Marika Meeks was born in England and emigrated to the United States with her family at age six. A lifelong entrepreneur, she started her first business at the age of nineteen and went on to become the co-owner of a national software company. She brought a new franchise concept to Fort Wayne, Indiana, when she opened the city's first Jimmy John's. In January 2013, Marika was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer at the age of forty-one. She traveled to Scottsdale, Arizona, in April 2015 for cancer treatment and ended up settling in Arizona with her family. Now cancer-free, Marika is devoted to sharing the story of how Stella has changed her life, while helping as many people and animals as possible.
