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.

Alyce Merrilees

I started to follow what lights up my soul and moving towards the things that made me feel good and excite me! Now I think about it I have always been in a place of serving others and providing fun and impactful spaces for people, only now I am doing it from a place of intention with so much awareness and connection to myself and my truth. Read more>>

Piera Lolandes

Music has always been and always will be “the great communicator.” Like my father, I’ve always loved music and found joy in “collecting songs.” In middle and high school, I would listen to the radio, use Limewire to download specific songs that weren’t available yet, and constantly update my MySpace and Tumblr profiles to showcase the latest songs I was listening to. Read more>>

Mariah Addis

I founded Addis Ceramics in April 2020, crazy right? I was fresh out of college when the pandemic shut down my plans for travel, shows, and artist residencies. I was back in my hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma without a plan, and a job. So I decided to do what I dedicated the last 10 years of my life learning to do. Make pottery. Read more>>

Naema Pierce

I came up with the idea of offering this level of Women’s Pelvic + Sexual Healing because there is a major gap in women’s reproductive and sexual care across the board and I was tired of having personal experiences of painful, uninformed, and traumatic “health care” experiences myself, and I was tired of hearing friends and peers experiencing it too. Read more>>

Lillian Morales-Laster

The idea for the Empowering Latinas Leadership Academy (ELLA) was created fifteen years ago by the Hispanic Chamber of Columbus. They consistently saw the unique challenges faced by Latina women in the business and professional world—challenges that often went unaddressed by existing programs. This realization sparked a deep desire to create something meaningful that could make a real difference. Read more>>

Staci Barrett

LĀ SOL Collective is a Newport Beach, CA-based suncare company started by two lifelong friends, Staci Barrett and Angela Dunning. Staci owns an advertising agency and Angela spent her career in product development and marketing in the Beauty industry. Read more>>

Marianna Sachse

The idea for Jackalo was born out of a personal need and a passion for sustainability. As a parent, I saw firsthand the wear and tear that kids’ clothes endure and the sheer volume of garments that quickly become unwearable or outgrown. I was frustrated by the lack of durable, eco-friendly options in the market. Read more>>

Simone Talamona

Coming from Italy, where fashion is a cultural cornerstone, I always had a passion for elegant, well-crafted clothing. When I arrived in the USA, I noticed a lack of truly personalized, high-quality tailoring services. People wore clothes that didn’t fit well or reflect their unique style. I knew I could offer something different. Read more>>

Jennifer Barber

After attending FIDM (the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising), I knew that having my own business and being an Entrepreneur in this amazing industry was the right path for me. It has been a long journey to get to where I am today – I finished school back in 2009 when the market had crashed, so there weren’t a lot of job opportunities available for my classmates and I in our desired fields. Read more>>

Allana Randall

I’ve always been creative, but it wasn’t until I was diagnosed with cancer that I became an artist. After receiving my initial diagnosis of hodgkin’s lymphoma in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, I moved home to Madison and found myself drawing on my “good days” between chemo sessions. Read more>>

christina avery

This idea was born out of need, as most good ones are. I had recently moved to Kingston from Texas, expecting progressive Canada to be riddled with delicious plant based options. Alas, it was not so. I found myself having to travel to bigger cities just to get a decent restaurant experience, and helping found the Kingston Vegetarian Network- a working group of enthusiastic activists trying to generate movement in our community around plant based options and eating. Read more>>

Katie Haynes

Our founder’s name is Katie Haynes, She is 24 years old and is from Youngsville, North Carolina. She is a NC native and loves every bit of what this wonderful state has to offer. The founder is a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University. She went to school to become a professional photographer and hopes to go on and work for Disney World or NASCAR. Read more>>

Konsume Us

Us , was born from what seems so innate to me I would say my life. I have had many trials of what exactly it means to operate as “Us”, and currently it operates as an artistic social network that curates events, art opportunities, and a social home for wandering artists wanting to integrate into their local scene. Read more>>

Blair Lakis

I started making sensory playdough kids for my kids during Covid – we all needed something to keep busy (thanks quarantine)! I continued making them seasonally, and after seeing how much they benefited from the hands-on play, I knew I was onto something. Read more>>

Parul Agrawal

After completing my first book, “Juicing for Healthier Families,” I faced numerous challenges in finding a publisher. Despite reaching out to many agents, publishers, and hybrid publishing companies, I encountered repeated setbacks. After six months of waiting and thousands of dollars spent with no results, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Read more>>

Jillian Eppler

For years I have been a photographer and travel blogger. Mostly sharing travel tips and inspiration through Instagram. Stepping into motherhood almost four years ago finding my niche and continuing to do what I love in terms of content creation has been a bit tricky. Read more>>

Jessica Liddell

From a young age, I was drawn to all things beauty. I had a natural talent for drawing, hair, nails, and brows, which I honed by cutting and braiding my little brother’s hair and shaping my own eyebrows with a razor blade as a teenager. People often asked me where I got my brows done, leading to requests for me to do theirs. Read more>>

Lianet Falcon

Hi, I am Lianet, the soul behind this journey that blossomed amid the chaos of the Covid pandemic. Seeking solace from the world’s uncertainties, I discovered the therapeutic art of candle-making, soap crafting, and creating delightful car diffusers. Little did I know that this creative escape would evolve into something extraordinary. Read more>>

Koko & Chantelle

It kind of goes all the way back to college and two girls getting their fashion merchandising degrees. Chan went to University of Texas, and Kate went to Ole Miss. After college we both wanted to use our degrees and pursued a buying career at Neiman Marcus. Fashion has always been in both of us! We love it and we live it!! Read more>>

Sara Cunningham

As a single parent to a special needs child, the traditional 40-hour work week was never an option for me. This severely limited my ability to qualify for a home loan on a single income. For years, I held onto the hope that marriage might eventually pave the way to homeownership. Read more>>

Alexus Anderson

My entrepreneurial journey began 3 years ago, driven by resourcefulness, willingness, and a strong determination to succeed. While the financial rewards have been valuable, the true fulfillment has come from the intrinsic value I’ve created. Entrepreneurship is fueled by passion and commitment.  Read more>>

Nick Friesen

I’ve been a photographer for over 10 years now. I started off shooting for fun and soon began shooting families, headshots, and eventually weddings. In 2016 I discovered a photography training on facial expressions, and I was hooked. The expressions we show have a huge impact on how we are perceived, and this is even more important when posing for photos. Read more>>

Alyssa Guthrie

I first came up with the idea while studying business at my trade school, The Author Conservatory. One of our assignments early on in our training is to start a pop-up business to learn business, marketing and entrepreneurship skills in preparation for our careers as authors. Read more>>

Andy Grzymala

While I feel like I could write a book on just this topic, I’ll try to keep it to the highlights. While my small handyman business may sound like “just another handyman”, my core values and mission statement differ quite a bit from others you may come across. Read more>>

Summer Williams

I have always loved to dance since I was a young child. I grew up dancing on the fireplace and putting on shows for my family and after begging my parents, they finally put me in dance classes and I have not stopped since. I danced through school, received my Bachelor’s in Dance from SDSU, and worked professionally and along side some great dance educators until I decided I wanted to open my own dance studio. Read more>>

Fatima Dodson

I came up with the idea to become a boutique owner because I love fashion and I love the journey of curating a unique and colorful closet for people to shop from. I wanted to create a community of fashionistas that love color and prints and ones who love mixing the old and the new to create their own style. Read more>>

Mandy Squires

It’ll be 2 years in December when I was at an arts & crafts show selling my own books. I overheard the lady that was selling coffee that she was having some pop-up events with local creatives. At the end of the show I went over and asked her about having a book signing at her coffee shop. Read more>>

Lindsey Walker

I came up with the idea for starting Soul Fam Wellness from experiencing my own health challenges years ago. As I began seeking help from different health professionals to find answers for myself, the entire experience became increasingly frustrating at the lack of empathy and answers I received. Read more>>

Jason Watters

I had worked around and seen large dive shops early on in my Divemaster and Scuba Instructor career. Some people like the group environment, the comradery, and the hustle and bustle of it, others wished they had a different experience as they trained for certifications. Read more>>

Brian + Alexa Beechler

Brian has worked in the service industry all of his life, getting to learn from some of the best chefs and restauranteurs that San Diego has to offer. The idea for Off the Vine Dining began after Brian started serving food for the worship and production team at his local church. Read more>>

Timothy Doaty II

Great question. For me, I’ve always been someone who appreciates podcasts and what they can bring, what they can offer to listeners and how it provides the ability for someone to bond or form a relationship through a shared experience or new experience that they may hear. Read more>>

Heather Frechette-Crowley

Root Marketing was born out of 22 years of working for others and an entrepreneurial spirit I didn’t know I had. My parents owned a small business, but I had no interest in being an entrepreneur. My father’s advice that, ‘You’ll never be truly happy until you’re your own boss,’ just didn’t resonate.  Read more>>

Shawn Owens

MY STORY BEGINS LIKE THIS… There was a time where fashion took a break, and clothing or design of clothing had taken what i would call “A LEFT TURN”. This was around the year 2000, and i had t bought myself any new clothes for about a 4 year period because of what was in stores on the racks. Read more>>

Tyler Hall

Balloon Elite is built off of trying to work with/under others and it not so working out. I am used to seeing Balloons at birthday parties and balloon releases. I wanted to change the way I seen a Balloon because when you let go of one it continues to rise! Read more>>

Tamara Olmedo

I can’t even remember when I first fell in love with the idea of opening a bookstore, but I know they were always a place of solace for me. In my mid-thirties, I remember feeling lost and unfulfilled by the jobs I kept getting, and anytime someone asked me what I wanted to do, what I was good at or loved, I would always say books. Read more>>

Jawuan Freeman

If I’m being honest it really stemmed from the word “Notorious” itself. Some years ago I came across the word while looking for a nickname for streaming and while it sounded cool, when I actually looked up the definition it didn’t really have the most positive connotation. Read more>>

Amelia Brown

The inspiration for Millie’s Kitchen has roots in my childhood. My grandmother was an incredible cook, and some of my fondest memories are of watching her in the kitchen, creating delicious meals from scratch. Seeing her passion and the joy she brought to others through her cooking planted the seed in me from a young age. Read more>>

Mandie B.

The idea for my creative services business blossomed from a blend of passion, necessity, and serendipity. As a mom of three boys, I was constantly capturing moments of their lives, from their first steps to their mischievous grins. Photography became more than just a hobby; it was a way to preserve the fleeting moments of my children’s childhood. Read more>>

Christopher Peck

I spent decades in the theatre—as an actor, playwright, educator, and most importantly a professional stage director with an MFA in Stage Direction from Baylor University. I grew up a shy, bullied child; but for whatever reason, when I stood on stage, I felt empowered and safe behind the character I was responsible for portraying. Read more>>

Jeff Farinosi

Tiny Beast Studio is a place in my head…in the deep corridor of my memories. It’s my Dr. Seuss, Where the Wild Things Are, Tim Burton and all the wild and wacky creatures that live on our planet. Tiny Beast is my childhood inspiration, all caught up to me in this adult body. Read more>>

Carona Davis-Diop

I’ve always loved to write. Growing up in New York City’s Greenwich Village gave me the opportunity and creative freedom to do just that. With the support and knowledge of my mother, teachers and mentors I continued to write. I lived in Marietta Ga with my family for sometime and decided then to do a short horror film which I’d never done before. It was also my first script. Read more>>

Ericalynn Cotton

In my early 20s, shortly after getting married, I ventured into the world of event decor. I purchased a machine to create invitations and cut various shapes for decorations. One day, my late husband, a popular local comedian, asked if the machine could cut vinyl to put on t-shirts. Read more>>