Lavan & Vannel Johnson

Special | 6m 7s | High school champions credit after­school programs and family support as keys to success. (6m 7s)

Tammy Edwards

Special | 7m 1s | She wanted the lifestyle she saw on TV, and worked until she got it. (7m 1s)

Ashlee & Tom Cleveland

Special | 7m 14s | Between the pecan farm and family photography business, this couple enjoys a country life. (7m 14s)

Brennan Mullaney

Special | 6m 22s | As a veteran, he knows reintegrating is tough. So he’s trying to make it easier for others (6m 22s)

Peter Daniels

Special | 6m 59s | He survived the Holocaust, then took the opportunities America had to build a new life. (6m 59s)

Hope & Steve Dezember

Special | 7m 52s | An unexpected diagnosis led these two to become partners for life and advocates for ALS. (7m 52s)

Ngawang & Tenzin Samphel

Special | 6m 46s | Their Tibetan heritage is part of who they are. So is the electronic music they create. (6m 46s)

Rory O’Connor

Special | 5m 55s | From college dropout to Stanford graduate & construction company CEO. (5m 55s)

Robert Johnson Jr.

Special | 6m 18s | A job nine miles away with a six­hour commute. (6m 18s)

David Cooley

Special | 6m 23s | LA was a LGBTQ haven for him. Now his world­famous restaurant is a safe haven to others. (6m 23s)

Iram Parveen Bilal

Special | 7m 41s | She walked away from a stable science career to help break barriers in the film industry. (7m 41s)

Raquel Castaneda­Lopez

Special | 5m 24s | This barrier­-breaking Latina is fighting for equal opportunity for all. (5m 24s)

Tabias Wilson

Special | 5m 37s | He’s experienced discrimination, but that only increases his drive to empower others. (5m 37s)

Lynn Chopp

Special | 6m 15s | After ending an abusive marriage, this single mother still hopes to finish her degree. (6m 15s)

Star Palmer

Special | 6m 54s | From homeless teen to LGBTQ advocate & mother. (6m 54s)

Andre Watson

Special | 7m 31s | Trying to bridge the wealth gap in the African American community — no matter the cost. (7m 31s)

Elliot Clark

Special | 7m 31s | One broken ankle became a couple of PayDay loans, $50K in interest, and a foreclosed home. (7m 31s)

Robin Sukhadia

Special | 7m 31s | Music anchored his transient childhood. Now he helps others discover the power of the arts (7m 31s)

Carrie Christie

Special | 6m 10s | She traded in the dream for a 9-5, and it opened doors she never dreamed of. (6m 10s)

Tim & Joey Ma

Special | 6m 57s | They were one day from going bankrupt. Now they own three of the top restaurants in D.C. (6m 57s)

Sallie Ann Robinson

Special | 6m 23s | Raised on an island of simplicity and hard work, she’s passing on her recipe for success. (6m 23s)

David & Janet Hemme

Special | 6m 58s | When hogs went corporate they almost lost the farm. Now they want to cut the cheese. (6m 58s)

Jhamal McKee

Special | 6m 30s | He lost his job and his house, but this aspiring web series creator's big break might come (6m 30s)

Adriana Aguilar

Special | 6m 15s | An undocumented immigrant, she’s studying for the success of her community and herself. (6m 15s)

Rashida Tlaib

Special | 6m 47s | As an American Muslim, she has to fight to live in peace. (6m 47s)

Dave Bing

Special | 6m 7s | This NBA All­Star, Mayor, and mentor takes charge — and doesn’t fade away from “The D”. (6m 7s)

Justin Curry

Special | 6m 51s | He is trying to change lives through music, but student debt changes his tune. (6m 51s)

Laura Sharkey

Special | 7m 13s | This Ph.D.­holder gave up her lab coat and test tubes for paws and whiskers. (7m 13s)

Nasiha Mujkavovic

Special | 6m 42s | A refugee from Bosnia, she and her family found their way to the U.S. for a better life. (6m 42s)

Telisa Sanders

Special | 7m 13s | She’s CEO of an apparel company, and she’s only in high school. (7m 13s)

Kyle Smitley

Special | 6m 44s | She launched a lucrative clothing brand, then left it all to take on Detroit's opportunity (6m 44s)

Dave Moody

Special | 7m 6s | His dream job went bust. His family was broke. With nothing to lose, he just went for it. (7m 6s)

Marlene Calderon

Special | 6m 23s | She had her dream job in advertising, but life at the top was nothing like she imagined. (6m 23s)

Billy Johnson

Special | 6m 39s | In and out of prison for more than 25 years, he now hopes to have his own food truck. (6m 39s)

Thi Wynn

Special | 7m 21s | Think college is essential? Try owning three businesses with no degree. (7m 21s)

Sandra Romero

Special | 7m 17s | She fought to be taken seriously. Now she’s cleaning up her community one tamale at a time (7m 17s)

Will Johnston

Special | 7m 39s | He takes the “less is more” thing to a whole new level with the Tiny House movement. (7m 39s)

Roger Espinoza

Special | 6m 55s | If you don’t believe in the American dream, try living in Honduras. (6m 55s)

Valerie Connors & Ayaz Nanji

Special | 6m 49s | Their favorite thing in the world is to say, “Let’s go have an adventure.” (6m 49s)

Tsehaya Smith

Special | 7m 54s | Even a world­-renowned dancer can face eviction. (7m 54s)