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.

LaKendra Foster

I realized how much joy it brings me to see people come together and celebrate meaningful moments. I’ve always had a creative eye and the ability to picture how a space could look, how colors, themes, and little details could come together to make an experience unforgettable. Read More>>

Shannon McKinney

In January 2020, I was in a waiting room with my daughter, thumbing through a Real Simple magazine and happened upon an article written by a professional organizer and it was like a brick dropped on my head. I didn’t know this was a ‘thing’ let alone a profession; I nudged my daughter and she said, ‘Oh, mom!’, meaning it would be perfect for me. Read More>>

RANDI SKINNER

I’ve always known entrepreneurship was in my blood — I’m a third-generation entrepreneur, raised in a family where ownership, service, and hard work were just part of life. I studied entrepreneurship in college, always knowing that one day I’d build something of my own. But the timing came sooner — and more powerfully — than I expected. Read More>>

Cynthia Moos

Best French Forever was born from a deep longing to reconnect with my roots. I moved to the U.S. from Provence in 2014, and at first, I wholeheartedly embraced my new life and culture… but over time, I began feeling a disconnect with who I was and how I wanted to live. Read More>>

Dr. Mallori Girard

Six Kittens Rescue wasn’t something we planned — it was something that happened because there was a severe need and no one else to call. I had always been active in rescue work back home in Dallas, Texas. My passion there was pit bulls. I’ve always had an intense love for the breed, and in Dallas, they desperately needed help. Read More>>

Sharon Samelson Massiatte

I am the founder and president of a nonprofit organization – Mobile Education Center for All (MECA). MECA is a mobile tutoring service that helps students who are struggling with chronic absenteeism. Here’s how it started: I had been teaching for almost ten years – I taught everything from special education to general ed to art, from elementary to high school. Read More>>

Vito Blanco

So becoming a lifestyle Influencer, it wasn’t something that i woke up one day and planned to do. I honestly always just been my authentic self, which i’ve showcased over the years via social media rather it was travel, places to eat, things to do, my personality etc… with no set intentions, just documenting memories and posting. Read More>>

Faith Tepoel

I remember growing up doing school work, I’d see photos in history books and be amazed at how a photo could be taken so long ago, and still end up right in front of me. Read More>>

Jeff Smityh

Back in 2014, I went on a search for good coffee. I tried all the local roasters in my area, as well as every bag of coffee on the shelves at the grocery store. They all lacked something. They were either too bitter and upset my stomach, or too old, or too light, or too dark. Read More>>

Allison Rothwell

During the pandemic, I was home trying to work my office job remotely with a one year old and a three year old. My job as an administrative assistant for a CPA firm is a lot easier to do in person during tax season so I was struggling mentally. Read More>>

Chelse Gore

I’ve always had a deep love for nature, animals, and living a holistic lifestyle. I’ve been drawn to homeopathic remedies and finding natural ways to care for both people and pets. During the pandemic, my children’s father started working in canine protection training, so our home was constantly full of different breeds of dogs that we helped board and feed. Read More>>

Wendy Hernandez

“I built LionsPride to challenge who gets to support power and how.” The idea for LionsPride Assistant began with a moment of truth. After more than a decade in public education, serving as Special Assistant to Dr. Lindsa McIntyre and helping turn around some of Boston’s most challenged schools, I left the classroom ready to bring my skills to the private sector. Read More>>

Ludovit Halaj

I always knew in my heart that one day I’ll be doing my own business. I’ve worked since college in sales, and sometimes there was something about the product I was selling, I was not confident about. Sometimes it was the price, sometimes quality, or need for the product. When I was about 27, I knew that this is the time. Read More>>

Janis McCurry

When I was a child, my dad always made me put away the book I’d brought to the dinner table. He knew I’d try to read it in my lap during family meals. That hasn’t changed much since I’ve become an adult. Throughout grade school, junior high, high school, and university, I loved reading more than anything. Read More>>

Marcia Hall

Mrbubblez Inc. (mobile showers for the homeless) is a non-profit organization that has served the unhoused families, men, and women of the Tampa Bay area for nine years. We provide a hot shower, clean clothing, new underwear, a pair of socks, and a hygiene bag with necessities that can be used over and over. Read More>>

Felicia Okonkwo

Going through a difficult divorce was the catalyst for realizing a common truth: many of us face the challenge of starting over at 40. My friends and I shared similar stories about navigating this transition, and that’s exactly how the idea for TheMaturedCollective40plus was born. Read More>>

Eman Rodriguez

Parabellum was born from a personal necessity. As tattoo shops began appearing on every corner, the industry seemed to lose the very traits that once made it meaningful: genuine attention, thoughtful customer care, and a distinctive creative identity that set one studio apart from another. My breaking point came during my final visit to a shop whose indifference shocked me. Read More>>

Josh Yopp

Back in 2017, my brother Elijah was building his start-up, Out The Box Digital Marketing (OTB). It was a small social media agency helping brands and organizations stay consistent and grow their presence online. At the time, I was working a corporate job, but Elijah knew I had a passion for photos and videos. All I had back then was a Canon t7i. Read More>>

Harry Markos

Comic books were the way that I learned how to read well and often when I was a kid. I stopped reading them after I started to work, which I always regretted. I hadn’t read comic books for many years and was working as a police officer when I received a potentially career threatening injury. Read More>>

Tiffani Lyon

I’ve always believed that beauty is about more than just how you look; it’s how you feel when you walk out the door. The idea for my business came from a beauty school project. They said to dream big and had us create a one-year, five-year, and twenty-year plan. Read More>>

Murari Ambati

The idea for NOVA Policy Network began when Ishan Pendyala and I realized that cognitive enhancement technologies were advancing faster than society was prepared to manage. We were watching friends turn to neuroenhancers just to meet expectations in school and internships. It felt like a shift was happening quietly and without any real guidance for what responsible use should look like. Read More>>

Walter Barrera

The idea for The Taco Plug was born during one of the most uncertain times in recent history COVID. Life had slowed down, everyone was stuck at home, and like a lot of people, I turned to cooking for comfort and connection. I started making meals for my buddies, just something casual and from the heart. Read More>>

Leah Ohmer

Adventure Crate was the logical next step for a book nerd that was trapped in her house during covid. I had been an Executive Director for our area Arts Council and a local story time presenter when things came to a halt during the pandemic. Read More>>

Tim Richmond

I came up with the idea for Tru Authenticity, PLLC because I wanted to create a space that encourages people to show up as their most genuine selves — whether that’s in their personal growth, professional journey, or creative expression. I’ve seen how often people feel pressured to fit into certain molds, and I wanted to build something that celebrates individuality and realness. Read More>>

Gardy Beaucicaut

The more I leaned on God’s understanding in my early 20’s and not my own understanding, the more I felt my spirit moving inside of me to take risk. Read More>>

Shannon Weiss

The idea for my business was born out of my own transformation through motherhood and healing. After having twins, I realized how little support women receive during the sacred window after birth-not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. Read More>>

Dino Jones

My debut novel, ‘Born From A Wish’, was published in October 2020. I released the fifth anniversary edition of it last month. How did I come up with the idea of ‘Born From A Wish’? Initially, the story was going to be quite dark. Read More>>

Peter Ivey

The Reggae Chefs is a personal chef service that fuses Jamaican food and culture for a unique dining experience. Our purpose is to promote and preserve our culture to the world authentically and responsibly. The idea for The Reggae Chefs came at a pivotal time in my life. Read More>>

Nicole Cicia

The idea for The Perfect Bite really came from my roots and what I grew up around. Coming from a big Italian New York family, food was always at the center of everything, especially antipasti and appetizer-style dishes that brought everyone together. Read More>>

Maggie Stineman

Georgia Rustics Candle Co. was founded because we couldn’t find the kind of candles we wanted in our own home – clean-burning, allergy-friendly soy candles that truly fit our rustic style. Everything on the market either had artificial fragrances or lacked authenticity. So we decided to make our own. Read More>>

Chauntology Speaks

The idea for my business was born out of my own pain — my life as a Strong Black Woman. I was the person everyone could count on, but I didn’t have anyone I could lean on. I was “that friend,” the dependable one, the encourager, the fixer. On the outside, I looked like I had it all together — career, family, confidence. Read More>>

Ashley Bryant

In all honesty it was two things; boredom & the desire to create something with my hands. Read More>>

Lynne Cuppernull

I need to preface all my answers by saying I launched this company with a partner. My former work colleague and friend Dan Ward. We are an amazing partnership. Read More>>

Ashley Movsesyan

Honestly, it all happened a little serendipitously. I’ve been in the event space since my very beginning of self discovery; for me that started in high-school. Read More>>

Andrea Byers

Chronic & Iconic Coaching was born in the aftermath of a life-altering storm, the kind that strips you down to your bones and forces you to rebuild from the inside out. After my cardiac arrest at 40, everything I thought I knew about strength and success fell apart. Read More>>