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.

Kevin Choi

Years ago, the spark for my Snactiv idea ignited while I was engrossed in a game of Counter Strike, juggling snacks alongside mouse clicks. Initially, I conceived the idea solely for personal use, never venturing beyond mental sketches. I relished the unapologetic act of using my pinky finger to navigate heated moments in the game, and let’s not forget the guilty pleasure of Cheeto-covered fingers. Read more>>

Julius Rowe

So I became a rapper at the late age of 17 due to being kicked out of Marching band for inappropriate behavior (1 time at band camp…) I fell in love with catchy bass lines and witty metaphors and after being a rapper for a year I realized one cold hard fact…..artists are the LAST ones to to get paid and the FIRST to pay for everything. It was problematic. After spending $500 on a recording session that felt like something I could do myself, I decided to do it myself and picked up the art of mixing and mastering music, also called “engineering” . Read more>>

Jessica Fox

Jessica Fox is an award winning tattoo artist from Buffalo, New York who currently owns a tattoo studio that doubles as an oddities shop. Jessica has tattooed coast to coast and has experience working next to world renowned artists as well as done lots of community driven work in her local hometown. Jessica is inspired by the macabre- which had driven her to open her current studio- True Gloom Tattoo & Oddities Shop. Read more>>

Kahlyl McClain

It wasn’t an ideal start. I was working Full-Time hours as a part time Personal Trainer. Read that again. The burnout was real, and I always found myself giving my clients my best efforts, and only making what felt like pennies on a dollar. Read more>>

Bianka Rodriguez

Growing up we didn’t have people that had jobs they loved, we had people that were surviving. Being in constant environments that required the survival mode from you at a young age allowed me to have years’ worth of stories. stories that were both good and bad. These stories, or memories per say used to dictate the way I walked around as a human on this earth. Read more>>

Theresa Robbins

The story of Robin Road Cocktails is a tale born from the unexpected twists and turns of the COVID-19 pandemic. My partner Max and I found ourselves in the bustling heart of New York City, part of the management team at a promising new restaurant. Our careers were flourishing, and we were deeply entrenched in the hospitality industry. However, when the pandemic swept through, it abruptly closed the doors of every restaurant in the city, including ours. Read more>>

Sierra & Sherry Brown

Ahoy! My name is Sierra one of the owners of Sea Scoops! I’m here to tell you that sometimes you cannot plan to have a great idea or business plan; it just comes to you. That is exactly what happened to me in the spring of 2021 while at the West Falmouth Dock. The idea : A homemade hand scooped ice cream boat on the water. Together Sherry my Mother-In-Law and I made it come to life in just 2 short months ! Read more>>

Sarah Reinhardt & Louise Browne

We had owned an ice cream truck together (The S’Cream Truck) and during the pandemic we started talking a lot on the phone, since it was hard to get together in person. It had been a few years since we sold the truck and we were both wanting to find something to do together. We started talking about doing a podcast – something we could do remotely. Read more>>

David Anefils

I became a Music Producer in Atlanta at the age of 16. I learned a lot about technology setting up my first recording studio in my parents basement. I had a mentor from the Church who assisted me in building my first studio computer and from then on I became a lot more confident to do my own research, add pci express sound cards and modules to make my home studio more robust. Read more>>

Victoria Marmet

When I was young, my mother and I had a ritual every Saturday afternoon. We went shopping and had a nice little snack or as we say in French “gouter” in a bakery or salon de thé. My favorite thing to do with her was enjoy a hot chocolate and a croissant or strawberry tart. I remember those moments like it was yesterday and I cherish them. Read more>>

Andrea Flint

Who would’ve thought that a sociology major and teacher would become a cannabis chef. Since I was a kid I’ve always found myself in the kitchen. Both of my parents are chefs and own a catering company. I’m not sure why initially it never registered to me that cooking was my passion. Read more>>

Robert Lozano

uring a challenging period in my life, I turned to photography both as a means of keeping myself occupied on days I didn’t have my sons and as a therapeutic outlet.. It became a source of solace and healing during that time. Read more>>

Kate Movius

I created my business out of total desperation: by the time my son was 3 years old, he had started to engage in a behavior very common for children with autism: he would wander (or in his case, sprint) away from the safety of his parents and home, at all hours. Like many people with developmental disabilities, he was at serious risk of injury and/or misunderstanding with both law enforcement and the public during these incidents. I had try to do something to make his world a safer place. Read more>>

Melody Kesto

Growing up Chaldean (a Catholic minority group from Iraq) with a large family, I was no stranger to hosting large gatherings regularly (and sometimes with little notice). I would watch and help my mom and my late grandmother prepare for the events and holidays. My grandmother was very creative and she taught me a lot of what I know. I feel like I got my creativity from her. Read more>>

Ricardo Mancia

I came up with Movemint by Mancia during the pandemic. I had been a personal trainer for 24 hour fitness since 2016 and during the pandemic gym closed. I first got the idea of creating a virtual presence. This included online coaching, nutrition support, and virtual one on one training, Read more>>

Meghann Kettler

Our founding partners (myself, a graphic designer, a nail tech and an esthetician) had all struggled with a number of skin issues, sensitivities, and allergies our entire lives and had experienced the benefits of topical CBD in treatments first hand. CBD with it’s anti-nflammatory & pain relieving properties actually helped everything from acne, eczema and dry scalp to the tone and texture of our skin. Not to mention healing muscle and joint pain, reducing inflammation and redness, moisture retention and repairing the skin barrier more quickly than other products. Read more>>

Tammi Relyea

The moment I know this was a worthwhile endeavor, was when I was walking into a major retailer and saw clear plastic bra straps that are marketed to be :invisible” as a solution to women exposing the traditional bra straps. It was at the moment, I thought to myself “I can’t believe for as long as bra have been in existence, why there wasn’t an innovation around bra straps that are stylish and you don’t have to hide?” Read more>>

Yoalah Brinson

The way I came up with the idea of my art and graphic design business is by change deciding to change my hobbie for at and graphic design into a career that way I can earn an extra income and also share my work with the world all while doing something I love. Read more>>

Remi Jones

I came up with Remi TV when I realized my desire to create a show about topics I’m passionate about and things I wanted to explore. Additionally, I recognized that numerous business owners and solo entrepreneurs faced challenges in gaining exposure due to limited resources and funding. This led me to start Remi TV. Read more>>

Paula Loos

“I was born in a small town in the Netherlands, a place with just 1200 people. Since childhood, I’ve had a burning desire to meet people, embark on adventures, explore the world and work with people and create the best enoroments. It’s no surprise that I eventually found my calling as a Production Designer in Film. Read more>>

Harman Kaur

Despite existing in the creative space for years and experimenting with various outlets, I struggled to find my true artistic calling. One pivotal moment came when a close friend invited me to join them on set for a creative photoshoot. Little did I know that this seemingly ordinary invitation would spark my journey as a creative director. It was a profound moment of alignment between my skills and my true passion. Read more>>

Sarita Buer

What started as just a personal healing transformation, turned into me sharing my experience and then into an online coaching and podcasting business. I didn’t get into wellness with the intention of becoming an influcener, I got into it for my own personal wellbeing. There are many parts to the wellness industry and when I first started out I was more interested in the emotional wellness side that would help alleviate the stress and anxiety I was experiencing. Read more>>

Charlize Osegueda

How I came up with the idea for my business was pretty simple. What initially began as a means to relieve stress and occupy my time through baking soon evolved into something I believed others could also appreciate. Initially, I started my business making custom chocolate-covered strawberries, cookies, and cheesecakes. Read more>>

Risa Vinegar-Johnson

One day a friend and I were chatting about starting a nail salon business together. I ended up in a program at a barbering and cosmetology academy, became a cosmologist and opened a hair salon on my own. I was born with a natural gift and talent for working with hair. My barbering and cosmetology license along with an AA in Business Administration was enough to help me transition easily from idea to execution. Read more>>

Izzy Hall

When I first started playing around with the idea of creating what would become Garden & Gather I honestly didn’t think it would amount to anything like it is today – it originally began as a casual daydream while I was stuck managing a nursery with a highly volatile, toxic owner and knew I needed to get out of the situation but wasn’t sure how. Read more>>

Sarah Iverson

The idea for my playful wellness business, Curious Sunshine, started in grad school. I initially moved from California to Colorado to go back to school and acquire the tools and knowledge I need to start my business. Ultimately create a positive change in the world. Read more>>

Stacey Gordon

I came up for the idea for Unconscious Inclusion: The Work Beyond the Workshop (TM) because in 2020, the world changed and not just because of the pandemic. George Floyd’s on camera murder sparked an awareness in people that we all know should’ve already been present. Read more>>

C. Montez Jones

Travel is one of the most rewarding experiences that one will ever embark upon. The accomplishment of crossing off cities, countries and historical landmarks from your travel wishlist leaves you with a sense of fulfillment and pride. Whether you are traveling alone or creating memories with your close friends and loved ones, scenery is something that can’t be forgotten. Read more>>

Kali Ryan

I currently work at a cat vet clinic, and a I had a lot of people who spoke about being service about boarding their cats. I realized that there is some real business in at home cat sitting. Therefore I started that service from working there as well as having an Instagram for my cats. I realized how many people want services like cat sitting from home because it’s a lot less stressful on the cats. Read more>>

Jasmin Suayan Baykal

The idea for Do Good Swimwear was born after going on a surf trip with my surf sister and noticing just how much trash was going into the ocean. Our boat guide would take us around the water after we surfed to pick up trash and it got me thinking about what other ways recycleables and waste materials can be used and how we can help with cleaning up the water. Read more>>

Terri Wade

Like many people, I am multi-passionate and have a wide range of skills. Doesn’t sound like a problem but when starting a business we need to speak clearly to how we can help our clients with their specific problem so they know that what we offer is for them. Read more>>

Ricardo Mora

The start of my career with food came from going to culinary school to complete their professional baking program. A few months into the program I got my first kitchen job, which was working pastry at a raw vegan restaurant. It was interesting and I really enjoyed it, and since working there I continued to work pastry jobs for many years. Read more>>

Lisa J Haddad

My HIGHNMIGHTY journey began in 2013, in my kitchen, with a desire to balance mental and physical health utilizing fitness and whole plants. Read more>>

David Hamilton

o be honest, I had been considering using “Time Is Now” as an album name for a while. Then, while managing artist Javion “Jaydawg 301” Hall, I was inspired by his album “Every Dawg Has Its Day” with the boldly highlighted title “Time Is Now Presents” on the cover. I noticed that “Time Is Now” was one of my favorite quotes, as I used it in every post after #nowornever #timeisnow. Read more>>

Michael W. Streed

I was nearing the end of a successful 31-year law enforcement career when I was forced to consider my options post-retirement. I figured I was too young to sit around waiting to die, but I didn’t want to work for anyone else either. Read more>>

Bill Heuer

iHostPoker Casino Parties is a business that grew from the love for the game of poker. Read more>>

Gabrielle Rivero

I was 17 when I heard for the umpteenth time that, “dance was for nothing but the devil”. But in my shock, this time I responded back, “Well, why can’t we change that?”. As a child I loved dance, I felt free, whole, and seen when I moved. However, in my community, dance was not valued or respected, and I wanted to change that. Read more>>

Farah Ghatala

It was a warm, sun-kissed afternoon in the heart of Silicon Valley, a place known for its Hi-Tech empire. I, Farah Ghatala, found myself engulfed by a whirlwind of creative energy emanating from my very own kitchen. I had always been captivated by the world of design, but it was on this particular day that inspiration struck with an intensity akin to a bolt of lightning. Read more>>

Stephanie Hoyte

In 2019 i had plastic surgery done and i was apart of a private surgery group of thousands of women going through the same thing, so one day as i was recovery and using the products provided to me by the surgery center i realized it was not providing the results i desired or providing the comfort either. So one of my surgery sisters asked a great question, Why don’t i create something that can help our results and provide the comfort we need? Read more>>

STEPHANIE MAZZEO

It all start ed with a little KISS…….. Read more>>