Memphis Gift Basket is a locally owned gifting company led by Jesse James and Joe Zeeben, creating curated baskets that celebrate Memphis products, flavors, and businesses. The co-owners are expanding the online retailer into an Uptown storefront and fresh market, building a more personal neighborhood destination for customers and local makers.

Tavaria “Varia” Merritt is a transgender woman and LGBTQ+ advocate who helped found Be the Change LGBTQ+, the first openly LGBTQ+ community in the Tennessee prison system. Through peer support, writing, and organizing, she advocates for the safety, dignity, housing, and well-being of incarcerated LGBTQ+ people.

Aubrey Ombre is a Memphis transgender drag entertainer, DJ, karaoke host, and longtime LGBTQ+ activist. A former Miss Dru’s Place, Miss Mid-South Pride, and Miss Gay Memphis, she has spent more than a decade performing, mentoring emerging talent, and supporting local charitable causes.

Eléanor Kay Rigby is a Memphis performance artist, vocalist, and drag entertainer known as the city’s “Original Singing Bartender.” For more than a decade, she has brought glamour, humor, and powerhouse live performance to Memphis nightlife while promoting LGBTQ+ visibility and HIV-status awareness.

Elias Williams is co-vice president of Mid-South Pride, helping lead one of Memphis’s largest LGBTQ+ community celebrations. Through Pride programming and public advocacy, he works to promote visibility, belonging, and support for LGBTQ+ people throughout the Mid-South.