The Early Days: why did you start a business

Are you thinking about starting a business? If so, we think you’ll enjoy reading about how these seasoned entrepreneurs thought about the question when they were in your shoes.

Biagio Sanfelice | Kanohi

I’ve been a DJ-producer since I was 18 and while honing my artistic skills, I worked part-time with music in clubs in southern Italy. After graduating in geology at the Federico II University of Naples, I decided to embark on my second career as an independent artist. So I decided to do the entire project myself, using my soft skills as a photographer, content creator, art director and graphic designer. Read more>>

Francine Young | RN, MEP-C

Starting Francine Queen Of Threads was a natural extension of my lifelong journey of seeing beauty everywhere I go. From an early age, I’ve had a knack for spotting beauty in people’s faces, and appreciating distinct aspects in their looks along with their personalities. Read more>>

Arlo Estill | Fabric artist and Hemp Enthusiast

The idea behind Hempsmith is to introduce industrial hemp fiber to the mainstream. My brother, Zafer and I started this brand to demonstrate the uses of hemp and create a new story of clothing. We believe that materials can be grown and consumed wisely in a restorative economy. Read more>>

Sheetal Kandola | Spiritual Embodiment Coach, Global Mental Health Consultant, Sex Educator, Yogini, Tantrika and Ayurvedic Practitioner

I was working in the mental health and social development space for over 10+ years. I had gone to the best universities and worked with the best NGOs. However, I saw one common trait amongst people working in this sector – the stress, burn out, and overall resentment towards their chosen fields. Read more>>

Lyudmila Zotova | Magazine Publisher & Photo Consultant

I currently have two businesses and they both had a similar thought process behind them: I wanted to immerse myself more in each respective community. For Midnite Snack, my print magazine, I saw a really beautiful overlap between art and food from my past days as a food photographer and bartender. Read more>>

Yolandi Diesel | Bone sculptor & skull artist

It happened by chance really! I was born and bred in the vibrant landscapes of South Africa, my fascination with nature, wildlife, and the intricate beauty of skulls began in my early years. After school I pursued studies in Human Resources and Labour Law, and followed a corporate career in the construction industry in the bustling metropolis of Johannesburg. Read more>>

Alec Hoogland | Potter & Gallery Owner

Embarking on my entrepreneurial journey was an unexpected yet serendipitous path. It began during my time in undergrad when I discovered my passion for ceramics, envisioning it as a lifelong pursuit, albeit not necessarily as an independent endeavor. Throughout my time in undergrad, I served as the head TA, deeply involved in every aspect from firings to teaching and gallery preparations. Read more>>

Brianna Bravo | Wedding Photographer & Owner of Brianna Mari Co

Honestly, I never imagined that starting my own business was in the cards for me. My journey into photography was quite accidental. It all began when my maternal grandfather gave me my first DSLR. As I started exploring the art of photoshoots and creative concepts, Instagram was just starting to gain traction. Read more>>

Nick Stroia | Artist, Designer, & Coffee Junkie

I guess you could say that I’ve always been gifted with having a knack for art, ever since I was old enough to grip a pencil. And while I took some web & graphic design classes in college, I never wanted to be stuck in some cubicle pushing pixels all the livelong day, doing the same thing thousands of others were doing. Read more>>

Cesar Montelongo | Screen Printer

My dad owned a gas station in Mexico when I was a kid, my grandma had a store where she sold snacks. When we came to the United States my dad had his own scissors sharpening business. So the business mindset was implanted in me as a child. Read more>>

Jiayue Yu | Visual Artist

I am a freelance visual artist specializing in photography and 3D rendering. Prior to this, I worked as an in-house photographer for an architecture and design firm – a stable, comfortable position that granted me a sense of security. Read more>>

Tiffany Ran | Chef-Founder of Babalio Taiwanese Pop-Up

I moved to Seattle from Los Angeles over a decade ago and felt extremely homesick, not just for the Taiwanese food so accessible in the San Gabriel Valley but also for the food in Taiwan, where I was born. Homesickness is such a driving force. Read more>>

Steve del Castillo | Professor of Kinesiology: Combatives

First and foremost is need, will people need what I have to offer? Will they need it enough that I don’t have to do much “selling”? How can I improve on the current iterations of the product I am planning to sell? I don’t want to sell a “knock off” of something already in the market. Read more>>

Stephen Davis | TAKE OFF Luggage Founder

Back in 2021, a friend of mines moved from Detroit to Phoenix. So to help him break Phoenix in and explore, some of the fellas decided to go down there for a few days to see what Phoenix has to offer. Read more>>

Amani Chambliss | Mental Health Therapist

My thought process behind starting my own business was really trying to move out of the employee lifestyle to create my own career life that complements my personal life. I wanted the freedom to do good work as a therapist without the impending burnout that so often happens working for others with their own expectations of what your work should look like. Read more>>

Sana Zulfiqar | Visual Artist

Since college, I have always been an avid street photographer. My campus was in a historic part of the city, which naturally led me to explore and photograph the surrounding areas. This practice brought me immense joy and allowed me to study the architecture and people of my hometown, Lahore. Read more>>

Danine Dean | Psychologist

Starting my own business took time and consideration. I am a first generation entrepreneur, meaning I come from a family that relied heavily on government and systems for financial security. So starting my own business was scary but also very rewarding. Read more>>

Claudia Raupach | Co Founder of SWAI

Hi, my name is Claudia, I am the founder of Swai, a Berlin based creator ecosystem (creator platform & influencer agency). I was born and raised in a small city called Gummersbach where starting your own business wasn’t a thing at all. It was all about securing a safe job and stay in it as long as possible. Read more>>

Mia Thorn | Restauranteur & Oncology Nurse

I have been an Oncology Nurse for the last 13 years of my life. It has taught me so many wonderful and hard life lessons. The most poignant one is that life really is very short and absolutely precious. I have held the hands of the sick and dying and comforted the families of those who are in the thick of grief. Read more>>

Ruby J. Knight | Creative Designer, Visual Artist, Entrepreneur

I formed Gifted Era™ with the inspiration of culture, authentic expression, and my passion behind wanting furtherance in the Entertainment/Creative industry that is stable and less of a risk to pursue for the artists & creatives (of any lane) striving to make their passion the primary source of their living and looking to be heard and make an impact on the people needing to connect. Read more>>

Evie Oetgen | Facialist + Lifestyle Consultant

Valle Atelier Skin came about very organically. I struggled with acne, eczema and dermatitis for many years and because of it spent a lot of time in the weeds – studying the skin, trying out new products, learning all I could about internal wellness. I thought I was going to work in the art world, but kept esthetician school in the back of my mind. Read more>>

Dharam udeshi | DJ & Entertainment Curator

Well, when I first started spinning tracks at clubs in DTLA, Hollywood & SantaMonica after graduating from Scratch LA Academy, I realized that music wasn’t just about beats and melodies. It was about creating an experience, a vibe that people could lose themselves in. Read more>>

Tal Navarro | Serial Entrepreneur, A Philanthropist and the Owner & CEO of Social Lady & AI Vibes

Starting my own business was driven by a combination of passion, vision, and a deep understanding of market needs. I have owned a few amazing businesses and they were all driven by my passion and the world’s latest life-changing tech.  Read more>>

Arina Sprynz | Designer of Sound Systems made out of Glass

The idea for Rinz Sound came from a passion for merging art with cutting-edge audio technology. I wanted to create something unique for luxury homes—high-end sound systems that are also beautiful design pieces, so that vision led to the creation of Rinz Sound, the first company to manufacture Hi-Fi speakers made from toughened glass. Read more>>

Tina Gonzalez | Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist & Founder of Flor Y Siendo Therapy and Wellness

I am the daughter of hard-working immigrants from Mexico who were faithful employees for their respective companies for many years. I was taught to keep my head down and work hard (for someone else). Read more>>

Isabel Lance | Photographer

I’ve been interested in photography for as long as I can remember, so Cocün Photography started more like a hobby. I had my daughter 10 years ago so i started taking pictures of her an uploading them to social media. I got into newborn photography, taking interest in posing, safety, props, after that i worked on refining my technique with workshops, courses going to events. Read more>> 

Isabel Lance | Photographer

I’ve been interested in photography for as long as I can remember, so Cocün Photography started more like a hobby. I had my daughter 10 years ago so i started taking pictures of her an uploading them to social media. I got into newborn photography, taking interest in posing, safety, props, after that i worked on refining my technique with workshops, courses going to events. Read more>>

Jian J | Artists/Rapper & Entrepreneur

Originally when I was 15 my thought process behind starting my own business was to be an African American man from Compton being an entrepreneur leaving through creativity. Also being a person that can be a positive impact through my story of growing up in Compton (LA County) and be apart of the evolution and change in my community through music, clothing, and creativity in general. Read more>>

Natalie Livingston | Singer/Songwriter

To be honest with you, I was never intending to pursue my original music as a career. I’m a professional vocalist and musician, but writing came into the picture much later. During the pandemic, I had downtime for the first time in my life. I was staying at my parents’ house that summer. I’m from southeastern New Hampshire, about 30 minutes from the coast. Read more>>

Emma Wagner | Chiropractor, Body Whisperer

From a very young age when asked what I would want to do later in life, I always said I wanted to be the boss. When I became a Chiropractor, I worked for one year for a DC in Palo Alto, CA, which was a wonderful experience. Then, with Burton, my now husband, we decided to move to France and start a practice there. Read more>>

Ana Valdivia | Floral Enthusiast/Entrepreneur/Teacher

Similar to many entrepreneurs, the thought process behind starting my own business was the promise of the “American dream”. I realize that may look and feel different for each one of us, but at the heart of that dream I believe what we are all really seeking is freedom – freedom to choose where we live, who we love, how we pray, and how we work.  Read more>>

Melissa Pfirrman | Content Creator

I have always been a very creative person with an entrepreneurial spirit. My initial thoughts were, how can I combine those two things to create a life I love and make money doing it? I knew I wanted to blend creativity and entrepreneurship to build a fulfilling career. One of my main driving forces has always been my daughter. Read more>>

Nora Jaenicke | Founder Nostos Screenwriting Retreat

As a writer, I often find myself searching for inspiration and a quiet place to focus on nothing but my work. It’s so easy to get distracted by the pressures of the daily life: Bills to pay, our relationships and families and whatever we do for work. But at the same time I also need a community of friends and colleagues who face my same obstacles. Read more>>

Ben Huynh | Glorified Receptionist

My story isn’t just about building businesses; it’s about continuing a legacy of courage and determination that my family started when we fled Vietnam as refugees in 1980. Landing in Los Angeles with my parents and siblings, I grew up watching them turn their new life into a story of success through sheer grit and entrepreneurship. This powerful example laid the groundwork for my own path in business. Read more>>

LindaLu | cosmetic consultant & creator of LindaLuBeautyBar

I have a background in Teaching. it’s in my Soul. I also love Learning. Life is most Lived when you Experience or Learn something new Every day. Furthermore, I’m a Social-Butterfly: I Love Laughing, Loving, Libating (is that a word??), wink. So, I decided to put ALL these Joys together in an Aesthetic Theme and formed LindaLu BeautyBar. Read more>>

Luc Hudson | Toy Designer

I met my business partner when we both worked as designers at Hasbro in the UK. I was a Concept Designer for the games team on brands including Monopoly, Clue, Twister and Connect 4.  Read more>>

Tessa Velazquez Veronica Cabezas | Founders, YESBABE

We craved a different kind of food experience – one focused on nourishing food that celebrates its origins and cultural stories. We saw a lack of these experiences led by female chefs, and a need for spaces infused with cultural exploration, diverse traditions, and genuine connection. Read more>> 

Katie Gong | Wood Sculptor

It kinda just happened. At the time I was working at Anthropologie as their senior display coordinator and I a few customers had approached me and asked if I would ever take on side projects or custom commissions. So while I still had a full time gig I took on some of these projects. Read more>>

Rosie Mayer | Co-Director of Nova Community Arts

Nova Community Arts is a Queer owned 501(c)(3) nonprofit art studio in Los Angeles. We offer art classes, workshops, open studio access, and guest programming at our studio in Atwater Village five days a week. Our resources include a fully stocked printmaking studio, Risograph duplicator, Glowforge lasercutter, Riso MiScreen digital screen maker, screenprinting mounts, and more. Read more>>

Marisa Quintanilla | Green Beauty Entrepreneur

Pursing a life of freedom and purpose was the greatest drive behind my decision to be an entrepreneur. Our time on this earth is so precious and brief – I knew I had to find a way to align my work life with my values, and endeavor to create a business that allowed for both. Read more>>

Salih Watts | Owner of Loc Lov Salon

Well, I never set out to start my own business, Loc Lov as a salon came together because I grew too big inside of a salon where I rented 1 chair. I moved to From Philly to DC where my goal was to be the most popular stylist in whatever salon i joined. Read more>> 

Katherine Germosen | Sustainable Fashion Designer

The fashion industry is the second-largest polluter worldwide? This alarming fact motivated me to act and become more aware of fashion sustainability. As someone who adores fashion, I wanted to be able to dress well and work in the fashion industry without further damaging our planet and people. Read more>>

Dr. Sy Woon | Veterinarian & Medical Director

I created Angel Wing Vets L.A. because, as a pet parent myself, I think it’s SO important that we can give our beloved pets the most peaceful and meaningful passing, in the comfort of their own homes. Not only are my pet patients surrounded by loved ones in a familiar environment, but they also get to avoid any stress that might be associated with transport or being in a hospital setting. Read more>>

Sophia Kianni | Founder of Climate Cardinals

The thought process behind starting Climate Cardinals was driven by a strong desire to address a critical gap in climate education. I realized that much of the available climate information was only accessible to English speakers, leaving out a significant portion of the global population.  Read more>>