Born and raised in the Garden State, Joe Danski is a hearty and hard-working father, grandfather and real estate educator. He has been living on a lagoon in Toms River, NJ for almost a decade with his fiancée, Vickie, a local real estate agent. But what Joe thought would become his retirement home and remain a gathering place for family celebrations has recently been decimated due to the devastating impact of Hurricane Sandy. Joe saw his home on the water as living out a life-long dream; Sandy saw his home as merely a speed bump. Like many residents in the area, Joe is faced with catastrophic loss and destruction. Unlike many of those hit by the storm, he views his experience as merely “an inconvenience,” and he is deeply grateful for the “angels” he has encountered during the entire process.

Michelle Cloney is an inventor and a business owner, and just like her funfunctional® brand, she’s figured out a way to not only survive as a single mom, she also knows how to enjoy life through creative expression and design. And she’s donating a portion of her company earnings to help disenfranchised women start over. She understands their journey. She lived it.

Less than five years ago, Michelle found herself disconnected from her family in Virginia, living in a 240 square-foot Los Angeles bungalow and struggling to make ends meet. She was also involved in an abusive relationship…which resulted in a pregnancy.