One of the challenges we’ve seen to true equality of opportunity is that schools and books often can’t (or choose not) offer access to one of the most equalizing resources – first hand stories of how successful entrepreneurs made their ideas a reality. If you grew up in a family or community that had many successful entrepreneurs you may have been lucky to hear many conversations and stories about starting and executing on an idea, but there are millions of people across the country who haven’t had the same advantage and so our hope here is to create a space where those stories can be told in a more public forum for the benefit of any and every aspiring entrepreneur.

Rick Rose

Each decision we make in our lives leads us to this moment. I came to LA in 1999 to be Superman; I literally had the goal to play Superman and I took an opportunity with a job in television production to get to LA. Once I was here, I did anything I could to build a career in film and television, with that end goal of getting the chance to audition for the Man of Steel. Read more>>

Myles Johnson

I was 13 when I got my first taste of entrepreneurship—selling cookies in the Atlanta airport with my Dad. That experience stuck with me. The feeling of making something, offering it to people, and seeing them light up—it was powerful. But fast forward a few years, the idea that really sparked things came when I was just trying to survive and make a little money in high school. I started customizing clothes for myself, and people around me started asking where I got my stuff from. That’s when Styles By Myles was born. Read more>>

Omoniola Paye Bridgette Manful

Not a pitch meeting. Not a vision board session. Just two women—both navigating their own entrepreneurial journeys—sitting across from each other in the middle of Detty December 2023, catching up over a casual meal. Bridgette brought up the idea of a workshop to empower women in business, and I was immediately intrigued because God has given me a similar vision with my organization Fearfully Made Queens. The conversation flowed like we had been planning this for years. At the time, I didn’t know that a simple catch-up and one time partnership would be the divine spark for what would become She Builds. Read more>>

Gina Ortiz

The idea of starting a small business came from countless thoughts and motivation from family and friends throughout the years. Toward the end of 2023, I decided to make my hobby and dream a reality. I started to research how to start a home-based business by watching video content on how to start a home-based business, the legalities of owning a home-based bakery business, and baking videos. Read more>>

Jordan Coleman

When I started A Seat At The Table Inc., it wasn’t a business, it was a gathering. A sacred space I created to connect women who, like me, were navigating the challenges of corporate spaces where they often felt unseen, unheard, and undervalued. At the time, I had no grand plan, no business model, and certainly no vision of the organization it would eventually become. I simply knew that something was missing, and I wanted to fill that gap with community. Read more>>

DR. Hildra

The idea began during a contract I accepted as a researcher for a university, where I was part of a fully funded research project focused on retention rates for students in online programs. As I dug deeper into the data, I uncovered a social gap—currently enrolled students in online programs had virtually no access to traditional sorority and fraternity experiences. That realization lit the first spark. I began to think about the positive impact Greek life has on student engagement, support systems, and a sense of belonging. It became clear to me that offering similar opportunities in an online format could not only enrich student life but also contribute to improved retention rates among virtual learners. Read more>>

Dr. Marie Y. Lemelle, MBA, PhD

I started Platinum Star Public Relations, Inc. in 2000 with one clear intention: to amplify voices that deserved to be heard but were often left out of the conversation. I wasn’t trying to follow trends—I was following purpose. I knew in my heart that representation matters, and I wanted to build something that reflected that belief. The idea didn’t come from a place of comfort—it came from fire, from witnessing time and again how the media overlooked brilliant people doing meaningful work. I wanted to change the narrative and shift power back into the hands of those making a real difference. Read more>>

Cassandre Joseph-Donnelly

At STREB, the creative process begins with Elizabeth Streb’s visionary concepts—what she calls “action architecture.” She imagines the impossible: defying gravity, rethinking the laws of motion, and challenging the body’s limits. My role as “action engineer” is to translate that radical vision into reality. I take the big, bold idea and reverse-engineer how we can actually do it—safely, powerfully, and with integrity. It’s a deeply collaborative relationship built on trust, experimentation, and shared risk. Together, we ask: What if? And then I figure out: How? That’s how our partnership pushes boundaries and creates work that’s not just visually arresting, but also viscerally felt by audiences. It’s the interplay between Elizabeth’s conceptual daring and my technical precision that makes the work live in real time, with real stakes. Read more>>

Laura Woolridge

When you’re staring middle age in the face and have done all the things *except* your childhood dream, that is a sign to go back to the School of Hard Knocks and get it made. (All my 20-somethings out there; do the thing. Folks like me who have been putting it off until the “right time”; do it now.) Read more>>

Aubrey Walton

This is such a genuine, passionate story—your journey gives Peach House such a strong foundation of purpose and heart. I can help you shape it into something that still feels personal but flows more smoothly and reads like a story or a mission-style narrative. Here’s a polished version that preserves your voice while tightening the structure a bit: Read more>>

Tanya Pugh

It didn’t start with a business plan. It started with a vision—one that God showed me in the quiet, in a moment that felt suspended in time. I saw a stage, elevated in the air, with a single spotlight shining down on a microphone. And there I was… beneath it, in the shadows. That image gripped me. God was saying, “I’m giving you a platform—but this isn’t just for you. It’s for the unseen. The unheard. The underrepresented. You are to be the vessel.” Read more>>

Andrea Jones

It really did start with that feeling, that desire to help people experiencing a specific kind of loss. When the person who had been providing that service was no longer able to, it left a void, and I knew I had to do something. So, here’s how it went from that initial idea to actually getting A&D Royal Ink off the ground: Read more>>

Supriya Pandit

I have a graduate degree in Film and TV, but I jumped into Tech soon after graduating. Steady paychecks and a sane work-life balance while raising a young family seemed like the smarter bet. Fast forward 20 years—kids grown; finances stable—I found myself standing at crossroads. To be fair, I loved working in Product and UX—I thrived on problem-solving, design thinking, and building things that mattered. But deep down, the picture wasn’t complete. I wasn’t firing on all engines. Parts of me were either dormant or slowly dying. I had built a successful career that I felt proud of but my love for filmmaking had never fully faded. I kept the spark alive by doing odd film gigs for friends and even teaching a filmmaking class in my kids’ elementary school. Nothing big—just enough to keep the creative embers glowing. Read more>>

Donte Harris

My start came from deciding to trade my hookah stand I ever used for my friends camera. The process I had going from idea to execution in my own words would be when I got signed to alistmediagroup. Well besides my former attempts at finding a career for myself , I decided to join a team instead of doing it all on my own. Since joining the team I met so many beautiful people from my bookings and what not . And the next few years til this day I’m always ready to create art and even collab with people to help their dreams come to reality. Read more>>

Hannah Kiemel

Amusé Event Co. was started from a personal passion and love of events and weddings. The very first wedding we ever planned was for a close friend, who gave us our first opportunity. The business started as a side hustle, which allowed us to start smart and thoughtful. One of our core values is approaching every wedding and couple with intention and detail that truly reflects them. With a side hustle start, there was no rush to scale immediately, so we were able to take our time and build out portfolio of work. As each wedding wrapped, our couples were quick to refer us to their friends and family…and from there we slowly grew. Read more>>