One of the challenges we’ve seen to true equality of opportunity is that schools and books often can’t (or choose not) offer access to one of the most equalizing resources – first hand stories of how successful entrepreneurs made their ideas a reality. If you grew up in a family or community that had many successful entrepreneurs you may have been lucky to hear many conversations and stories about starting and executing on an idea, but there are millions of people across the country who haven’t had the same advantage and so our hope here is to create a space where those stories can be told in a more public forum for the benefit of any and every aspiring entrepreneur.

No Plans Let’s Travel

We’re Don and Ashley Buckner, a married couple. We’ve always been avid travelers and enthusiasts. We would always share our travel experiences on social media, and people would always reach out to us for travel tips and advice. First, we came up with the name (No Plans Let’s Travel). We wanted something catchy but also with a meaning behind it. There have been quite a few things we’ve traveled on a whim and just made the best of things once we arrived at our destination. Second, we created our logo, our idea was to have something that stood out but was not overwhelming. Read more>>

Jade Winings

During each timeline of life events, I have always held writing and music discovery closest to my heart. I have found myself as “the new kid” throughout my ages, making it a bit hard to connect with others, thankfully music made it’s way into helping me gain meaningful friendships due to the connection in music. After eons of time wanting to share my thoughts and writings with others, I finally pushed myself past my social anxieties by reaching out to artists of my interest to interview in order to connect with others on an authentic level. Read more>>

Dominique Davis

Embarking on my journey into the realm of luxury fashion has been a lifelong dream that has finally taken shape. From my high school days, where I would envision exquisite outfits for special occasions like homecomings and proms, my passion for fashion has been unwavering. The desire to infuse a fresh, distinctive energy into the existing luxury fashion landscape has been my driving force. Read more>>

Denise Mendoza

Everything I touch or do with my business has a sense of creative artistry in the development stages. Everything around me from stories told, nature and experiences inspire me. I knew I was ready to be my own business after learning what I liked and didn’t like from other brokers and brokerages. The first step I took was the fun part, branding. I wanted to feel the representation of my business to encompass the entire business venture I was about to embark on. Read more>>

Sean Tajipour

The journey of turning Nerdtropolis from a simple idea into a thriving entertainment news site was a gradual and fulfilling process. It all began with a burning desire to embrace my inner nerd and share my enthusiasm for the world of entertainment. One day, I decided to start a Facebook page, where I began sharing my thoughts and insights on movies, Hollywood, and all things nerdy. The response from the online community was overwhelmingly positive, and this immediate feedback was incredibly encouraging. It made me realize that I had tapped into something special. Read more>>

Mia Campbell Limbrick

The journey from having the idea for my jewelry business to its launch was an exhilarating adventure. It all began with a vision, and here’s the story of how it unfolded: I had always been passionate about jewelry, but it was my now husband that introduced me to the custom jewelry sector. The idea was born from a deep love for craftsmanship, the desire to create jewelry that was a good mix of dainty for women and chunkier masculine pieces. Read more>>

Windai Tolbert

The idea of BYOP happened during a road trip with my husband. I was frustrated that a friend had borrowed some yard games of ours and when I asked for them back, they had loaded them to someone else. In sharing my frustration, we applied for a LLC and decided to make a party rental business with all of our games. We spent a few months creating the business plan, pricing, and developing the website and marketing materials. We also bought some more games to enhance our offerings. When we initially launched, rentals were for the duration of the customers party, up to 6 hours. We offered delivery and set up as additional fees, which surprisingly was added on to rentals, a lot. Read more>>

Angelica Arredondo Holley

Turning an idea into a successful business is a journey filled with obstacles, and significant learning experiences. Many people dream of entrepreneurship but often hesitate to take the leap due to perceived challenges or the pursuit of a perfect moment. The truth is, there is no perfect moment. Read more>>

Sara Wright

I had been working in salons for over a decade before deciding to open up my own. I have been extremely passionate about hair since day one. I saw it as my gateway to allowing me to be a professional artist as well as gain financial freedom. I consider myself a highly sensitive person…. call it past trauma or a gift, I don’t know. That being said- my atmosphere and environment I am in everyday is of upmost importance. I continued to try and find the salon that felt right for me and my career. I am you average salon hopper and in hindsight I know it was apart of the journey to opening August & Omi. I was able to really take notes not knowing this was the rolodex I would refer back to when eventually open my own. Read more>>

Amari Clements

Before I knew what happened or why, 10 months had passed and becoming an entrepreneur was no longer a top priority. It was on a random day during this time that an email from Realize Bradenton about their free 9-week business planning course landed in my inbox. I took it as a sign. I’ve talked about becoming an entrepreneur for years but never invested the time. However, I really did love the idea of creating a surprise gift concierge service. I thought it was a unique concept, and I didn’t want to give it up so easily. So I applied, and I didn’t get accepted. Read more>>

Whitney Gambrah

As cliche as it sounds, the idea came from God. I had no idea what starting a business looked like. At the time, I was always traveling, and I wanted to create a travel brand. I decided to create sweatsuits to keep me warm and comfortable on the plane. First, I wrote it in my journal and continued to pray on it. I told my cousin Yaa and she submitted my business as an LLC. I had a friend who was a graphic designer that came up with our signature map logo on the back of our Swanzy Sets. It wasn’t until a year later that I actually reached out to a manufacturer to start making samples. I went through 3 different vendors, because I wasn’t super pleased with the quality. Read more>>

Dominique ‘FAIF’ Owens

My journey from idea to execution has been a deeply transformative and fulfilling one. It began in the wake of a life-altering event in my life- March 2014, when I survived a tragic car accident that claimed the lives of my best friend, Kerry Benson and Germina Cruz. It was during my recovery that I found solace in music and that’s when the idea of becoming a musician and a mental health advocate was born. Read more>>

Casey Mulligan Walsh

As a memoirist and creative nonfiction writer, the largest, longest-standing, and most daunting project I’ve worked on to date was the completion of my memoir, The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted, Everything I Feared (forthcoming from Motina Books in February 2025). This story of, among other things, the search for belonging, the fight to save a struggling child, and the quest to find meaning in the wake of repeated loss is the result of 12 years of write/revise/edit/repeat, all while learning from writing instructors, talented editors, and critique partners. Read more>>

Jean McMullen

I retired from teaching Art in 2008. I was showing my own personal artwork, watercolor, in Fine Art Shows around the country. It was a very hot weekend and putting the tent up and down, plus selling took a toll on my husband and myself. Two days later my husband, Jerry had a heart attack. We then decided to thinki about other ways to show off my watercolors. I always had in the back of my mind that I would like to open a gallery. The Idea!! I started looking at buildings on Main St. in St. Charles, Mo. Read more>>

David Haakinson

Co-Founder Tommy Nenahlo and myself have entrepreneurial mind and were interested in starting a side-business to scratch our business itch. We explored many different industries and primarily focused on our technical engineer backgrounds. In 2018, my wife, Hannah, and I traveled to New Zealand and took notice of camper vans traversing across the country and were instantly intrigued. As we made it back home to Alaska, I told Tommy about the hundreds of camper vans and thought it would be a great idea to implement in our great state. Our vision is to slowly change the Alaska travel market to bring the overall vacation cost for a family of 4 down by greater than 50% versus the market while focusing on top notch customer service and high quality equipment. Read more>>

Noreen Martin

My company name is Billi Kay Designs N Candles. I have always love making things for others. I put in a lot of time to come up with an idea or gifts that I know they would love. I am one of those people that always ask a lot of questions and pay close attention to details. I was in search of an idea so I could make some extra income for myself and my family but would not take me away from home every evening. I already have a full-time job during the day. I started to do some floral arrangements and they came out amazing but it was difficult selling them online. I have always loved lighting candles in my home since I was a teenager. Read more>>