Building a career managing hundred-million-dollar portfolios on Wall Street, Brooke Sharpton longed for swatches instead of spreadsheets. Raised in a finance-first household, she followed a path that promised security. Her instincts, however, were far more right-brained. After 12 years in finance and a brief foray into fashion, she left behind a six-figure career to build something that reflected her true self. Enter South Florida-based luxury furniture brand Almond Wind, her entrepreneurial journey into creativity, with all the wisdom of the boardroom behind it. Inspired by the intimacy of home, she transforms sofas into intimate, statement-making works of art that resonates in any space. “A couch is where you laugh, cry, fall asleep, vent, love, live,” she says. “It should be art. It should be you.”; AlmondWind.com.

Words Yoshi Sanz