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.

Tylisha Oliver

For years, I worked in foster care as a social worker. Later, I transitioned into foster parenting by caring for teenage young ladies. I deeply wanted to give them a way to learn essential life skills that would help them thrive. With my love for cooking, I decided to start my journey as a caterer. Read More>>

Amy Guest Renee Dierdorff

The Story of Fizzology Soda Shop The idea for Fizzology Soda Shop actually started with something simple — a TikTok video. One night, scrolling through fun drink recipes and “dirty soda” creations, we stumbled upon the trend and thought, this looks so fun — and delicious! Read More>>

Jessica Gibson

It’s slightly complicated. I have had “Handmade Herbology” for over 5 years now. It was always on the back burner and I worked full time in the restaurant and then farming industries. Growing herbs and foraging on the side and turning botanicals into skincare and other folk herbal remedies. Read More>>

Mena Boktor

here is the story from my website. you can abbreviate it as needed. Boktor Motors is Vegas Born, and Vegas Strong! My father was well known and respected in the car world, and I grew up watching him closely. I always loved being around cars, and the people you get to meet. Read More>>

Mercedes Sykes

Honestly, The Branding Link started from me simply wanting to help people show up better. I’ve always been a creative at heart — the friend who could take a rough idea and turn it into something polished and full of life. Read More>>

Sarah Rhoads

I had the hardest time finding shoes that were supportive but also in the styles I actually wanted to wear. As a commercial photographer, I was on my feet 10–12 hours a day and had tried what felt like every shoe out there. None met my need for real orthotic support and the aesthetic I was after. Read More>>

Michael Julian

A.L.I.V.E. –– which stands for Access, Leave, Impede, Violence and Expose –– was born out of frustration with outdated and inadequate active shooter response protocols. Most training focuses on rigid procedures that ignore how people actually react under extreme stress. In real life, chaos doesn’t follow a checklist. People need training that is practical, instinctive and mindset-driven. Read More>>

Chez McGavock

Canna Town started as my response to how misunderstood and stigmatized cannabis has always been in communities like mine. I’ve seen firsthand how much healing, creativity, and connection the plant brings, and I wanted to create a brand that reflects that truth instead of the old stereotypes. The mission is simple: use culture to normalize cannabis. Read More>>

Reesa Myers

Back in the day, I worked for PBS, where my job varied depending on the show. I had always wanted to combine my two passions, television production and music education, so I wrote a proposal for a children’s music education show. Unfortunately, I got too scared to submit it and eventually let the idea go. Read More>>

Katherine Burks

So I always wanted to have my own business and as I was finishing school I was thinking about something I really love and always need so that’s how I got into the lipgloss and lipstick business. Read More>>

Brenda Howard

I wasn’t a baker when I started baking — I was a label reader. One day I wanted to make chocolate chip cookies for my children, but after reading the ingredients on store-bought dough, I knew I didn’t want to use it. I thought, “How hard can it be? Read More>>

Robyn Lee Miller

My story is unique in that it isn’t one that follows a traditional business trajectory. I never set out to be a business owner. I truly thought I would spend my life in a genetics lab. I earned degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology, chemistry and biotechnology. I was fascinated by genetics, nutrition, and the science of how the body operates. Read More>>

Nadia Schwab

It all started when I was living in the Middle East, in Saudi Arabia. At that time, I launched a handbag with a friend in Dubai — and I’ve always been passionate about bags. When I moved to the United States, I decided to create my own brand: Nadia Schwab Collection. Read More>>

Demario SCOTT

My name is Demario Scott. I was born and raised in Atlanta Georgia. I started my business back in 2017 called Royalty Kings and Queens Corp which specialized in so many other key components as a One stop shop. Read More>>

Madison St. Hilaire

Maddy Marie’s began from the desire to create gluten free alternatives that leave the consumer wondering if they are truly gluten free. My sister Shelby has celiac disease and growing up she struggled with her health. Discovering that she needed to avoid gluten was a game changer in her health journey, but the gluten free options were extremely limited. Read More>>

Patrick Kenger

When I was in college, I wanted to learn about style – not just what things looked good, but WHY they looked good. I went down the “rabbit hole” of books, courses, etc. and started writing and creating content around menswear as a hobby, but also as a way to distill the information down for myself and others in an understandable and usable way. Read More>>

Amanda Gray

Coming up with the idea for a photography business was not a hard or original idea, millions have photography businesses. For me, it’s a way back to myself and my passions. Photography has always been the thread that pulls me back to myself. It’s my grounding force and a way to connect with others deeply. Read More>>

LaDawnia Scott

Not Perfect, Just Purposed was birthed out of my own mental health crisis and experience. In 2013, I attempted to take my life, and I spent a week in a mental hospital in Abilene, TX. As part of my continued therapy, I would journal my thoughts, prayers, experiences, feelings…everything and anything. Read More>>

Cirilo Manego III

Honestly, SGA started with something really simple: we just wanted to golf more with people who got it—people willing to support each other’s golf journey, knowing the learning curve is steep. At first, it was just about friends connecting, sharing laughs, and pushing each other to get better. But the more we played and talked, the more I realized it wasn’t just about inclusion. Read More>>

Rebecca Cohen

ShareMyJourney was born from noticing the contrast between support I had with certain aspects of my life, and having other areas of my life where I was struggling personally and felt like no one in my life was going through something similar. There are always people going through similar situations, we just don’t know each other yet. Read More>>

Kevin Williams Sr.

I came up with the idea for the HBCU Basketball League by watching talented players disappear into the gaps of the basketball ecosystem. Read More>>

Pamela Dill

The idea for Suite Ten started long before it had a name. Back in 2004, I was managing a retail store — long hours, high pressure — and trying to keep my own life in balance. I saw the same pattern everywhere: talented people running successful businesses but living in constant chaos behind the scenes. Read More>>

Ditty Bhatti

Ditty | A Gluten Free Bakery began right here in our kitchen, with family at the heart of it all. When my kids and I had to go gluten-free for health reasons, we quickly learned how difficult it was to find baked goods that were both safe to eat and truly satisfying. Read More>>

Kelley Khoury

Operation Birthday started from a simple yearly family tradition. In 2018, I began taking my 3 year old niece Shelby-Ann shopping for birthday supplies: cake mix, frosting, candles – to donate to her local food bank. It was a way to teach her about gratitude and giving back on her own birthday explaining how other kids were not as fortunate. Read More>>

Candice Gadsden

How PlantED with Candy Began PlantED with Candy really started as part of my own healing journey. I was in a season where I needed to slow down and find peace again. Caring for my plants became a grounding ritual — and one day, I realized the way I was tending to them mirrored how I wanted to care for myself. Read More>>

Aisha Byrd

R&B Dog Bakery was born out of love — pure, unconditional love for my two dogs, Reese and Benjamin. The idea didn’t start as a business plan or a dream of entrepreneurship; it started with a birthday cake. When Benjamin turned one, I was so excited to celebrate him the same way any proud dog mom would. Read More>>

Emma Casey

The 39ft sailboat pitched down into the wave’s trough, and as we crested the next, the squall slammed us with a higher gust of wind. The headsail shredded audibly; a 7ft tear running vertically close to the furled edge. Read More>>

Shawn George

I originally created II:OI in 2010 but fashion design has been my passion since childhood. I’ve always loved well designed shoes and thrifting unique, original pieces from local thrift stores. After graduating high school in 2007, I wanted to find a way to develop my design skills so I decided to attend the Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham in 2010. Read More>>

Joseph Climer

My folks were entrepreneurs, so I’d always had an inkling to do my own thing – the hard part was figuring out what. I was pretty insistent on kicking something off without going into debt. The idea of window cleaning had been culminating in the corners of my mind for years. Read More>>

Daisha Truitt

The idea for my new head spa salon really came from years of listening to my clients. So many of them were dealing with scalp issues, dryness, or breakage and felt like they’d tried everything. Read More>>

Carole Montgomery

As a woman in comedy there was rarely more than one woman on a show. One day, while on a podcast with other woman comedians I had this thought….what if there was a show that featured only female comedians over the age of 50? And that’s how Women of a Certain Age was born! Our first special was Showtime’s highest rated comedy special. Read More>>

Yirett Clemente

My idea was born long before I ever held a professional camera. I started as a painter, creating worlds on canvas that didn’t exist in reality worlds where emotions took shape, colors spoke louder than words, and the impossible felt natural. Eventually, I realized I wanted to bring that same magic into the real world through photography. Read More>>

Pamela Boyd

The idea for Premier Diamond Event Agency was really born out of passion, experience, and a deep desire to create meaningful, memorable moments. For years, I found myself naturally stepping into the role of planner — for family gatherings, weddings, and celebrations — and I realized that I genuinely loved the process of bringing people’s visions to life. Read More>>

Carmen Reid

It had been an idea of mine to bring boba to the city of Ellisville for several years, but the timing and availability of the perfect location just never was right. So, about 4 years ago we decided we would make a go at running a mobile unit and taking it to local events and locations to introduce boba to a wide range of people. Read More>>