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.

Reena Terreping

Walk with me. I walk a lot, I always have. It brings me back to my centre if I am upset or if I am overwhelmingly happy. Read More>>

Monica Coburn

I started my first business when I was 8 years old and always had an interest in being an entrepreneur from a young age. Throughout my corporate career, I worked with hundreds of businesses in a variety of industries. It was through this experience that I saw the problems and challenges that small businesses were facing. Read More>>

Linda Shay

Dolphin Heart World didn’t begin as a business idea—it began with a life-changing encounter with a dolphin that opened the doorway to a journey I could never have imagined. My husband and I left successful corporate careers in search of a more meaningful life and moved to Sedona, Arizona, where my spiritual awakening began. Six months later, my husband unexpectedly passed away. Read More>>

Nijiama Smalls

The Black Girl Healing Project was born out of a deeply personal journey that eventually revealed a much larger collective need. Several years ago, I began reflecting on the emotional wounds that many Black women carry—wounds created by childhood trauma, family dysfunction, generational pain, and the constant pressure to be strong in a world that often overlooks our emotional needs. Read More>>

Siqin Bian

The idea didn’t come as a sudden business decision. It evolved naturally over time. As a dear friend once said, “We are here to leave traces of our existence.” That thought resonated deeply with me. I’ve always been drawn to visual storytelling—photography, film, and the emotional atmosphere an image can hold. At first, creating was something I did purely for myself. Read More>>

Joy Nyargem

Afrostylicity grew out of a quiet, post-graduate school moment of ‘what now?’ For the first time in years, I had free time, and I genuinely did not know what to do with it. Writing had always been a natural outlet for me. I had kept a blog in my undergrad days, long before the concept had any commercial weight to it. Read More>>

Trevor Brown

Growing up, the most consistent moments of connection in my life happened around the table. My parents and I grew our produce, cooked together, and ate together. There was an unspoken rhythm: food as a vehicle for presence. It wasn’t fancy, but it was grounding. Fast forward to college, and that feeling disappeared for a bit. Read More>>

Gigi Robinson

Hosts of Influence® didn’t start as a single idea. It started as a realization that what I was building could scale, and more importantly, that most creators had no access to that kind of thinking. At the time, I was already running my personal brand, doing brand partnerships, speaking, and consulting. Read More>>

Ralph Jarrells

My first novel, ‘ill gotten gain’ was the answer to a question I had as a teenager. What happened to the 30 pieces of silver that Judas was given? The Bible tells us that he threw them into the temple. Then we are told they were used to buy Potter’s Field as a pauper cemetery. Then they disappear. Read More>>

Trey Hoebee

My brand actually started as a personal brand that was solely based around cars and racing. Then it changed years later to discovering myself in music and rebranded into more of a hyper pop music style of brand. Read More>>

ToBina Thornton-Stephens

The idea for my business came from a personal experience that turned into a deeper realization about a problem affecting many people in my community. At the time, I was working two jobs, raising a toddler, and attending Wayne State University full-time. Like many people, I trusted someone my family recommended to prepare my taxes. Read More>>

Michelle Abrams

Women of Colorado started as an Instagram page meant to highlight the achievements of women in the state, but it became so much more. From that one fateful day I received a DM saying ‘so when do we all get to hang out?’ I knew we would evolve into something more. Read More>>

Burton Kelso

When I first started Integral in 1993, the world was on the brink of a digital revolution, but for the average person, technology felt like a foreign language. I remember seeing people struggle, not just with the machines, but with the intimidating culture surrounding them. Read More>>

Cindy Michael

It’s hard to describe to someone who doesn’t work with fiber how one can become so completely obsessed with the experience of an exquisite yarn winding through your fingers on its way to becoming something wearable. Those of us who are afflicted with this obsession are usually first drawn in by the color, texture, or softness. Read More>>

Candice Jones

My mom is an airforce veteran and has been out of the service for many years now and realized how often people remarked on how well she looked and was doing in comparison to other veterans they had encountered. So many veterans are unhoused, and uncared for after their service to the country, and people often remarked about her overall positive disposition. Read More>>

Meredith Limoges

The idea for SayLa came out of a place of total exhaustion. I’ve been running my first business, Beaudin, since 2013, and while I love that work, the pace of entrepreneurship—combined with caring for my dad through Stage 4 cancer—eventually led to a level of burnout I couldn’t ignore. Everything in my life felt loud. Read More>>

Josha Cunningham

The idea behind my work didn’t start as a business plan. It started as a search for understanding and purpose. I began studying human trafficking through a program which was designed for veterans dealing with PTSD. The program explored the concept of spiritual trafficking—how manipulation, control, and exploitation can affect the human spirit long before it shows up in physical spaces. Read More>>

Taylor Ann Green

Reset Athletic ultimately started as a way to give myself purpose again after the loss of my older brother back in June of 2023. For a long time I felt very disconnected and depressed from the heartache my family had endured. Read More>>

Tynan Gable

The idea for Citrus Wellness Co. really started during a road trip across the U.S. We were moving through different cities and climates, and one thing that kept standing out was how dramatically different the water felt from place to place. Read More>>

Natalie O.

I came up with Goth Romantic Jewelry back in October of 2025 with this crazy idea of blending 18th century goth romanticism aesthetics with Rococo art, aristocratic art that felt vampy, very macabre period pieces. I was inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Books of The Bronte’s, Queen Elizabeth, Marie Antionette, to Nosferatu. Read More>>

FREDERICK ASIEDU

I ALWAYS WANT TO TRAVEL EVEN FROM MY TEENAGE AGE I WAS THINKING ABOUT TRAVELING OVERSEES TILL 2016 I GOT INSPIRATION FROM GOD TO SET AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS TO DO WITH INVITING PEOPLE FROM USA, EUROPE, AND PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES TO COME TO AFRICA FOR MISSIONS AND TOURISM PURPOSES AND I KNEW THAT WOULD BE A STARTING POINT FOR ME ALSO TO TRAVEL OVERSEES. Read More>>

LaTonya Winfrey

Our nonprofit, Happy: Joseph’s Journey, is a community of Autism Advocates that aim to educate, empower, enrich and celebrate individuals with Autism, their families, and communities. As part of this journey with my son, Joseph, I realize that many families are sometimes looking for their ‘village’. Read More>>

Dennis Nichols

First, I truly appreciate this opportunity you’ve given me. Honestly, it started with a lot of frustration. I’m a creator first, and for years I felt like I was spending more time jumping around between an insane amount of platforms and tools than actually creating anything. Read more>>

Shawn Mangenje

My background has always been in photography and the creative arts. I studied creative subjects while growing up in the UK, and visual storytelling was always something that interested me. When I moved to Michigan, I was in a completely new environment and didn’t know many people in the creative space. Read More>>

Misty Skolnick

Nearly 40 years ago, my dad, Jerry Skolnick, was introduced to a style of pretzel that immediately stood out to him. It was different from the pretzels you’d normally find in grocery stores – harder, crunchier, and baked with simple ingredients in a way that gave it a deep, satisfying flavor. The moment he tried it, he felt like he had discovered something special. Read More>>

Natalya Turner Chapman

I never planned to be an author. Honestly, I never imagined it. I’ve always been the one behind the scenes quietly supporting others, showing up in the background. So, when Anchored in Grace: A Journey of Faith, Solitude, Healing and Transformation began to take shape, it surprised me just as much as anyone. The truth is that this work wasn’t born from ambition. Read More>>

Curt Wiser

It all started on New Years Eve 2008. I was 27, out of college for a few years with a BFA in Computer Animation and what did I have to show for it? I was working security at a theme park, the kind of empty job that sucks every ounce of creativity out of you. Read More>>

Portia Benbow

The idea for DiaBeating The Odds was born out of my own life experience living with Type 1 diabetes. I was diagnosed in 1999, and like many people who receive a chronic illness diagnosis, I spent years asking myself, “Why me?” Managing diabetes is not just about insulin, doctor visits, or monitoring blood sugar. Read More>>

Kristin Sunanta Walker

Before I started my podcast and network, I spent decades in technology, specifically in database management and electronic healthcare records. I built systems and databases for large organizations like Perot Systems Healthcare, Learning Care Group, and Assurant Healthcare. I was running a business and working at a pretty high level in that space. Read More>>

Kimberly Powell

PowerHaus by KP was born out of both my experience and my evolution. After spending nine years as an event curator, I realized I wasn’t just creating beautiful events I was creating spaces where people felt seen, celebrated, and empowered. But behind the scenes, I also went through a personal journey that required me to rebuild my confidence, rediscover my voice, and reclaim my power. Read More>>

Danielle Harrell Wills

The idea behind my work really came from lived experience. For years I found myself navigating situations where I was expected to figure things out on my own—emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. I realized that many of the life lessons I needed most weren’t things anyone had ever really taught me. Read More>>

Brittney Kane

When I started Foreverland Farm I didn’t really have a great idea of what I was getting myself into. I knew I wanted to help animals, and I believed I could make a difference in their lives because they had such an impact on mine. I started riding horses when I was five years old, and I was obsessed. Read More>>

phakapan salao

My Idea started Mongkol Muaythai Fight gear business started from pursuing my master’s in global Management opened my eyes to opportunities. I wanted to break the mold-no Thai restaurants or massage parlors. I saw a gap in Muaythai gear market and seized it. I ‘m proud to be the first Thai person to create a Muaythai brand in the US, blending heritage with innovation. Read More>>

Preston Zeller

I had been exploring different AI concepts and particularly how large language models could analyze large sets of data, and was fascinated by the different methodologies that really existed beyond just using a chat interface. Read More>>

Briana Contreras

I grew up with pan dulce being a big part of my childhood, walking into a panaderia, the smell of fresh bread, picking out conchas with my family. It was such a special treat every time and something I always looked forwards to. But as I got older and started paying attention to ingredients, that experience started to change. Read More>>

Trey Gonsalez

All Sports Best originated as a creative outlet for it’s founder, Trey Gonsalez, who was a former athlete trying to keep in touch with sports as a whole. It started as a social media page and gradually became a multi-media company using local radio, social media, podcast, and an online website as platforms to spotlight athletes from around the area and create sports-based content. Read More>>

John Edwards

I had been an Aerospace Engineer for 10 years, but a music fan for twice that long. I began to realize that a lot of my favorite albums from the 60s, 70s and 80s were not available on CD. I got the idea to start a record label that would focus on preserving these records on CD for future generations. Read More>>

Stacy Johnson

More than 20 years ago, I took on my first mentee. She was a high-potential student who wasn’t sure she was in the right major. My second mentee was struggling academically and needed a different kind of support. Despite their differences, I found myself guiding both through a similar process: helping them understand who they were and how that connected to where they were headed. Read More>>

Jenna Dunn

Mid-South Trans Nation evolved from a place of urgency, compassion, and community care. As anti-trans rhetoric and policy attacks intensified many transgender people across the country, especially in the South, found themselves facing increased uncertainty, fear, and barriers to essential resources. In our community, we saw firsthand how these political and social pressures were impacting real people’s lives. Read More>>

Jamarr Sanders

The idea for J-Rodez Wines really started during my career as a professional basketball player in Italy. Most people think the biggest takeaway from playing overseas is the basketball, but for me it was the culture. Italy introduced me to wine in a completely different way. It wasn’t intimidating or exclusive, it was simply part of everyday life. Read More>>

Gene Bowen Jack Bookbinder

Jeff Buckley’s former manager and a tour manager came together, each facing their own adversity—diabetes and addiction—and used both their personal and professional experiences to rally our industry. We brought together like-minded people from the entertainment world who wanted to make a difference in the lives of young people. Although they didn’t meet there, they both went through NYU’s Music Business Program. Read More>>

Domeda Duncan

In December 2021, my co-founder Mark and I set out to host a simple holiday gathering at the former Black Cultural Center on the University of Utah’s campus. Originally, it was meant to help us meet people for a separate project. That goal was met—but what we didn’t expect was what came next. There was an energy in the room. Read More>>

Meehwa Bellendir

I am a survivor of a devastating fire in 2018 in Korea at Sejong Hospital — an event that not only took my mother’s life but also left my body in crisis. I was diagnosed with PTSD, and soon after, my body developed an autoimmune disorder. Every system in my body seemed to stop functioning. Read More>>

Martina Stellmaszek

MESH moms was born out of lived experience — and out of a moment of clarity I didn’t expect. I had my first three babies in Atlanta. Like so many moms, I prepared extensively for pregnancy and birth, but once I was home with a newborn, the support dropped off almost immediately. Postpartum felt isolating, overwhelming, and lonely. Read More>>

Kyeyune Noordin

The idea for Sustainers ‘Trustee or Love’ Charitable Ministries didn’t come from a boardroom. It came from a moment of deep gratitude for my own life to God by appreciating what I have, and what i had achieved in His Grace by answering His call to serve those who didn`t have hope in life of even achieving anything or becoming someone in the future. Read More>>

Lisa Sizow

The idea for Lusso by Lisa came during a very unexpected moment in my life — the COVID shutdown. At the time, I was working for a hedge fund partner, but when the pandemic hit in March, everything slowed down and I was suddenly home with my kids. Read More>>

Kayla Warren

The idea for Resumesbyk came from seeing how many talented people struggled to present themselves confidently on paper, even though they had the skills and experience to succeed. I often noticed friends, classmates, and professionals feeling overwhelmed when it came to writing resumes, preparing for interviews, or understanding how to position themselves for opportunities. Read More>>

Bridget Britton

Our son, Jaxon Britton, spent many days and nights in the hospital. During those times, he wasn’t your typical “sick kid”. He was up and active most of his days. So he would quickly get bored in the hospital. At age 4, we introduced our son to Legos. It was a passion my husband had growing up. Read More>>

Chad Bailey

It began in the summer of 2024, when I was cruising the skies with a mini drone in my local neighborhood on a hot summer day. I have always enjoyed creating aerial videos and seeing the views from up high, as it provides a different of perspective of your location and surroundings. Read More>>