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.

Daniel Glover

From Seed to Smoke is dedicated to teaching the world to grow. Through our experiences, good and bad, we teach you how to cultivate cannabis in your own home. We make growing fun and easy to understand. From germination to cloning, learn step by step all the way to harvest. The growth process is such an amazing journey. Read more>>

Ryan Gartrell

To begin, I grappled with addiction and behavioral challenges from the age of 15. As a result, my family embarked on a quest to find the best way to support me. This involved navigating various options available to a family facing our kind of challenges. Read more>>

Lindsay Audette

About 10 years ago, my business partner and I were about to graduate from the Second City Hollywood Conservatory Program. We had bonded with each other over our shared love of laughter and once our classes and performances had ended we both asked ourselves what else we could do with our brand new skills? Both of us agreed that while we loved performing, but there was something missing for us as we continued to do show after show. We wanted to share these amazing tools we had learned. Read more>>

Kuukua Dzigbordi Yomekpe

Who is the woman in the kitchen? I heard the Guest of Honor ask. I can’t say I wasn’t eavesdropping waiting to be called out for the standing ovation I was hoping would come after the entire meal was consumed. The standing ovation came a few minutes after these words were spoken because my mentor and friend who had believed in me came in the kitchen and grabbed me by the elbow and we sashayed into her living room where everyone was gathered. Read more>>

Damisha Logan

I came up with the idea of being a license esthetician , with learning how to apply strip lashes. Let me give a little detail so after having kids a lot of features of mine changed which made me not feel as beautiful as I once did before so I started trying to figure out how I could bring out the beauty in myself again I always had a baby face no eyebrows very little lashes and I started getting into the whole lash and brow thing in 2017 Read more>>

Jenny Villalta

My journey as a business owner was ignited by husband and son. In the beginning of parenthood, I saw how much harder my husband was working so that I could stay home with our baby and not have to return to my career as a teacher. Seeing him work so hard deepened my desire to contribute financially. Read more>>

Kateryna Hutchens

Kateryna Hutchens is an owner of the Modern Shine Women’s Clothing Boutique. Kateryna Hutchens has loved fashion since she was a young girl. Growing up in Ukraine, she discovered her passion by watching and helping her mother, a master seamstress, make beautiful sparkly ballroom dancing outfits and elegant wedding dresses. By the time she graduated with her bachelor’s degree, she knew she wanted to have a business of her own one day. Read more>>

Lafe James

The concept for my business was born out of a need to create something, some specific inspiration, sudden material availability, and good timing of all those. I was searching for a project to help take me away from my computer workstation and get me up on my feet more. I was also tossing around the idea of joining some local arts & crafts markets, and was beginning to conceptualize what that should look like. Read more>>

Jacoby Waters

Young Men of Distinction was established on May 3, 2019. My reason for creating Young Men of Distinction is help change the narrative surrounding our minority young men. Watching how social media and mass media portray our young men made me want to get involved and want to make a difference for the generations behind me. Read more>>

Taalyr Claridge

In 2015, I was alone with my young child in a private residence when an active shooter situation took place on the property. I had no training in emergency response skills, and it was all I could do to muster the bravery to dial 911. That was the day that I decided I would never be caught without a plan to protect myself or my loved ones again. I have since spent a number of years training in various self-defense and emergency response techniques to ensure that I was living life prepared, rather than scared. Read more>>

Michael Hopper

I was had done some private events with another vendor when I was living in Southern California. I had planned on moving to Arizona and knew I would be able to start my own mobile bar business there. I always liked the idea of working for myself and trying to figure out how to make my own business successful. My uncle helped me build the mobile bar I currently use, and from that day on I started doing private events. Read more>>

Mallory Wilson

Radio Ranch was born out of necessity and creativity. Owners, Mallory and Jeff were each experiencing cataclysmic shifts in their chosen industries. Mallory, an event coordinator, had a successful event coordination and event rental business in the Bay Area when COVID-19 shut down all gatherings for a then undetermined amount of time. Read more>> 

Fernando Gomez

When I was about 16 years old my sister loved taking photos. She would get great pictures and interested me. I would see her taking a picture with her phone and I would tell her there is a different angle to capture that moment. So then i began to take pictures as well but tried to capture it from a different angle nobody normally sees it from. 2 Years later, after I Graduated I purchased a nice starter kit camera. I purchased a Canon Rebel t6. Read more>>

Simon & Marco

World Mappers’ Project is the travel experience of Simon and Marco, two Italian guys who have decided to start a new chapter of their life, sharing their passion for travel and pursuing the goal of leaving a mark in every part of the world. Read more>>​ 

Jennifer Wakeman

Even before my husband and I got married, we loved to travel. It used to be to cities just an hour or two away, but we loved to explore different places. As we grew in our careers, we earned more money and were able to expand our travels. I’d post about our adventures on Facebook and our family and friends would always share that they loved seeing our travels and thought we went to very unique places. Read more>>

Benjamin McDonnell

The inspiration for my photography business came from recognizing a real need for high-quality headshot photography in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Drawing from my own experiences as an actor, I understood the significance of a great headshot in making a lasting impression and standing out in a competitive industry. Read more>>

Shawn Lovings

It all started a few years ago when I was sitting in my classroom trying to think about a lesson for my students to do for a Thanksgiving assignment. We had well over 600 students in our school that I felt should be exposed to table manners – they chewed with their mouths open, used their fingers to eat, and kept elbows on the table. My grandmother would gently remind me that not everyone had someone to teach them about their table manners. Read more>>

Thomas Martin

A divine turning point occurred in my life when, during a leisurely walk with my wife and our dog, the Holy Spirit planted the seed of an idea within me: to initiate a Christian Clothing Brand. At that moment, I chuckled, as my knowledge of the t-shirt industry was virtually non-existent. I knew nothing about the apparel business or even where I would start. Read more>>

Brenda Iris Rodriguez-Mendlik

Well, starting my own business was a result of a deep-rooted need I witnessed, combined with my own personal struggles. As a woman, I always had a natural inclination towards style and fashion. However, like so many others, I battled with insecurities surrounding my body and image. Read more>>

LPSTYLES

As a licensed professional servicing many clients with different hair types and conditions, I observed the commonality of clients who suffer from damaged hair and hair loss. It’s sad to hear from clients that they’ve given up on “loving their hair” due to a lack of knowledge, help, or direction on how to treat their hair. As a professional, it’s up to me to give them the information and tools they need to be successful. Read more>>

Ratha Kim

The idea came about at least 10 years ago, however it was a service free of charge. I enjoyed designing and styling and it was a way to promote Khmer textiles, so I did not mind volunteering my time. It was not until 2018 when a few friends and family members encourage me to start a business. It took over a year to make connections. I even flew out to Cambodia to meet my potential partners and sourced textiles. Read more>>

Aqua Jones

As a baby I was given away, as a kid I endured a lot of abuse, as a teenager I was homeless in the streets of dallas, and as a young adult I experienced great loss, heart break, and divorce. Needless to say I have a story to tell. I learned in my early 20’s that the pain and hurt that I was carrying due to the trauma in my life was only hurting me. I began to be more open about my experiences with the determination to help someone else. Read more>>

Fisayo Akinleye

Everything began when I gave birth to my beautiful daughter and she had a luscious full head of hair from the start! Around 6-9 months, her texture started to change and I had to be more intentional about washing and detangling with care. We traditionally performed all washing her baby bathtub but I noticed the task of washing was becoming more of a struggle, especially because I wanted to take time to care and love up on her hair. Read more>>

Miguell Martinez

Food is a vital part of all of our lives and its also an incredible connector. During 2020 I believed we all had a taste of getting back in the kitchen as most of our favorite places to eat were closed. I share this because for my family and I, it gave us time to enjoy each-other more and explore food differently than we had before. As a result of this, I started sharing my dinner plate photos on instagram and surprisingly people really enjoyed them. Read more>>

Jahvasha Johnson

So the first time I’ve ever picked up a crotchet needle was my sophomore year in high school. I took a home economics class with my teacher Mrs. Dietzman, and she taught a variety of arts and crafts. Crocheting was one of the many things I enjoyed during the time. Read more>>

Kalaani Reynolds Shuvona T. Rembert-Spann

Kalaani: Melanated Money Mondays actually started out as a social media platform on Facebook May 29, 2020 at the height of the pandemic and also social unrest in the country and around the world. I was asked a simple question after making a post on my personal page, “what would you do or would have done?” I didn’t take that comment as a challenge towards me, however, I felt helpless. I didn’t know ‘what’ I could do to help, so I did what I saw my parents do. Read more>>

Nicole Briggs

The idea of “Jiyu” ,which means freedom in Japanese, stems from years working in premium to luxury retail for Henri Bendel, Alexander McQueen, Monique L’Huillier and more and wanting to express my story and taste as a Black woman in fashion. My ideas were often rejected by former bosses and grew frustrated with not seeing myself in enough in fashion spaces whether that was styling, wardrobe or costuming or owning a business. Read more>>

Kevin Arocho

Back in my early 20’s, I shot my first pistol at the range and I was super excited and yet nervous all at the same time. I had never handled a firearm before then so I didn’t know what to expect. I looked at my target and I saw my first hit and from there I become very interested in learning how to grow and expand on my newly acquired skill. After months of training, I decided to go and attend a firearms concealed carry class. Read more>>

Josh Sikkema

I am a Film Director from Grand Rapids, Michigan and have been living in Los Angeles for over 8 years. I quickly learned that to have longevity as a Director, you need to retain as much IP and leverage as possible when it comes to projects. I redirected my focus to the Michigan film industry as I didn’t see building in Los Angeles as advantageous. With my two partners Johnny Ray and Thomas Blunt we co founded Black Pigeon Studios in Grand Rapids, MI. BPS is a 6,000 sq ft soundstage that serves as a hub for Michigan creatives. Read more>>

Igor Lekue

It all started during the pandemic, in my country we were confined and I was also convalescing from a hip operation, which left me with a lot of free time. I started watching relaxing videos on YouTube about people walking through cities or nature and car rides, train rides… and I liked the format. I saw that most of these videos were recorded in well-known areas and large world capitals and I thought to myself… Read more>>

Tonni S Jackson , MD

As a child growing up in Jamaica, I vividly remember wanting to go to my high school’s Costa Rica trip and not being able to for financial reasons. I was deeply disappointed and I made a promise to myself that when I became an adult I would make global travel a priority. Many years later when I was in Emergency Medicine residency, I had 1-month rotations in Australia and Singapore and that was when I truly fell in love with traveling. Read more>>

Vanessa Young

When I first decided to start my business I knew I needed to have a mission statement in place. It was easy for me to come up with one, I decided on “Dropping love in this world daily”. When this came up for me I didn’t really think twice as to why or where that statement was coming from, it just felt right. Read more>>

Dionna Greene

Bold and Beautiful Coffee Bar birthed out of the pandemic! There has been so much pain & grief associated with the pandemic that’s been unmeasurable! Outside of the pain & grief, a business was birthed that literally served as another branch of happiness, hope, joy, & strength for me! The pandemic allowed me recognize a strength I never knew I carried cause it was doing that time where I stepped beyond my comfort zone! Read more>>

Jessica Wunder

As with many handmade creators (I think), soap-making started as a hobby for me. I’ve long been a fan of indie and handmade perfume and bath/body products, and I’ve been fascinated with the general idea of scent development. I always wanted to dabble in perfumery, but it never seemed within reach. The idea of making soap as a way to explore scent development somehow never occurred to me until a weird set of coincidences in 2018. Read more>>

Ben Snedecor

My name’s Ben, and I’ve been making t-shirts since 2018. To me, the coelacanth fish represents me progressing into the next stage of my life, part of which is running an online business from anywhere in the world. Read more>>

Jim Reich

Wine Tours of Sedona is the embodiment of a dream that took root years ago, back in 2004, when the seeds of Sedona Hiking Adventures were first sown. Guided by my unwavering passion for the stunning landscapes of Arizona and the captivating allure of Sedona, this journey began as an exploration of the trails that wind through the red rocks. But it was destined to become so much more. Read more>>

Walter Travers

The inception of my YouTube channel stemmed from my prior experience within the banking sector. While employed in various banking roles, I found immense satisfaction in assisting individuals with their financial matters. Recognizing the uniqueness of each person’s circumstances, I consistently strived to tailor solutions and recommend suitable products for my clients. Read more>>

Chuck & Becky Newman

Becky: As a little girl, I was always looking through my parent’s wedding album, marveling at the pictures of my mother in her beautiful wedding dress and my father in his suit. I remember loving the pictures that showed the moments, the connections between people, some that I never met, but because I had these pictures I felt like I knew them. That’s what I wanted for our daughter when she looked at our wedding photos and film. Read more>>