In our view, far too many ideas die at the imagination stage. It’s not because people are lazy, we think the primary reason is because many people don’t know where or how to start. So, we connected with some sharp and generous entrepreneurs who’ve agreed to share their stories of how they went from idea to execution.

Jhawani Smalls

I don’t remember what made me first fall in love with Hip-Hop, but I definitely remember the overwhelming feeling that THIS is where my life belongs. I can tell you that it was early adolescence for me. As a kid my favorite rap artists were those with incredible lyrical ability. Read more>>

Lisa Craft

The idea for Adventure Dating didn’t come to me in a boardroom or after a pitch competition—it came from real life. I had spent years teaching CPR across Southern California, and during that time, I saw how much confidence, connection, and trust could be built through shared learning experiences. Read more>>

Xuan Klevecka

My business really began with my husband’s motorcycle accident. He was badly injured and ended up out of work for a year, and during that time we were living on his temporary disability checks. It was scary and humbling to realize how financially vulnerable we were. Read more>>

Steve Franco

For my wife and co-founder Öykü’s birthday, I signed us up for a candle-making class. I thought it would be something fun we could do together. Instead, it sparked the idea for an entire brand. Read more>>

Joel Goldberg

To begin making a film, one must know why you want to tell the story you’ve come up with. this is basically the why you are making it. there doesn’t always have to be an answer to this, but it helps motive you to telling this story and brings a stronger connection to it. Read more>>

Olivia Leis

I actually started really simply, it was just me, my camera, and the idea that I wanted to capture people’s real moments in a way that felt timeless but also fun. At first, it wasn’t a ‘business plan’ so much as a passion. I shot friends, family, and anyone who would let me practice. The more I photographed, the more I realized this was something I wanted to build into a career. Read more>>

Amaryah Jones

The idea for The Amaryah J Show started with a simple question from my mom: “If you had your own show, what would it be about?” I told her I wanted to ask people when they received Jesus and how their journey has been. From that moment, we moved into action. Read more>>

Jared Kaplan

I started Arrive to make lemonade out of the lemons I’d experienced as a passionate pilates and personal trainer. Thanks to some truly negative experiences at places where businesses were not well run, such as money grabs, insurance fraud, and atmospheres where the privacy of my clients was disrespected, I knew we could do better. Read more>>

AMINA OLALEKAN

“It really started with a heart of service. Long before I thought of it as a business, I was simply helping people build their brands. I was advising them on what to do, offering probono support, and even connecting brands together. It began as a passion and a leading from God. Read more>>

Braxtyne Seetram
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In 2020, while navigating the demands of college life, Braxtyne Seetram began creating something entirely her own. What started as small, handcrafted batches of lip gloss quickly transformed into B’s Addiction, a beauty brand born from passion, precision, and purpose. Read more>>