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.

Justin BLack

Justin and Alexis were faced with the daunting statistics that they were expected to fall victim to. Intentionality is the word that sustained them through those antagonistic trials. So easy are we to submit to natural habits. In society, we are often ignorant and careless if our habits are conducive to our lives or the community around us. Using alcohol as a mechanism to bury depression was “normal” in Justin’s family and natural for him to follow. Read more>>

Ethan Smith

Going into my Senior year of college, the past few years have been a crazy rollercoaster of emotions, especially when it comes to watching my friends grow up and enter this thing people keep calling “the real world”. “Just wait until you get into the real world”, adults would say. Read more>>

Krista Gordon

I am a parent of two children with anxiety and sensory processing issues. Read more>>

Robynn Stembridge

I’ve always had a passion for cooking.I come from a long line of cooks my grandfather my father so I was genetically inclined to be a cook. About 9 years ago I started as the potato lady serving different styles of baked potatoes and were GOURMET SPUDS BY ROBYNN WAS BORN. Read more>>

Kati Zuromski

I had been in marketing for about 5 years before opening my own marketing agency, I had decided after talking with a dear friend to become a licensed Realtor, when a fellow Realtor came to me in 2015 looking for help with their social media pages and overall marketing. They just didn’t have enough time in the day to manage their business and promote themselves. Read more>>

Yvonne Hung

Otelier is a furniture design studio and brand that creates sustainable and high-quality products for apartment living. My products typically are multi-functional, space-saving so dwellers can make the most out of their small spaces. Read more>>

Wei Li

As a film editor and lead assistant editor, my creative process is guided by a two-fold approach: using my heart to empathize with the needs of the story, characters, and emotions, and always thinking a little bit more than what others might expect. By connecting emotionally with the material, I immerse myself in the narrative, feeling the story and understanding the characters on a profound level. Read more>>

Corey and Kim Siegler

Picture this, two small town high school sweethearts whose lives seem to just intersect and intertwine. Falling in love because friendship just didn’t seem like enough. Getting married because life couldn’t get any better unless together. Having children because it is the best parts of both mixed into one… Read more>>

Amber Pierce

I have always been interested in nails. Like most little girls, I loved keeping my nails done. I can still remember the first time I had my nails professionally manicured. My mom surprised me and got my nails done for my fifth grade graduation. I saw how personalized the experience was and how it was catered to me. Read more>>

Tiffany,Jazmine Braxton, Davis

The spark for our new business idea ignited during communication with potential clients for our event planning services. We noticed the need for a more budget-friendly product for clients that couldn’t afford our services directly. That’s when the concept of offering DIY balloon garland kits started to take shape. Read more>>

The Nothing But Nonsense Podcast

We’ve certainly had struggles since the initial launch of our podcast. Going from an idea to a reality is a big leap. It takes active communication and planning. It all started with Andrew’s dream to start a podcast one day. Andrew presented his dream to Dawson. And Dawson took that dream and gave it a vision and a plan. We soon realized our idea would be better with a 3rd member. Matthew was brought into the project to help bring a more dynamic range to the podcast episodes. Read more>>

Sarah Bergmann

My idea really is not new but was needed for the area in which I had lived. I grew up seeing my loved ones suffer and never being truly helped by the medical industry. It was devastating to watch. I too had started experiencing a lot of health issues especially with my digestive system. Read more>>

Kari De Boer

Just under a year ago. A stay at home mom whos whole life is her babies. Missing my creative outlet and craving being back in the kitchen. I decided to create a cottage bakery. A at home bakery that was different than any other cottage bakery I had ever seen. Number one was I wanted people to know they are getting a high quality product. Read more>>

Jenny Fuller

I have been a yoga teacher since 2011, I taught at one studio, and built a pretty big community. During 2020 I saw the owner kind of doing things differently than what I would have done, and it justified me opening my own place. I had a developer and the mayor of my town help with a location. I went all in 2020, it took 11 months to gut the 1940 building I was in, and had a. contractor that was a nightmare. Read more>>

Levi Andersen

The name 5BAR was a typo to my friend, I told them I wanted to own a dive bar. But my phone autocorrected it to “Five bar.” The more we chatted about it the name seemed to fit the concept I was headed towards so serendipitously. Read more>>

Bethany Osborn

A sustainable business in an industry flooded with waste. Growing up on the east coast, at 15 I realized that I didn’t want to follow an ordinary collegiate path. Naive as it was, I longed to move to Hawai’i to build my own life. This decision meant receiving no financial support from family. Read more>>

Godswill Uche Obah

I have really always wanted a Channel where i could express myself, i tried with entertainment companies like Nickelodeon where i ran a fandom based for them but didn’t do so well cus there were lots of competition and i didn’t have the equipment or studio gadgets to make things happen so i gave up, then in 2021 i discovered an entertainment channel with small fandom but has great trending shows with cool actor’s, and along the way i decided to go further, Read more>>

Ehud Borovoy

I have decided to provide Krav Maga training to the Dayton community because the country felt divided and many people asked me to teach them how to defend themselves. I believe everyone should know the basic concepts of self defense. I am a strong believer that it is part of a person’s health journey in life. Read more>>

Michelle Loufman

Five years ago, the idea of quitting to become a Brand Storyteller was nebulous at best and misunderstood at worst. Read more>>

Karina Redweik

The love and passion for horses “started at a Jiffy Lube,” as Keith Bonham, our Vice President, likes to say. While getting his oil changed, he started chatting with a gentlemen who told him how great horsemanship has helped veterans. It took one interaction with a horse for Keith and Karina to fall in love. The new goal was to become horse owners. Read more>>

 Dave Goldstein

It was my dad’s idea. He was an amazing salesperson and loved, truly loved, working with his customers to help them succeed. Read more>>

 Kaleigh McBride

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of restlessness as I went about my routine at the SCUBA shop. Something was missing, and it gnawed at me day after day. Meanwhile, Farrell, my partner in life, was entangled in the corporate world of real estate, his spirit suffocating in the confines of suits and boardrooms. We yearned for a deeper connection and a more meaningful existence. Read more>>

Ashley Recknor

Growing up as a farm girl in rural Iowa, I always dreamed of owning my own business. As I grew up I was fortunate to travel to many states and cities as a part of the national livestock show circuit and visit many different shops and restaurants. I grew a passion for finding and visiting those cute, one of kind small stores and restaurants. Read more>>

Holly Roe

Our bakery, Cinnaholic, is a franchise. We were on a family trip in Colorado and we happened to stumble upon one of these bakeries. It was literally the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life. I thought about that cinnamon roll for about five months when I came back home to Tennessee. Read more>>

Jayme Fleming

I’ve baked for many different occasions, family events, birthdays, work related events, and I would always get told “man that is so pretty and smells so good but I can’t have it because of (diabetes or other dietary restrictions).” I began to focus on also making things that people with those restrictions could enjoy as well. I created Bluejay’s Baking and Catering so that they could have a person to go to and get quality baked goods without having to compromise on the taste! Read more>>

Demetra Caston

Over time I had been noticing a trend where mental health clinicians were struggling to create and maintain thriving private practices and I thought that since I advise in this area already, why not create a more streamlined process to help others who are in the beginning stages of creating their business to ensure longevity in the field? Read more>>

Marcie Garza

Sweet Occasions Cookie Co started after a new baby, a move, a career change, and a global pandemic. After diving into cookie decorating for my own gender reveal party in 2018, the opportunity to create cookies as a way to connect with my community presented itself a couple of years later. Read more>>

Tynesha O’Quinn

I started my work history in the Foodservice Industry, where I worked in several positions, eventually moving up my way up to management. During my time in the foodservice industry, my goal was to someday own my very own fine dining restaurant. Read more>>

Jason Brozak

It’s 2011 and I see this YouTube video of a guy spraying peelable paint on his wheels. It was called Plastidip. A sprayable rubber coating that peels off clean when you want it to. For some reason the process made more sense in my brain than vinyl wraps. So I tried it out. I’ve been hooked ever since. A budget friendly product that I could customize with in my own garage. Read more>>

Jessica Busman

It was 2017, and I was near the end of my second surrogacy journey. I was out to dinner with my family and the intended parents to celebrate my birthday. At dinner the intended mother, who is also an IVF doctor in Los Angeles, CA, asked me if I was interested in starting my own surrogacy agency. Read more>>

Lori Gouhin

The concept for The ARTwork of YOU began to take shape through a blend of uncertainty, introspection, and my ever-present passion for art. Read more>>

Toi Arnold

Back in 2015, I was in the 10th grade attending my “Viking Vectors” course at Villa Angela St. Joseph High School. This course was centered around understanding business, finances, ACT prep, & more. I think I remember it as being an all around course but don’t quote me haha. Read more>>

Hailey Bright

My mom and I founded our residential and commercial interior design firm, Hello Bright Design, out of a genuine passion for helping people and creating spaces that deeply resonate with our clients, so that every time they step in the door they feel like they are truly HOME. Read more>>

Meg Leonard

I grew up with a consistent, strong interest in visuals and storytelling. When asked to pick a future career in the 9th grade, I immediately had an interest in both graphic design and interior design. Ultimately, I leaned into graphic design and began taking courses, landing an internship at a local sign shop. Read more>>

Patil Toutounjian

My name is Patil Toutounjian, I was born and raised in an Armenian community in Aleppo, Syria. In 2011, at the age of 17, my family and I immigrated to Toronto, Canada. Moving at the age of 17 was very difficult. I was trying to find myself and my purpose. Read more>>

Imani Michelle

January 2020 was a low point for me (little did I know what was to come with the pandemic). I was stressed, consistently anxious, and perpetually sad in the months leading up to January. By the end of that month, I had had enough.

Kat Gentry

Since I can remember I’ve always wanted to be an illustrator. As a kid I was constantly drawing and painting dogs. If I was ever bored I would just pick up a pencil and start creating. That eventually lead me to college where I received my BFA in illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design. Read more>>

Sookyung Kim

Serendipity, opportunity, one of life’s twists is how we are now, coffee farmers in Hawaii. Over the years my husband and I went on vacations to various places around the world and country. My husband, especially, fell in love with Hawaii, and in particular the Big Island. His dream was to retire and live the island life. We planned how to leave our jobs and whether the math would work to sustain living in Hawaii. Read more>>

Emily Costa

The story of how Guilty Pleasures – The Future of Tradition came to be is one filled with passion, determination, and a desire to create something truly unique. It all began in February 2021 when I, Emily Costa, a 23-year-old full-time medical college student in Florida, found myself in need of additional income to support my studies. Read more>>

Latina Lewis

The idea to start Kinsman Point Consulting is one that I’ve had for quite some time. Ever since I started working within training and development back around 1997-1998 I’ve been trying to determine how I could be in business for myself. I did one very small freelance job for a co-worker in the early 2000s and at the time I didn’t call it a project management job that’s exactly what it was. Read more>>

Ticina Williams

A few years ago, I decided to take a few crafting classes on a whim. Taking these classes totally unlocked my creative side and I became obsessed with using my creative ideas to host amazing personalized events. Inspired by the personalities, ideas and interests of my 3 (now 4) sons, I begin to host themed birthday celebrations and playdates for my boys. After being asked to plan countless events for friends and family, Read more>>