Life’s greatest opportunities often rise from life’s greatest challenges (and even failures). That’s the story of so many small business owners, and that’s certainly the case with Mark Rivard, owner of Rivard Art LLC.

I first learned about Mark when I saw him tweet about packing and shipping some skateboard blanks at his local The UPS Store in Minneapolis. Shortly after, I spoke with Mark and learned more about his passion for art, how his business came to be, and, more importantly, what he’s doing to give back.

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As a little girl, I remember being jealous watching my friend, Samantha, color on the sidewalk. It may sound silly, but the fact that she could create works of art out of chalk and cement always drove me nuts. Why did my portrayal of a puppy end up looking like a pot-bellied pig while hers looked like it could get up and fetch a tennis ball?

Fortunately, we are way past those days now. Instead of chalk, she uses her computer. And instead of dogs, she creates incredible wedding invitations. Samantha has grown up to be an amazing graphic artist with a growing business in the wedding industry.

This fall, Martha Stewart will launch “American Made”, a celebration of American artisans and entrepreneurs presented in partnership with The UPS Store. Awards will be given to the top 10 rising stars in Food, Fashion, Design, Community, Gardening, Crafts and Technology.  Martha’s team is still looking for a final recipient to honor, so if you know a creative individual or small business owner that you’d like to have recognized, nominate them for the Audience Choice award by August 25^th.

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Some made us laugh while others made us cry. There were even those that made us laugh so hard, we cried. The lyrics touched us, the visuals moved us and the overall artistry simply wow’d us.

From 23 countries around the world, UPSers submitted 145 entries into the Art of Logistics contest. After a panel of judges selected the top two from each of the contest categories, UPSers made the final choice for who should take home the top honors. We thought the art was too good not to share.

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