Going from idea to execution isn’t easy. Part of the difficulty is that often there is no playbook to follow and while we can’t offer a playbook either, we wanted to create a space where aspiring entrepreneurs could read the stories of how some very smart, very thoughtful entrepreneurs form the community got started.

Perek Belleh

So, Golden Ball Agency came about from my deep desire for Soccer and how much I wanted to do something tangible within the sport. Through my playing and coaching career, I realized that I have built a pretty solid network of Soccer personalities that I could work with you helping the next wave of soccer players both domestically and abroad. I then decided that I need to be in an environment where I can find soccer players who would benefit from my knowledge. Aside from coaching, I decided that creating a Scouting Firm would be the next level of my mission to give back to the sport that gave me so much in my life. Read more>>

Kyle Roe

I’ve always grown up with animals, but really took a liking to dogs. I grew up in MA, but ended up moving to Kansas at the end of 2020 leaving everything I knew behind. Before I made this move, I purchased ‘my’ first ever dog. She was a black and red long coat German Shepherd who I later named, Naga. She cost more than my first car! It was hard getting plugged into Kansas where I really didn’t have any friends.. With all of my free time I had it would be spent with my girl Naga. I grew up working with my family dogs, but took it to a whole other level with Naga. She ignited my love for communication with animals and people and especially the visual cues we learned from one another. Read more>>

Laurent Fonade

With my wife we just sold chocolate stores in summer 2023 and wanted to run an online business so she looked the websites to buy and found one selling scented candles.
As we are very interested in home decoration, we just interviewed the seller and although his business wasn’t worth it, we decided to dig this market and see if we can bring something new for the customers. Read more>>

Mj Walker

I am originally from Chicago, I am one of five children. My dad owned 5 mens clothing stores in Chicago and my Mom was a stay at home mom and homeschooled all of us. We grew up in a single-income household and even though 5 stores may sound like a lot, my Dad was a hustler and a self-made entrepreneur and in those days, you had to hit the streets, local radio, local newspaper, door to door, etc to get your name out there. He was a hard worker and so was my mom. They taught me a lot. In my early twenties, I finished college and went into a career as a travel Surgical Technician. This was in the 2000-teens and social media was not what it is today…quite yet. Read more>>

Stella Speridon-violet

Gut Instinct Media was originally conceived by my now-business partner, Natalie McCarty. We connected on TikTok in 2023, and even before meeting in person, she reached out to me with an idea—one that would ultimately become Gut Instinct Media. Without hesitation, I agreed. At the time, I was publishing poetry and essays on a personal WordPress blog as a creative outlet. However, I had been searching for a way to share my work more widely and connect with like-minded women who shared my passion for writing. Within a month, Natalie and I had published our first set of articles—just the two of us. Read more>>

Leah Cretella

I started Maricopa Botanicals with my fiancé as a way to bring more creativity into my life. At the time, I was working full-time as a fashion designer, but my job felt corporate and stifling. In a previous role at a startup, I had the freedom to share ideas and be hands-on, but after moving across the country for what seemed like a successful career opportunity, I found myself feeling unfulfilled. I was getting paid well, and on paper, I looked accomplished for my age, but I wasn’t able to fully use my creativity the way I wanted. Read more>>

Jahnae Shayna

I have been doing graphic design as a hobby since the fourth grade, and it never crossed my mind to pursue it as a career. Reflecting on my past, I transitioned from one day job to another without ever feeling fulfilled or satisfied. I disliked my lack of control over my workday and, more importantly, the fact that I never found joy in any of my jobs. That changed when I decided to quit my last 9-to-5 job back in 2018. Within the same week, a close friend asked me to create a YouTube intro for him. I didn’t hesitate for a moment; creating the intro came to me easily, almost like muscle memory. Read more>>

Weiyu Xu

When I was a child, I moved around Shanghai with my mother, often finding ourselves in empty, unfinished apartments. The city’s real estate market was booming, and investors were rapidly reshaping its skyline. I remember standing in those raw, unpolished spaces with my mother, imagining how they could become a home. We would brainstorm, sketch, and visualize where walls should go, how light would fill the rooms, and what kind of atmosphere we wanted to create. It was in those moments that I discovered the joy of shaping space. From adjusting a single wall to envisioning an entire apartment layout, my influence on my surroundings grew. And with that, so did my ambitions. I didn’t just want to design homes—I wanted to design at a larger scale. I wanted to become an architect. Read more>>