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.

Vitalii Rodionov

The idea for Vitality Sustainable Resort Group grew out of a combination of professional experience, academic research, and personal values. I spent over 13 years working in logistics, operations, and HR across tourism and entertainment sectors. Read more>>

Kyndal Saverse

One day back in 2019, I decided I was going to be a dancer. I had spent several years falling in love with yoga, and I was continually pursuing avenues that made me feel good (rather than look good). Read more>>

Christina Nicolasin

It was 2021, and my office job was wearing me down. I’d been in the finance industry for several years and had worked hard to slowly climb the corporate ladder. I was depressed and was developing horrifying anxiety, something I had never thought would happen to me. Read more>>

Katie Thomas

At the end of 2021, Kaycee Connelly, Olivia McCarter, and I had just finished our internship with a company conducting investigative genetic genealogy to identify unidentified human remains and perpetrators of violent crimes. We knew that we all had a passion for this work and enjoyed working together. We wanted to continue to conduct this type of work and make a difference in the world. Read more>>

Joy Harvey

This idea was born out of grief. I had just lost my job, and not long after, my grandmother, the rock of our family, passed away. It was the first time I had experienced grief that close, and I didn’t know how to handle it. Read more>>

Morgan and William Shirley

The idea for Cypress Tents and Events was born from our mutual love for hosting. William and I have always been the kind of people who light up when friends and family gather—whether it’s a birthday, holiday, or just an excuse to celebrate life together. Read more>>

Brandy Waltman

I had a joint adventure with a friend running an antique shop. She received a call from a friend about a man who was throwing out amazing antique items on the side of the street and told us to hurry and come get them. This poor fellow was having a breakdown in his yard. Read more>>https://canvasrebel.com/meet-brandy-waltman

Shelley Harper

In the winter of 2013, my husband aged 45 randomly got sick and we found out it was an aggressive form of leukemia. His aggressive part of his treatment lasted about a year and involved our entire family. Read more>>

Justin Pillmore

How it all Started: Back in 2018, my 2 year-old son and I were sitting on the couch and I asked him if he wanted to dress up like a golf caddie for Halloween. He could care less about the idea but I was super excited so that’s where our internet searching began. Read more>>

Bridget Winfrey

 

Purpose Found Inc. and Ministry was created in 1998 as a dance and drama business. I taught liturgical dance and drama classes in the local Atlanta, GA area. However, life happened in 2010, and I joined the Army Reserves as a chaplain. I served for eight years and truly enjoyed serving and providing pastoral care and suicide prevention training. Read more>>

Gabe Soumakian

From Superintendent to Entrepreneur: My Journey I dedicated more than 40 years to education, ultimately retiring as a Superintendent of Schools. Even before retirement, I knew I wanted to remain connected to education by consulting, but like many who make big transitions, I faced uncertainty—how could I support educators, and who would actually seek my guidance? Read more>>

Nate Santos

Well I’d have to say it started with my uncle who owns his plumbing business. He had 1st approached me right before I graduated AHS. I had helped him a on a few jobs growing up and had enough of an idea to know I did not want to be a career plumber lol. Read more>>

Kelsey Flores

My journey into the sleep consulting business actually started from a place I never anticipated. Prior to having my daughter in March 2022, I had no idea that it was even a profession. At first, I learned about sleep consultants when a speaker visited a parent group I was part of. It piqued my interest because sleep was a big priority for my family. Read more>>

Harnek and Sohan Sabharwal and Kathari

The idea for SpeakSmart came from a very real struggle both of us experienced: the fear of speaking in front of others. As part of the speech and debate team, we saw how powerful confident communication could be, but also how intimidating it felt for so many people. Read more>>

Kalin Alvey

The Story Behind One4All Counseling The idea for my business was born from both personal conviction and professional frustration. After a decade of clinical practice, I had seen firsthand how many people, particularly those in marginalized communities, were being left out of mental health services. Read more>>

Alicen Rumsey

The original idea for Nola’s Pantry was to open a Specialty Food Market in the historic downtown Rogers, Arkansas with the intention of bringing unique, small batch goods to NWA Arkansas. I personally loved specialty foods and I didn’t mind paying a premium price if I knew it was worth it, but how would I know without tring it first? Read more>>

Katie Taylor

My journey began in 2020 during the pandemic. Unfortunately my health became an issue, sudden weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, and more. In 2019 was when I discovered I needed to be gluten free, but a few months into 2020 was when I learned I have an incurable illness called idiopathic Gastroparesis. Severe Gastroparesis can be very very restrictive. Read more>>

Amy Hedges

When I first started Forgotten Oklahoma, there was really no other Oklahoma history related page on Facebook. I had taken photos of abandoned buildings for years with my grandmother and had started posting them on Instagram and Facebook. My dad encouraged me to start a page for it because so many people were liking my photos. Read more>>

Christopher Martin

The idea for Nayon Campground was really born out of years of passion and personal experience. My wife and I have always been avid campers—we’ve been exploring the outdoors for as long as I can remember, even when our kids were still little. Back then, we’d pack up the RV and travel to different campgrounds across Canada and the U.S. Read more>>

Linda Kamajian

I was on a trip to Italy in 2001 with my family and we had a few days to spend in Venice. As we stopped on the island of Murano in Venice, where Murano glass (also known as Venetian glass) is created, I was inspired by the overwhelming amount and beauty of production from the island. Read more>>

Kaleigh Schofield

Being a stay-at-home mom has been one of the biggest blessings of my life, but I also knew I wanted something that allowed me to express myself and chase my passions while still being present with my kids. I’ve always loved fashion, creativity, and making things with my own hands—so starting a small business felt natural. Read more>>

Kara Mae Brodnax

I live in a tourist town and noticed a real need: grocery stores are far from the rental cabins, which makes it difficult for guests to get everything they need for their stay. I had been thinking about starting a business that would allow travelers to arrive and find their cabins stocked with groceries of their choice. Read more>>

Jonathan Mena

The idea for HomeVest really grew out of my own path through housing and finance. I started out in the banking space, then worked in residential construction, and eventually tried my hand at development. My thinking was simple: if I could just build homes at lower margins, I could make them more affordable. Read more>>

Anthony Caruso

I have always loved cars. My grandfather on my mother’s side was very good at working on cars and worked for a parts store for years. Naturally every time they came over for Sunday dinner or any other holiday, he’d always have toy cars for me. Even after he passed, my grandmother kept up the tradition. Read more>>

Alyson Rodges

Eighteen years ago, my husband and I had two children in private school, and buying an Australian Labradoodle just wasn’t in the budget. (I was hooked on the breed—that’s another amazing story for another day!) So, instead of buying a puppy, I began researching how to become a guardian for a dog through a reputable breeder. That’s when I found Gail Ferrell of Gail’s Doodles. Read more>>https://canvasrebel.com/meet-alyson-rodges

Roshawn Lyles

For the last 20 years, I walked the path of a professional recording artist under the name **Kwiet Storm**—an R&B boy band born from the streets of Harvey, IL, a suburb of Chicago. During those years, I had the honor of releasing a music video on **106 & Park, BET, and MTV**, touring nationwide, and dropping our signature album *In the Midst of the Storm*. Read more>>

Samantha LevitinSara Courtney

When I launched Levitin Collective, it was during maternity leave with my daughter, Daisy. After spending more than 15 years leading PR for brands, startups, and companies of all sizes, becoming a mom shifted my perspective. Read more>>

Sara Courtney

Highland really started with a mix of burnout, passion, and honestly—wine and delusion. My background has always been very procedural—I spent years in plastic surgery, emergency medicine, critical care, and I even flew as an Air Force flight nurse. I thrived in environments where precision mattered and pressure was high. Read more>>

Wolfgang Bientzle

Long story , the questions or subjects listed don’t fit my category . I started what I m loving to do at the age of 6 . Still doing it at the age of 58. Did my art / sport , competed , performed , coached on every level . Read more>>