Page 39 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2023

Face of The Meeting Place
Geneva Dummer can attest that necessity is absolutely the mother of invention. Unable to continue her PhD studies in gene therapy due to a welcomed opportunity for her husband, Stephen, to join a wonderful law firm here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Dummer graduated early with a Master of Science in Molecular Biology and rebranded.
“I retooled my resume to highlight skills that applied to positions that I was interested in and was offered a position in HR and Risk Management,” she says. After the birth of her first child, she added bookkeeping to her skill set and worked as a virtual administrative assistant while networking with other small business owners where, “It became increasingly evident that there was a need
for a professional office solution that allowed businesses to reduce overhead
by paying for space only as they need to use it.”
She focuses her efforts on projects that combine community development, economic development, and public health. She enjoys working with industry leaders across different sectors to enhance the physical and
mental quality of life here.
She and her husband are both veterans and live in Biloxi with their
two children. He is now managing partner of his own corporate law firm, while Dummer is currently committed to Heritage Trails Partnership, South Mississippi Contract Procurement Center, Greater Biloxi Economic Development Foundation, and the Gulf Coast Business Council’s Master’s Class, in addition to running The Meeting Place,
a privately funded business incubator and shared office facility.
Water St., Howard Ave., Biloxi | 24th Ave., Gulfport 228.207.0663 | Facebook@TheMeetingPlaceMS
ADAPT
AND OVERCOME.
Face of Tribe Boutique
KRISTINA GRAHAM
Ever since she was a little girl, Kristina Graham has always
been drawn to fashion. “I started modeling at the age of 12 and the industry was so intriguing,” said the Tribe Boutique owner. “After I graduated high school, I moved to New York to submerge myself in the fashion culture and attend school for fashion merchandising.”
While living in New York, Graham found out her military mother was being relocated for work and her sister would have to give up her softball career. “So I moved home to look after my sister so that she could stay in school here.”
After some time, Graham met her husband and decided to plant roots on the Coast. “In South Mississippi, fashion opportunities are limited, so I opened my own store,” she said. “One of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Graham says that her family is her best quality. “I come from a tight-knit family – we do everything together! I have a wonderful husband, Mike, and two bonus kids, Thomas and Maggie. We also have two dogs and a cat.”
1202 Government St., Unit B,
Ocean Springs
www.shoptribeboutique.com | 228.334.5204
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net January 2023 | 39