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.

Priscila Stolochi

I’ve always been involved in the entertainment industry. Back in 1997, I was working as a first soprano, performing at weddings. One day, a bride approached me and asked if I could do her bridal production because she admired the way I presented myself. At the time, I had no equipment or formal training, but I accepted the challenge. After her wedding, I was referred to three more brides—and they all loved how she looked. Read more>>

Tami Boyd

I started a garden enrichment program, during my previous full-time job, at a women’s prison back in 2017. We taught women how to grow their own food and offered classes in horticultural therapy, self-care, and empowerment. As I spent more time with them, I began to build real relationships—listening to their stories, their hopes, and their fears. One question kept coming up for me: What happens when they’re released? When I asked, most of them said they’d have to figure out housing on their own with some help from counselors—many had no safe place to go, and because of their records, most landlords wouldn’t rent to them. That really stuck with me. I realized how overwhelming and isolating reentry must feel. So I made a decision….. I bought a home and turned it into transitional housing for women returning from incarceration—somewhere they could land, feel safe, and start rebuilding. Read more>>

Nicole Pastones Smelser

I moved to this small town in Eastern Montana back in 2008 and although there were 2 Chinese restaurants, there wasn’t much more of an option outside of pizza, burgers and bar food. I always had to go out of town to get any kind of variety, or get things shipped in so I could make something that I was wanting to eat from back home in Guam. I was always saying that I should just open a restaurant and offer the missing variety our town needed. I was always hosting barbeques, making different kinds of food for my coworkers to try. Everyone always loved it, I don’t even know how many food license application I have filled out over the years. I finally woke up one day and got the courage to turn one in. Read more>>

Shelly Werts

I began my career in the healthcare industry when I joined the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman in 1993 and attended advanced training to become a Psychiatric Technician working in an inpatient mental health until at Naval Medical Center San Diego. I continued my career in mental health working in a variety of areas to include an adolescent inpatient mental health hospital, on-call mental health technician, youth service center, nursing home on a dementia unit, corrections, CPS, mental health intakes at a local hospital, therapist at the Veteran’s Hospital, and therapist in private practice since 2017. I realized there was a disconnection between mind and body medicine during my years of working within the mental health arena. Read more>>

Cut Above can about from a personal decision to see what my life would look like if I drank less alcohol. As I tried things on the market they didn’t deliver on flavor, were artificial, came across as being anti alcohol, and didn’t seem to have a lot of love and passion for cocktail creation, bars and restaurants and the bartenders behind them. So, I set out to create something that really pushed the barriers of what it looked like to create a spirit alternative that worked as a 1 for 1 replacement for any cocktail but more important than that I set out to create a brand that stood for inclusion and respect for choice of the individual when it comes to what they imbibe. For us when those moments call for a no or low alcohol cocktail we want to be there with the most elevated and awarded non alcoholic spirit lineup. Read more>>

Qiana Taylor

I started taking classes at The Texas Wine School in 2020 during covid because I needed an outlet. At that time I had been working from home for several years and covid brought my kiddos home for online learning so I needed an outlet. Once a started taking classes and learning more about wine I was intrigued by the winemaking process. I then begin going to wine tastings and meeting winemakers and having conversations with them about how they made their wines, why did they choose the particular grapes, why and when did they chose to harvest. Read more>>

Neisha Jones

Becoming an entrepreneur wasn’t something I always planned. It was something I felt. A pull, deep in my spirit, that told me I was meant to create something bigger than myself. I didn’t know what it would look like exactly, but I knew I was built for more than just going through the motions of a “normal” life.

The moment it truly clicked for me was late one night, pre-COVID, before the world shifted and everything slowed down. I was lying in bed, wide awake. My mind was racing — not with stress, but with visions. Visions of the life I could be living, the impact I could be making, and the freedom I could be walking in if I just bet on myself. Read more>>

Karina HINES

Food is a powerful tool in healthcare, and cooking is one of the greatest acts of self-care.

We live in a world facing both an environmental crisis and a health crisis—and we are not teaching people how to cook in ways that support their health and healing journey.

Botanical Kitchen was born out of the need to fill the gap between practitioner and patient | client, and between local farmer and consumer—offering guidance on how to make dietary changes, follow an anti-inflammatory eating style, and cook with the growing season. Read more>>

Kaitlyn Tomblin

Before owning my own business, I had work in the food and beverage industry for 10+ years. A friend had “randomly” recommended a book to me called The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkerson. If you haven’t read it, it’s the most simple and precious allegory of a young man that grows up in the ‘land of ordinary’. When this man was a young boy the ‘Dream Giver’ comes in the middle of the night, leaving a feather that represents a dream… hence the Dream Giver. :) As the story goes on you find out that the Dream Giver comes and gives everyone a ‘dream’ at a young age but then life gets in the way and most people forget what it ever was. Anyways, as the story went on I remembered that when I was younger I wanted to be a photographer! I was floored that I remembered that because it had been so long since I had thought of it. Read more>>

Jarrett Hendrix

I’ve been an artist for most of my life. I can always remember when I was in elementary school I would have my work in the front of my composition book, and the artwork started from that very last page. There would come a time when the two would meet, and that didn’t always go over well with my teachers. In addition to fine art, I have also had a love for photography for most of my life. When you do what you love, there are times when you have to sit back and reflect on how long you’ve been doing that thing. Whether it’s through the lens of a camera, or painting on a canvas, the blending of art forms has lead me down an interesting path. Read more>>

Christina Dr. Jerger

Picture me: 36, ending a 7-year relationship, and moving to Bali for my personal Eat Pray Love moment searching for healing and clarity. However, when I returned and re-entered the dating world, I was hit with a harsh reality: endless swiping, shallow conversations, and a sea of ghosting. The magic and intention I craved in connection just didn’t exist on dating apps. Read more>>

Jenn Grubb

Honestly? It started with a deep, soul-crushing frustration (you know, the kind that makes you stare dramatically into your iced chai latte 🧋) with the way big corporations run things. Picture this: you’re busting your tail, pouring your heart into meaningful work, only to see the rewards float gently upward to some executive who probably doesn’t even know your name. Yeah, no thanks! Read more>>

Danielle Farrah

In my 20s, I was on a hamster wheel of body obsession.

I was constantly chasing the “thing” that would finally make me feel good in my body—and more importantly, in my mind. I counted calories, tried every workout trend, obsessed over nutrition, and still felt like I was never enough.

I would spend my entire paycheck and precious PTO days on solo wellness trips, hoping each one would be the reset I needed. I thought, maybe this retreat, this product, this studio will finally make me feel aligned, whole, at peace. Read more>>

Pinar

First of all, thank you for having me! I’m so excited to introduce you to Short Film Therapy.

At the end of June 2025, I wrapped post-production on what I believe will be my final short film. While that milestone was exciting, it also prompted a deep reflection on the journey I’ve taken as a short film producer. I looked back at everything I had accomplished in a relatively short period of time—especially the year before, when I produced six shorts. One of them, Sunflower, was longlisted for the Academy Awards. Others went on to screen at top-tier festivals and even win awards. Read more>>

Brian Frank

It all started in a kitchen, not unlike the ones many of us grew up in — a little chaotic, full of aromas, laughter, and stories told over simmering pots and sizzling pans. For me, cooking was never just about food. It was about connection, storytelling, and creating experiences that lingered well beyond the last bite. But the spark that would eventually become Art Culinarian was lit in a very specific moment: after a private dinner I cooked for a friend’s corporate dinner. Read more>>

Amanda Lee

I came up with the idea for Cloudy, an organic period pad company, during a major life shift. I had just moved from New York City to the Bay Area—a big change for a lifelong city girl like me. The transition hit me harder than I expected. I felt isolated, disconnected, and fell into a period of depression. Around that same time, I started experiencing debilitating period cramps—worse than anything I had ever felt before. It forced me to slow down and pay attention to my body in a way I never had. Read more>>

Juavahr

A year after finishing graduate school, I found myself confronting a harsh reality: I had the degrees, but where was the financial return? At the time, my full-time job barely covered the basics. My paycheck allowed me to get to work and back—no savings, no fun, no freedom. Wanting to change that, I reached out to a coworker to see if they knew of any side gigs or hustle opportunities. Fortunately, they connected me with a vendor who sold jams, jellies, and pickled products at local farmers markets and trade shows. He was always looking for weekend help, and within a few days, I had my first shift lined up—and I knew exactly how much I could earn. By the end of that first day, we had sold all but three boxes of product. The vendor restocked the truck for the next day and told me I’d earn even more if we sold out again. Walking to my car, I did the math and got excited. Read more>>

Randy Lewis

The idea for Five O’ Clock Co. was born from a place of frustration, curiosity, and deep care. After trying countless beard products filled with artificial fragrances and unnecessary chemicals, I realized nothing on the market truly aligned with my values natural, clean, effective, and made with intention. As someone who already enjoyed growing herbs in my Baltimore garden, I saw an opportunity to take matters into my own hands. I started experimenting with my own blends infusing herbs , and other healing botanicals into natural oils. I wasn’t trying to launch a business at first I just wanted a product that worked for me. After three months of using my handmade formula, the difference in my beard was undeniable: fuller, softer, and healthier. When I shared it with a few friends, the feedback came pouring in they saw results, they loved the scent, and more importantly, they felt seen. Read more>>

Luisa

I originally started Mexico In My Pocket as a blog. My mission was to share the beauty of Mexican culture with the world. Growing up in Dallas, Texas and being Mexican-American, I struggled with my bicultural identity because Spanish was my first language and I didn’t speak any English. This always made me feel like an outsider as a young child. It was difficult to make friends and some classmates even bullied me because of my culture. Read more>>

Michael Gonzales

The idea came in waves, but there was a pinnacle point where it all just…came to me. Years ago during my graduate studies we were doing a case study regarding customer experience. This had really set the stage, but the first solid experience I had that initially inspired the driving question was far more profound. The whole thing actually came to me during a keynote presentation in a family centered self-help seminar for financial, entrepreneurship, and career building. The presentation reminded me about a time when I was driving a newer car (less than 12,000 miles) to work when the car went into “limp mode” and the check engine light was flashing. Read more>>

Farra Worrelll

The idea for The Art of Grace podcast was truly born out of my own journey — a path from Adversity to Grace. As a woman who has navigated both ministry and the marketplace, I’ve witnessed how these two worlds often intersect in powerful and unexpected ways. Throughout my journey, some of my greatest mentors and supporters have been women who understood the challenges, the sacrifices, and the triumphs that come with pursuing both faith and professional purpose. Read more>>

Tori Brango

I came from a family of photographers who growing up owned a wedding photography studio. I started shooting alongside my mom at the age of 12 and always knew I had a passion for it. As I got older I discovered different avenues in the creative world including teaching myself videography and how to edit. From that point on the limits were endless and I ventured into the music scene, shooting for some of my favorite artists and then having the privilege to shoot for businesses of all kinds that needed help with their social media presence and marketing. From there my passion grew and I knew that’s what I wanted to continue. My best friend and I began our own marketing and media agency in 2025 that is everything and more than I could’ve ever imagined, and a dream that we now get to chase together. Read more>>

Zandra “Sasha” Gutay

From Viral Candy to a Handcrafted Brand: The Sweet Rise of Sasha’s Sweet Treats

In the fall of 2021, millions of people around the world were glued to their screens watching Netflix’s Squid Game a suspenseful Korean series that became a global phenomenon almost overnight. But while most viewers were captivated by the drama, for Sasha, a creative soul with an entrepreneurial spark, it was a piece of candy that caught her attention. Read more>>

Tyler Turner

Over 10 years ago my now husband, Aaron, and I were working out with a trainer at a big box gym in Tallahassee, FL. After we finished out session we were both incredibly hungry with no quality options around us. It was only fast food or proper sit down restaurants; nothing for the busy college student! Thus sparked the first inkling of our wellness center idea. It started with a proper smoothie/juice bar, and micro cafe with quick healthy bites. Over the years the idea cultivated the need for massage, esthetician services, and longevity protocols which include red light and oxygen therapy, IV hydration and peptide infusions, along with changing the mindset around “having to go to the gym”. Read more>>

Chrishelle Griffin

Curated By 29 is 1/3 of The 29Collective, which includes 29Consult Co. and 29Mindful Brand. It was born from lived experience, and was created as a curation of spaces — tangible and intangible — that centers wellness to amplify voices, stories and identity.

At 29, I was formally diagnosed with bipolar disorder and anxiety. My diagnosis caused me to shift my perspective on “wealth as a tool for wellness”. I started to share my mental health journey with others, which has been both inspiring and challenging. Years later, after a season of burnout, loss, grief and a self-admitted crash out of 2024, I wanted this year to mark a BOLD, new era. A realignment of life, work and wellness. Read more>>

Sarena DeBaca

After 15 years of working for Big Pharma, I hit the end of the rope. I was tired. I was angry. I was unhappy. I prayed for 3 long years for God to open a door. To give me a way out. To allow me to pursue something that I had a genuine passion for. Where I actually felt like I was helping people. It was 3 years of silence. When was this door going to open? It wasn’t until the last year of those three years where I decided to go all in for Jesus. I started reading His Word more regularly, attending church with my husband, and actively seeking Him. It was in that final year where He gave me the vision for Golgotha Apothecary. Read more>>

Jean Francois ROLLAND

The story behind the creation of Chronique Vintage came from childhood. A childhood driven by a passion for science fiction, movies and toys. With the upcoming release of Star Wars in the movie theater, a new generation of moviegoers was born and the kids of the late 70’s grew up with a magnificent choice of memorabilia like the Kenner Product toy range. From 1978 to 1985 Kenner was the only toy company allowed to officially manufacture Star Wars toys around the world. Back in the days in France, most of the toys were not available as it was in the US and I was lucky enough that my traveling Dad brings me wonders from another galaxy far far away every time he came back from his business trips. Read more>>

Stephanee Beggs

The idea for my business emerged organically, without prior planning or strategic intent. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was preparing for the NCLEX exam when the world abruptly transitioned into lockdown. The shift to remote learning meant I no longer had access to traditional classroom instruction, study groups, or in-person support. Like many others, I was forced to adapt quickly to an entirely new way of learning. Read more>>

Amy Abell

I had previously worked as a school psychologist for 10 years when we adopted two of our children internationally. After bringing home our boys, I realized firsthand the profound impact that trauma had on childhood development in a deeply personal way. After three years of parenting our sons traditionally, my husband and I knew we had to find a different approach to supporting the unique needs of our children. We attended a conference and learned about Trust-Based Relational Intervention®, which was developed by the Karen Purvis Institute of Child Development. Read more>>

Todd Abrams

I was working for a local company and learned there was a need for someone who did carpet restretching and patching. When the company I worked was going out of business I started Palatial Flooring Solutions to do repair work. Read more>>

Shonda M. Cuberson

I created The Beautiful because we should have access to quality products made with the best ingredients. People should feel confident that what they are using on their skin isn’t hurting them. My business provides wellness products that are clean, safe and effective.

Personally, over the last several years I stopped using products we all grew up with because they always seemed to sit on top of my skin, or they were too fragrant … or they simply didn’t work. Read more>>

Angelica Becerril

Taqueria 2 Brothers came up the idea When it was the pandemic we were isolated in our homes, which meant we couldn’t travel to Mexico. The brothers really wanted authentic fresh mexican food specially tacos and the oldest one {Paul) said, “Why don’t we build a taqueria?” We thought it was a great idea to have tacos and make money. We bought a food truck but the city never give us the license to operate it because we didn’t had a restaurant so we bought the restaurant 2 days before hurricane Ida was happening., We selled our tacos on the food truck near a home depot close to our house., finally we could open The Taqueria 2 Brothers September 29 of 2021, two days after little brother’s (Timmy) birthday, on October 18 for oldest brother’s (Paul) birthday , the parish closed the street for two years to rebuild it, but that is another story. Read more>>

Amy Major

The idea for starting the first children’s process-art studio in the Kansas City area actually came to me from one of my good friends. We were all the stage of raising babies and toddlers, and I was a “stay-at-home” parent at the time. She was a very busy “full-time” working mom. But we both had the same wants and needs for our littles–finding quality, fun, and enriching activities for them and ourselves. I was deep in the “baby and toddler” class circuit of my area. As a young mom with tiny littles at home most days, it is a yearning to find places where we could meet others and get out the house. There were plenty of music classes, baby “gyms”, PDOs available to us (which I was already part of, and enjoyed all of these experiences), but as a former art educator, and lover of the visual arts, I really noticed a lack of hands-on, art experiences for this age group. Read more>>

Gina Catalano

Prior to starting Black is the New AP Style, I worked for a few other online publications that provided once-in-a-lifetime experiences. While I valued my time there, their demographics didn’t always align with my interests or writing style. I was more interested in the storytelling aspect of journalism; I also wanted to be 100% honest in that the stories I were telling were ones I was actually interested in. I reached out to a handful of public relations professionals that I had worked with previously and asked if they would consider working with me as I branched out to try my own thing. When they all said yes, I knew it was time to be my own boss. Thanks to a wonderful friend from college, Stephanie, a name was chosen, and everything seemed to fall into place. Read more>>

Kate

The Skeleton Root was really born from the interest in celebrating the beautiful legacy of winemaking in America and it’s deep-rooted history in Cincinnati. Like most winemakers in this country my initial background was not in wine. Most of us start in careers unrelated to wine and something drives us toward it, my background and initial career was in Engineering. Due to this I have this unwavering interest in understanding things – how they work and how they came to be. Read more>>

Andréas Fensby

Creating Heimdall, the first Scandinavian art gallery in the world wasn’t something all I had planned long in advance.

Between 2017 and 2020, I had been doing internships and working in museums and art galleries in Paris. The arrival of covid was a sign that it was time for me to leave the big cities and head back to my hometown in the French Alps. No need to tell you that searching for an art job in this region lead nowhere given the circumstances. Read more>>

Marissa Solini

I’ve always been an artist and felt both drawn to and fueled by creativity my entire life. I got my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2015 from Oregon State University. During my college years I dabbled in a lot of different art mediums and was “that weird art girl” for sure! I felt a strong pull to focus conceptually on issues surrounding social justice and gender issues (I tackled basically every hot topic I could think of – gender stereotypes, racism, police brutality, pornography, religion, politics, abortion debate, sexual objectification, bodily autonomy, homophobia etc). Ironically, when I DID do photography in college I had convinced myself I was BAD at it, and I really couldn’t get myself past this very basic cheesy senior-portrait vibe – a fact I still openly admit and laugh about to this day! Read more>>

Izack Mohammed

It didn’t start in a boardroom. It didn’t start with a pitch deck, or a venture capitalist’s handshake.
It started in a glass house, with two tiny creatures who didn’t yet know how vast they would become in my life.

They were just cats. Or so the world would call them. But to me, they were more — companions, quiet witnesses to my unspoken battles.

People would come by, drawn by the art that filled my walls. They’d stand in my home, marveling at the pieces I’d made. Then they’d see them — my cats. Read more>>

Cheri Longo

While I may be newly licensed as a real estate professional, this chapter has been a long time in the making.

For over 20 years, I’ve called Naples, Florida, home—and during that time, I’ve had the chance to buy, renovate, stage, and sell a number of my own properties. What began as personal passion projects slowly evolved into something more meaningful. Today, I’m proud to take that experience and formalize it into a business that allows me to support others—whether they’re local residents or global investors—through one of life’s most significant journeys: buying or selling a home. Read more>>

Michelle Kroll

I’ve always loved interior design. It’s been part of who I am for as long as I can remember. I spent years working in the industry, everything from event design to commercial spaces and residential projects, I’ve always found so much joy in helping people bring their vision to life. But then I took time off to raise my kids, which I don’t regret for a second. Still, during those years, a little part of me was itching to create again. I just didn’t know how it would all come together. Read more>>