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.

Samantha Bense

As aquaBelly founder, I’m a former science and math teacher, took a leap of faith to combine my passion for helping women, teaching, and exercising to create a national fitness and healthy living brand. Our focus on aquatic therapy and exercise sets us apart from the rest, and we are determined to change the perception that aqua exercise is somehow soft. Read more>>

Melanie Adams

I’ve had the idea for my business for a really long time! After feeling less than confident in my scratchy coveralls working in the oil and gas industry, and being mistaken as an HVAC mechanic instead of a patron at a restaurant, I realized there had to be a better option for my workwear uniform, but after searching for women’s gear, there just wasn’t. Read more>>

Tawnee Gomez

I always imagined working in a creative field but after graduating from FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising) with a marketing degree I found myself entering the workforce during a recession. I eventually caved and landed a safe corporate job at UCSD where I worked my way up over the course of 13 years. About 5 years into that corporate job I was yearning for that creative lifestyle. Read more>>

Kenya P

Oneday I was talking to a lifelong friend &I told him I wanted to open a boutique. He said so you just going to open a boutique huh? I said yes& started to execute it. I began to research, look for a space&it happened faster than I could imagine. I’m talking within 30 days it really unfolded. Read more>>

Stephen Rosales

The idea behind my business came to me slowly, and took me several months to fully flesh out what I was wanting to achieve through my business. Since my early twenty’s I have been fascinated with the philosophy behind beauty. Read more>>

Araceli Ruiz

I started to make handmade bracelets. Additionally, crocheting beanies which I learned from my grandmother when I was little.Moving on, I started selling bracelets and beanies in the neighborhood. From there I started to think about opening my own small business. But there are always struggles that hold me back from opening one. So, I still continue to make bracelets. Read more>>

Christina Griffin

My startup story has an unlikely beginning rooted in a personal lifestyle blog. To this day, I swear that running my blog taught me more than my business degree ever did. Clic was born after years of running that blog—honing photography, copywriting, content curation, and social media skills that when I look back, set me up to launch my business successfully. Read more>>

Elizabeth Simms

I think the main difference between business owners and dreamers is the confidence to believe in your dreams and begin to put them into practice. It’s easy to dream up all types of ideas for businesses – the tough thing about it is to actually trust yourself, your ideas, skills & abilities to begin the work of bringing ideas to fruition. Read more>>

Israel Castillo

During my college years, I had a final audio post production project. I chose a 90 second Dragon Ball Super Movie with the main antagonist, Beerus. The first step of directions was to strip all of the stereo effects, music, and dialogue from the video clip. The next step is to recreate the scene into a 5.1 surround sound clip. The process was long yet it was fun and worth it! I pass the final project with flying colors. Audio post production was becoming a brand new avenue for my audio engineer career. Read more>>

Andrea Johnson

After experiencing a complete mindset and lifestyle shift, I knew I had to create a business to help others do the same within their own capacities for themselves. This was towards the end of 2016 when the idea came upon me. For months, I spent time researching careers that can help people find their way; How I could penetrate the field and how to build my own business from scratch. Read more>>

Jason Allen

I was already driving dump trucks for 8 years, but what was lacking was the growth potential- financially. I wanted to work hard for myself instead of working hard for someone else. I knew the business like the back of my hand, but finding the right truck that a) didn’t break the bank and b) got the job done was my first hurdle. Read more>>

Jordan Taylor

Jordan’s Virtual Desk came to life fueled by my passion for creative design and providing services that could benefit businesses and uplift the creative individuals behind them – driving them forward with the goal of connecting them with their audience. Read more>>

Katie Cantrell

I’ve spent over a decade in the food sustainability space, after founding a presentation that gave presentations about the impacts of industrial animal agriculture. Education is very important, but I saw firsthand how difficult it is to change people’s minds in order to change their behavior. Read more>>

Jae Hale

I grew up surrounded by educators and creatives, many of whom are in my family. After graduating from college, I pursued a career in teaching and have accumulated 7 years of experience to date. During my time as a teacher, I discovered a passion for videography by participating in a school program that offered students the opportunity to learn video and photography skills. Read more>>

Evan Carter

After moving back to Missouri in November of 2022, I knew that I wanted to form a band with my brother. (Avery Johnson) We grew up playing music together as kids and had an incredible bond that was bigger than music. He hadn’t actively played drums in years, but he began practicing daily for months, so that we could launch the band as soon as possible. Read more>>

Andrew Goldstein

The inception of Tally Entertainment was much like embarking on an uncharted journey – filled with both excitement and uncertainty. The idea was born out of a passion for making change and a desire to bring something innovative to the Florida market. The initial spark came while we where intrenched of the Covid-19 pandemic. I realized the immense potential for blending traditional entertainment with modern digital experiences i.e. video production, which was not being fully explored in the local Tallahassee scene. Read more<>>

Daniel Powell

I’ve spent much of my life working and leaning towards creative outlets. I started playing guitar when I was eleven and started playing piano and singing shortly after. My early to mid-twenties were spent working as a worship leader in full-time ministry. I’ve always had a desire to create. Read more>>

Wallace Tucker

I developed PencilMover as your go-to destination for all things creative. Whether you’re in need of a portrait of a loved one or a design for an upcoming event, I’m the one to reach out to. Initially, my primary objective was to spread the word about PencilMover, with the belief that my artwork would speak for itself. Read more>>

Stephane Nasser

OpenVC started as a side project. In 2021, I started playing with Airtable to create a VC database, and my cofounder Lucas created a simple user interface that allowed anyone to add or edit the data. At the time, it was truly a random initiative – there was zero product vision or business plan. Just a passion project. We launched on ProductHunt on March 11, 2021 and it blew up: OpenVC was voted Product of the Day, then Product of the Month! This encouraged us to dig deeper and build a proper product. Read more>>

Desireé E. Jordan

After several LONG years of heightened emotions, long nights, and early mornings, I was able to launch my digital branding and design agency, Designed 2 Honor and ended up going viral on a platform called Fiverr. Fiverr is one of the largest marketplaces for freelancers in the world and here I was with a Rising Talent badge on a Social Media Management gig and a heavy influx of potential clients waiting desperately to work with me. My business, Designed 2 Honor was created after my mother passed in 2020 from Breast Cancer. Read more>>