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.

Jennifer Cefaly

All great stories start with a slice of quiche and a good latte, right? Well, that’s pretty much how Design Hive got started. My business partner Lauren and I were two teachers who first crossed paths in the quaintest corner of a Los Angeles elementary school. Lauren was the new science teacher and I ran our school’s tech program. Our teaching collaboration led to a friendship that has lasted almost 15 years now… Fast forward through years of teaching, a couple of school swaps, and even some globe-trotting adventures, but we never lost touch. I guess you could say we had the same career, but different trajectories. It was really our commitment to innovative teaching and learning, and our love of working with people that eventually pulled us back together to co-teach. Read more>>

Christina Maresca

I was born & raised in New York and had lived there my whole life up until 2022 when I moved to California. In New York, my life was very much filled with a hustle culture where I grew up thinking my biggest goal should be to secure a stable job so I could take care of myself financially. As the oldest daughter of an immigrant who migrated from El Salvador to New York, I felt it was important to set an example for the rest of my family and be the first generation to graduate from college, I graduated from Fordham University and landed Finance roles at some of the top companies in New York City such as Foot Locker, Inc. and NBC Studios. Read more>>

Taylor Utley

I grew up under a lot of traumatic circumstances and had been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and CPTSD, for years I have struggled with addiction, depression, anxiety, and codependency while on the surface level getting multiple degrees and overworking as well as overspending to keep up appearances for myself. A couple years ago I read a book for work (was working as a school administrator & college professor) about the neuroscience of behavior. I made a lot of personal connections and became obsessed with understanding the brain and how it is impacted by trauma, this led me to the world of plant medicine as a treatment for PTSD. Read more>>

Ashley Holt

Becoming the Owner and CEO of Ashley Holt Consulting as a single mom was a bold leap of faith at a time when I was determined to reclaim my confidence and purpose. After spending decades in sales, marketing, and advertising, I realized my true passion lay in bringing stories to life and helping brands shine. I took the leap of faith to launch a boutique marketing firm dedicated to authentic storytelling and strategic branding. That initial risk was just the beginning. As a single mom of two daughters, it sparked a deeper calling within me to empower women to own their stories, build unshakeable confidence, and step into their fullest potential. This led to the creation of She Means Business Magazine, a national platform designed to inspire female entrepreneurs to chase their dreams and recognize their power. It’s become a empowering space where real stories of resilience and courage are celebrated. Read more>>

Ashley Behrens

I’ve always been a creative person. I grew up watching my mother craft homemade gifts, needlepoint, sew clothing, etc. You name it, my mother could craft it. She and my father run a small non-profit called Colin’s Angels, an organization dedicated to helping sick and disadvantaged children of the Delaware Valley and beyond. Every winter for the holidays, she handmakes close to 600 dolls and pillow cases to donate to sickly children at area hospitals and other child-based non-profits. All that said, art and creative endeavors have always surrounded me. During the pandemic in late summer of 2020, my mother taught me how to mosaic. She learned years earlier from Isaiah Zagar, award winning mural artist who’s behind Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. Read more>>

Lauren Puliz

I was a therapist before I became a mother, but I didn’t specialize in maternal mental health until I became a mother. When my first daughter was born in February 2021, the identity shift of motherhood (known as matrescence) was nothing like I expected and much harder than I ever anticipated. I remember consistently thinking “why did no one tell me it would be like this?” The mood shifts, relationship changes, constant demand on my body, mind, heart, and soul… It felt like the Old Me was swallowed up and nowhere to be found – and the New Me (much like my newborn) was someone I didn’t know yet. Interestingly, nearly every new mother I spoke to felt the exact same way – regardless of our experiences during pregnancy, regardless of our birth stories, regardless of our backgrounds. Universally, new mothers are struggling and this was the spark for what eventually became Millennial Mama Therapy. Read more>>

Bryan Price

I was first exposed to mental performance when I was a baseball player at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and working with their Center for Enhanced Performance. But it wasn’t until I returned to teach at West Point eleven years later that I really got into the mental side of the game. In addition to teaching, I also was an assistant coach on the baseball team, which at that time was working even more with the Center for Enhanced Performance. I loved it. I took courses and got a graduate certificate in Sports Psychology and knew that I wanted to work with athletes in some capacity after I retired from the military. After I retired in 2018, I started a leadership institute at Seton Hall University and on the side, started working with their Division I athletes. The first group I worked with, both individually and as a team, was the women’s golf team, which went from 107th in the country to 54th. It was their highest ranking in school history.  Read more>>

Adam Cieslak

We came up with the idea for Maplewood Brewery & Distillery, a combination brewery after noticing the significant overlap in related production equipment and processes required to produce beer or spirits. We also noticed there were almost zero facilities in the country producing both craft beer and craft spirits at the time. My partners and I were long time homebrewers, and wanted to make career changes from what we were doing to pursue a more creative outlet. Craft beer was starting to gain some real momentum, and and craft spirits was in its infancy. So, we decided the time was right to bring something new to Chicago (and the country) – a single facility where you could try one set of ingredients turned into different product categories. Read more>>

Morgan Geyer

It all started with pies. Strange right? How does one go from baking pies out of their house to then being an influencer to then starting a videography business? Well to back up a bit, I was working in oral surgery full time and for a side hustle, I baked pies. As we all know know, a successful business typically is using social media to promote and that’s exactly what I started doing with my at home micro bakery. I would decide what pies I would offer for the week and post that on my Facebook page and instagram. Once I made the pies, I would spend so much time taking pictures and videos. It started to be the part I enjoyed the most. Read more>>

Michael & Sam

Our story began in June 2021, when fate brought us together on Hinge during separate vacations in Palm Springs. Remarkably, despite living just two miles apart in Los Angeles, our profiles had never crossed paths. After our first date hiking at Runyon Canyon, we became inseparable. Eight months later, we took the leap and moved in together, with our dog Mickey, to West Hollywood. The spark came when we discussed creating a TikTok channel to document our everyday life—a glimpse into our relationship and the exciting new chapter we were embarking upon. But it wasn’t just about personal expression; it was about representation. We wanted to showcase our proud gay relationship, knowing firsthand the impact positive visibility can have. Read more>>

Genevieve Nance

The main premise for my capstone project during college was to create a successful business in 6 months. Which isn’t quite an easy ask, but each of my classmates and I had backgrounds and education in marketing and business management. My teams initial idea was a naturally flavored hard honey candy. We held surveys and focus groups to find out what flavors people wanted to see and if this was a product they would buy for themselves or their children. Everything was going very well until we realized rather abruptly that we didn’t have the budget or the time to perfect the candy over the course of the program. But we had this naturally infused honey, in flavors that people loved. The pivot in our business was the most natural thing I have ever experienced. Read more>>

Kitiana Monae Adams

When I came up with the idea for Kee’s Kali Kitchen, it wasn’t just a sudden epiphany; it was actually something that had been brewing in my fiancé’s mind for years. I’ve always loved food, but it wasn’t just about cooking—it was about the memories, the family gatherings, the joy that food brings to people. I grew up watching the women in my family prepare dishes that seemed to unite everyone around the table, no matter the occasion. I wanted to create something that encapsulated that sense of community and nostalgia but with my own twist, bringing unique flavors and creations that could leave a lasting impression. Read more>>

Shelly Clark

My family has lived in Palm Springs since the 1930s. My grandmother’s style, local architecture, and the unique experience of being raised in a resort town greatly influenced me. I began collecting vintage clothing in the 1990s and soon realized that the cut and fit of the 1960s were the best match for my body type. The ability to create one-of-a-kind looks also drew me to vintage fashion. Twenty years later, I had amassed an extensive collection. People constantly asked me where I found my pieces, and I realized maybe this was my niche. So, in 2010, I inquired about a space to sell pieces from my collection in a small local antique mall, and my business has continued to grow ever since. Read more>>

Jing Lin

For me, the idea for Coffee Confessionals didn’t just emerge overnight. It grew out of personal experience, observation, and hope to solve an issue I noticed all around me—loneliness. Long before the pandemic, I was already hearing stories of isolation from friends, colleagues, and even strangers. Despite all the technology we have, true human connection seemed to be slipping away. I realized I wasn’t alone in feeling this. According to a Harvard study, loneliness affects 36% of Americans, and the pandemic has only made it worse. In fact, 43% of young adults have reported increased loneliness since 2020. These numbers weren’t just statistics—they reflected the very real, emotional struggles of people. Read more>>

Stacey Laricchia

I feel like this is a pull up a blanket next to the fire sort of story, all the characters from the evil with (previous manager) to the fairy godmother (my publicist) and every cast of characters you could imagine inbetween! I guess the phrase when one door slams in your face, another one needs to be kicked down… that is how it goes, right? I feel for sure that is how it is for me! I have been in the esthetics/skincare/make-up industry since before I could stay up past 8pm. I have a Southern mother who had me double cleansing, using serum, night cream & spf in first grade. I will never forget coming home to bottles and jars and boxes in my bathroom from Clinque, Estee Lauder & Chanel. All the samples they would give her, she would pass along to me. I think that is where it started. She also never left her bedroom “without her face on!” Yes, this is a thing… Read more>>

Shaysa Lewis

During the COVID-19 pandemic when I spent so much time sitting at home, I had a lot of time to reflect on the past 3-4 years of my life. Those years consisted of so many different life changes for me… graduating college, losing a brother to suicide, starting graduate school, dropping out of graduate school, and starting back over to still graduation on time with my master’s degree, trying to keep up with life, moving back home to be closer to my family, and the pandemic happening shortly after. Whew, that was a lot! During the pandemic years, I continued working my job as a College Recruiter, but many of my thoughts at the time consisted of figuring out if I was happy doing that, what I wanted next, and since there was no promise to what the future would be like when it came to jobs, what I could do for myself to make sure I set myself up, but making sure I was very happy doing it.  Read more>>

Bobbi (barbara) Kolonay

I started a private Geriatric Care Management practice in Pittsburgh PA in 2002. Although I had worked 20 years prior as a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, I only knew modern medicine methods of prescribing medicine, invasive procedures and diagnoses based upon illness methods to help my clients. So, I traveled the world (China, India, Peru, Amazon rainforest) studying indigenous medicine, got certified thru Jane Buckle as a clinical aromatherapist, became a Reiki Master, studied under Juliette Blackenspour in Asheville (now Chestnut School of Herbology) to initially start my herbal journey along with attending over 10 herbal in person seminars and taking uncountable immersive herbal on-line classes. As a natural consequence of using herbal medicine I wanted to grow my own medicinal herbs, so becoming a beekeeper became a natural extension to assist in my plant pollination. I used all the methods and theories above in my very successful Holistic Aging practice in Pittsburgh. I was able to help older adults AGE WELL and it was a very gratifying 20 years – yet time to now focus on myself, have more fun and work less. In 2022 I retired from being a NP, sold my business and moved to Leland NC. Read more>>

Roslyn Ellerbee

The idea for Dream Team Digital Marketing developed as I navigated the world of digital marketing, particularly here in Atlanta. I noticed that many small businesses, despite their potential, were struggling to keep up with the fast-paced digital landscape. The lack of expert guidance and tailored strategies often kept them from achieving success. That’s when I realized the need for a solution that would empower these businesses—both locally and globally—to reach their full potential. That’s how Dream Team Digital Marketing was born. We set out to become not only the best digital marketing company in Atlanta but also a global service provider, offering businesses worldwide access to high-quality, results-driven strategies. We recognized that the challenges businesses face in Atlanta—whether it’s optimizing SEO, developing engaging websites, or executing effective marketing campaigns—are similar to those faced by companies across the globe. Read more>>

Tiffany Cheung

Several years ago, I was a teen single mom living off food stamps and WIC, barely able to put food on the table for myself and my daughter. I was navigating postpartum depression, and as an outlet, I began creating content as a beauty and lifestyle blogger. After attracting 50K followers to my Instagram and partnering with known beauty brands from around the world, I discovered my knack for social media growth and visibility. When I lost my day job in 2020 due to Covid, I jumped into offering 1:1 services as a Social Media Coach, then evolved into a Business Energetics Coach the year after. Read more>>

Timsi Malhotra

The Birth of The Shagun Pitara: A Journey from Tradition to Global Innovation Growing up in the vibrant streets of Delhi, I was mesmerized by the sheer beauty and richness of Indian weddings. As the youngest of four sisters in a lively joint family, I was immersed in the planning of countless weddings for my cousins and sisters. I remember the soft clinking of bangles, the smell of marigolds, and the laughter that echoed through our home as we prepared for yet another family wedding. Each celebration was a masterclass in Indian traditions, igniting a passion within me that would follow me across continents—from Australia to the USA. Read more>>

Nikolas Wrobel

Creating lettershapes, typefaces and fonts — creating something modular that others can use for their own vision, was actually something that was always deep inside of me, since the very beginning of my career as a Designer. But this topic was so huge, it was something very holy, sacred and it took me a long time until I developed not only the expertise, and actual body of work, it was finally the developed confidence over more than a decade of design, that would allow to build a real foundry, and a truly dedicated world for my perspective on type. Read more>>

Moriah Hobgood

Nearly 10 years ago now, here in Evansville, IN we were lacking any sort of cocktail culture. You had to drive 2 hours any other direction to get a cocktail. We sit in the middle of Lousiville, St. Louis, Nashville & Indianapolis so it seemed crazy to me to not have any kind of cocktail culture here. I got the opportunity to help open a little bar called the Blue Bar in this new Italian resturant opening. I was so excited because the opportunity allowed me to be as creative as I wanted to behind the bar. Given that we were missing such a culture, I really wanted to do something that helped educate our city on cocktails and all the history behind them. Read more>>

Lilo Allen

The Bronzeville Collective MKE was born out of necessity. Milwaukee is known as the “City of Festivals,” where there’s a different cultural fest each week. The summer presents a great opportunity for creative businesses to flourish, but without a brick and mortar location, it’s much more difficult to maintain the same volume of sales. At the time, there also wasn’t a retail location that highlighted Black, Brown, and Queer local brands. So my business partner Tiffany and I decided to test our model of a collaborative storefront in the heart of historic Bronzeville.  Read more>>

India Young-johnson Dajon Johnson

DJ and I, college sweethearts turned business partners, started Creative Pear with a shared passion for bringing unique and high-quality creative services to life. We’ve both had diverse experiences, from event hosting and creative portraits to styling celebrities, and we wanted to combine those skills with our love for executing distinctive ideas. Every project we take on, whether it’s fashion show production or project management, is a reflection of our dedication to creativity and excellence. Read more>>

Cloud Heads

The idea for CloudHeads started back when I was in 8th grade, during a time when COVID had deeply affected me mentally. I began journaling to cope, trying to get my thoughts out and make sense of everything going on. After a while, though, I realized I wanted a more creative way to express myself, something that felt deeper and more abstract. That’s when I turned to poetry. Writing poems gave me a way to work through my feelings in a way that wasn’t so direct but still allowed me to release what I was going through. Read more>>