Going from idea to execution isn’t easy. Part of the difficulty is that often there is no playbook to follow and while we can’t offer a playbook either, we wanted to create a space where aspiring entrepreneurs could read the stories of how some very smart, very thoughtful entrepreneurs form the community got started.
Kyng Rhodes
My journey from full time graphic designer to full time visual artist was sort of abrupt, but beautiful. While working as a graphic designer in the summer of 2020,I felt the urge to participate in protest happening in Indianapolis surrounding racial injustice. I was drained creatively and emotionally from my job which didn’t allow for the creative freedom that id hope for when studying for my degree. Read more>>
Crystal Cotton
The idea to start my own mobile bar company was the only next step for me in the world of bartending. I had always visualized myself owning my own bar, restaurant or something dealing with the bar industry. Bartending had always been a side hustle. Even though I had always held a full time job, I was always bartending on the side.. Read more>>
Blake Patton
I regularly get asked “what is the one biggest piece of advice you would give to potential business owners” which I very promptly answer – just jump. One of the biggest hurdles I ever experienced within my journey started at the very beginning. Read more>>
Chanel Jack
Some people would argue that everything starts out as an idea, but I think that everything starts out as a SEED first. So, I had a few seeds that grew into this collaborative idea to be an advocate for women and girls at a higher level and this is how the process got started. Read more>>
Orlando Aviles
It all started with any wife wanting to make keychains for our wedding party. We found a local leather supply store to pick some material and hardware. At this time we had zero intentions of turning this into a business. I used an old leather keychain I already owned and used for a few years for inspiration. With a simple tools such as an xacto knife, a ruler, and the hardware from the leather supply store I made a few keychains. Read more>>
Katie Hujer
I am a mom to 3 beautiful, energetic, funny, and creative kids (Vera…6, Nala…4, and Victor…3). My husband, Tristan, and I created these 3 babies in 36 months. Amazing. And so so so exhausting. I’m pretty sure I didn’t sleep for about 4 years. Funny and also SO NOT FUNNY! Having that many littles in such a short amount of time completely consumed me. Read more>>
Dora Somosi
I was the Director of Photography at GQ for 10 years, and previously had worked as a Photo Editor and Photographer’s agent at Hearst, CPI and Magnum Photos. I felt I had achieved my goals in the business of photography, and felt a pull to be more creative, and in touch with my original goals to express myself creatively, I have a degree in Art History and an art studio practice that I had been faithful to since High School. Read more>>
Larrissa Carlton
Starting Detroit Flower Wall came about from being able to provide a service/product that was hard to find. I started off hosting women empowerment events in 2017 which led me to getting creative to make props and event decorations for the events. The guest and my friends and family would often ask me to do it for them. Read more>>
Sean Douglas
How I started all four of my businesses, and even my coaching programs and services, was I found a need that wasn’t being met in the marketplace. If there was a need, it was met poorly by the companies who were supposed to be experts. So I decided I would create a business and keep in mind everything that made me mad about it and improve it. Read more>>
Gabriela Galarza
My love of fashion came as a child and grew as the years went by. I attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, California and that helped me narrow in on what area I was most passionate about. Owning my own business. I have always loved jackets! To me it’s the finishing touch that’s always needed on any outfit. Read more>>
Gwendolyn Hageman
My business started as a play on words from my middle name, Dare, written on a napkin in my favorite Asheville dive bar. I knew two things, I wanted to make vegan cheese and I wanted my life’s work to be a pun. Darë stuck instantaneously. Pronounced like dairy, tastes like dairy, but there is, in fact, no dairy. Plus when pronounced incorrectly, like it often is, the name is still a cheeky nod to the bold approach in which our entire company has been built- dare to try something different. Read more>>
India Wilbourne
It all started by taking pictures on my iPhone for people. I remember a maternity photo I took that the mother loved all from my phone and posing. I then ventured out and bought a professional camera and indulged in numerous photography classes. My love for it really came after my wedding. Read more>>
Damion Byrd
Only 3 Snacks Crisps was born/created out of necessity by the President and majority owner Damion Byrd. I became a vegan in May of 2017. One of my biggest challenges was finding great-tasting, healthy snacks that I could enjoy on-the-go, in-between meals, etc. I soon discovered there was nothing on the market that existed to meet my nutritional requirements so I created it to snack for myself in the early part of 2018. Read more>>
Morgan Bradley
I actually started off as a blog. I would talk about different fashion finds, how to style them, and where you can purchase the outfits from on a budget, After a while, seeing all these different bloggers getting paid to blog I knew that I wanted to get paid too! I figured instead of directing my readers to purchase from other retailers, why not purchase from me! Read more>>
Angela Bowman
Jungle AF Indy started during Covid. We had amassed so many plants, there was no space for them. We’re in the Midwest, and the necessity to bring the plants indoors during our cold winters is high. It had reached the end of fall, and there were some plants that, although beautiful and healthy, just didn’t make the cut. Read more>>
Joshua Harris
Step 1 was to get my insurance license. After I got my license I appointed to some carriers and got started helping clients. Over the course of the next twelve months I learned to ask the right questions and lead a customer down a path to getting life insurance. Read more>>
April Tan
I have been making crafts and selling them since 2007, however, all those while I had only been selling a few crafts every year and to known friends. At the closing of 2019, I started making micro-crochet accessories and jewelries. For the first time, the strange idea of setting up a business selling my crafts popped into my mind. During one of those big dinners (in the same year) when we had friends over, one of them was a successful businesswoman. Read more>>
Ruth Alexandre
I never intended to get into the balloon business… Not seriously anyway. My friends and I love a good celebration for any and everything. In 2019 a good friend of ours had a baby shower and when I found out the cost of the balloons I thought, we have to figure out how to cut cost for future events so I’m going to learn. Read more>>
Annie Dickson
When my husband, Jason, and I had our son, Odin, I had the privilege of being a stay at home mom for almost 6 years. I was already quite the foodie, but I took the opportunity to dive headfirst into what I liked to call “Susie Homemaker” mode. I had homemade cookies and cakes available at all times, I made bread, hot breakfasts, packed lunches & had dinner on the table every night. Read more>>
Stephen Lu
Starting A Lasting Strength was a bit like a trial by fire. It was initially a sole-proprietor company, started right in the middle of the COVID pandemic. I was at home in quarantine, and I was working for a forensic service laboratory at the time. I’ve always had the urge to work in the service of the public or for those in need, and I have web development skills under my belt. Read more>>
Anton Karunungan
In short, it was a crazy story. In a good way, at the very least. Read more>>
Erika Collins
My business grew from the idea that shopping for your kids shouldn’t be so hard. I would have to go to 3 or 4 stores to complete a look which was exhausting at times so I decided I was going to create a space where you could find these amazing items in one stop. The harder part was coming up with the capital to fund my business as I was a new homeowner and had just began working full time again so my savings was limited. Read more>>
Whitney Vaughn
Saved by Grace Co. began in the fall of 2016. After years of dreaming of running my own creative business, I took the plunge. I quit a successful corporate career in pursuit of my entrepreneurial dream and what I felt to be a calling. As a single mom, I was keenly aware of the risks if things didn’t work out, but I was also aware of my faith and hard work and determination. Despite having no sales experience, I decided to wholeheartedly trust that God was in control. He called me to go forward and embrace the unknown and I quit my job! Read more>>
Taylor Deatherage
My first career was in the social work field, and I was trying to go back to school for design. At the same time (2012/2013), I was learning digital marketing, and a friend of mine told me he might have a position for me open at a small business that sold toys, collectibles, and had a presence at pop culture conventions all across the United States. I jumped at the chance to take the job and was thrown very quickly into the industry. Read more>>
Brittney Lathan
I started NailAvail by doing extensive research on the nail care industry. I focused and honed in on my favorite nail care products, what I loved about each – and what may have been missing. I designed my nail oil with key anti – aging benefits, with a focus on cruelty – free, non – toxic, and naturally derived ingredients. Our product is Leaping Bunny Certified, and our formula has been carefully developed and sourced using only the best of ingredients. Read more>>
Brooke Homec
I had been involved in baking for 11 years prior to starting my own blog, baking for a restaurant in Palm Springs, CA called Jake’s. We moved to Austin, and so after leaving Jake’s I knew I wanted to still do something with my love for baking as a creative outlet for myself. One of me friends told me I should start a baking blog and instagram account, so on a whim almost two years ago I did. I built my whole site myself and had one recipe up when I launched my blog and my instagram. Read more>>
Cate Lucas
A lot of people ask me this question. My process has been in the makings for years. As a fellow sufferer of hair loss as well as a stylist for over 15 years, either my clients or I have tried almost every hair growth vitamin on the market. I started to pay close attention to all the ingredients and compared all of my favorite brands together. Read more>>
Leah Koschak
I had been working as an entrepreneur in a different industry for 7 years when I decided I needed to change up my environment. I craved doing something creative, which was lacking in the business I was in. I brainstormed over the next couple of months, trying to figure out what *it* was that I should be doing. Read more>>
Hebrew Enterprise
Hebrew Enterprise’s initial inception started with a prayer by Tasha Sky, and what followed after was a pure miracle. Not only was a vision brought to life so vividly, The Most High ushered in fellow founders Sonia and Ajike with the same vision and mindset to help aid and assist in the formation and development of the brand. We couldn’t begin to tell you how many sleepless nights we spent conversing about strategic yet fun ways that we could help people. Read more>>
Molly Reinhardt
I’ve always worked in creative fields and I have been interested in different DIY and mediums all my life. But of all the mediums I’ve used, working with cement became a hobby turned business. I made my first tabletop fire pit for my sister as a Christmas gift in 2020, and in 2021 while my main job at the time was still up in the air due to the height of covid, so I decided to make Cementage ‘a thing’ – combining both my handmade cement goods and love for vintage finds. Read more>>
Brandon Blocker
I started off with defining the concept for our first product. It was going to be a fully cooperative adventure game that took all the best elements of some of my other favorite titles while leaving behind mechanics that would make it overbearing for someone who might not play a lot of games. Read more>>