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.

Kieanji Williams

March 2020, I was an apprentice are my tech job and I hadn’t been given any tasks for days; I was getting bored of listening to music and watching YouTube videos. That week I had been invited to a screening of an indie film but, couldn’t attend due to a schedule conflict. I was bummed and went to work the next day knowing I would still not have any new tasks. Read more>>

Mi-Ya Mata

Dry Spokes’ seed was planted after I (Mi-Ya) heard an NPR interview about Sans Bar. That interview was in the back of my mind for some time until late 2019 when I started to research non-alcoholic beer options. I found some groups on social media where people talked about the non-alcoholic options they had tried. I initially ordered some NA beers to try which then led to me researching NA spirits. Read more>>

Olivia Carlson

I have always loved trying new mediums as an artist. I decided to “go big or go home” trying epoxy resin for the first time in February of 2022. It was a trial period in my life, and having a creative outlet has always been very important to me. I started with creating pieces that incorporated my love for nature, rocks and colors. Read more>>

Toni Walley

I’ve always had a love for capturing memories. Making a moment last forever. Even as a little kid I had boxes and boxes of film, polaroids, prints, some we never even developed. My sister and I would beg our mom to buy throw aways every time we went to the store. We would buy at least 4 at a time and we would snap away at anything and everything from the moment we pulled out of the parking lot. Read more>>

Krystal Allen

Birthed in 2017 as a result of an unjust termination, K. Allen Consulting – now a multimillion dollar, international consulting firm is the manifestation of my decision to bet on myself, build my own table, heal, and expand my impact as a Black woman within educational leadership. I spent nearly 6 months after what was a traumatic professional work experience reflecting and also engaging in opportunities organically presented to me to train, facilitate, and also coach other educational leaders across the country. Read more>>

Jarrod Schulz

In my early twenties, I was talking with a real estate agent friend. She was upset about how much her home inspector charged because he wasn’t thorough. I was very curious about him, and she explained that he was self-employed, charges a minimum of $300 per inspection, is on-site for less than an hour, and had no competitors. Read more>>

Sherema Fleming

I fell in love with dance at the age of 4. At that age, I wanted to be everything (lol. Like most kids) but I absolutely knew that I wanted a dance studio of my own. The expenses of keeping me in dance classes was too much for my parents, so I’m more of a self-taught, street dancer. While I was in nursing school, I started Cultured Movement, Read more>>

Moses Gibson

The idea to own a horror shop was something we threw around since early on. In the beginning we started with our horror brand known as The Cryptic Closet in 2016. After a few years of operating we had met many other talented artists and brands within the horror community. Read more>>

Keenan Roden

I never intended to start my business. Matter of fact, it wasn’t even my idea. I have always been a creative person and one day I was speaking to my mother and she proposed the idea. She was already making shirts, purses, and other items but she recognized my creativity with a computer. I thought about it for a day or two and a voice in my head said, ” Mom knows best!”. Read more>>

Nakia Vestal

After Cosmetology school I started working with an eyelash extension company making little money but that’s where I was able to perfect my skill! After nine months I quit and started working from home in my dining room! I started with about seven customers told told their friend, family and colleagues so every thing was word of mouth for me! Read more>>

Akseli Äijälä

Hi, my name is Akseli and this is my story how I managed to create 4 -figure monthly income at 16 years old. My story as an entrepreneur started at summer 2022. I’ve just finished my first year in secondary upper school and I know that I needed to make money at summer. My friend did not have any job at all and it was too late to apply for anything. I thought that maybye we should try something different. Maybye we should start our own company. Read more>>

Breea Janay

When it comes to executing your idea, I think Nike has the best slogan for the job; just do it. As a film director, it is very important to plan and strategize. Whenever I have an idea for a movie, it can take 6 months to a year before the idea can even come to life. The first step is to group email my team members of this idea. In which, the script writers will write the script within 2-3 months. After it is available, the producer and I will scout for cinematographers and other people for the job, and also determine our budget for the film. Read more>>

Na’Kedra Rodgers

I was inspired to start my own business during the pandemic. I began to notice individuals on social media using their talents to earn money. Folks were providing meal services, becoming party planners and balloon decorators, baking; all kinds of stuff, so I got to thinking, what talents do I have, and I came up with nothing. I didn’t bake, I wasn’t crafty so I got sad and said to myself, I don’t have any talents, Read more>>

Joyua Bouldes

Ideas come to you when you least expect. It takes putting in work to get an idea past just being in your head to putting it to action. After I retired from my government job I started planning and designing events for family and friends. The first job of the planning was to find a spot to have the event. After trying to select banquet halls and seeing the costly price in securing them, I decided that was something that I wanted to secure. Read more>>

Megan Piotrowski

Captured Living Photo Co. all started with an idea. An idea of creating and capturing the most epic story, my story, and then doing the same for others. Breathed into existence after the pandemic, I used my life events, the heartbreak, the joy, and anything else I felt, and turned it into art. Read more>>

Jeremy Harrell

Our nonprofit organization, Veteran’s Club INC started as a social group as I was on the tail end of intense treatment for injuries from my service in Iraq. I knew that there wasn’t enough being done for those who had suffered from trauma as well as physical injuries while defending this country. I was one of those Veterans who felt like I was an island by myself and there wasn’t enough being done for those coming back from two very long simultaneous wars. Read more>>

Michelle Caba

My story is one of entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for business. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, I learned about business at a young age. My father owned multiple businesses for over 30 years and my mother always had a side hustle. My aunt and uncle owned a small franchise of steakhouses, providing Michelle with a glimpse into the world of business ownership. Read more>>

Carolina Guzman

Since I was little I always liked crafts, I spent many hours crocheting, cross-stitching, knitting… Finally, thanks to the teachings of my grandmother and my mother, I focused on the world of crochet and it soon became my passion. I started making a lot of blankets, rugs, cushions, appliques… but after a while the amigurumi stole my heart. For me it was pure magic to see how a character with personality and his own story was born from a ball of wool. Read more>>

Anthony Drakeford

The birth of Black Billionaires Collection: In 2020 when Covid-19 hit I knew I wanted to start do different. With everyone become more isolated and less social I wanted to create a brand that do the opposite. I started the brand 100 T-shirts with 1 design in two colors( black and white). I can created a free event in NYC called the Pop Up Picnic. This event was free for everyone to attend and featured a live DJ, live art and vendors. Read more>>

Elisa-Marie Alaio

I’ve always felt a calling to own my own business and turn all of my creative ideas into a reality some day. However, executing the vision and watching it come to life was something I was afraid of at first. What if I fail? What if people don’t like me? What if they don’t think I’m talented enough to be doing this? Read more>>

Zaida Cobb

Creating my brand It’s Regular was an extremely new expedition for me, I had never launched a clothing line or even thought about starting my own brand before. And for that reason, the process was actually really fun. I looked at it more like a new adventure. I pretty much just jumped in and learned each step as I went. I had to first find a graphic designer and go through months of trail and error to get the perfect logo created. Read more>>

DiAnté Jenkins

It’s very different with the filmmaker going from idea to execution, because the idea is typically before writing phase. So you have the initial idea then you have the execution with writing and from there you have to execute with the actual filming and putting it together it’s never an easy thing. Finding collaborators and making sure that your vision is being fulfilled is always challenging but the key is communicating clearly your intentions. Read more>>

Iesha Campbell

In the year 2015 I was getting my own taxes prepared from one of the best Mrs. Cassandra Washington. While sitting there I asked her if she would ever teach others to prepare taxes. She stated that she have thought about it however she never put it into motion. I told her to think hard and if she decides to move forward I would like to be the first to enroll. Fast forward to 2017 Mrs. Washington decided to have her very first tax class. Read more>>

Erinn Nowlin

I am always thinking of ways to take things that I have an interest in or love and turn them into a business, without taking anything substantial away from my life, if I can help it. Read more>>

Kyle Mathis

The way I started my business was by uploading my free educational videos to YouTube. I had an idea where I wanted to create and produce free educational videos for anyone in the world with an internet connection, and in the long run, I would make the videos accessible to 7,000,000,000 people worldwide. For what I wanted to do and how I wanted to brand my company, Read more>>

Jessica Terenyi

I first thought to start my own professional organizing business in late 2010 (when I was pregnant with my now 12-year-old daughter!). Fast forward to January 2020 and the light bulb went off again. I started to search professional organizing groups on Facebook and came across a group called Jumpstart to be a Professional Organizer. Read more>>

Corey Mungo

Becoming a business owner is something I always aspired to do, but unfortunately had never built up the courage to follow through and actually do it. After a few months of with my current employer, I had truly come to terms with tomorrow is truly not promised for anyone. I had lost my older brother, Justin a.k.a. Catfish and also lost my older cousin Russell who had a tremendous influence on us and the importance of family. Read more>>

D’Laurea Trice

Prolific People mentoring program started as a thought in my college dorm room. Little did I know, it would be taking me into some MAJOR rooms in less than a year. Some of the main steps that allowed me to launch my business was constantly noting things that I wanted to see in my business and things that I wanted to offer in my program. I remember staying up to 5 o’clock in the morning just writing out ideas and activities that we would do. Read more>>