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.

Rhonda Willingham

Making It Count, Inc. didn’t start with success. It started with surrender. I tried three different times to help the homeless on my own. Three times I had the vision. Three times I had the passion. Three times I tried to execute the plan in my own strength. And three times, it didn’t work. Read More>>

Ian Kay

The idea for PickleZapper started around a dinner table conversation with my father and business partner, Neil Kay. Like many entrepreneurs, we weren’t trying to invent something revolutionary, we were trying to solve a simple everyday problem. We noticed that people were constantly battling flies, mosquitoes, and other flying insects with products that either smelled bad, contained chemicals, or simply weren’t very fun to use. Read More>>

Meeg-wun DesJarlait

It actually started with lashes. I originally wanted to become a lash extension technician, but right as I began researching training, Minnesota laws had just changed and you now had to be licensed instead of just certified. That moment completely redirected my path. While researching how to become licensed, I discovered esthetics and it immediately clicked. Read More>>

Kalea Wright

I didn’t set out to start a social media agency. At the time, I was working in probation, and one thing became very clear to me: people hated us. They had a perception of who probation officers were, and it wasn’t a positive one. I convinced my area manager to let me try something different. Read More>>

Kris Mathis

My process for going from idea to execution is very unique. I don’t think I’ve ever shared this publicly before. Ha ha! I have a creative space that I do most of my work in. It’s filled with inspiring art, things that encourage me, and pictures of important people from my life and journey. Read More>>

Stephanie Mazumdar

It brings me a lot of joy to talk about the process of going from idea to execution. Taking a thought from your brain and actually transforming that into a tangible product is pretty unreal. Many people have ideas or concepts but ultimately fail to bring them into reality because it is unknown territory. Where does one even start? Read More>>

Tamra Simmons

For me, the journey from idea to execution wasn’t a straight line. It started with a desire to create opportunities rather than wait for them. I grew up understanding the importance of resilience, resourcefulness, and creating your own path. As my career evolved, I found myself working across multiple industries, including entertainment, marketing, business consulting, and entrepreneurship. Read More>>

Alba & Alberto Diaz

We literally hit ‘launch’ at the end of 2022. The idea to start our photo booth business came a few years earlier but I (Alba) was not interested in it and was working on a separate business I wanted to launch. However summer of 2022 Alberto bought it up again. Read More>>

Kate Toney

The idea of building a photography business was exciting, but also overwhelming because there was so much I didn’t know. What started as photographing my first child led to other families interested in seeing their love through my lens. The first step was simply saying yes to opportunities. Read More>>

Alisha McCulloch

I Fancy Safety started as an idea at the end of January 2022, I was visiting family in Ohio for my Grandmommy’s birthday. Read More>>

Chantelle Phillips

My journey into entrepreneurship and building She Is Worthy didn’t begin with a business plan—it began with a personal transformation. In 2018, I was battling a severe eating disorder after leaving a long term relationship. I had completely lost my sense of worth and identity. At my lowest point, a doctor told me I had only a few months to live if things didn’t change. Read More>>

Zushka Biros

I’ve honestly never been someone who sat down and wrote a formal business plan and then launched a business overnight. For me, it happened much more organically. I’ve been creating art for as long as I can remember. I’ve always been drawn to painting, photography, design, and anything that allows me to tell a story visually. Read More>>

Isabela Naumes

I was still in a teenager when I started to work with the internet, working in geek and pop culture events in my city. I started to create networking and that lead me to my first partner that invested in me. It was really important that my family always supported me and my dreams, I can always count on them. Read More>>

Sexton

Well, it really all started when I was 22 and decided to sell my belongings and backpack across Southeast Asia. During this time I traveled to The Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and Hawaii. I usually traded my labor for food and a place to lie my head, working in places like yoga retreats, fruit farms, hostels, hotels, places like that. Read More>>

Kendra Sharpe

My path to this career was a bit unconventional, but it has always been rooted in fashion. I actually started my career in social media marketing. I’ve always loved making things look beautiful and using storytelling to bring them to life. It combined my passion for writing, photography, branding, and creating an aesthetic. Read More>>

Cece Heath

The idea for Amazing Soldiers came from my own experiences as a caregiver. I was caring for my father, a disabled Marine veteran, while also helping raise my young nephew. At the time, I didn’t know anything about VA benefits, caregiver support, or where to find resources. When I moved from Michigan to Texas, I met other caregivers who were struggling with many of the same challenges. I realized that caregivers were often the backbone of the household, but many felt forgotten and didn’t know where to turn for help. Read More>>

Bobby Bramhall

After a 7-year pro baseball career, I knew that my next profession would continue to be involved with sports in a meaningful way. I have practiced as a sports attorney, sports and NIL law professor (Tennessee), and sports administrator (Texas A&M) over the past 10 years. Read More>>

Yosi Arbib

I didn’t start with some perfect business plan or investor backing. I started by working in the field, learning construction hands-on, and realizing very quickly that there was a major difference between just “building” something and actually caring about the quality, communication, and experience behind it. Read More>>

Tristan Ford

The idea for Chasing Shadows first came to me all the way back in my High School senior year. It was Halloween. I was at a party, sitting next to a small fire pit with a girl that I admittedly was crushing on. She brought up her future; one that seemed very planned out; a career and a house down to the number of rooms, including which kids would share each one. So when she asked me about MY future, I came up with something that felt doable but impressive enough. Read More>>

Samuel Sirmons

The idea of pausing my 15 year career in radio really came about during my intake process joining my fraternity, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Incorporated. The organization is built upon scholarship, leadership, citizenship, fidelity, and brotherhood. And what truly resonated with me was scholarship, understanding what 12 non-traditional students did in the height of the civil rights movement was needed and necessary.  Read More>>

Marcela Brue-Lotz

My journey towards becoming a children’s book author and illustrator began with a passion for computer graphics and animation, combined with my own experiences as a parent and a teacher. Watching my children grow and learn showed me that children absorb so much more when they’re engaged, playing, laughing, and genuinely having fun. That realization inspired me to create books that children would not only read, but truly experience. Read More>>