Our city is home to so many incredible businesses and so we asked the founders how they came up with the ideas for their businesses and have shared their responses below.

Hartley Lynn | Co-Founder & Sunchaser

The story of SABAL Swim is quite the adventure, my friend. It all began on a sunny Southern California beach, where I was on a mission to find that elusive ‘magic suit.’ Not something to make me look two sizes bigger, but a swimsuit that would let me feel confidently feminine and just be myself. No padding, no squeezing, just something that worked like SPANX but for a small bust. Funny thing is, my search led to some comical mishaps. I ended up trying double-sided sticky inserts, which didn’t always stay put and sometimes even floated away in the pool. It was a mix of embarrassment and laughter. Read more>>

Stephanie Ward | CEO and Founder of Stand Tall Parenting – Certified Parent Educator and Infant Massage Instructor

During my time as a Cal-Learn Eligibility Worker for the County of San Bernardino back in 2011, some of the teen parents and their own parents shared with me the unhealthy parenting they’ve experienced. This revelation ignited my desire to create a nurturing haven for parents and caregivers by offering evidence-based parent education to provide support during the most trying moments of parenthood. My parent educator journey began once I completed my certification and accepted the position as a Parent Educator at a non-profit agency in Los Angeles County. However, I soon realized that something was missing; my fulfillment was hindered by limited access to diverse communities and the constraints of the services provided. Read more>>

Michael Blackman | Perfumer and Owner of Past Artists Fragrances

I wish I could say, “I was struck by inspiration at 3am and never looked back!” But that isn’t the case. Past Artists is the culmination of two other attempts at solidifying my brand and what I was trying to say.
It wasn’t until I stripped away other negative voices and just asked myself, what do you want to say? I wanted to make creative fragrances and I wanted them to correlate with things that I love. I am inspired by art every single day. I’m an art school kid. Fragrance based on art. Easy, just don’t look back at the trail of dead ideas I left along the way. Read more>>