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.

Dr. Clinton Lee

It started with a glass of red wine. A simple wine you might think looking at it, true enough at first glance, but yet complex upon inspection. My wine studies can easily be encapsulated in those opening sentences. Having studied about wines and spirits for over a decade plus and intertwining with further studies on cultural diversity it was extraordinary how each topic was so very different, yet so similar. Read more>>

Dania Alvarado

The idea came to me naturally. I was already collecting houseplants as an enthusiast. I also grew up watching my mom take care of and grow plants. Strangely enough, I never intended to build a business out of it. This was just a form of expressing my passion and love for plants with others during my semesters off of college. Read more>>

Laraina James

I actually started canning and making pickles because my father was coming to visit. So he ordered a canning pot for us to use while he taught me. I was like “dad, I have a big pot here we can use” but he obviously knew that wouldn’t work. He’s a third generation canner and now I’m the the fourth generation! Read more>>

Yeti

When I was looking to create an esports organization I first thought about my experiences in them and what I could change, make better and do better with. Most esports organizations are made by esports players and we wanted to flip the script and change up who it is ran by. I knew this would work because once I want something I don’t stop till I have it, I work hard and put my whole heart into it. At the end of the day that’s what you need when your Read more>>

Malia Gudenkauf

It’s funny because while often in life it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment when things changed – I absolutely can recall the moment when my life trajectory completely altered course. I was standing in the hallway of the business building looking at a flyer on the bulletin board (feels so 2000s of me haha, but it was 2018!). I had seen this flyer before and it was promoting free financial literacy classes offered on campus by this man Mike Finley who went by “the Crazy Man in the Pink Wig”. Read more>>

Afifee Saad

For as long as I can remember, friends and family have always complimented my cooking and baking. Though I never went to school to learn the art of cooking, I learned everything from my mom and grandmother while growing up in Lebanon. Food has always been a sort of love language in our family. We love having people over for dinner parties…the more the merrier! Throughout my adult life, I honed my skills in the kitchen. Read more>>

Yorlene Cintra

When my friends and family members started getting denied due to poor credit, I realized the importance of financial education. I delved deeper into the world of financing and gained knowledge that helped me to assist my loved ones in getting approved again. Read more>>

Chelsea Davis

Starting a local runway production company grew as an idea of my love of fashion shows. With the fast paced drama, art, and creativity of the display of show, shows are my favorite thing. I love supporting local models and businesses while being creative in this space. I am obsessed with the timing and chaos of dressing backstage. Read more>>

Samantha Faries

What started as doing a few hairstyles on friends when I was 16 turned into a salon suite where I get to live my dream every day. I started taking clients as an assistant and then eventually went on the floor at a booth rental salon so I could build my clientele. Once I felt established enough, I knew I wanted to take my business to the next level and create my own luxury experience for clients. Read more>>

Kaily Sivils

Moore Equine Feed & Pet Supply was born in January of 2010. From the conception to what it has become today has far exceeded any expectations that we could have imagined at the time. The business is owned by myself and my mother, with a staff of 11 additional employees currently. When we first began we were almost exclusively equine based. Read more>>

Tyeshia Davis

The genesis of Talley Sweets stems from a profound love for baking and witnessing the joy it brought to my loved ones. Inspired by the happiness that delicious treats infused into special moments, I envisioned extending that joy to a wider audience. Recognizing the transformative power of creatively crafted baked goods, I founded Talley Sweets with the mission of elevating celebrations. Read more>>

Noel Diaz

I remember this day like it was yesterday, I was in my dorm room doing homework with my roommate and I randomly asked him “what do you think of me getting a camera?” He told me to just go for it. I always viewed photography as a hobby but that started to change once I purchased a $70 film camera off eBay not even knowing if it would work. Read more>>

Katherine Anne Koury

Panic Panties started over a late dinner and some good old fashioned complaining. We were three on-the-go friends living and working in New York City, sharing honest conversations about all of the times that we were at the gym, on a date, on our period, on a trip, and suddenly needed a new pair of panties with nowhere convenient to get them. Sure, our local drug stores carried the Hanes or Fruit of the Loom granny panties, but honestly we’d rather go commando. Read more>>

Cierra Lewis

The beginning was 2020; we were about 6 months in of being home due to the pandemic. For enjoyment I would sit and watch DIY projects and I was searching for things that would keep me occupied. I came across aa video about ways saver some t shirts. I thought this would be different because I had saved so I decided to give it a try. I gathered my old college shirts, high schools and started to cut. Read more>>

Liz Appulese

As someone who struggled with acne for nearly 10 years, I decided to take matters into my own hands finally and begin creating my own herbal elixirs to combat the issues that modern medicine and topical treatments prescribed by a doctor were never able to heal. In November of 2019, I began doing extensive research on herbal remedies for acne and formulating cosmetics to prepare for making my own elixir that would be effective and safe for my skin. Read more>>

Cesar Carlos Jr

C & C TURF was established approximately 5 years ago – The idea to establish a synthetic grass/artificial turf installation company started with my father; Cesar Carlos Sr. It’s thanks to him I was able to take his vision and in turn create C & C TURF. Read more>>

Dana Hanley

In 2019, my son was born, and that was when I picked up my first real camera. I was encouraged by a friend to start documenting my baby’s life, and so that’s what I did. I would dress my son up in cute clothes and lay him on a blanket and snap pictures of him. As he hit more exciting milestones, crawling, walking, etc. Read more>>

Mike Obedoza

The Filipino tacos idea came after a trip to the Philippines. I was born and raised in Carson, a city south of LA, and my dad took me across the pacific after I completed culinary school to learn about the motherland. Filipino culture has a word for food to have with beer, Pulutan (pah-luh-tan), and since we were there on vacation, the local brew, San Miguel was flowing daily. Read more>>

Kate Macdonald

There were a couple of pivotal moments that led to the creation of Váhy. Early on in Kate’s career as a corporate lawyer, she was providing a client labelling advice and discovered that perfumes did not need to disclose their ingredients in most jurisdictions. That then set her on a wormhole of investigation as to why this was, and what was actually in commercial perfumes. Read more>>

Trevor Kelliher

Being an individual with a disability, I know how hard it is to meet new people and have an active social life. After I graduated high school, I felt this hardship even more. While all of my friends from high school were off to pursue the next journey in their lives, I felt very isolated and alone. Read more>>

Michael Mars

Our journey starts on the illustrious Benedict College campus back in 2017. I would take my peers , mostly international students to the surrounding areas. One day I found myself having around $250 dollars in my bank account, well we all know in college that’s like having two thousand. Read more>>

AJ Schmidt

One of my good friends in Los Angeles, Arman Tirmizi, always has done extremely well in solar sales. I actually worked under him in 2021 during the pandemic and did extremely well. I was going back and forth, and then finally came back in as a partner in early 2023 with a plan to go big. Read more>>

Maria Pellicano

I came up with my business idea as an extension of teaching singing. I wanted to expand my work beyond just teaching singing and discover what I was doing on a higher level. I realised it was all about creating confidence in people and bringing out their presence. I was visualising – How do you bring this to people who may not want to sing or have no desire to sing? Read more>>

Hijrah Hamid

The idea for Black Thumb Sanctuary (BTS) was born out of a combination of personal experience, a growing awareness of a common problem, and a desire to make a positive impact. Read more>>

Torina Yamada

The idea for Balanced Dog Grooming started while co-founder Torina Yamada was searching for a new apartment, during the pandemic. After a divorce and a vision from God, Torina and with her business partner Anndrea Gutierrez decided to approach luxury apartment complexes about their pet amenities. Although many residences billed themselves as pet friendly, there were very few actual pet luxuries for residents. Read more>>

Chaselyn Mason

Ive always wanted to be a hairstylist to be honest my dream has always been to be a boss, owner and entrepreneur so it was already planted in my head. It took me time to really figure out what and how I was gonna make it happen. Being a entrepreneur isn’t easy you loose a lot before you start gaining and you also start doubting yourself more than you would like. Read more>>

Bernard Allen

The reason I started making music is because it is a form of me expressing my emotions. What makes me unique is everything I write about is absolutely true. Read more>>

Ciera’ Harris

I started my business Black Girl Thriving in August 2018 because I wanted to inspire women to keep going no matter what. I wanted to share my lupus journey with them and show them that just because I have a chronic illness doesn’t mean I have to give up on my dreams. Initially it was just an IG page and a website. Read more>>

Drew Smith

I’d started gardening about 5 years ago and realized I had an abundance of peppers and no use for them. I looked up some basic hot sauce recipes and started making my own sauce and bottling it. I was, at the time, passing these bottles off to friends and eventually they would throw me a couple bucks for it. Read more>>

Telise Rodelv

Growing up in northern Norway Mid Century Modern was a way of living, not just a design concept. Being surrounded by towering mountains, endless seas, simple shapes and colors have influenced my art from an early age even after living in the US for most of my adult life. Abstract art captured my heart after studying at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA. Read more>>

Nina Butterly

I am someone who loves to express my humor through my clothes. I want peoples first impression of me to be positive. I mean, if you see a small white girl who looked like OshKosh B’gosh threw up on her, you’re more likely to have your guard down right? So naturally I wear a lot of these silly clothing items out and about. Read more>>

Clivate Maiba

when I worked as a clinician I could see my patients suffering from prolonged illnesses and succumbing to preventable deaths, this wasn’t because I was incompetent but because my facility faced challenges in receiving life-saving medical commodities due to poor logistics systems. also when I prescribed medications, patients would come back weeks later with a worsened condition because they couldn’t find the needed medication at the nearby pharmacy. Read more>>

Ryan & Jennifer Eaton

The summer of 2016 was spent in a tank of a minivan, chasing as many national park sites as we could for the NPS Centennial. We followed some friends to Polebridge, MT, a speck of a town on a dirt road leading to the little known northwest entrance to Glacier NP. Before our first night was over, we had secured jobs at the saloon for the rest of the summer season. Read more>>

Judy Abad

In Christmas of 2021, I was gifted a DIY (Do it yourself) charcuterie board set. At first, I had no idea what to do with it but I decided to do some research and see what I could come up with. I discovered “The Charcuterie Queen” who is based out of New York. After that, I found more and more “Charcuterist” who have made a living out of creating amazing cheese boards and tables. Read more>>

John Alexander Garcia

With over 12 years as a professional DJ, entrepreneur, and public figure in Atlanta, John Alexander Garcia is also known as “Bravo Jay” – and has been an avid music enthusiast since high school, which led me to achieve countless accomplishments in my career and life. Read more>>

Amanda Sanchez

The origins of Olla begin on a dusty trail in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Several years ago, my uncle passed away before he had the opportunity to fulfill his dream of completing the infamous John Muir Trail in the Sierra Nevadas. My mom, Christine, longed to honor his wish and asked me if I wanted to join her on the trail and scatter her brother’s ashes. Read more>>

Keishiiah Hall

I came up with the idea of starting my own business way before I even thought about doing lashes. I got my first job when I was 15 and even though I worked I always had some type of hustle. In Middle school I made hair bows out of chip bags and skittle wrappers. Then in high school I picked up doing hair and I also had a mini dessert shop and it was great! Read more>>

Katherine Loflin

More than 15 years ago, I established a global consultancy focused on studying the intricate relationship between individuals and the cities they reside in. This involved exploring the factors that create a sense of belonging and attachment, and how these connections influence both local economic development and personal well-being. Through this work, I became known as The City Doctor. Read more>>

Angela Ross

This idea was given to me in a dream. I was pregnant in real life. However In my dream I was dreaming of a pregnancy test with a baby In the middle of the results window. I immediately shared my dream with my sister. Just like that she caught the vision and said why don’t we turn the test into the shape of a women. Read more>>

Pablo Valqui

As a fine food buyer I was very close to a movement that started in Texas probably a little earlier than my arrival in 2005, but grew very quickly after that, the foodie movement. I noticed the customers interest shifting from getting the specialty products in Texas, to actually going out to the places where these products were made. Read more>>

Lauren & Christin Nadel & Neal

The internet provides access to showing how many people in this world create. Their origins and current location only add to the style in which they produce. We had the urge to shine light on this phenomenon with a mission to assist creators on their journey. That’s how MAFF was born. Read more>>

Katerina Summers

I have worked for other companies in the Wellness business for over 17 years, from being a Spa Therapist at a 5 star hotels to Regional Training Manager, opening new spas and educating Spa therapists, to Assisting on opening a new spa at the Four Seasons Hotel. When I moved to the States, it wasn’t easy to find a job, you would wonder why?! Read more>>

Carsten & Leigh Vollrath

When we got married some things didn’t go according to plan. Or, should we say our experience was not as expected. We had decided on an all inclusive destination wedding option. Our package as it was presented to us included professional photography. Professional photographs of our once in a lifetime wedding day was definitely not what we received. Read more>>

Nelson Bolton

For a While now we been contemplating of taking the plunge and open some sort a business for our selves. Unfortunately Covid came along, then the uncertainty, and the risk of opening a business and doing such a huge investment after COVID was nerve racking and very scary. Read more>>

Marie Dufort

Every since I was child, I’ve always loved flowers and how they make me feel incredibly calm & in wonder. When I was about 6 or 7 years old, my dad took me with him to a florist to pick out flowers for my mom- I was so excited about being in the space I asked the woman for supplies to wrap my own flowers! . Throughout the years I’ve been messing around with flowers for fun but I didn’t decide to make the plunge until this year. Read more>>

ALLY ZWONOK

My Co-Host Melania and I are two inseparable best friends, who embarked on an incredible journey that forever altered our lives when we embraced motherhood. As we welcomed their our ones into the world we quickly realized that conventional parenting methods didn’t resonate with our inner instincts. Read more>>

Linda Wade

I joined a prison ministry team in 1995 as a dancer and went to the Texas women’s prison where I danced on Deathrow, general population, and protective custody. There, I would ask the ladies how they ended up here, not about what they did but how they ended up in prison and most of them shared about what happened to them as a child or making wrong decisions as young adults. Read more>>

Stephanie Mays

The idea for my business was birthed out of the frustrations I experienced in my journey as a website designer / developer. When I graduated from college, I was determined to utilize my skillset to work for myself. I started as a freelancer taking on small web design projects for friends and family to build up my confidence to go after bigger jobs. Read more>>

Jennifer Nguyen

Like many, I too lost my job during COVID-19 and my husband, Sebastian, luckily was still employed; however, he went from working a full-time job to working 1-2 days a week depending on business needs. That early summer I remember I was starting to panic since our funds in the bank were low and we still had bills to pay while caring for our daughter. If we didn’t think of a solution soon, we would need to dip into our retirement savings. I needed to quickly find ways to support my family during this time of need. Read more>>

Shaina Kay

SK Design Studio is an innovative hospitality design firm that has standardized an efficient design process which maximizes project schedules and mindful to project budgets. We are unique in the industry by being an urban, millennial, minority, women-own business. We study commercial real-estate development programs or PIP’s and deliver curated experiences, and authentic designs by a culturally diverse design team. Read more>>

Lex Carter

Becoming a wardrobe consultant is a job that actually found me. Being an athlete growing up and then playing at the collegiate level, I typically wore the team issued gear which consisted of sweatpants or uniforms majority of the time. When I graduated and was able to afford the pieces I wanted, I began to dress myself in looks that I felt most confident and it showed. Read more>>

Sanda Lungu

I conceived the idea of opening my own studio when I began teaching ballet at the age of 19, followed by ballroom. Initially, it remained a distant dream, with no clear path to realization. I poured my heart into both my professional dancing and my role as a dance instructor for other studios, never truly seeing the opportunity to launch my own venture. Read more>>

Anna Gold

As a podcast hostess, I wanted to interview people in show business and have fun with it. As an actress, I love to take roles that bring others joy or leave them with some great meaning. Read more>>

Brittany Williams

Brittany had always been passionate about two things in life: food and helping people reach their full potential. I was a talented cook , known among her friends and family for her culinary creations that delighted their taste buds. Additionally, I was a certified life coach and had a deep desire to empower individuals to lead more fulfilling and purpose-driven lives. Read more>>

Dan and Kaylee Cahill Mathews

Minnesota’s North Shore is a rugged landscape that holds tremendous beauty and proud communities. From the Ojibwe and Anishinaabe bands who first built a life centered around Gichigamiing – or “the great water” – to the Finnish, Swedish, and Norwegian settlers who homesteaded just inland from the shores of Lake Superior, this place has always provided a home for those willing to work hard enough. When we joined this community a few years back, we became enamored with the culture of Sisu, or the Finnish word for “grit” a.k.a. “gettin’ shit done.” Read more>>

Bryce Fluellen

For the past few decades, my journey has taken me through the many worlds of food and health, striving to bridge the gap of inequality in under-resourced Black and Brown communities across the country. The consistent hurdles I encountered were not just physical but also systemic, with issues such as unequal access to capital, limited networks, and lack of knowledge standing as towering barriers to their sustainable development. Read more>>

Jason Harris

Since 2005 I’ve been a music producer. Around 2011 I took a risk that left me homeless. Kicker is I was homeless down the street from the Orlando Magic, Full Sail University, and a professional recording studio at the time. I COULDN’T SEE MY BLESSING! After returning to Little Rock, Arkansas to rebuild the plan executing in a different way. Read more>>

Hallie Peilet Young

It was a dark and challenging period in my life, the year 2020. As an evening news anchor and reporter, I found myself trapped in a never-ending cycle of reporting on the relentless stream of negativity that the COVID-19 pandemic brought into our lives. Day in and day out, I was responsible for delivering stories of despair, tragedy, and uncertainty. Read more>>

Shakira and Robert James

Our journey began with a truly unique inspiration. During my college days, I embarked on a life-changing adventure studying abroad in Senegal, West Africa, all while pursuing a pre-med track. One particular day, we ventured to a natural medical hospital in a small town, and the experience was nothing short of transformative. The sight of countless glass jars filled with herbs and the captivating stories from the herbalists working there left a lasting impression. Read more>>

Leah Goldman

Fika Coaching was conceived not in a moment of inspiration, but through a crucible of personal challenge. My story begins with a childhood passion for horses, a joy that was more than a pastime—it was a calling. I was the quintessential “barn rat,” immersed in the equine world, learning the profound lessons of responsibility and companionship that only these majestic animals can teach. Read more>>

Annette Whittenberger

I retired from the Army on November 1, 2016, and experienced a profound sense of loss. The absence of the uniform, the title, the rank, and the camaraderie left me grieving in a way I had never felt before. Unable to process this grief on my own, I turned to social media, seeking solace and understanding from others who had navigated a similar journey. Read more>>

Dick Lazer

Dick Lazers was founded by a couple of regular guys who think d*cks are funny. We love d*cks… and lasers. Back in the day, all the funny kids aimed laser pointers at their teachers and other kids. They also drew d*cks everywhere and figured out ways to put d*cks on other kids. Genius. We were those funny kids. And we figured out a way to marry the laser pointer and the d*ck. Thus, the Dick Lazer was born! Read more>>

Beatriz De los Mozos

To provide a classic and comfortable but fun footwear that elevates and complements the wardrobe of the modern woman, that makes her feel better, more comfortable, more herself. To elevate, transmit and represent the made in Spain as a way of life and no longer an amalgam of brands, that the brand Spain becomes increasingly known in the world as a quality product, handcrafted, but designed and elaborated. Read more>>

Brad Adcock

People utilize all kinds of solutions in an attempt to get better grips on their guns such as rubber sleeves and skateboard tape type material. After realizing these were all failing solutions, I started seeing others doing something called stippling on their guns. Stippling is using a wood burning type hot iron tool to melt a texture into the polymer grips of the guns for a very effective, permanent grip solution. Read more>>

Kofi Boateng Ibsen

The birth of BLKSTARUNTD is a profound story deeply rooted in personal history, cultural rediscovery, and a passionate desire to bridge divides and create positive change. It all began in 2016, a pivotal year that would shape the trajectory of my life and lead me to embark on this incredible journey. Read more>>

Lacey Bridges

The idea sprang from a desire to create a happier working environment. I once had someone tell me that you can’t reach the top without playing dirty, and that really struck a chord with me. I aspired to navigate toward a place where creativity could thrive, and we could form a true team. I’m extremely passionate about surrounding myself with a positive atmosphere that can spread its influence. Read more>>

Chrystina MCGRIFF

I started for my love of making others feel good through my food. Read more>>

Edith Torkiya

Who would have ever imagined that a birthday gift request from a ten year old would result in a creative idea for a successful business? I have my niece Macy Taylor to thank for requesting a bath bomb as a gift in August of 2016, which led to the development of Sassy Bubbles, a factory of love that hand makes deliciously smelling and adorable bath bombs. As a single mom of two amazing young kids, I was struggling to make ends meet. Read more>>

Tiffany Chuang

As a growing and self-learning content creator, I’m forever a student. I have yet to be bored by what’s new and accessible in the social media realm. I also find fulfillment in expressing myself through my craft. My vision is constantly developing, and I’m happy to be continuously adapting and studying. I love collaboration projects the most, especially when from ideation to creation, the outcome is consistently even better than I hoped. Read more>>

Leo Ojwang

Videos of the small businesses I have featured on my YouTube Channel (Kitchen Mic TV) are always fun to watch. They all – except none – focus on the people and their toils, humanizing endeavors that keep our communities thriving. I’m talking about what inspired my photography/videography business at a time I had no experience in the craft. Read more>>

William Rowland

I attended an event at the local organ club where an organist was playing an accompaniment to an old silent movie. I realized that I had the chops to do that too, so I ordered some videos of movies and started in. Read more>>

Clementina Busayo

The vivid memory in my head as I write this is of the young man to whom my Pastor had handed the microphone that Sunday morning. He said a lot of things. However, what I remember was, „God wants to bless you. What is in your hands?‟ I couldn’t get those words out of my mind. My mind travelled between when I was a sales representative for a consumer goods company. Read more>>

Tsitsi Hungwe

At the height of career as Dentist during the pandemic I was lost, confused and seeking a new direction. I began to search for other avenues of support for networking and mentoring this led me to eventually meeting my amazing influential mentors Cedrick LaFleur, Dr. Nicole Rankine and Angela Hooper-Menifield. I started my business and learned how to lay a solid foundation for it through their program at the time, The Black Entrepreneur Institute Bootcamp and Higher Mountaintops was birthed. Read more>>

Tyler Christman

Back around 2011 my dad was diagnosed with lymphoma and quit his job in the corporate world. He then decided to build a man cave in his garage. To do so he took down a small barn in our area and built his man cave. After that, people would call and say my relative has a barn they’d like to be salvaged would you be interested? Read more>>

Darise May

Hello, my name is Darise May I am currently the owner of a new restaurant called D’s Barbecue in toledo Ohio point place I started as a food truck in 2021 with a dream to provide a great BBQ experience to the locals with my unorthodox style of cooking BBQ. I use to work for a local restaurant that’s no longer in business named Don Pablo’s and this is where I fell in love with tex-mex Barbecue. Read more>>

Dr. Raymont Burke

As an Engineering Teacher, the cost associated with providing cutting edge high cost experiences and curriculum to the children I served hinged on financial support from the principal of the school and the school district. Engineering is a high-end field with a high operating cost. School district’s don’t have the financial capacity to employ qualified Engineering Professional at their going rate of pay. I experienced through the years, a lack of understanding of this concept. Read more>>

Shanette Graham

I started The Shrimp Lady as a result of a lifelong love for food. I enjoy seafood thoroughly, but realised that shrimp definitely was my favourite. My mother (may her soul rest in peace) would oftentimes tell me that while pregnant with me, she craved and enjoyed seafood the most, so here I am. Read more>>

Endy Zhou

I got the idea for our business during the early days of the pandemic, a time of a lot of uncertainty. With news of the pandemic’s possible impact, I saw a chance to deal with problems related to remote work and clean energy. Read more>>

Ernst Louis-Jacques

When I began producing around 2016 I struggled with figuring out the business side of things. Producing is so much more than simply making beats and sending them to artists. In fact this is only a small part of the process. There is so much more that happens after the artist recieves the beat and records on it. Read more>>

Molly Mayville

For many years, I was an assistant to a very creative and entrepreneurial CEO. I did everything from caring for beloved pets, to event planning, to commercial property & airbnb management. The job required broad flexibility and absolute discretion, and my favorite tasks were always the ones where, either at the office or at a residence, I had to make sense out of a mess. Read more>>

Yolanda and Lola

We created Pawlicious Cookies back in September 2021. We are a fresh, non-preservative, no added chemicals or artificial flavoring dog treat business located in Dallas, Texas. Unlike the treats found at local pet stores that have been or can be sitting on the shelf 2 plus years, our treats contain no preservatives, so they are the healthiest option for your fur baby with a one month refrigeration life shelf. Read more>>

Herbert Valenzuela

The inspiration behind the non-profit organization originated from my personal growth during circumstances around my childhood. Lack of friends, bullied while struggling academically and socially. The rise of social anxiety peaked once I finished high school. Originally I had no interest in going to college due to depression about my sense of worth, and anxiety. Read more>>

Herman Hill

I wanted to create an outlet for local artists & businesses,to promote their work/product, so I came up with tri city media . It from there to what it is today. Read more>>

Jessica Lewis

I always like to talk about how Play Play started because it was an idea with multiple influences – my career, and my mom to name a few. The idea was to gift my community with a different type of experience that focused on building community and making friends. I met so many people who talked about how hard it is to find community and true friends. Read more>>

Natalie Welborn

I started papercutting back in 2008. I was doing it off and on as a hobby. I got really good at it. People started to tell me I should do something with what I was doing. I tossed the idea around but I was so busy with everything else I just kept doing it as a hobby. Then several big life events happened. Read more>>

Matthew Boyd

I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures but it was more just for my own enjoyment. I never really put much time into it other than if I happen to come across a scene that looks like it would make for a great picture. A few years ago, I started flying toy drones and got pretty good at it but the camera on the drone wasn’t all that great. Read more>>