Starting a business is a commitment and requires dedication, resources and sacrifice. We asked some of the rising stars in our community how they thought through the idea of starting their own businesses.

Teresa Ann

Photography was just a hobby when I first started my senior year of high school. I spent hours practicing with any friends and family that would let me capture them! With that being said, I am self taught with the help of a few friends along the way! Fast forward to college, I shot my first wedding and the inquiries continued from there. I decided to then turn this hobby into an actual business, because why not do something I love.  Read More>>

Dr. Maria Rosa Vento-Gomez

With over three decades in healthcare, I’ve always been driven by a desire to care for people. Starting Beauty Hub HNS was a way to bring that nurturing spirit into the beauty world—creating a space where wellness, self-care, and confidence all meet. I wanted to build a hub that wasn’t just about beauty treatments, but about helping people feel whole, seen, and cared for. Read More>>

Silvie Bordeaux

My soul dog Muffin who was a senior toy poodle went blind at age 11. Many people told me I should put him to sleep because he was bumping into everything and scared. I was terrified and wanted to help him out so in 2011, I invented Muffin’s Halo which is a device that acts like a bumper so blind dogs can navigate safely and with confidence. Muffin lived to be 15.5 years old and had a great quality of life as a blind dog because of his halo guiding him. I successfully developed and took Muffin’s Halo to market helping many thousands of blind dogs and then sold my company to Paw Prosper several years ago. Read More>>

Corina Rodriquez

I wanted to honor my grandparents and carry on the legacy of my Grandma Vera’s recipes through baking. I grew up incredibly close to my grandparents, Vera and Louie, and spent a lot of time at their house which resulted in a lot of time spent in the kitchen with my grandma. She showed her love for her family and loved ones through baking, and it is something I always admired and was absolutely drawn to doing as well. She allowed me to follow her every move in the kitchen, showing me recipes and techniques and encouraged me to practice over and over again until I got the technique and recipe right.  Read More>>

Tatiana Figari

My journey into teaching art parties for adults and kids began during a challenging and unexpected chapter of my life. What began as a life path to build a family and future suddenly dramatically shifted and I found myself alone with my 2-year-old child, navigating a new country with no job, no friends and family nearby, limited financial resources and very little stability. I came into this chapter with a strong foundation: I hold two bachelor’s degrees – B.A. and degree in criminal law, had travel widely and always been financially independent, but nothing prepared me for the emotional and financial challenges of starting over from scratch – Read More>>

Miller McCoy

Limitless MFG started very organically. Stephen Mangini and I had each built our own clothing brands, and we were styling musicians in our pieces. What surprised us was how quickly artists and talent began asking if we could create that same level of product and brand identity for them.

At first, it was just manufacturing — helping them get their merch made. But soon we realized: if we’re producing the clothing, we should also be designing it. Then came the need for online stores, so we added Shopify development. Then fulfillment. Then product photography. Then customer service. Read More>>

Melissa Aguilar

My story, passion, and love for the beauty industry was my entire thought process behind starting my business. How i came up with the name Melrose Cosmetics for my brand actually has a double meaning. My first name being Mel and my mothers being Rose is one. I wanted to honor my mother because of how much i look up to her. The second was all the inspiration I gathered from my beautiful city of Los Angeles and the culture of Melrose. Read More>>

Siyeon Kim

Starting Angels Lyric Opera was both a personal and professional decision for me. Living in a big, diverse city like Los Angeles, I saw so many talented singers—but not enough chances for them to grow in their careers. I wanted to create a supportive space, a kind of “nest,” where young artists could develop with confidence and purpose. Read More>>

SweetTee Batiste

I’d say SweetTee Entertainment,LLC was just an idea of thinking outside of the box for me. I always knew from a young girl that I was different and created to be something greater than my environment. But I just didn’t know how or what until March 2020. When Covid-19 started to help take my mind off of what was happening around the world and even in my own community, I began to brainstorm and do some research on how to start an llc and what the requirements were. Read More>>

David Powers

I was in the mortgage industry for over 40 years. Looking to retire in the near future, I contacted one of the marketing gurus from the Upland Chamber of Commerce and he quickly put together a website that would enhance my business model.
I was in the music industry in the late 70’s. The collection I acquired from the contacts I made contributed to an incredible
Portfolio through the years. Read More>>

Aleen Caeli

It actually was a pretty intentional decision. After leaving my sales job, I found myself jobless while also dealing with the sickness and eventual loss of my father and really unsure of what direction to take. But deep down, I knew I wanted to pursue something creative and more aligned with who I am. While still applying for real jobs, I just decided I was going to give freelancing a real shot in the meantime. I started watching YouTubers who were doing it, studied how they built their businesses, and slowly began piecing things together for myself. Read More>>

Eleonore Frank

I would have never started my own business if I didn’t think I was adding something unique to the conversation. My journey into creating Filipiniana began as a customer, and what I found available online simply did not fit my sense of style. I knew that I could contribute to the world of Filipiniana by offering pieces that spoke the current fashion climate, through cut, fabric and style I wanted to make Filipiniana that worked with a woman’s wardrobe, rather than just being a piece she threw on in addition to it.  Read More>>

Sean Maguire

I’ve been a professional actor for over 40 years and come from a family of teachers. For many years I’ve had people ask me how do I get into the business? Where do I train? How do I get an agent? So during the pandemic, my brother stayed with me and he was teaching his students Irish Dancing via Zoom, and it occurred to me. I could teach people acting the same way. I thought maybe I could to start a school where I could help people get started in the acting world. This September our school turns five years old. Read More>>

Kayla Lance

I had sort of a revelatory moment one morning when I woke up from a dream..
almost like I felt like I was called to it. Like I had an assignment and realized I was supposed to be painting. That day I painted an image I had just in my brain which was a portrait of a woman I haven’t even titled yet, using house paint and tubes of children’s acrylic paint. That sort of scratched an itch on my brain and I was suddenly alive to a new wave creativity. Read More>>

Frida Touray

It was less thought and more intuition. I had come from a career of being part of a band (native dancer) which was active for a couple of years. I felt this deep need to be fully in charge of my own brand and creative output and I wanted to express myself more openly and honestly in my lyrics and music. Read More>>

Briana Williams

Starting Greystone Law and Advisory Group was born out of both frustration and clarity. After years of working within the confines of traditional law firms, I realized that the rigid, hierarchical structure of those environments didn’t reflect who I am—or how I’m meant to serve. I’m not just an attorney. I’m a strategist and an image architect: a creative. I’ve always moved fluidly between disciplines: law, business, branding, design—and I needed to build something that allowed all of those dimensions to exist in harmony. Read More>>