Coming up with an idea for a business or creative project can feel exhilarating. Inspiration for a new idea can come from so many places and we’ve asked some great folks from the community to share their stories of how they came up with their ideas.

Jenn Williams

As dramatic as it may sound, my entire life changed in 2019. I was a healthy, happy, and ambitious person with a full-time job, a loving husband, and a newly renovated home. I was even preparing to launch a side business. Life felt full of possibility—until suddenly, it didn’t.

It was as if someone flipped a switch, and I just fell apart. That summer, I spent most of my time in the ER, urgent care, and countless doctor’s offices, undergoing test after test—only to be told repeatedly, “According to your results, you’re perfectly healthy.” But I didn’t feel healthy. I felt like I was dying. Read more>>

Samir Kavadi

My partner Abhi Sundaram and I both grew up in Indian households where tea was consumed in a far greater quantity than coffee. It was a staple beverage that we felt connected to and saught out when given the chance.

Whilst in college, we went back and forth debating if we should start a CPG business together. It had always been a lifelong dream of ours and during COVID we had ample amount of time and opportunity to go to the drawing board. By this point in our lives there were drastic lifestyle changes with new inspirations. We both enjoyed a certain type of style, design, fashion, and culture. Read more>>

Ashley Malland

I have always loved the practice of calligraphy. There is so much to it that can be admired such as it can be proper, it can be fun, it can be romantic. As more practice came about, more of my family and friends showed their appreciation about it. A few years later I had the opportunity to use my calligraphy practices on tangible items at my full-time job. This sparked the idea of starting Pen Pal Creations. A place anyone can come and request a special, personalized touch to items that can be displayed in their homes, given as gifts but most importantly become a special memorabilia for those to have and keep for years on. I started Pen Pal Creations in 2022 and really was able to show off the different products and options in 2024 with multiple markets and shows. Read more>>

Logan Sarosi

The idea for my business started long before I had the ability to drive. It began in middle school, when I was in the car with my dad and little brother. We were driving through our area when we came across a group of exotic cars—Ferraris, Lamborghinis, McLarens—all cruising together. The sight was captivating, and I immediately thought, “I would love to create something like this—where people come together to appreciate these incredible machines.” Read more>>

Lorraine Connell

I started pickling with my Dad when I was in my early 20’s.
Almost all of our products are his (my Dads) recipes. There were 14 kids in his family and surviving the cold winters in Maine you did a lot of canning to get through.
Helping him I found I enjoyed the process myself. Over the years I canned for family and friends as gifts then in 2016 I was meditating and the name “Pretentious Pickle Co”. popped into my head. I decided to take it to the next level. So I went about the process of getting certified through my town. Then I got my products out there by attending local farmers markets and events. It didn’t take long to go from markets to a brick and mortar. Read more>>

Tiffany Scott

You Me She Fest is a combination of my career experience entwined with my life purpose.

As a creative director in marketing for over 20 years my career has given me incredible opportunities to create and build brands; from helping elevate the Speedo brand in Australia during the 2008 Olympics to supporting start-ups in the wellness industry to working with a multi-billion dollar company in the supply chain industry in America. Read more>>

Danielle Mahon

I had a 25 year career in corporate America with the last 12 years in Life Science sales. I would describe myself as someone who always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I have always looked at ideas through the lens of “oh I wonder if that could be a business” With Topsail Steamer the timing was right ( I was just becoming an empty nester) and I had the support of my family so I decided to take the leap and begin by entrepreneurial journey at age 48. Read more>>

Opal Vinopal

Opal Vinopal is my solo music project. As a Chicago-based guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the founder of the lyrical funk/soul band Local Motive with a career spanning over two decades, I have honed a reputation as a
prolific and versatile musician, with a catalog of original material spanning multiple genres, from funk and soul to rock, indie, and folk. My ensemble compositions, mastered by renowned producer/engineer Noam Wallenberg (Alan Parsons, Mac Miller) at Rax Trax Recording (Buddy Guy, George Clinton), are widely available across all streaming platforms, but even with all of that, I’ve had so much more to share creatively. That’s how I came up with the idea for Opal Vinopal. Read more>>

Jessica Wagner

I started my journey in social media marketing in 2010—the same year Instagram was born. At the time, I was promoting cooking classes for a local kitchen store. I wore many hats: teaching classes, sourcing chefs, creating marketing materials, and promoting the classes on Facebook, and eventually, Instagram. Read more>>

Kei Ohdera

The concept as it currently operates is far from where it started. I started Pasture as a Pop-up in 2019 as a butcher shop/restaurant primarily sourcing retired dairy cows from the Tillamook region. The inspiration came from having worked with the product at Blue Hill at Stone Barns as a young cook and being blown away by flavor of these older animals. Dairy cows are retied when they are no longer producing as much milk, so they are much older and have been contributing milk to the community instead of just being raised for beef. While they are looked down upon and much tougher, proper care can result in a beautiful product with cheddar yellow fat, richly maroon meat, and a slight lactic sweetness to the beefy flavor. Read more>>

Maria & Chantae

Melanin & Muscles was born from passion, resilience, and an unshakable commitment to community.

During the pandemic, isolation weighed heavily on so many—including us. The world felt disconnected, and the spaces we relied on for support and self-care suddenly vanished. Chantae, always the connector, worked to create virtual spaces where we could still gather and uplift one another. Meanwhile, Maria was determined to do more than just stay active—she was committed to staying strong, physically, emotionally, and mentally, not just for herself, but for her family and friends during an intensely stressful time. In a world that had come to a standstill, she felt the need to find ways to strengthen herself and those around her. Read more>>

Yondje Choi

My name is Yondjé Choi, and I was born and raised in France by Korean parents. Growing up, I was lucky to enjoy my mom’s incredible traditional Korean dishes—she always make home made Kimchi, and I’d help her with my hands smelling garlics for days!
Now, as a full-time working mom of a 2-year-old living in New York, far from home for over 15 years, I often found myself craving the warmth of my mom’s “guk” (soup) but simply didn’t have the time to cook. Read more>>

Megan Pruett

Having been brought up in a wine-enthusiast family, decadent wine has been effortlessly decanted and poured throughout my family home, making the mundane days magical and special events idyllic. The aroma of a freshly opened Cabernet Sauvignon swirling around a Bordeaux glass is a luxury I hope all individuals get the pleasure of experiencing. But, in the Spring of 2023, I made the personal decision to remove alcohol from my life. And, like many things, growth requires sacrifice, which left me to say goodbye to a joy I had held so profoundly, which included the taste, feel, and ambiance of a beautifully crafted, full-bodied wine – or so I thought. Read more>>

Susan Glusica

My business strategist, Renee Gambino, whom I had been working with for a year in my financial practice to increase my revenue, said to me one day, “I suspect that when you do a financial plan for someone, you do more than a financial plan.” I replied, “Oh, yes! I am all in! If their kids need to learn how money works, or they are going through a divorce and need some emotional support…I am there for them.” And she said we need to get me paid for it. Due to the rigorous compliance oversight in the financial industry, I wasn’t sure how that would work and whether I would be able to have two practices. Read more>>

Chauna Lawson

I started cosplaying and hitting the convention scene with Baltimore Comic Con 2015. From there, my involvement and passion for the nerd community really flourished in ways I never imagined. I became instrumental in helping other businesses get off the ground, often times at the expense of my own well-being. Despite a growing and prevalent Black nerd community, which is far more robust now than it was when I got started, I noticed a huge culture of exploitation, chauvinism, elitism, colorism, and transactional relationships. By the end of 2017, I found myself depressed, burnt out, and deflated from being seen but not heard in a male dominated industry. My therapist even cautioned and questioned my continued involvement. “Are you sure you want to be a part of this community?”, she asked. Read more>>

Rasik Kaiser

The idea for my content creation came from a mix of personal evolution and professional curiosity. My journey started as a software engineer, and while I appreciated the stability and structure of tech, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t tapping into my full potential. I’ve always enjoyed problem-solving, but I realized the problems I wanted to tackle weren’t in code—they were in human connection, shared experiences, and offering real value in an authentic way. Read more>>

Sabine Charles

The Journey to Building TAPA Institute: Turning Personal Struggles into a Mission

Fifteen years ago, I embarked on a journey that would ultimately shape my career and impact thousands of professionals. My business model has always been centered around three core objectives: strengthening internal audit departments, helping individuals become experts in their fields, and leveraging technology to identify and mitigate risks. But the heart of my business—helping people pass certification exams—was deeply rooted in my own personal struggles. Read more>>

Hima Yalamanchili

For as long as I remember I have always had a passion for design. At a very young age I used to sketch designs of jewelry, dresses and abstract art too. I used to draw a lot whenever I get time. I am a self taught designer and I get inspired from nature, travel, contemporary art, and vibrant colors of gem stones. I have just followed my heart to fulfill my dream by leaving behind my career as a doctor and brought “Eraya” to life which is an amalgamation of the names of my children. Read more>>

Marion Johnson

I’ll take you back to where it all started. It wasn’t a boardroom decision or a well-crafted five-year plan. It was grief and loss raw, unfiltered, and life-altering. When I lost my sister on November 24th, 2014, my world shattered. I found myself being numb to my feelings, being on auto-pilot, questioning everything I thought I knew about life, faith, and purpose. I tried to push through, to be strong, but the truth? I was stuck. Read more>>

Jen Kay

My life experiences with abuse were the catalyst for the creation of my Finally Free Mentoring business. I often found myself in abusive situations throughout my life. I would somehow find a way to let go of a toxic abusive situation and then soon find myself in yet another one. I could never seem to break free for good. A few of my relationships were unsafe and even life-threatening and I couldn’t seem to escape that pattern. From the outside, I appeared to be full of love and happiness and was praised for what a strong empowered woman I was. The reality of my life that I hid was quite grim, so much so that I will spare you all the disturbing details. I was living a fake life, far from one of my core values of being authentic. Read more>>

Missi Kennedy

Many of us take a lot of things for granted everyday. Just one simple act, like getting a haircut can be extremely hard for those individuals with various needs. Whether it be a sensory issue, medically fragile or the Autism spectrum the daunting task of getting a haircut is not only overwhelming for the child but also the family . I have been a hairdresser for 32 years and been privileged to help many people during that time. I had quite a few along the way that required me to think outside of my chair. That’s one thing that many children struggle with is sitting still and wearing a cape. So who is the hair police saying that everyone must do that anyway? For years I was able to help others get haircuts in a more comfortable manor, playing outside or sitting on the floor eating snacks. I just wanted to help. Read more>>

Elizabeth Rajchart

I’ve always loved the disability community. I’ve lived with disability since I was a child, and I’d always found my community fascinating and so strong. I’ve been speaking on disability since I was a child, talking to parent groups and teachers. In 2019, my chronic illness returned, enough so that I needed to use a wheelchair. All of these things coincided, and I realized how little representation there was in the boudoir scene. I’d never seen a boudoir portrait of a disabled person before. I decided to pivot my work to primarily focus on representation in the disabled community — first in boudoir, then expanding to disability portraiture as a whole. Read more>>

Jasen Glanton

ImPowered Minds wasn’t just an idea—it was born from my own trauma, transformed into something powerful. As a thought leader and trainer for Verizon Wireless, I developed a deep passion for seeing people grow and do better. But what broke my heart was realizing that so many highly capable individuals never reached their full potential. They weren’t held back by a lack of ability but by the people around them—family, friends, and environments that reinforced limiting beliefs and conditioned them to follow paths that weren’t truly their own. Read more>>

Eleni Colleony

It happened unexpectedly in Paris. I was wandering through the Louvre Museum bookstore when a book on Japanese tattoo art caught my eye. In that moment, an idea sparked: what if I could bring that intricate beauty of tattoo art to leather? I knew immediately that this wasn’t just a creative challenge – it was an opportunity to merge art with function in a new way, bringing both tattooing and leather craft into a new dimension. Read more>>

Christa Wissler

I’m a very right-brained person who does not enjoy following directions or patterns. I think it was Picasso who said, “learn all the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist” Since I create in a very intuitive way, it really forces me to work twice as hard to sometimes learn how to make things come out exactly how I’d like them Read more>>

Dave Schechter

The idea for the book came to me or, I should say, was handed to me, in the form of a letter that my father received from an academic expert on Soviet penetration of the United States. Let me back up several decades. My paternal grandfather died when my father was 11. My father rarely talked about his. At some point growing up, I asked my father: Did your father have any siblings? I was told yes, two sisters. One moved to South Africa and the other was a Socialist arrested in a strike in North Carolina. And for many years, that is all I knew. Until the summer of 1999, when my father received a letter asking if he knew of a man with whom the latter aunt had a relationship. Read more>>

Rebecca Lykins

Our business idea was developed and tweaked over seven years time. We credit our first dog we owned together, Delilah, who we call our angel! My husband (fiancé at the time) and I were given a golden retriever puppy from our boss who had gotten the dog for his family and learned the hard way his youngest was allergic. Having only ever owned short-haired dogs, I did not yet know much about the grooming world. With owning a golden, I was soon to learn it’s a necessity. My first experience with getting Delilah groomed was not pleasant, and after walking away, I thought, “I could do that.” Shortly thereafter, we needed to attend an out-of-town wedding. Read more>>

Mike Wright

The idea for my brand, Michael Wright, came from a deep appreciation for storytelling through fashion. Born and raised in Inglewood, California, and now based in New York. I’ve always been fascinated by the way clothing carries history—whether it’s a family heirloom, a vintage fabric, or a unique trim that reminds you of a past era. One day, I was surrounded by these intricate upholstery fabrics, that reminded me of my grandma and it hit me—what if I could take these nostalgic, ornate elements and translate them into modern streetwear? Read more>>

Louise Davis

For as long as I can remember, I have had stories in me that feel like they need to be written. Before I was even old enough to write, my sweet mom wrote the words to go with pictures I had drawn and my first “book” was stapled together. I studied creative writing in college and it has always been my dream to be an author. Read more>>

Chris Rugowski

The idea behind the business name, “Chicken or The Egg Photography” specifically came because I was stuck in a philosophical debate with myself.

I had wanted to quit my job for years to do photography full time. I didn’t know how I was going to make it work, I just knew I wanted to take my hobby and turn it into my career. Unfortunately, I was a lot of talk, and not a lot of action for a very long time. More often than not I let my fear get the best of me and I didn’t allow the real me to be. Read more>>

Belén Pereyra

I have danced for over 30 years. As a child, dance was my powerful outlet—a way to understand reality, navigate emotions, express myself, and process life. It was how I explored language, sensation, confidence, doubt, empowerment, music, relationships, and even the transmutation of fear. Dance became my safe space, my anchor, my teacher. Read more>>

Ge Tong

My mother has been telling me our family story since I was a child. I grew up with those stories and knew from junior high that I wanted to be a writer. However, when it was time for university in China, my parents strongly opposed my studying Chinese literature or journalism, as writing and journalism were considered dangerous professions. I had to put my dream on hold and instead pursued a degree in finance and banking. Read more>>

Lanae Knight

The idea for my business was a long time in the making. I have always wanted to find a way to sell my artwork, but didn’t know how to go about it. When I was younger, my family was not supportive so it didn’t become something I pursued. A few years ago I was getting back into art more regularly for fun and found a new style. My husband kept showing off the art pieces I made for our new home and kept talking about how others would love them. This got me looking into things again and gave me the courage to put myself out there. Read more>>

Mary Sullivan

I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and was one of those children who always seemed to be making something. After completing my BA in Fine Art from Maryville College I worked as a designer and printer at the legendary Hatch Show Print, one of the country’s oldest continually operating letterpress poster shops in Nashville, TN. Through the course of five years I labored at the presses using the historic wood type archive, absorbing the history, materials, and tools of the trade alongside my fellow hired ink-slingers and interns, one of whom introduced me to the art of bookbinding. Read more>>