A dad can’t find a bakery to make a birthday cake that can accommodate his daughter’s allergy-related needs. Two freelancers realize they need a way to organize all of their client contracts and can’t find software that adequately handles their use case. Necessity is often hailed as the mother of innovation – but not all ideas come from necessity. Unfortunately, in our experience, often media coverage of the ideas that powered amazing businesses and projects often stops at a very superficial level. The founders noticed a need and boom – idea. Often the ideation process has a much longer, more complex story and so we’ve asked some entrepreneurs and creatives we admire to go into detail about their ideation stories.
Lara Lanfried
When I was a young girl we lived in northeastern Spain, almost on the French border. I was an only child and my parents and I lived for the weekends where we would hop into my father‘s Alfa Romeo coupe and drive all over the European countryside staying in agritourism farmstays. in some cases, the innkeepers would get to know us on a first name basis. Going to visit them was like going to visit family and I remember the excitement and anticipation of returning again and again. These memories are some of my fondest childhood memories and the farms became second homes to us. The European pastoral lifestyle was something I yearned for after we settle back in the United States. Read more>>
Misagh Jebeli
The idea for ToxiPets started the day my 3-month-old puppy, Snoopy, got into my wife’s purse and chewed through a bottle of Imodium.
One moment he was being his usual curious self. Minutes later, I was panicking. Googling, calling vets, trying to figure out if I was about to lose him. We rushed him to the ER. After emergency treatment and a $3,000 bill, he made it. But that fear and helplessness stuck with me. Read more>>
Kate Kim
I started Caitlyn Minimalist in 2014, inspired by a love for meaningful, minimalist designs that tell personal stories. At the time, personalized jewelry was often expensive and less accessible, and I wanted to change that. I believed everyone should have the option to own something special without a high price tag. Seeing how much these pieces resonate with people is what keeps me excited about the brand every day. Read more>>
Meenakshi Singh
As a parent, I was searching for a learning center that would offer my 8-year-old daughter the right mix of after-school STEM enrichment, a nurturing environment to complete her homework, and opportunities to build social skills. When I couldn’t find a place that checked all the boxes, I decided to create one myself—right here in Frisco, Texas. Read more>>
Felisa Brown
Trailer Park Fantasy was just that for a while, a fantasy. My business came out of friends and I having conversations about the world, ourselves as women, and the new feminist movement. I do not particularly like that feminism has felt the need to be watered down for men and the world to feel less threatened or make our message more easily digestible. Honestly, I would rather people choke on my views then feel comfortable reading them. So, that is how it started, a funny joke or saying between friends and then one of saying “I would wear that on a shirt!”. Read more>>
Kartik Dhawan
I was out travelling. It had been 3 months on the road, where I worked remotely. Alongside my main job, I was hoping I could find myself & find a stream of creativity, of any sort. At the time, I was also managing a cafe on an interim basis in a remote mountain area of the Himalayas, in Himachal Pradesh, India. That is when it all began. Read more>>
Vanessa Rivers
The We Are Travel Girls Community was founded in 2016 with the mission to inspire, connect, educate, and empower female travelers. Recognizing the lack of a dedicated platform to promote female travel bloggers, we set out to create a community that celebrates and elevates the voices of female travelers. Read more>>
Latasha Burger
The idea for my business came to me during one of the most difficult seasons of my life. I had just experienced deep personal loss, and it forced me to take a pause and really look at my life, my healing, and what I truly needed. I was going through a spiritual awakening, but it wasn’t pretty or peaceful; it was raw, emotional, and real. During that time, I started doing inner child work and using spiritual tools like journaling and meditation. I didn’t know it then, but I was laying the foundation for something bigger than me. Read more>>
Tamy Vo
I first came up with the business idea when I was living in Singapore. I started my period at work and on my lunch break went on a search for organic tampons with my colleague. We went to store after store and finally found them on the very bottom shelf at a Guardian. I was shocked that it was hard to find especially in one of Asia’s most developed countries. My colleague also asked why do I use tampons as she had used pads her entire life. I then asked the other girls at the office and they all used pads too. Noticing the gap in cultures and also just overall body knowledge was apparent between what is more open in America compared to Asia. Read more>>
Kris P
I was fortunate to be raised by creatively gifted parents – resourceful, imaginative, and always finding ways to bring ideas to life. Because of them, art was never something separate from life. Despite that foundation, I ended up pursuing a path in criminology, a field rooted in systems, structure, and societal inquiry – seemingly the antithesis of the free-form world of art. Midway through my early career, something shifted. What started as a subtle pull turned into a full shift in direction. Rather than a neat, calculated pivot, I found myself freefalling headfirst into the art scene, hoping to land somewhere I could build from. Read more>>
Antonia Anderson
I came up with the ideal for the Hip Hop Museum during covid in 2019. I was working from home at the time. Previously I was at afterschool programs, community events and libraries doing pop-ups. I wanted to make sure that there would always be a place representing the 70’s -80’s Hip Hop Era. So I began unboxing my memorabilia and placing then on one wall at a time. 2021 I had a Grand opening which was recorded by King Kamonzi. My first interview was with Milwaukee Courier Newspaper December 4, 2023 by Dylan Deprey. I wanted to create and implement a different learning style for children and youth thru hip hop. Read more>>
Torie Wiley
The idea for 18 Wheels all started after a great night in Miami.
One day, my good friend Donnell Grimes from Washington, D.C., flew into Florida to hang out. As we were chopping up ideas for a brand, Donnell said to me, “You should call it 18 Wheels.”
Ding ding ding — the light was lit, and the journey began.
From that moment, the vision for the brand started taking shape. Read more>>
Jean Park
I’ve always felt that I was born to write—like it was my destiny. Somehow, I’ve been surrounded by strange and unusual stories my whole life. Ever since I was young, I loved listening to the fascinating things people around me would say. I’d take those stories, twist them around in my head, and turn them into something new. Read more>>
Omega Edwards
Tha 5MICS Challenge is a reinvention of The Legendary 5MICS from The Source Magazine. The Source’s 5 Mics was the first trading card and grading scale in the hip Hop culture to establish which music or album was a hit. If you received 5 Mics, your music or album was one of the best out! Benzino spearheading the 5MICS took it to elevated heights. After, the fall of The Source Benzino has been doing multiple business ventures. One with myself a local Filmmaker, Actor, and CLAN/Empire Artist from (Walnut Park) St.Louis, Missouri. Read more>>
Wes Harris
Our story starts as a golf-loving family. I’ve been golfing for over 15 years and my almost 7 year old daughter has had a club in her hands since her third birthday. Golf has always been more than a game to us — it’s been a way to spend time together, to slow down, to laugh, and to create memories that matter. Somewhere along the way, I started noticing how golf brings people together in a really unique way. It’s competitive, sure, but it’s also social, relaxed, and even meditative. Read more>>
Zoari Brown
I came up with the idea for my luxury picnic business after seeing beautiful setups on TikTok and Instagram shortly after COVID. It seemed to be popular up north and in Florida, but I didn’t see many people offering it here in Myrtle Beach. Even though there were already a couple of businesses doing it, I didn’t let that stop me from chasing my vision and bringing my own unique flair to the experience. Read more>>
A.c.Moon Cameron
Deep in the mtns of northern California, like many places has a diverse and extreme weather pattern,making gardening unique plants difficult in seasons. As a cultivator or many years i would move my plants in and out of the greenhouse and go thru so much work to protect my beautiful flowers,at times even in snows. Read more>>
Jamal Payne
BlkSculpt Capital really started as a vision that grew out of years of firsthand experience in the supply chain and logistics industries, combined with my work in government agencies. I had spent a significant amount of time working in global market projects from Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, where I saw both massive opportunities and glaring gaps. There were incredible, untapped markets with immense potential, but too many businesses and founders, particularly from minority and underrepresented communities, weren’t getting the funding or resources they needed to succeed. Read more>>
Jasmine Renee Madkins
I started Be Courageous in 2021, not because I set out to be an entrepreneur, but because I was led by a word. I was reading the Bible and came across Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” The word “courageous” jumped out at me. When I looked up the definition — “not deterred by danger or pain; brave” — it stuck with me in a way I couldn’t explain. Something in my spirit said this wasn’t just for me; it was something I needed to share. I called my designer, Jennifer Alsobrook, and asked her to create a logo. She brought it to life, and the seed for Be Courageous was planted. Read more>>
Gina Korczak Maygan O’Donnell
Uniquely You Learning Center (UYLC) is a private educational center dedicated to empowering elementary-aged children with special needs and developmental delays. Our mission is to help each child thrive by offering personalized instruction and support that focuses on academic, social, emotional, and behavioral growth. We provide a nurturing, inclusive environment that celebrates every child’s uniqueness. As our students continue to grow older, our vision is to grow with them. Our long-term goal is to build a life skills lab where students can learn and experience essential skills to help them become as independent as possible. Read more>>
Hanna Ross
The idea for HandCraftedMarket was born out of equal parts frustration and inspiration. As a small business owner myself, I was constantly on the lookout for markets that felt intentional—events that weren’t just a row of tables, but a curated experience where every vendor felt valued and every shopper felt inspired. What I found instead were disorganized events with inconsistent foot traffic, poor communication, and little support for the vendors who were pouring their hearts into their work. Read more>>
Hilary
The idea for Syll started while I was pregnant with my first child and working full-time. Life felt full—in the best and most overwhelming ways. My skin had new needs, my job was demanding, and I wanted to take care of myself. But the skincare world felt flooded with noise: too many products, too many steps, and not nearly enough clarity. Read more>>
Tara Brown
Obaven is not your typical salon nor your typical space. The name, Obaven, is derived from the Gaelic language meaning to work and come together to create as a coven. A name has power, and when it has aeaning such as Obaven it can really bring people together. As a stylist of ten years I have worked in corporate, hourly, commission and had my own suite for several years. During this time I curated a traveling beauty team that has been the core of the company for a few years. Once I realized I needed more space I was on the hunt to find the perfect spot. It took time but once I walked through the doors of an old bikini shop, I knew I had found the place for creating something special. Read more>>
Natalie Walker
It was always a dream to open a boutique hotel. Once we became empty nesters I realized it was time to realize the dream! My husband and I were “flipping homes” before it was a “thing”. We looked for the ugliest house in the best neighborhood, and took it on! Most times, our friends and family thought we were crazy but shocked after they saw what we created. Read more>>
Virginia Taylor
I came up with the idea when I could not find a babysitter for my children. Something went off inside of me and said that I can do something I love and charge really cheap for it to see how it goes and it went up from there. Read more>>
Brittney
Extravagant Kitty Care Products,LLC was born because I worked in the medical field for 20 years and I noticed one day that All Natural Toxin/Chemical Free Products would be the answer to all women issues such as PH Balancing, Combating Against BV And Yeast which are common issues seen in women! My products are a healthy all natural answer to all women health issues concerning the YONI! My products offer healthy benefits and are also anti bacterial, anti microbial and anti fungal! My products eliminate unwanted odors due to ph unbalance and BV or yeast infection issues. Read more>>
Peter Zuppardo
When I started my business, Pete the Dog Trainer, I would say I was motivated less by a desire to own a business and more by a passion for behavior and the opportunity to teach dogs and people. For many years I owned a dog walking business, which I also enjoyed. One day I discovered the book Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz—and I loved it! Until then I hadn’t known that researchers in universities were studying dog behavior. This led to other books, and then I pursued a PhD in Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare from Virginia Tech. Read more>>
Torie Nelson
Black Rose STL creates initiatives to bring communities together by hosting events to bring motivation, knowledge, encouragement and awareness to underserved community. Things I hope to accomplish in the community. I truly hope to bring people together providing knowledge to underserved communities. I feel by touching the heart of others will promote promise and major change. Read more>>
Jack-Peter + Flor De Liz Guior
We own two companies, Altered Bride (AB), and her sister, our original company, Flor De Liz Guior (FDL). Flor De Liz Guior was started in 2018, and we’re still building it up. As we were creating FDL, we were told to look into the bridal industry. Like a mockingbird chirping in our ear, we heard it a lot for a few years. Read more>>
Iyanna ‘JC’ Conix
I started making logos with my graphic design brand ‘ICJC’ that turned into my personal lifestyle brand just ‘JC,’ which led to me creating my own official fashion brand BEXT, standing for the Best of What’s Next. When thinking of a Brand Name people would always suggest that I go the designer label route, by using my full first and last name, but I had other plans. I knew that I wanted to incorporate the letter X that is in my last name, because not many words in the English language use that letter, and I often think of it as the ‘x’ factor, that sets me apart from other artists and designers. Read more>>
Lakrishi Kindred
I’ve always loved writing. The first story I wrote was on my first computer. The internet wasn’t big then and there was no iCloud. When the computer shut down, my life story got destroyed. I started writing again after I ended a verbally abusive relationship in 2007. I learned how to make movies from the guy I was seeing. He was tough but I learned how to create movies from pre production to post. It was a great experience other than the abuse. I worked with a lot of well known people. The skills came so easily, I felt like I was born to produce. I shot over 50 music videos and worked on at least 5 movies. The last movie I did with his company won an award at the Pan African Film Festival. Read more>>
Tony Del Angel
I started off just doing chiropractic and realized that patients would go to their primary care doctor and would be given a diagnosis and some pain medication or anti-inflammatories. If that didn’t help then the patient would go to another provider and be given a different diagnosis and a different therapy. If that didn’t work then the patient would just keep going to the next provider with the same results. What ends up happening is patients would be driving all over town trying to get the treatment that they need and every provider is saying something different and they don’t know who to believe. Read more>>
Janice Castro
The idea for my business was born out of burnout. As a first-gen daughter of Peruvian immigrants and a psychologist in training, I kept running into systems that weren’t built for people like me—especially those of us navigating mental health care while also holding marginalized identities. Every step of my career felt like a choice between being paid fairly or taking care of myself. Read more>>
DuVay Knox
As a Writer, it’s always just a simple matter of Living and Learning AND Paying Attention to my surroundings on the regular. Because IDEAS are all around ya when you make observation an obligation. This is how I get Ideas to turn into Books or Short Stories. Plus, as a student of the occult, those experiences I had informed my first 2 novels: The Pussy Detective and The Soul Collector. Both, of which, are Supernatural in flavor and execution. I had a strong feeling both novels would succeed because I didn’t see anyone else combining the Occult with the Gritty Hood life like I wanted to do. Read more>>
Kimberly Myers
I had just given birth at 7:41 a.m. on Father’s Day to a beautiful baby boy. The day had been filled with joy, love, and exhaustion. Later that night, our son was taken to the nursery so we could get a little rest. By 2:00 a.m., my husband and I were finally asleep when a nurse abruptly entered the room, pushing the bassinet and holding a bottle of formula. Without explanation, she handed it to me and said, “Your baby is losing a lot of weight, and you need to feed him this formula now!” My heart dropped. Confused, scared, and completely overwhelmed, we had no idea what was happening. We were first-time parents, sleep-deprived, and suddenly thrust into a situation we did not know how to navigate. Read more>>
Daniel Powers
Back in 2006, I was teaching music lessons out of a cramped 400 square foot room with maybe two chairs and a carpet that probably should’ve been condemned. Rent was \$900 a month, which felt enormous at the time because I had no real plan, just a guitar, some time, and this nagging belief that there had to be more to learning music than awkward weekly lessons and dusty method books. Read more>>
Laura Griffin
I was a bank manager for a large national bank. I was about to have my daughter and the thought of working 6 days a week and 50+ hours a week wasn’t appealing. When we started to factor in day care costs I was basically going to work to pay for daycare. My hubby and I talked about what I wanted to do for a job. He asked if there was ever something that I wanted to do but never did. I had taken real estate classes in college which I loved. I had worked in the mortgage industry and HOA management which I really liked. We talked about starting a business as a Real Estate Agent. I ended up calling the agent that helped us buy a house a year before and started my journey as a Real Estate Agent. Read more>>
Aliyah Hayward
Sincerely Her Scrubs is owned and operated by Aliyah Hayward. I came up with the idea of providing scrubs to Healthcare Professionals because I am one of them. I understand what it’s like working long shifts and the importance of being comfortable while doing so. With me being very aesthetic looking good is a necessity. Sincerely Her Scrubs are comfortable, stylish, and authentic scrubs. Read more>>
(1) Felix, (2) Gene (1) Lee, (2) Oh
Gene: It all started in the fall of 2023. I was studying abroad in South Korea, and my co-founder Felix, was on military leave from Brown University. Most weekends, we’d meet up with friends, and before we started drinking, someone would always pull out these jelly sticks. At first, I didn’t think much of it—until I tried one. I remember pausing mid-squeeze, turning to Felix and saying, “Why does this taste so good… and why don’t we have this back home?” Read more>>
Meech Robinson
After I hung up my jersey for the last time, the quiet was jarring. For nearly two decades my life had run on four‑quarter cycles—early‑morning shoots, bright‑light road games, film sessions that bled into midnight. When that cadence stopped, so did my sense of direction. I’d still pop awake at 6 a.m. out of muscle memory, only to realize there was no practice to race to and no coach waiting with a clipboard. It seemed at times that every free hour echoed with a single question: Who am I without the ball? Read more>>
Melissa Eppard
My journey into the world of sexual health and wellness was born from personal necessity, pain, and the pursuit of healing—not just for myself, but for others like me.
In 2014, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a life-altering experience that changed everything I thought I knew about my body, my femininity, and my relationship with pleasure. One of the most unexpected and challenging aspects of that journey was the impact of sudden menopause brought on by treatment. I felt completely unprepared—and unsupported—by my medical team in navigating the sexual side effects of cancer recovery. Read more>>
Jarod Reyes
At my previous job (Cheba Hut “Toasted” Subs) I was in charge of building the brands visual identity and had a big role in the in-shop experience. All of the cool counter culture themed wall posters, the merchandise, murals and other printed collateral my team was responsible for. We had always saw ourselves as a partner of the designer industry and loved to celebrate different art styles and interpretations of our brand while still keeping our counter culture roots intact. This led to me collaborating with tons of artists from all over the world, muralists, illustrators, badass graphic designers-even working with some huge names like AtomicChild, Mike Fudge, Burrito Breath and the Lincoln Design crew. Read more>>
David Willis
After leaving the Marines in 2004, like most veterans I was lost. I didn’t have a sense of purpose or the camaraderie that I had while serving. So I found it while volunteering at local veteran service organizations in my area. After 18 years of doing that I was burned out and discouraged after my last service organization. So I took a two year break from doing anything veteran related. During this time my wife Julie told me that my anxiety and PTS was getting worse and that I needed to find something that would help combat what was going on. Read more>>
Briana Ramagos
The idea for A Sweet Lady came from something really simple, but deeply personal. I’ve always had a sweet tooth, especially after meals; and for me, it was always a cookie. That simple craving turned into curiosity, and curiosity turned into creativity. It all started with one recipe. Read more>>
Aretha And Mozell Martin
My husband (Mo), myself (Aretha) lived in a small town called Whites Creek, Tn fairly close to Joelton which is also a small town. There were not a ton of food options in the area without going about 15-20 minutes. I have always dreamed of having a restaurant one day. We originally had the opportunity to start a food truck so in Jan of 2019 we did just that. put our names that we wanted the business to be in a hat, Mo myself and out kids each picked a name out of the hate and came up with Martin’s Chicken and Waffles. At that time Chicken and Waffles wasn’t really a thing here in TN. Read more>>
Dick Durden
Vee and I first met when we were working on a PS5 launch title called Godfall. They were a creature animator and I was the producer for our animation team. We pretty much knew from the get go that we wanted to make games together. The idea to collaborate creatively came to us immediately and seamlessly back in 2018 or so. We didn’t officially start Real Fake Games until 2022, with us drafting the first version of Quest Snakes in 2023. Read more>>
Tina
The reason I started Coca Crown, LLC was because my daughter had a passion for growing her hair at the young age of 13yrs old. I could remember waking up to her curating her own hair products in mason jars in my kitchen and refrigerating them to preserve them longer. I seen the passion in her eyes every time I would talk to her about the products she was making and what ingredients she would use. Then as weeks went on I began to see the results of how these products began to grow my daughter natural hair. I watch over the course of months her hair get longer, thicker and most importantly healthier. That’s when I knew she was on to something, as a licensed cosmologist myself, this sparked my own interest. Read more>>