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.

Andrew Cramb

Here’s a polished version of your response that keeps your tone and enthusiasm intact: Actually starting something—it’s the easiest and hardest thing to do, all at once! Haha. I’ll use my record label, Version III, as an example. It all began with a casual conversation with a friend one afternoon when not much else was going on. I was venting about how parts of the music industry felt outdated and stuck in the past. My friend challenged me: “Well, what if you started your own?” He wasn’t just joking—he really meant it and pushed me to consider it seriously. Read more>>

Katie Savarise

Before I started NOVA, I held a full-time position at Uber, where I led the Global Event Operations team. It was a secure role, offering top-tier benefits and competitive compensation. I had the chance to travel internationally, collaborate with well-known brands, and work alongside an incredibly talented team. Despite these highlights, I felt a persistent urge to leave and create something of my own—a business that would reflect my values and vision. I believed I could leverage the experience I had gained over the years at Uber to build something meaningful and distinctly ‘Katie.’ So, in the summer of 2022, I took the leap and called my boss to let him know I was leaving to start my own company. Read more>>

Tamar Pelzig

As a multi-hyphenate, ‘mad hatter’ in the entertainment industry, I sometimes find myself wearing many hats all at once, especially when I work on a project from idea to fruition. My short film ‘Rebel Rebel’ was such an experience. The story of ‘Rebel Rebel’ first came to me in the fall of 2020, during the Pandemic stay-at-home orders, when I spent most of my time writing a daily blog where I would publish short stories, poems, blurbs, and so on. ‘Rebel Rebel’ was at first a short story, inspired by a real-life exchange I had with my elementary teacher that changed my life. I had written many short stories then, but what made this one stand out, was the response my spouse had upon reading it: He was so touched that he teared up. Sometimes artists have to ‘meet their audience’ and that’s what happened to me then. At that moment I leaned into that feeling and knew I had something meaningful to explore with this story. Read more>>

Edda Yamada

I have always loved making up characters. I draw them, I like acting them out and I also am a big adventurer. My dad told me that if I could find a way to document my adventures and turn them into videos, I could potentially make that into a career and earn money through my passions. During the pandemic, I made my first Instagram reel but felt shy about showing my true self to the camera. I would start making videos, post one or two, and then not post another one for months. I couldn’t get myself to make the kinds of videos that reflected what I really wanted to portray. Read more>>

Chanel Da Rocha

The idea for Chanel Aleta Presents wasn’t just born out of imagination—it was inspired by a deep appreciation for the spaces I was fortunate to experience growing up. Oakland, CA, was home to many trailblazers who created vibrant, culturally rich environments where the Black community could thrive. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve realized how much I longed for more of those spaces in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, especially for the next generation. When the idea came to me, I gave myself a tight runway to turn it into reality. I didn’t want to leave enough time to entertain self-doubt because I knew I had it within me to make it happen. The first step was focusing on the vision: creating events that bring people together in meaningful ways, celebrating African and African American culture, and honoring our ancestors through art and community. Read more>>

Daniel Clark

Listen. Being a true-blue, real-life, full-time working artist is an absolute dream. Honestly, I can’t imagine doing anything else… well maybe being one of those people that rolls pandas around and keeps them from falling off of stuff… But getting there is anything but a straight line. I’ve loved drawing ever since I could hold a pencil, but I didn’t decide I wanted to become an artist until I graduated high school. Even then I don’t think I appreciated what a broad term the word “artist” is. I had vague ideas of having my work up in galleries, rubbing shoulders with bougie strangers, becoming loved and admired for my amazing works of art! My wonderful mother did the best she could to steer me towards a career as a graphic designer, or an art therapist, or some other sort well paying reliable job. However, this was a journey I needed to go on myself. Needless to say I eventually got to where my mom was trying to get me to the whole time. Read more>>

Julian Boryszewski

I actually came up with the idea for my most recent short film from watching a scene from a movie I’ve seen a million times beforehand – for all of those that are fans of the Harry Potter series, I was rewatching Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 with my brother. We were coming up to my favorite scene, the ‘forest chase’ when Harry, Ron and Hermione apparate to safety and are apprehended by Snatchers. The scene that ensues is a gripping, thrilling foot chase through the woods as they run for their lives. But as I watched it again, this time – I couldn’t help but feel differently than times prior. I am not the only one who believes the film industry has gone stale – new series and films are required to have an IP attached to them so they have a ‘built-in audience’. We have all seen countless sequels and reboots of the same stories, we want something new! Read more>>

Rachel King

Infinite Minds is a dream, a vision, and a goal that’s been over 10 years in the making—and I’m still actively cementing its foundation. The story began in 2013, when I found myself sitting in an empty apartment in Texas, having just relocated from Nashville, TN, with my husband James and our daughter Jayla. It was a time of hope for our family, but it was also a time of reckoning. The news of George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the death of Trayvon Martin hit close to home. As a sister to three younger brothers born and raised in the South, I couldn’t shake the thought that it could have easily been one of them—or my husband—in the wrong place at the wrong time. Read more>>

Paul Shepard

I began my esports passion in college as I became more aware that there was such a thing as competitive gaming. I threw myself 100% into it and trying to be provider for my community. I spent a time as a Collegiate player for our University’s League of Legends team as well as being an officer of Public Relations for my student organization. After I graduated I learned more about myself, and how my passion was to give back to the community, and become an advocate of developing esports in the Las Vegas area via community service, charity streams with other grassroots organizations and small businesses, and donating my time and money providing events for people of all ages to enjoy gaming. I was even working towards opening my own brick and mortar LAN center cauld BET ON BLOCK GAMING. using elements of my hometown, and my passion of gaming to create my brand, as well as turning the phrase of “bet on black”.  Read more>>

Bill And Teresa Peschel

Teresa here: Although we work as a team, we are answering this question separately.  It took us years to get where we are now: a tiny, independent publisher of niche books that we love. Let me add: NO SUBMISSIONS PLEASE! We have more than enough to do keeping up with our own ideas. Going from Idea to Execution takes time and effort and often, you don’t end up where you expected you would. Or you don’t realize how long it will take. There is no roadmap other than the one you discover as you plod forward, day by day, putting out fires, writing every day, editing every day, and learning the importance of record-keeping and positive cashflow. Bill and I are both 64. He’s been working towards writing and publishing his entire life. My journey to becoming a writer and publisher was radically different. Read more>>

Yarbrough Realty Associates

We never planned on working together on a mother-daughter real estate team. In fact, neither of us anticipated going into real estate at all! But, as we reflect now on the paths that led us to working together at Yarbrough Realty Associates, it feels like it was always meant to be… As a stay-at-home parent who homeschooled all three of her daughters, Jackie honed her skills of exceptional patience, attention to detail, and a keen ability to support unique paths for each of them. And through this process, she found a genuine joy for education. Later, her career as a part-time doula allowed her to find an intersection between education and advocacy, as she developed the ability to problem-solve in stressful situations, communicate well with clients/fellow birth workers, and support families through deeply transformative phases of life. Read more>>

Kendyl Leuck

One of my favorite things to do in the morning is pick out my outfit. When COVID hit that didn’t change. It just prompted me to start taking photos of them. I’ve been taking photos of my outfits weekly since the start of COVID in March 2020, which sparked an idea I’ve had for years: using my name as a pun for a business. As an entrepreneur, I’ve experimented with various ideas over the years—throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. It’s been a lot of trial and error. That said, in the past year, I realized I needed a workbook for myself. Something to help me organize my closet the way I like, to identify my best colors and stick to them when shopping, and to understand my style and how I could evolve within it. Now, with hundreds of photos that I’ve saved, documenting what has worked and what hasn’t, I saw a need for a comprehensive guide that I couldn’t easily find elsewhere. And then it clicked: I should try image consulting! Read more>>

Colleen Cook

We didn’t set out to build a CRM for nonprofits; we set out to transform how nonprofits work. After a decade in the nonprofit sector, I joined Vinyl Marketing, a marketing and consulting agency for nonprofit organizations. Our strategies were groundbreaking, often doubling or even quadrupling our clients’ fundraising results, which fueled our rapid growth. However, it became clear that our clients could achieve even better outcomes if they fully implemented our strategies. The marketing components drove their success, but data strategy often fell short. Their CRMs couldn’t serve as a complete source of truth, leaving crucial insights untapped. This pervasive problem inspired us to act. Nonprofits were making critical resource decisions without a full picture of what was working or where opportunities existed. Addressing this challenge felt transformative. Read more>>

Jasmine Lynch

Starting this organization presented its challenges in the beginning. When you have an idea, it’s not always clear where or how to start. My co-president, Jalen, and I began by seeking guidance from individuals who had experience building similar initiatives. We took the time to learn from their insights and welcomed feedback on our vision. Once we felt confident in our direction, we decided to take the leap and plan our first backpack event. We set a date and worked diligently to bring it to life. This included reaching out to businesses for donations, attending events hosted by other organizations to raise awareness about ours, creating promotional materials, and collaborating with other groups to add activities to our event. Read more>>

Vanessa Champagne

How Champagne Delights started was, I would bring my baked goods to work, sharing them with my coworkers, and that’s when something unexpected happened. In July, one of my coworkers tried a cake I made and loved it so much, she asked if I would bake it again and sell it to her for her birthday! At first, I was shocked. People always complimented my baked goods, but I didn’t think they were anything people would actually pay for. But that moment really made me pause and think—maybe this is something I could do. So, I baked the cake for her, and that was the beginning of Champagne Delights. From there, I dove headfirst into research. I started looking into how to legally start a baking business, especially as a cottage baker in Texas. I took my food handler’s safety certification, learned to design my own marketing materials on Canva, and got my social media up and running. I spent a lot of time thinking through my menu—what to offer, what would be seasonal—and began tweaking my recipes to make sure everything tasted just right. Read more>>

Kristina Hartman

How I Turned an Idea into Reality: The Story of My Mobile Bartending Business It all started with a bold vision: connecting freshly crafted beer to people wherever they gathered. When I first pitched the idea to my husband in 2016, his response was blunt: “You’re insane.” But years later after many years in the corporate world where others got to take credit for one too many of my ideas. I couldn’t shake the feeling that this dream had potential. It became a much bigger dream as I have a passion for crafting unforgettable experiences. Fueled by equal parts passion and determination—and maybe a little stubbornness—I set out to prove him wrong. Fast forward to 2021, I started imagining what a mobile bartending business could look like—professional, stylish, and completely customizable for any occasion.  Read more>>

Yaroslava Hnatiuk

My journey began when we moved across the country to California for my husband’s job. I knew I’d need to find work, and being a nanny seemed like the obvious choice. With my background in education and a teaching degree, I always thought that was the only career path for me. But then I discovered content creation. Unlike traditional jobs, this field values creativity and social media know-how over formal education. Many successful content creators build their careers through self-taught skills, online courses, and consistent practice. That was the path I decided to take. I’d always skip ads on social media, but one day, a creator’s post caught my attention. It didn’t feel like an ad at all—it felt natural and authentic. That made me think: This can be done more organically. I dug deeper into User Generated Content (UGC), filling my phone with screenshots of tips and resources. I quickly realized you don’t need a huge following to work with brands—you just need the right knowledge. I invested in a $50 course that provided everything I needed to get started. Read more>>

Jonathan Shrednick

Hello, I started making pickles for myself because I was unhappy with the selection of pickles in the supermarkets, I made a few jars of one kind, the Spicy Dill, but I wanted to bring some to my co-workers at a local restaurant that I worked for, just for them to try. They were like, “these are the best pickles I have ever had, please make me some” So of all of a sudden, I’m making a dozen or so for them, then 2 dozen because they wanted to bring them to their families. Then my wife brought some to her work and they wanted some. At this point I’m making 3-4 dozen at a time and selling it out of my car. I knew, I had something special. After doing this for a couple months, I reached out to a small Farmers Market in Hermosa Beach and asked them if I can sell my amazing pickles at their market. They said, yes.. but… I needed to find a commercial kitchen, get licensed, get a federal tax ID etc etc. Oh by the way, you need to make more than 1 pickle. So after months of getting everything together, coming up with a few other products, I was ready. That was in 2014. So from there, I just built the company on the success of multiple farmers markets, many more products, a better website and now, here we are. Read more>>

Karina Castillo

I started my journey during my junior year of high school. The idea first came to me during a home economics class where I realized my passion for creating and sharing my work with others. I began by sketching out my ideas, sewing, and developing a small portfolio. The next few months were spent experimenting with different mediums and styles, trying to find my unique voice. After my junior year of high school, I enrolled in college to further my skills and network with like-minded individuals. The first year was all about learning the technical aspects and gaining a deeper understanding of the art world. I participated in local art shows, fashion competitions and collaborated with fellow students on various projects. It was an exciting time, filled with creativity and growth. Read more>>

Amanda Debek

So I actually started when I seen this cute concepts/franchise on social media and realize that they opened another location in our hometown so I went by visit it and see the concept and flavor After that, we liked the flavors and concept and we’re interested in the business opportunity so we contacted the franchise for more information. We took the steps to becoming franchisees and then started looking for a space we chose Ann Arbor because it’s business district and we occasionally used to come up on the weekends to walk around town and we like the vibes and the diversity. In the coming months, we signed on with a contractor and started our project. What should’ve been A 3 to 4 month project turned into a Year and a half of stress and paying rent. The next few months were very chaotic, but turned into excitement and anticipation, the reality that I was becoming my own business owner kicked in and we began planning opening our cafe Read more>>