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.
Adriana Basurto
As a parent, all I’ve ever wanted is to be able to give my children every possible opportunity and see them happy. This includes having them participate in extra-curricular activities. I soon learned it was not easy keeping up with the busy schedule, especially when working full-time. I spent countless hours rushing to and from my son’s practices, games, school events, and more. Read more>>
Cara Pitts
The story behind Southern Roots Vegan Bakery began with a life-changing documentary called “What The Health.” After watching it, Marcus, my husband, immediately transitioned to a plant-based lifestyle. As a lifelong baker, I began to veganize my own recipes and started sharing them with friends and family. They encouraged us to start a business, and we eventually took a 10-week culinary accelerator program called Break Fast and Launch organized by Launch SA, which helped us get started. Read more>>
Kelly Crandall
When my family and I moved here I was on the search for a great outside market to shop from! I visited all the markets I could and I was slightly disappointed in what I found. Some market just had food, some just had art and others were Chinese made products. I wanted a market I could go to that had a little bit of everything but wasn’t finding that in the East valley at all!! So I decided to make one myself! Read more>>
Dr. Diana Lawrence
Tell us the story of how you came up with the idea for your business? Paint the picture for us so we really understand the context, circumstances, the emotions etc. Walk us through how you knew this was a worthwhile endeavor – talk to us about the logic of why you felt this would work? Were you solving a problem that no one else was solving? Were you offering a unique approach or what about this idea got you most excited? Read more>>
Johnny Fuller
I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior at the age of 7. My dad and I went to a Billy Graham crusade in Oklahoma on October 23, 1983. That year, the very young Amy Grant provided the special music. When Dr. Graham extended the invitation, I told my dad that I wanted to go forward and give my life to Christ (I had felt a tugging on my heart during the invitation time at our home church for 2 or 3 Sundays before this). Read more>>
Irais Elizarraraz
The born of our brand started in 2020, a time of public unrest. With social interactions and face masks limiting our conversations. Especially during a highly opinionated time period of social justice, politics, and social issues in general, I found myself exhausted in advocating and highlighting my perspective and identity on a repeated basis. An everyday essential, apparel, became the source of amplifying my voice without straining my voice. Sin Título came about as a solution to my own problem. Read more>>
Ge Bai
From my point of view, creative services serve both clients and end users. Fulfilling end users’ physical and emotional needs and helping people achieve their goals can help out clients’ success and, in turn, benefit ourselves. With this in mind, it’s easy to get inspiration by observing end users’ behavior. Read more>>
Chef Q. Ibraheem
I’m an artist. Food is my medium. I own a business called Teertsemasesottehg. While working for a restaurant training program for at risk young adults I was waiting for the executive team to show up for a meeting that was already an hour past start time and the participants of the program were acting like school kids during last period of classes on a Friday. Dramatic and over the top and exceptionally highly energetic to say the least. I sat at a table in the dining room and said out loud…” Read more>>
Erica Hansen
While being a stay at home to young twins and a new baby, I needed a flexible outlet for myself. I needed something to do for myself that made me feel productive outside of raising my kids. I knew that I wanted to interact with other adults, it had to flexible, and making money in the process would be a plus. Although having a degree in Kinesiology, the beauty industry has always been fun for me. I started researching spray tanning. Read more>>
Carly Dorfman
Owning my own private practice had always been a long term goal of mine. This dates back to when I decided I wanted to be a speech language pathologist. I knew I needed to gain experience in the industry in order to find out what kind of therapy I wanted to focus on and how I wanted to help the families I treated with the idea of private practice always in the back of my mind. I never felt the timing was right but the pandemic gave me the opportunity to leave my steady 9-5 job and create something of my own. In the summer of 2021, I got COVID and was locked in my room for 10 days quarantining. Read more>>
Adebimpe Adelugba
Growing up fashion, and beauty has always been in my radar. I loved everything beauty. At age 10 I would tell my parents, how I would have a big beauty parlor. I guess entrepreneurs has always been a thing for me. I remember how I would tell my parents 9-5 life isn’t built for me. I would literally play dressup in my mom’s clothes and her heels. So the passion continued to grow and my love for beauty and fashion was just unmatched. Read more>>
SHef Tiffany Miller
HerSHefness Kitchen & Catering is an idea I came up with after working for a catering company. While working for this company I became proficient in the day to day operations of catering business. From taking catering orders, ordering from different food vendors, delegating kitchen duties to staff, and sometimes be apart of serving staff for the event if needed. Being apart of this gave me the passion and fire to want to be in the service industry for myself. With this passion and my drive together I knew it would work. Read more>>
Adesola Akindele
The idea for HyGear Technologies came to us ladies because we shared an experiential need for convenient Hygiene tech. My co-founder London, a breast cancer survivor and educator, she cleansed her classroom and surfaces 3 times a day before Covid and wished there was an easier way. For me, I wanted to visit Nigeria and go glamping more often without the worry of water safety for my daughter. Read more>>
Dave Goes
More than anything, Metal Spirits is a lifestyle brand for those who cherish individual liberty, personal responsibility and that American creation called rock-n-roll. We make an incredibly smooth vodka and rye whiskey of course, but our customers (The Tribe, as we call them) consists of people who love and live the principles of Liberty, Responsibility and Rock-N-Roll. Read more>>
Kira Young
Social media and the popularity of TV shows have taken home design and decorating into a new era. Sources become more available to the public and because of that there are so many options to choose from. This can get very overwhelming and I see the desire for specific design services that cater to the client’s needs. Read more>>
Carly Van Duinen
New Growth Project is a collaboration of ideas between co-founders. When I was 22 I decided to leave Grand Rapids and move to Colorado to work for a summer camp. Ascendigo, although it has many different programs today, started as a camp with a mission to give individuals with Autism a chance to experience typical summer camp life. At this camp, we taught campers to wake surf, white water raft, rock climb, horse back ride and much more. Read more>>
Latasha Gray
In 2017 while working as a hairstylist at a commission based salon , I would sometimes receive a client that would book a sew in and on the date of service would bring their previously worn, dirty, mangled bundles and sometimes would request a color service on the bundles SAME DAY.This would turn their three and a half hour visit into a six hour or more salon visit. One day i told my client to drop her hair off at least 24 hours in advance before her scheduled install appointment. Read more>>
Sydney Parker
I’ve always loved fashion ever since I was a young girl and the idea of starting a business happened in college. I thought about combining the two when I would visit boutiques for fashion course assignments. At that time, I noticed a bunch of celebrities doing the same thing but I wondered how could I do it better. So eventually I found my niche. I set out to cater to shorter/petite women because i’m 5’1′ and know how difficult it is to find my jean or pants size. I knew this would be a good niche to pursue because the petite market now is catered to older women and the clothing is not trendy or fashionable. Read more>>
Amanda Davis
It all began with my grandma. A few years ago on a chilly Christmas Eve in Northern Arizona, Grandma opened her front door to find a holiday wreath sitting at her doorstep. The wreath was covered in beautiful pine foliage and bright poinsettia flowers, yet lacked a gift tag so she could know who sent it to her. Her curiosity got the best of her, so she called up her daughters, neighbors, and old friends in an attempt to locate the sender. Read more>>
Patrick Brower
In all actuality, I never wanted to own a comic book shop. I graduated college with a degree in Illustration (and Art History) and I fully intended to be a freelance commercial artist. But I knew it would take time to establish a client base and build a reputation, so I was on the lookout for a part-time job. By chance I was at my local comic book shop buying my weekly comics when the owner asked, “What did we ever say about you working here?” Read more>>
Nikki Stephens
I’ve always loved fashion. What you choose to wear is an expression of who you are. And it feels good to wear things that you love and that you feel really represent you. My whole life, I was very intentional about my wardrobe. Even in the single digits of being on this earth, I had an opinion about what I would wear (my mom loves to tell the stories of her little girl always having a strong say in what she wanted to wear). And that incredibly intentional curation has never stopped. Read more>>
Sarah Ward
We were thrilled to be expecting twins in the spring of 2017. Unfortunately, I unexpectedly went into labor 3 months early. Our girls were born at a gestational age of 28 weeks and spent months in the Neonatal ICU (NICU). Because our babies were born early, we were unable to hold them for almost a week. When we could finally hold them it was only for a moment before they had to be returned to their isolette beds due to them not being able to regulate their temperature, breathing difficulties, and sensitivity to lights and sounds. During this time our nurses suggested reading to our children to connect with them. Read more>>
Jojo Trumbly
When I first started The NET…I had only a narrow understanding of the vast majority of networking companies out there. Looking back now, that was probably to my advantage because I wasn’t too busy comparing myself to others…I just saw a space in the market and a need for something like The NET. I contribute my success with the collaboration of my peers and colleagues. Read more>>
Jack Louneoubonh
When I was a growing up, my parents would cook the most delicious food. If it wasn’t them that was cooking, it would be from aunts and uncles or close friends. So at such a young age, I was accustomed to great food to go along with unmatched hospitality. And that trait has always carried on with me up until now. I wanted to make good food that didn’t have to be inclusive to a certain demographic but for everyone to enjoy. Read more>>
Tad Jones
If I have to put myself in a “box” I am a photographer, videographer, content creator, storyteller (admittedly that box is still large and relatively undefined) but originally this all started with combining my background and degree in Business Management with creative work. My first “catch phrase” was Creative Ideas for Businesses and Business Ideas for Creatives. At the time I was a clinical practice manager that did creative projects on the side. Read more>>
Matthew Wurnig
I came up with the idea of 50 Dates 50 States when the COVID pandemic hit in 2020. When everyone was locked in their homes and businesses were shut down, people were looking for ways to be entertained. I wanted to create something that would entertain people and shift their attention from all the negativity (COVID cases, deaths, politics, etc.) and instead put a smile on their face. Read more>>
Kate Pauley
Create Dinners started with an email to a small group of friends, asking them if they were interested in bringing their different creative talents to the table, quite literally – a florist did the arrangements on the table, a ceramicist made the vases, a stylist set the table, a designer printed menus, a chef cooked the meal, and I documented everything. We all posted photos, and enough people asked us about it that we decided we should host another one and open it up to more friends. I built a website and it kind of took off from there by word of mouth. Read more>>
Andrea Campero
The COVID-19 pandemic back in 2020 made me reflect on where my work and life was headed. Although I was successful as a Human Capital Senior Consultant, I struggled working long hours that kept me away from the people and activities I loved the most. I needed to make a change and push myself to prioritize my mental and physical health. I knew I wanted my next step to be something that would allow me to be active, creative, independent and around nature and other people. I wanted my work to have meaning and deep impact in the community. Read more>>
Chris Boyle
For a couple years I have been wanting to become an entrepreneur and start my own business. I had several ideas I explored but none of them were something I could really get behind and see myself doing happily for the rest of my life. At this point in my life I was deep in my health and fitness journey and one of the changes I had made was to swap out diet soda with kombucha. Read more>>
Toni Irwin Johnson
I started my business as a personal stylist. I went to college for fashion merchandising and business administration, and I knew after graduating I wanted to work in the fashion industry, but in my own way. I’ve always been interested in fashion, and my passion behind becoming a personal stylist was to show everyday women that being stylish doesn’t have to only be for wealthy people. Everyday women, deserve to feel great in the clothing that they wear, so I dedicated my business to helping women reach those goals. Read more>>
Willie Schandel
When I was 14 years old, I saw my first Van Halen concert, and that sparked the inspiration of what I wanted to do. I wanted it to be just like him. So I took up guitar lessons and delve right into the music scene and the name Wild WilliË came from all my friends, commenting me on my stage, presence and energy so I put the name wild in front of my name as a reference to being the most obnoxious crazy insane musician ever. Read more>>
Bunmi Lawal
I have been baking for as long as I can remember, starting from making brownies during my middle school days to creating yummy treats for my college roommates and friends. However, in early 2021, I decided to focus on baking cakes with the objective of honing my skills to create the perfect cake for my daughter’s birthday. Read more>>
Ashley Clark
Research has shown that African Americans tend to have lower levels of financial literacy compared to other demographic groups. This knowledge gap can have significant impacts, especially for those looking to start and manage a business. It was my realization of the profound influence of socioeconomics on financial literacy, including differences in banking services and accessibility in various areas, that motivated me to start my own business venture. Read more>>
Alexus Anderson
It’s rightly said that, “Entrepreneurship is not a Destination, its a journey” and this quote perfectly fits in my life, as its been a journey that has brought me where I am today. I began my journey as a entrepreneur 3 years ago with the resourcefulness, willingness and strong determination to succeed.Though, It can be very different value that I created more than the money that came alongside as a by-product. Read more>>
Christiana Cook
I came up with the name Content Creations ATL at the moment I was un sure if I wanted to labeled as a “photographer” to add photography onto my business name so from experience I’ve always loved being in front an behind the camera shooting content so I decided to take it serious an come up with the name Content Creations an I currently reside in Atlanta. Read more>>
Carmona Bessee
First it was just a simple favor. I am always ready to help my family and friends in need, but one request became a spark of inspiration. When I was asked to help a friend for an event, it was mainly because she knew I was very creative. She wanted to draw on my artistic talents as a graphic designer and has seen how I’ve decorated. Read more>>
Ki Gaines
Combining my experience as a high-profile nanny and my corporate experience as an executive assistant and chief of staff, I was motivated to start my own business. Over the years, I enjoyed being the professional behind the scenes, allowing my clients to live a life that was maintained by me. Having already demonstrated that I could assist high-level individuals in managing their personal and professional lives, it was my turn to make my mark. Read more>>
Anthony Paparelli
The idea of drag isn’t new but it was definitely new for me. I was a professional dancer who was working in nightlife in-between my contracts. I was doing “boylesque” which is basically just male-burlesque in a show in New York City. One night, our show director told me that the show was going in a “all drag” direction and that they wanted me to stay in the show but I had to be performing drag. So, after consideration and not wanting to lose my job and income, I decided to take on the world of drag. Read more>>
Naomi Kraut
Fun Mom Band was born out of pandemic parenting struggles, when I lost my mind Zoom-schooling my young daughters. As a survival strategy, I channeled my Zoom school mom rage into a puppet musical — in solidarity with moms and the extra heavy mother load made laid bare by the pandemic. After launching this puppet musical, I realized that I wanted to keep creating for the moms — to make them feel seen and to lighten the load. Read more>>
Clifton Hartsuff
I was having tea late at night with my friend who was a guard at the Turkish embassy at the time and he happened to ask why so few people garden in the DC area despite the fact that the soil there was better than the best soil in Turkey. I gave him the usual answers one might have to a question like that. Most people are too busy, the process is complicated, not enough space to plant. But it didn’t satisfy me and I was haunted by the question to this day. I decided to do something about it and started working on Plant3r a few years later. Read more>>
Jocelyn Stargell-Zachery
I came up with the idea to write a children’s book about Childhood Apraxia of Speech because God gave me the idea to turn my pain into purpose. Childhood Apraxia of Speech is a rare neurological speech disorder that affects 1 out of 1,000 children. Becoming a new mom is a journey in itself but one of the things that many don’t tell you about motherhood is the fact that your child could have a disorder or learning delay. Or that you might not hear your child’s first words until they are 3 years old. Fo me, I heard my son say, “I love you mommy” for the first time when he was 3.5 years old. Read more>>
Eboné Bell
When I would pick up my local LGBTQ publications, I always noticed they catered to white gay men. As a Black queer woman, it was rare I saw myself represented. So that’s when I thought about creating a publication for queer women. I knew I existed, so that means there were other queer women like me who existed and whose stories deserved to be told. That’s when I decided to leave my full-time job to create something I believed in! Read more>>
Jessica Schaffer
My company, The Chrysalis Imagery, launched in June, 2022 as a online platform offering inspired imagery that celebrates the full spectrum of life. One of my signature offerings is a unique and candid line of greeting cards that speaks authentically about the messier side of life. These honest greeting cards feature words of encouragement for navigating adversity and challenge, inspired words of wisdom to bolster us through loss and grief, and simple, heartfelt messages of love and appreciation. Read more>>
Maddie Howe
If you asked me even 5 years ago I would have never guessed this is where my life would be. Before we started our business in 2020 I was working in a bar as a host (one of my favorite jobs working for someone else) and I came home from work to sit and enjoy some time to decompress with sage and my pets. We started talking about starting a business just for fun and I asked him “Well what kind of business should we start?” and he said “Well you really like candles” and everything just kind of exploded from there. Read more>>