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.

Alan Collins

I’ve always been drawn to creative media, sci-fi, metal, gaming, visual arts, you name it. My creative journey kicked off at 15 when I got my first drum set and started playing in bands. That eventually led to our first music video.

The band I was in at the time filmed a music video and I remember our director brought a DSLR to set. Seeing how accessible filmmaking had become was a game-changer. I bought my own camera, started shooting low-budget music videos for fellow musicians, and taught myself the basics of production. Read more>>

Nique Triplett

It all began with a simple idea fueled by my passion for fashion and a desire to empower others through style. Friends and family often admired my unique selections and asked where they could find similar pieces. This feedback sparked the realization that there was a niche market for chic, affordable fashion that celebrated individuality rather than just following trends. Read more>>

Stuart Babcock

How does one get into the bug business? It’s not like the most of us as 5 year old kids ran around the house playing bug catcher/killer. My granddaughter may be one of the few who loves to bring me bugs to ID and go on black light hunts for monsters in the night. I have always been in the service business. I started as a volunteer firefighter in Wyoming. I moved to Arizona and got my post baccalaureate in education and taught High School for 10 years in Scottsdale, during that time I joined the AZ Army National Guard. I left teaching and the artillery in early 2000 to be a Police Officer. A decade and a half goes by (LOVED police work) and I had an opportunity to exit police work and join my business partners in starting up Complete Pest Management. Why make the jump. Read more>>

Monica Joseph

I’ve always loved decorating my home, but I’ve always been on a budget. I’ve also never wanted it to look like everyone else’s or like it came straight from a Target or West Elm catalogue. In 2019, we bought a new house so I started going to estate sales. I saw so many things I loved, but couldn’t take it all home. I started seeing vintage shops on Instagram and I thought that it was something I could do. I honestly didn’t think too much into the logistics of starting a business. I thought of a name, bought a few things at an estate sale and started posting. I didn’t even know how to ship things so I wasn’t sure how to charge for shipping. Read more>>

Najeé Fletcher

I’ve always had a creative eye—photography first caught my attention in high school, and I loved it. In 2019, I started at UACCM, but by December I decided to drop out. I wasn’t feeling passionate about my path and knew something was missing. When COVID hit, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

That year, I participated in a model call for the Creative Institute here in Conway, Arkansas. During the shoot, I learned more about their program, and it clicked—this was where I could explore what being a creative could really mean for me. I didn’t think photography could become a sustainable career, but I took the leap and joined their year-long program. Read more>>

Adriana Alyk

In 2024, I found myself at a crossroads after spending two decades in the dog boarding and daycare industry, where I had risen to the position of General Manager of my own facility. Feeling burnt out and struggling with a non-existent work-life balance, I recognized in January that I needed a change, though I had no idea how transformative that decision would be. Read more>>

Ravi Corea

Since my childhood, I have always loved animals and been fascinated by nature. I loved roaming the wetlands in the town where I grew up, in Sri Lanka. It was in these marshes that I learned to watch birds, catch snakes and turtles, and teach myself to observe wild animals patiently. The day I helplessly watched the marsh being landfilled for development, I realized how powerless and incapable I was in stopping the destruction that was occurring in a place I cherished. Although I was just 14 years old at the time, I vowed to be in a position one day in which I would be responsible for helping to protect and nourish vulnerable ecosystems, wild animals, and communities. Read more>>

Eray Tonk

The idea for LUMENS unfolded gradually, rooted in my first encounter with Donna Haraway’s Staying with the Trouble during a Gender and Social Studies seminar in 2023. Her texts, and later also the Cyborg Manifesto, opened up an imaginative cosmos for me, one that questioned what it means to live, to coexist, and to create in our time. From then on, I knew my final project would grow out of these ideas. Read more>>

Meghan Henson

I won’t lie, I never thought I would be a salon owner. The idea intimidated me because I didn’t think I had what it took to grow a business from the ground up. Luckily, I have some really incredible family and friends that believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Their encouragement pushed me to make the leap and take Ivory Rose from a dream to a reality. Read more>>

Wesley Paul

I went from a prison cell to a podcast studio.

After a decade behind bars, I came home with a notebook full of ideas and a mission — give people the real blueprint to financial freedom. No fluff. No fake gurus.

Day one, I had no fancy studio, just a borrowed mic, free software, and a voice. I recorded anywhere I could, learning as I went. I studied the game, branded the vision, and started booking guests who had real stories and strategies. Read more>>

Sherri Brown

Well, one rainy winter Oregon evening in 2017, a good friend came over and we brainstormed about what I might do, to reinvent myself as a Portlander. I had been a long time Oregonian and a lifelong foodie (as in, since I could walk). We did a SWOT analysis, and came up with a few ideas for jobs I would enjoy – and arrived at the idea that I’d be a pretty perfect fit for running a food tour company. Read more>>

Lauren Hoheusle

It all started with Instagram. I was on my own personal journey of healing after the stillbirth of my daughter at 35 weeks. I turned to holistic health—exploring nutrition, Ayurveda, and the mind-body connection. As I learned more, I began creating vibrant, nourishing smoothie bowls in my kitchen. I loved the creativity behind recipes that made you feel good and looked just as beautiful. I’d set up mini photoshoots in my backyard and post them online. Read more>>