It takes a lot more than an idea to build a business, but there can’t be a business without the idea. So we asked folks who’ve built wonderful businesses to tell us about how they came up with the idea in the first place.

Lance Toro | Co-Owner

Wantz and Kneads came to be as a complete labor of love and a joining of forces. I had been a private chef for some Hollywood’s most well-known celebrities for over 30 years. I was desperate to get out of that field of work but had no idea what my second act would entail. My partner Jenn had worked in marketing for many years and suggested that we work together to combine my love of food with her knowledge of sales and so, Wantz and Kneads was born. Read more>>

Taylor Oyebadejo | Homelessness and Housing Researcher & Interior Designer

If I trace back the steps, I find myself chuckling because Soul Key Studio was ultimately borne from my own wedding and my educational training. It feels random to say that my interior design business resulted from two experiences that have absolutely nothing to do with interior design, but that seems to be the way life goes; it is almost never a straight path. Read more>>

July Yokogawa | Owner

Like many quarantine born hobbies, Crackle ‘n Puff started from a baking whim. Baking has always been a passion of mine, and I picked it back up during the lockdown stages of the pandemic. While I did not join the bread starter trend, I found myself more drawn to making cream puffs more and more each time. One thing lead to another and here we are: providing cream puffs to the general public to enjoy. Read more>>