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.

Nona and Jaye Moffett

Jay and Nona are married and the proprietors of Looking Glass Gems. They met while living in New Orleans and relocated to Baltimore MD. Jaye is an actor and variety performer and Nona is a dancer and actor. Nona makes most of her own costuming for the stage and was having a difficult time sourcing an affordable rhinestone. Her budget couldn’t afford Swarovski, but she needed something that would sparkle on stage just as much! Read more>>

ShaQuia Glover

I was diagnosed with endometriosis a few years after I graduated in 2012! I have gone through surgery after surgery and pain day in and day out. I started being told to try Yoni steams so i knew somebody that did them and i brought one. I used it a few times and noticed they did help me out. I started asking the person I was getting them from different questions and it was always “I’ll get back with you” or “hold on”. Read more>>

Caden Jackson

When i was 4 years old, I used to have night terrors (really bad dreams). My mom would read me Psalms 23 every single night. One night after she read it to me, she asked me what does it mean to me. I said, it means that I am loved and protected. That night I stopped having night terrors and I was able to sleep in my own room. Read more>>

Maya Verzonilla, aka Maya The Shaman

Hi, my name is Maya Verzonilla, known as Maya The Shaman. I am a descendant of Lemuria, born in Maharlika, known as the Philippines. I have been a healer for two decades. I started my business by giving free healing sessions and charging. As time pass by, I raise my rates since I can only accommodate a small number of clients as I am also a writer and author of various collaborative books. Read more>>

Jessica Holman

I have always had a love for fitness and overall wellness. After serving six years in the Air Force and deploying to both Baghdad Iraq and Ali Al Salem Kuwait, it was even more important to keep up with my fitness as it has helped immensely in dealing with my struggles with PTSD over the years. Upon getting out of the Air Force, I continued my education at the University of Missouri in Animal Sciences. Read more>>

Laura Blum

90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents who know little about hearing loss or American sign language (ASL). The first few years of a person’s life (0-3 years old) is a critical period in cognitive development when the brain is making over 700 synapsis connections a second! Mapping the brain for important life skills like language. These parents struggle to provide a language rich environment for their deaf/hard of hearing children during this most important time of development. Read more>>

Libby Davis

It was 2018 and I had just returned back from serving for three years in Madagascar with the Peace Corps on an agriculture assignment. During my time, I worked on a diversity of projects, all directly involved with training farmers on improved planting techniques and developing small animal husbandry initiatives for income generation and increased food security. When I returned home to the state of Maine, I had no idea what to do in the aftermath of such a life-altering experience. Read more>>

Sydney Gardner

I had been working in the event industry for just about five years at the time. I had done floral, furniture staging, incentive travel operations, etc. I even worked in Alaska with a cruise line for a time. I just loved to learn I think I would take up just about any opportunity to learn a new skill or gain some fun knowledge that I could potentially use or share with others. Read more>>

Achol Bab

The start of @darkp0wer_, dates back to college days, Darkp0wer stands for proper media representation of dark-skin black women free of stereotypes. Growing up watching t.v and not seeing people who look like me represented, I assumed it was a norm. The older I got the more I realized that this should not be normalized and that dark skin women deserve proper representation. Read more>>

Johanna Desrosiers

Growing up with majority men in my family being a tomboy came natural to me, even in the way I dressed. I would go through my brothers closet alot or shop in the men section. One day I decided to make a brand for the girls who can do both. For the girls who can dress up a heel and still rock some dope kicks. I created this brand for the girls like me who was tired of having to go to wear the men shop to get a oversized tshirt, to break the society’s image of girls only wearing tight bodycon dresses as fashion. JAENJOE is the candy land for stylish tomboys. Read more>>

Brittany Walker

I started Creations By Brittany formally known as “Custom Creations By Brittany” in 2017, not to soon after I had my daughter. The back story behind it is something I hope with inspire others to step out on faith and follow their dreams. I was working at a company at the time of my pregnancy when my doctor explained that the kind of work I was doing was no longer healthy for me and my unborn child. Read more>>

Rasheeda Derricoatte

I always enjoyed watching YouTube growing up. I’ve always been into all things beauty, as well as fashion, and life so. So with me already having passion for YouTube and just the influencer lifestyle in general I knew it was something that was meant for me. I love everything about it. Read more>>

Sean King

My first experience with leather working was in January of 2020. I was out with my girlfriend at a crafts store and saw a Tandy Leather wallet kit. It was pre cut pieces of leather and all I needed to do was stitch it all together. I got it home and started piecing it all together and after some trial and error got the technique down. I showed the wallet to my dad, who immediately asked for one. Read more>>

Tracie Person

Grief Life Coaching started for me during my healing process. I am a mother of a child that has comitted suicide. It was important for me to be strong, while still being a parent to help my children and others heal. Dealing with death and depression has become my passion and purpose for becoming a Life Coach. My Grief Coaching strategy is designed to help Mothers and families suffering from the loss of a child or sibling. Read more>>

Amy Shell Jacquilynn Proctor

I (Amy) first came up with the idea for Bewitching Beauty Events while I was in cosmetology school. I had attended a big music festival just before starting school, and it hit me like a ton of bricks that there should have been hair booths set up. Everyone at a music festival is camping, dancing, and sweating. A vendor offering braids fits right in. When you’re at an event like that, the consumer is already going to be spending lots of cash on food, merchandise, and art. Read more>>

Tara Grey

I was living in NYC and working about 70 hours a week in fine dining. I was really struggling to find joy in my life, and decided that I needed some type of an outlet. I tried painting, and quickly realized that was not my calling. Then I remembered canning as a little kid with my grandma, and I also remembered making grape jelly as a group in fourth grade. So, I decided that I was going to make a batch of jam. Read more>>

Marcus Crawford

I started my food truck business out as a franchisee of a soup company. After running that operation for a couple of years, I noticed myself and my team would need to pivot. At that point, I began paying attention to other food trucks in the NJ market. Just seeing who was winning vs who was barley getting by. In doing so, I noticed certain cuisines typically had a longer life as a food truck vs others. Read more>>

Rob Bathe

Before launching Folly Coffee, I was a sales rep for Boston Beer Co (Sam Adams, Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea, Truly). While working for them, I got really into craft beer and the Cicerone Certification program. It’s like the beer version of a wine sommelier. For the advanced certification, cooking and flavor in general is a big component of the exam and this is where my fascination with all things flavor began. Read more>>

Brandon Stover

Plato University was born out from realizing my own pain was happening at scale. Being a poor kid from the trailer park living in a broken home, I know the power of education to transform ones life. But after chasing education’s promise of a golden ticket, I graduated with an architecture degree in a career I was not passionate about or felt would make a real difference in the world. Read more>>

Lindsey Jacobson

Since I can remember I’ve been drawn to authenticity and creativity. Everything I do must be a representation of who I am, and therefore everything must be incredibly unique. When I shop or get ready for the day I don’t have something specific in mind, I let styles call to me and how I feel that specific day. I’ve been wearing my own original creations since my school days and have always been told “you should sell that!” Read more>>

Maegan McWade

I’m Maegan McWade, a queer-identifying woman who owns Shoppe and Tailor Studios, located at College & Ossington in Toronto, ON. I have a degree in fashion design from Toronto Metropolitan University and have been a small business owner for the past 8 years. Shoppe and Tailor Studios is the pandemic pivot reimagining of my former business, Shoppe and Tailor Ltd, which I started in fall 2014. I offered high-end Bespoke tailoring, Bridal tailoring, repairs and alterations services. Read more>>

Laura Treas

After building the manufacturing department for a local garment company and running it for 5 years, I was let go with the rest of the staff when the son took over the business. After my initial panic, my first thought was “I love doing this! I want to keep cutting big layers of fabric with a giant saw and finishing several hundred garments a day with a team of stitchers. I’m going to start my own small batch manufacturing business!” Read more>>

Sharon Kevil

When my daughter was three, I realized nothing in our home was hidden, despite my husband’s and my best efforts. I left her coloring in the kitchen while I quickly changed the laundry. When I came back, she was standing on top of a barstool she had silently pushed up to the counter, eating handfuls of candy we kept on the top shelf. That’s when it hit me—she sees everything. And if those candies had been infused, we would’ve had an even scarier situation on our hands. Read more>>

Precious Russell

I’ve been in the makeup industry for over 16 years. I’ve worked with a lot of high end brands & wasn’t happy with a lot of the products that they had to offer. A lot of the products had chemicals & fragrances that irritate the skin & eyes. Most of these products price points were high even though they contained low grade products. Read more>>

Ariel Evans

This idea for my mobile bar business came about in 2020, after visiting a local area in Charlotte called Camp North End. I came across a camper turned mobile bar and I absolutely fell in love with the concept. From there I went to Pinterest and instagram to find a mobile cart idea that I loved. Mobile bars are just becoming popular in the Carolinas. Read more>>

Kayla Read

At the time I was a brand new mom of three who found herself consumed in her kids and I didn’t know who I was beyond a mom. Staying home with this was a dream I had fulfilled but it also left me feeling like I needed to learn more about myself or at least give myself time to just be “Kayla”. I began looking for hobbies and or talents that I had and enjoyed. Read more>>

Kisha Prince

Keep Pressin’ Pretty was birthed out of pain and suffering. It was the three words I used to encourage myself while going through the most difficult time of my life. I lost my family to divorce, and lost my mind to the pain. During that tumultuous part of my journey I felt ugly and stuck. When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t like the person that I saw and I felt hopeless and alone. I was imprisoned by my horrible thoughts and the devastation of my situation. I couldn’t see the light at the end of the dark tunnel, but God did. Read more>>

Audrey/Christen Herrera/Griffis

Christen: “Audrey and I have been doing wedding hair and makeup together for over a decade now and last year my husband challenged us to put a name to it and start our own business. I think if two people can work cohesively over a long period of time and be successful, it’s worth teaming up and making it official. Read more>>

Peter Tuvnes

I think it all began when I met an artist and we started dating. We were together for 5 years and I really enjoyed her art, her talents and by meeting her, it helped to open up my creativity as well. Not only a fine artist, she also did web design for a client here and there. Because of that, I got into buying domains and trying to sell them on auction, most of them went nowhere, but it was a way to keep my mind occupied sometimes while at my full time job as a Journeyman Steamfitter. Read more>>

Christopher Bent

I’ve always been entrepreneurial, and have always loved taking ideas, making them real and sharing them with the world. But it wasn’t until the age of 26 when I got my first corporate job that I realized this was also keeping me alive. Shortly after leaving the world of entrepreneurship for a stable, bi-weekly salary, benefits and a cappuccino machine did I not only realize that a corporate sales role was not a good fit for me… Read more>>

Tara Scheller

I always wanted to try stand up paddle boarding (SUP), and especially SUP yoga, but was filled with excuses… “I’m not cool enough, strong enough, brave enough, young enough, fit enough” … you get the idea. Then it happened. Summer of 2017, I was on a small beach with my family where they had SUP rentals. The employee on the beach told us to give it a try. Read more>>

Marian Saunders White

My formal educational and training is in Information Systems Management which I consider a mix between computers and business. I was very fortunate in one of my previous jobs that my employer at the time really believed in moving people around to different jobs, functions, and responsibilities if they showed interest and potential. With them I worked in IT, Project Management and even got my start in Human Resources at their urging working as Technical Recruiter. Read more>>

Mary Gallagher

After 22 years of being a stay at home mom to my three kids, I decided to open my own business, TAG & CO. Boutique LLC. I quickly realized that re-entering the workforce after being away for such a long time would be challenging. I struggled with the idea of going back to my previous career in social services or following my dream of opening my own Boutique. I have always loved fashion, shopping, and putting outfits together. Read more>>

La Mubi Miami

We are two brothers (Adan & Christian) that have been in the nightlife industry for more than 10 years, started as promoters for a short amount of time and learned how to operate nightclubs… we partnered up with clubs and impulse sales, managed staff from door, music djs, promoters and clients and found a way to do this in a variety of venues on different nights, weekly and creating a unique experience for people to enjoy. Read more>>

Andrayah Ponce

I choose to cater to the curly and coily haired communities because I understand the struggle of finding a stylist that could provide the care my curly crown required. My goal is to be that stylist for any man or woman ready to enhance and embrace their curly and coily crowns. Read more>>

Serena Franchini

My Business The Healing Fawn, was created from the name to the specific coaching I do based on my own personal journey of healing and awakening. So many people go through life with unresolved issues from their childhood, teen years, young adulthood. These unresolved issues create coping mechanisms, defense strategies and dysregulaed nervous systems. Read more>>

Ann Nguyen-Chung

Hello, my name is Dr. Ann. I am a plant-based Dentist, and I have a passion to contribute towards overall health and wellness to others. I started an eco-friendly, vegan dental and body care company, called Happi Hippo Plant Organics. Read more>>

Veronica Alvidrez

It was fall of 2020 when my girlfriends and I connected over a business idea in my living room. By then the pandemic had taken its toll on each of us, overloading us with new responsibilities and roles, like suddenly playing teacher to our second-grader and an at-home care nurse the very next day. As much as we love our families and the roles we play in their lives, we collectively knew playing the Jack of All Trades at home was not sustainable; we had reached a new level of unrealistic expectations that we had all tried our best to meet. Read more>>

Mecaylla Daniels

I first began F.I.T. as a platform for relatable parents to feel their most comfortable selves. As I experienced the many obstacles and celebrations as a mom, I realized there were so many more parents who could relate to the pressures of being “fit” for parenthood. I wanted to change the definition of being fit and put a twist on things. Read more>>

David Halvorson

Our foundation, started in 2020, is called the Windy Willow Foundation. It was started as an arm and extension of the original entity started in 2016. The original entity, Windy Willow Co. is a brand of clothing that began with a kickback program to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Today, the brand supplements the foundation. Read more>>

Arianna Hickman

I’ve had eczema since I was little and always struggled finding products that worked best for me. When you have a skin condition and/or sensitive skin, it’s really hard finding products that will work for your skin type, work longer than one month or wouldn’t break you out. Back in 2020, I decided that since I couldn’t find products that worked I would just make them on my own. Read more>>

Jessie Green

Sidekicks Salsa started with a bit of kismet in the Summer of 2014. My best friend Danny Soza and I were asked to compete in a local chef “Salsa SMackdown” competition for a farmers market. At this point, we had both worked many years in the food service industry: I was front of the house management for 3 Birds, Lakewood and Danny was back of the house Sous Chef for Dante Bocuzzi, Akron. We had never worked together prior, but we were always a cheerleader for each other in our careers. Read more>>

Irene Ekdahl

I began to write in my first journal as a young girl in a San Diego, CA orphanage. The habit of writing helped me release stress and fears as well as plan my future goals and dreams. I had a challenging journey ahead of me to navigate after being rescued from years of sexual abuse by a family member. Out of this sadness, I decided not to settle for the loneliness and depression but pivoted and learned the transformative power of journaling. Read more>>

Alicea Gay

ByBlack was launched at a time when the world was devastated by COVID-19 and our nation was infuriated by political, social and civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd. It felt like the world was beginning to understand and advocate against the disparities and discrimination that Black people, businesses, and our communities have faced in this country for decades. Read more>>