Los Angeles and doing some acting in Palm Springs.

As the only woman serving on the Palm Springs Fire Department, Katharine Johnson has a lot of big brothers — 54, to be exact.

Amir Afsar chose business law and real estate development litigation to have a “toe in the water” in a broad range of businesses, from gold buying to restaurants.