Pillars of Promise is a Pensacola-based nonprofit focused on mentorship, leadership development, empowerment, and creating pathways for individuals and communities to grow. Led by Dillard Trapp, Dr. Marcus McBride, and Travell Davis, the organization is helping strengthen future leaders through connection, opportunity, and meaningful community impact.

Shalini Verma, Founder and President of Yellow Hat Construction Company, has built a career around vision, craftsmanship, and the belief that meaningful spaces begin with thoughtful leadership. Her CityBox story explores the journey behind her work in construction, design, and development and the relationships, resilience, and purpose that continue to shape what she builds next.

CityBox Magazine Cover Star Michele Carlton, owner of PJ’s Coffee in Pensacola and Ambassador for the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, has built a journey rooted in resilience, entrepreneurship, and connection. Discover how each chapter of her story ultimately led her to create more than a coffee shop, it led her to build community.