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.

Luke Chiocca

Well I’ve actually written and composed music as a freelancer for a little while now on and off, but in 2023, something deeply stirred within me – a switch flipped in my head and I knew it was go time. It was time to start that business I had always wanted to. Read more>>

KeriAnne N. Jelinek

Started with just an idea to write a book about our family cat. Kept writing and became a best selling author within 2 months of becoming a self-published author. Sold over $1000 just on one of my books after only one month. Read more>>

Elana Carlson

Fantzye Bagels started as a pop-up during the pandemic summer of 2020. I saw some friends were doing bagel pop-ups in Ojai, California while awaiting the completion of their restaurant construction. Read more>>

Amber Krasinski

IvyHill Strategies may have initially started as a very intense grad school project, but its roots are much deeper than that. While working at a local access television station and building out a massive educational services department, I was growing restless. Read more>>

Shaikh Afraaz

I have been interested in technology since childhood. Whenever something new came in technology, I was fond of learning it. I remember that I was in 5th grade, so my parents got me a computer. Read more>>

Louise Converse

I was a bit of a strange child, already entranced with Blue Cheese at the tender young age of 4. I called it the “sweaty socks” cheese. Read more>>

Kayla Simon

Ever since I was a little kid, I have loved taking photos. Whenever anyone asks, I like to tell them my photography journey started when I was eight years old and my parents gifted me a small blue Kodak digital camera for Christmas. Read more>>

Marlene Rookwood

I have always struggled with my weight and self perception. As a teen, joining the cheerleading team in high school was the first place I was able to make the connection between exercise, wellness and joy. Read more>>

Sean Kappauf

It all began with a single child, Bryan, who captured my heart during a visit to El Salvador in August 2013. Spending time with Bryan and his mother, I was deeply saddened to learn about the illnesses, intestinal parasites, and worms that plagued him and many other children in the community due to contaminated water. Read more>>

Loyd Elmore Jr

I can only speak for myself but you might find this happens with other writers. Ideas come out of the ether. They tend to pop up doing mundane things like driving, cutting the lawn, taking a shower, etc. Read more>>

Seder Kojdecki

My business idea came from a place of, honestly, boredom. I was stuck in a telemarketing job I hated, and my brain was slowly rotting away in front of a computer screen. Read more>>

Michael Kwaku Klein

As far as i can recall, I have always dreamed of running my own business. To tell this story properly , would be to go back much further than time would allow me. Read more>>

Jomar Enciso

The idea was to teach myself about leather working. How to design, how to sew, how to pattern, and how to make the final product. Read more>>

Gauthier Bossuyt

My process from idea to execution often varies, as each project is unique. I do have a workflow to follow, but often, I stray away from it, which I think is also a crucial part of my process. Read more>>

Uriel Maksumov Aka: Healer

Growing up, I was always fascinated by energy, spirituality, and healing. My grandmother would share stories about the miracles my great-grandfather performed, which deeply resonated with me. Read more>>

Larry Campbell

Our idea was to change the trajectory of youth through academic assistance. It began with after school snacks and homework help for minority students. Read more>>

Emilio Lobato

Being an artist is only partly like owning a business. In the current market there are concerns for “branding” and image associated with bringing one’s “product” to market. Read more>>

Jordyn Barber

The idea for The Greenprint was born out of a deep-seated desire to create sustainable and equitable communities. As someone who grew up in Georgetown, South Carolina, I saw firsthand the challenges and disparities faced by my community. Read more>>

Gary Robert Pinnell

I am writing a nonfiction story, The Madness of E.W. and Lydie Marland. He was the world’s most successful independent oilman in the 1920s. Read more>>

Deb Bernardini

My idea to launch a bagel business was born out of an essay-writing assignment about comfort food I had while in culinary school. At the time of the assignment, I was much older than most of my classmates. Read more>>

Parker Alexander

The Heartbeat Brand is a brand built on passion and love, that’s what our trademarked logos represent. We like to ask the question; “What makes your heart beat?” And we’re spreading that love, one heartbeat at time. Read more>>

Gena Bradshaw

It all started with an intuitive nudge to write a book in one of my lowest moments in life and also when the 2020 lockdown happened. Read more>>

Paris Carr

In May 2020, After being laid off I decide I would become certified as an eyelash extension expert, to create a new source of income. Read more>>

Samin Saadat

The journey to launching my business began with a crossroads, a moment of decision. After completing my Master’s and gaining experience in the corporate world for a while, I found myself torn between pursuing a PhD or continuing down the corporate path. Read more>>

Makissa Lewis

My Seester, Inc. is an organization that serves the South Florida female veteran. For that reason, prior to any programming is executed by My Seester, Inc. a quasi focus group that consist of former female service members at different points in their transition journey to civilian life is conducted. Read more>>

Karrisa Hodge

I had volunteered for an MMIW prior to starting my foundation. I had been through domestic and family violence so I understood that side but I wanted to serve at a different level. Read more>>

Lina Outler

I started my production company from writing stage plays. I knew I was a story teller and I wanted to be an actress as well. I moved to Los Angeles because I felt there was a pull on my life to head out West. Read more>>

Ava Pollack

The inception of my idea to open my own therapy private practice occurred when I was eight years-old, so, in a way, it was many years in the making! Read more>>

Kalyn Bell

I always had the idea that I wanted to do my own thing in my career. I just did not know what industry that would be in or how to start. Read more>>

Narelle Allen

One of my teachers once instilled a phrase in me that I will never forget: “Risk Is Necessary.” I quickly learned that this is 100% true for anything you desire in life. Read more>>

Rocco Bova

I was inspired to launch My Humble House when I turned 50. Some people call it mid life crisis, I call it mid life re-birth. As a passionate hotelier, I begun to see a shift in the hsopitality industry. Read more>>

Mostofa Shakib

Throughout my life, I have ventured into starting four businesses. Two of them have closed down, but the other two are still operational. When I contemplate starting a business, my thought process is a bit unconventional. Read more>>

Bryce Tufts

Most of the time I do not consider myself the brightest of the bunch. I’ve heard many people with great, brilliant ideas that I wish I had come up with! Read more>>

Tamara Windham

As the spouse of an Army Veteran, I am dedicated to providing full-time care for my husband. Balancing caregiving with personal aspirations can be challenging. Read more>>