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.

Khadijah Phillips | Innovator & Founder

As the mother of two children on the autism spectrum I saw a lack in programs and resources for the caregivers. In the black community the lack of resources for the children are often scarce but it’s almost non existent for caregivers. The purpose of the autism mom club is to remedy that problem and focus on the parents. Read more>>

Andrea Podenzana | Full Professor of Painting Techniques at the Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara

Tradition, mine is a family of artists that began with a painter named Andrea Podenzana in 1600, from that moment on every generation has had an artist, musician or painter, I chose painting. Read more>>

Taylor Lax | Cocktail Creator

So, my foray into social media was pretty much a happy accident. I had this cocktail account I played around with, but it didn’t really take off until the pandemic hit. Just before all that craziness, I’d wrapped up a global cocktail competition, and I snagged a spot in the Top 8 for the USA. Things were looking up in my bartending career, and I was about to run this cool Farmer’s market Omakase bar in a venue. But, you know, we opened our doors just three days before the pandemic slammed us. Suddenly, I found myself feeling a bit lost. I was used to always being on the move, whether behind the bar or out hustling sales for my family’s small LA-based whiskey brand, KIN Whiskey. Read more>>

Mark Devlin | Editor/ Publisher/ Host

I have been an entrepreneur my whole life. Starting a business is easily. Making it work and making it profitable, that’s harder. To make my business work, i just never gave up, constantly striving to improve my product, and always keep the focus on making a difference and not just a profit. Read more>>

Jena Catalano | Founder & CEO

After graduating college, I knew I wanted to start a business of some kind, and I’ve always been well-connected in the wellness space! After working in the fashion PR industry and hosting Influencer events, I saw the lack of wellness events, community, and the need for a space to say yes to you and treat yourself to self-care! I’ve always loved meeting and connecting with others and organizing events, so I combined my love for marketing and wellness to create AIRE! We are now the go-to spot for all-in-one wellness! We host multiple monthly events, including yoga, pilates, sound baths, meditation, hypnotherapy, and more. All while connecting with like-minded sponsors to treat our guests to our exclusive event gift bags! Read more>>

Brittni, Bobbi & Kyla | The Heels (Singer-songwriters/recording artists)

Starting The Heels wasn’t just a business venture; it was born out of the fiery passion that consumed our hearts, fuelled by our deep love for singing and songwriting. It was a very organic and unique development for us – we began our journey at Kyla’s cafe, Buddha-Full, where Brittni worked as a barista and Bobbi was a regular customer. We would get together after hours at the cafe with whoever else wanted to join and play music just to feel good and work through whatever we were going through in our personal lives. People walking by would start to gravitate outside the cafe while we played our music which then snowballed into creating a band and performing for audiences as local venues. So, as we continued to write music from our hearts, we yearned to craft melodies and weave stories that would leave a mark and touch people on a deep level through the healing power of music. Read more>>

Daniella Clarke & Barbaranne Wylde | Honest AF Show podcast

We met over a pair of platform shoes and became kind of obsessed with each other.. We soon realized that we had so much in common, especially our passion to embrace health, wellness, and aging (or Not) gracefully. Together we were constantly searching and sharing products and procedures to make us feel great, when it occurred to us that we should be of public service and share our Honest AF knowledge as a podcast. As Daniella likes to say, we are of a certain “stature” and going through all these life, mental, physical changes and challenges. What better way to gather and create a community, then the podcast space? We are the same age, married to musicians for over 30 years, both moms and businesswomen, We share our Real thoughts and conversations with our listeners., as well as Professional and Celebrity guests. Read more>>

Leslie Campbell | Model, Moviestar & Mutt Maven!

I should begin by saying “businesses!” In my 4 adult decades on this planet, I have successfully reinvented my career multiple times. I call my working chapters: Models, Movie Stars and Mutts…in that order. My life has been anything but ordinary as I was raised in Liberia and Somalia from 6 months to 10 years old. I had a creative father and a finance business mother and acquired both of their expertise. I have always been creatively passionate and determined to do things my own way. I had no idea “what I wanted to do when I grew up,” so I let life take its course and I was open to suggestions and opportunities. I discovered the power of saying, “yes, I can do that,” and I did! To be continued… Read more>>

Ryan Fantau | Hat Shaper and Designer

As a career barman in Breckenridge for the last 12 years I’ve realized for awhile now that I needed an exit strategy from the service industry. Given the cost of living and observing how other long term residents created longevity and carved out a livelihood here I realized that many of them found success starting their own businesses. I wanted to offer a product and service that hadn’t yet been offered here while allowing me to tap into my creative abilities ~ shaping and creating hats resonated heavily with that. After exploring the process on YouTube I realized that a mentor would be my next move. After working with my mentor for a few months I felt it was time to launch my own hat shaping brand. I wanted to launch as an experience based event pop up brand. Read more>>

Richard Scott | Screenwriter

With so much content and competition in the industry, it can be difficult to get your work in front of the right people. This is not a helpful city when it comes to entertainment. Many doors are slammed in your face and there is a business in Hollywood of making a lot of money off other people’s dreams. You have to be thick skinned and forge your path. Endless Imagination was a dream and a way to get the content out there and have some control over the process. Read more>>

Adrienne Steinbach | Micro-bakery owner and physical therapist

I grew up cooking, baking and watching my mom in the kitchen make everything from scratch, From a young age I have always enjoyed creating and baking in the kitchen. Just the past two to three years I started to make sourdough breads and began sharing them with friends, family and coworkers. It was a hit and I wanted to continue to do this on a larger scale. I took the plunge this year and started my own business, Stonybrook Kitchen. I purchased a Simply bread oven to be able increase my output. I’m excited to see where this new adventure takes me, challenging me, moving me forward. Read more>>

Janet Noah | Tie-dye Artist

Starting off my business has been one of the most daring things I have done. For me, I was not in a god place so all I wanted was to keep myself occupied. I kicked off my business because I wanted to have something doing and I had previously tried being an employee but it did not make a difference. The urge to bf the reason why people loved something a d yearned for it pushed me further. So I picked up the textile Designing that I loved so much and turned it into something that was not very common where I live. Read more>>

Danielle Nowak | Founder & CEO

Hi! My name is Danielle. I created Natural Sands after going through a hard time in my life, where I found myself very depressed and passionless. I was lost and needed something to bring that joy back into my life. I decided to join my two passions: art and business – Natural Sands was born! This business started as just something to do in my free time and has grown into so much more than that! I hope to use my products to make other’s lives better and more fun! I want my products to make you smile every time you look at what you bought! Enjoy my small business! Read more>>

Mikayla De Peralta | Artist

I’ve always envisioned myself having my own business ever since I was young. I’ve tried different routes such as designing shirts, selling hair bows, and even jewelry that was trending around the time of early 2010s. Now as an adult, I’m able to invest my own money into something that I enjoy doing. I know for a fact that I’ve always wanted to make jewelry. I was never satisfied with my personal collection that was store bought. Inevitably, I was once again inspired to make jewelry while it was something up and coming. I experimented a lot with keeping necklaces simple or maximizing it with tons of colors and bead shapes. Today, I’ve found a good niche between the two. Read more>>

Daniel Gutierrez | Muay thai gym owner and Director of awesomeness

I’ve always known I wanted to have my own business. I just didn’t realize it was so hard hahahaha!!! But ya, I was always envious of people that could make their time and schedule. That is what true freedom looks like in the working world. Being able to come and go as you please and stuff. At least that’s what I told myself. Then we opened Defiant Gym and I have no time hahaha!!!. It’s even worse now that we have opened other locations (los angeles which is open, and another one in Glendale which is still under construction). Honestly I wouldn’t change a thing!! This is the hardest and best thing I’ve ever done. Lots of headaches but way more rewards. I love the journey. Read more>>

Aaron, Marcus Van Cleave, Johnson | Indie LA Co-Founders & Podcast Producers

After years of working in the entertainment industry and experiencing the challenges of success, we wanted to have the freedom to guide our own projects and develop a platform for creative artists to network and share their stories. Read more>>

Breana Wiggins | Clothing Brand Owner

The thought process behind starting my own business, Nature Head Project, was deeply rooted in my personal journey and experiences. Growing up in the inner city, I wasn’t really exposed to the beauty of the outdoors until I went on my first hike at 24. That hike completely changed my perspective and made me realize there’s so much more to the world. Relocating to California in 2019 further solidified my love for the outdoors, inspiring me to create a brand that could bridge the gap between urban communities and nature. I wanted to dismantle the misconception that certain communities are disconnected from the outdoors, and show that spending time outside can bring so much peace and joy. Read more>>

Taiwo Oduala | Film maker/ Entertainment Executive and Award Plattform founder

I have been of the positive mindset right from my childhood and as I grow up I develop more on my dream and aspiration. I wanted to be a great film maker and entertainment professional. And also to give back to the society by rewarding and Appreciating them for the love, support and impact in the society Read more>>

Kris FRANKLIN | Fashion Designer

My thought process behind creating the brand was to create a community and culture that represents people that look like me or that can relate to me. Being a black kid from Detroit, Michigan there isn’t a lot of opportunities that you come across, but art has always been apart of me. Family and community has always been a very important part of me as well and I want to relay that through my designs. Read more>>

Ellie Cai | Ellie Cai | Indie Game Producer & Master’s Candidate in Public Relations at USC

Our business ideas didn’t spark out of nowhere; they were deeply rooted in our experience and observation. We recall the gender inequalities of the early 2000s in Eastern Asia, a period our mothers describe with vivid clarity. To the younger generation today, these tales might seem almost unfathomable. But it’s a story we owe to our mothers and sisters, and we’re determined to tell it. This led to an idea: What if we could turn these powerful stories into an indie game? A platform that provides not only entertainment but also a deep dive into another’s experiences. Our game isn’t just for fun; it’s a tribute to the brave women of our past. Read more>>

Amanda Ortiz | Acupuncturist, Holistic Nutritionist, Yoga + Pilates Fitness Instructor, Artist

The thought process behind starting my own business was centered around the idea of creating something that represents who I am and what I do in the most authentic way. I wanted my medical practice to have a very laid back vibe in a cool and earthy environment with comfort and ease. Most days I’m wearing jeans and Vans and I love that I can connect with my patients from a genuine place of just being myself. My goal as a practitioner is to give the people in my care a calming and peaceful experience so that they can let go and rest while they’re here. I focus each treatment on the patient in front of me and what they need at that moment in time. Read more>>

Mercedes Barreto | PR Agency Owner, Digital Magazine Founder, Artist & Musician

“I figured that instead of trying to fit in a box and get a job in that instance like everyone else, I could do something on my own terms and end up succeeding much more. I have worked with a
TV Network and several international clients in many different areas. The magazine started in 2018. I wanted to represent talented individuals and other categories of topics when I felt there were just too many talents and not enough storytellers.” Read more>>

Ivan Flores | Swimming Pool Contractor

I worked for the largest pool company in the South Bay for 11 years and although the environment was great and the pay was good, I knew I had the ability to do more within my industry beyond just cleaning pools, I knew I could make more money beyond a weekly 800 dollar check and I knew I could leave behind something for my kids to follow and be proud of. When I decided to leave my former employer I realized I needed to create a catchy company name and logo, something that could be remembered if seen on a truck and could be quickly googled. I wanted to have my birth name incorporated into the company name somehow but I didn’t want to call it Ivan’s Pool Service. After playing with several name ideas, iPools was born. Short and catchy. Read more>>

Carlos Rivera, Gabriela Salguero Ulises Tolentino | SALTAI Founders

Our flooring store and nearby businesses experienced a surge in demand for affordable mouldings due to shortages caused by the pandemic and port delays. Major corporations opted to prioritize their larger clients, which was understandable. We viewed this situation as an opening to explore the idea of importing our own products, leading us to embark on our research journey and create what is now SALTAI ultralight MDF mouldings. Read more>>

Sun Kim | Co-Founder

Alex and I both come from a design background in the ad agency and consulting worlds. We realized we wanted to use our joint experience to create something one-of-a-kind, with the power to impact people on a personal level. In short, we wanted to see how our fun, unique designs could be shared with others to enjoy. After some trial and error in learning how to create a product, we managed to produce our first collection of Story Spark graphic tees — all inspired by the intersection of art and technology. Since then, we’ve participated in numerous events, both online and in person, in order to connect with others who appreciate our message and care to share it with others in their lives. This truly inspires us to continue the process of creating distinctive designs, and sparking smiles where we can. Read more>>

Kanako Gendler | Garlic Chili Oil Maker

I worked as a restaurant chef in Japan for many years. I became a full-time housewife after giving birth, but my desire to help others through food became stronger, so I decided to start my own company. Read more>>

Spencer Gilbard | Actor & Artist

I made the decision to get into podcasting because I love talking to people and making them laugh. That’s why I founded LOL Comedy Club as a podcast production company. I believe that people communicating more will create a better world. Read more>>

Paul Perry | Meet Paul Perry, Book Author and Documentary Filmmaker

How did you begin your career as a writer? When I was 18 years old I had the fortune of writing a story that was good enough to sell to a newspaper. It was a story about a travelling magic show that appeared at the Arizona state fair. Entertainers would blow massive fireballs by spraying lighter fluid from their mouths on to a lighted torch or use mirrors and costumes to evolve into wild animals before our very eyes. It was very low grade entertainment, but the story I wrote was good enough to publish. When I was paid $50 by the newspaper I changed my ideas of becoming a marine biologist and switched to writing. If I could make money, travel and get a byline why wouldn’t I choose writing as a profession? As Hunter S. Thompson declared later in my life, “writing is a ticket to ride. Hell Paul, who doesn’t want that?” Read more>>

Doug Folkins | Professional songwriter and independent artist

For me it’s really all about mind set. It’s called the music “business” for a reason and if I’m was going to be a serious indie artist and professional songwriter, I was going to have to start thinking of my activities as business. This meant getting real with my goals, budgets, targets revenues, expenses, and a proper business plan. Read more>>