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.

Phoebe Fu | Director&Editor

The reason why I start my own post-prouduction studio is that I want to make post-production affordable for independent filmmakers. As an independent filmmaker in NY years ago, I know how hard it is to make movies without financial supports and platforms. Read more>>

Melanie Melendez-Sellergren | Professional Mermaid & Fantasy Model

The thought behind starting my own business was very simple. I wanted to do something nobody around me was offering, yes there are similar areas of performance, like Party Princesses, but I wanted to make Mermaiding Professionally unique to me. Read more>>

Dara (Sunn’e) Ratcliff (Ra) | Creative Soul : Artist Actress Poet

Dae Dae “I gotta think of a way to get this money by tomorrow” Roach “Huh”
Dae Dae “I gotta think of- HUH, I got to think of a way to get this money by tomorrow” Read more>>

Laura Wong | Vintage textile shop and Kimono stylist

I have been interested in kimono and Japanese textiles ever since living in Japan in college. I lived in a historic town where it was common to see people out and about in kimono.

Gregg Hoffman | Landscape Contractor and WWOO Co-Owner

I graduated from Cal Poly SLO with a degree in ornamental horticulture. After graduating I decided to start my own business called Outside Matters when my oldest was born. Fast forward almost 25 years and my oldest was going to college in Germany. Read more>>

Ana Benitez | Storyrocket Founder and Emmy Award-winning Producer

I came to the U.S. as a Cuban refugee when I was a toddler with my parents and grandparents. They owed the airline tickets that we flew with and settled in an impoverished area of Miami. Without knowing the language and culture, my young parents had no idea how they would start over. Read more>>

Arie Sharony | Film & TV producer

Fresh out of film school I was bursting with creativity and ambition. But I quickly realized that the traditional route of climbing the ladder in the film industry wasn’t for me. I didn’t want to spend years working my way up, hoping for a chance to tell my own stories. Read more>>

Joe Adams | Immigration Lawyer and Advocate

Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs and small business owners, I was immersed in a culture of self-starters and innovators from a young age. This environment fostered a deep-rooted understanding of the challenges and rewards of building a business from the ground up. Read more>>

Kim Dana | Director & Video Editor

I started shooting and editing music videos for local LA rappers back in high school. At the time, there were a lot of skeleton crews with better equipment and personnel doing the same thing and uploading their work to YouTube or Vimeo. Read more>>

Greg Lakey | Mathematics Educator, Speaker, Curriculum Writer, and Investor

My wife and I are both educators. We both dedicate an enormous amount of time to our craft and still feel a pinch a week after we have been paid. Our mother’s have tremendous entrepreneurial spirits so starting a business was only a matter of time. Read more>>

Everett Dailey | Graphic Designer

I started my own business for a couple of reasons. The first being, I wasn’t getting any opportunities from places where I felt I deserved them. In my mind, getting a master’s degree in graphic design from the top design school in the country had me thinking “Cool, Read more>>

LaToya Harris | Hairstylist/Salon owner

After working in different salons the politics of what days and times I could take clients became a problem at times. Salon Owners had all the control. Stylist weren’t allowed keys you could only be in the salon when they allowed you access.  Read more>>

naomi hephzibah | Hairstylist

For as long as I can remember, the idea of owning my own business had always intrigued me. The thought of having control over my financial destiny and having the flexibility to create my schedule was very appealing. Read more>>

Lydia Velichkovski | Founder of Tribeca Music, NYC

I realized the constraint of dollars for hours and wanted to expand beyond that limitation of my personal hourly schedule. I also enjoy learning new things, so learning how to start and run a business felt exciting and fun for me. Read more>>

Ningyao Melvin Yen | Theater Producer, Director, Writer & Entrepreuner

Starting my own business was always a dream of mine. I believe that people should strive to excel in what they do, rather than just completing tasks. Working across various organizations, productions, and companies, I often felt I was merely ticking off tasks. Read more>>

ShaKayla Eaddy | Entrepreneur

The first business I started which was Young Stylish Lifestyle LLC wasn’t conceived with a thought process behind it, 16 year old me was sitting on the couch and got a random idea to start a business selling t-shirts and the name just came to me immediately after and from that I immediately got started with doing research and making moves to bring my idea to life, learning along the way. Read more>>

Oliver Goulden | Founder of FounderSix

We started FounderSix primarily to address the challenge of high customer acquisition costs that brands face today. Our approach involves partnering with influencers, offering them equity to leverage their organic reach for launching brands without the need for significant marketing expenditures. Read more>>

Stephanie Franklin | Founder / CEO of Fly Wines

Starting Fly Wines was a journey driven by a desire to embrace change and explore new horizons. The decision to pivot from a technology background to the world of wine was fueled by a determination to break free from hesitation and regrets. Read more>>

Skyler Greyson | President of Rugged Coffee LLC

My thought process for starting my own business was when I was working in a coffee shop and realized that I cant make a career out of any position working at a coffee shop,  Read more>>

Kelly Powell | Photographer

I was 23 when I decided to go work for myself. I had a job working in a studio right out of college. The work environment was extremely stressful because of management. I had the opportunity to go to Sierra Leone, Africa to work with a documentary crew after the blood diamond wars had ended to document recovery efforts and bring awareness to the outside world. Read more>>

Hayley Fedders | Coach for Graphic Designers

Starting my own business stemmed from a combination of necessity and passion. After facing challenges in traditional employment, such as rejection due to my pregnancy, I realized the importance of creating my own opportunities. Read more>>

Frankie Endo Ondo | Creator of Draw The Line: The Game of Dealbreakers & Red Flags & Podcast Host

The motivation behind starting my own business stemmed from a desire to transform the dating world into a more honest and non-judgmental space. Through my card game, podcast, and now my new candle collection, I aimed to make the dating scene less intimidating and more inviting. Read more>>

Ally Davies | Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist

To be honest I wasn’t sure if I wanted to own my own business. I always loved doing makeup and hair. I started working for another bridal makeup company and from there decided to start my own business, I started to get the most amazing clients and have been in this industry now for 8 years. Read more>>

Robin Wang | Entrepreneur

The triggering point of starting my own business when I found out that how I much I enjoyed to create new things and bring changes to people’s life. I soon realized working in the corporate with 9 to 5 lifestyle is not going to help me achieve my goal. So I started my own company during the time when I was pursing my graduate degree. Read more>>

Mya Ayo | Stretch Therapist

I started my stretch therapy business in June 2020, right when Covid pandemic hit. And I. always called it a blessing in disguise, because I lost my job in February that same year and was really stressed out about what’s next.  Read more>>

Janet Park | Vintage Store Owner & Curator

I had grown up with an interest in fashion, but didn’t know how to incorporate it into career path. Over time, I discovered thrifting and I started shopping regularly at thrift shops. I was always so excited to find unique items there, and enjoyed the the thrill of the “hunt” for the perfect piece. Read more>>

Sophie Gragg | Founder & Editor in Chief

My thought process behind starting The Luna Collective was deeply rooted in my passion for music, curating, and connecting with other creatives. I wanted to create a space where diverse voices could c connect and be celebrated. Read more>>

Tony + Anna Aldridge | Westside Collective Owner Operators

When we initiated Westside Motorcycle Collective as a brand, our primary focus was on reintroducing “freedom” into motorcycle rides and transitioning away from the conformity prevalent in most rides we had experienced with other groups. Read more>>

Joaquin Villarino | Artist and Entrepreneur

After working in a few different studios, I realized that there was a problem with the way that most studios were operating, how they were treating clients, and in some cases how they were treating their artists. Read more>>

Yasmine Perez | Owner of Salt Studio LA

My thought process came from where the name came from! I was looking to create a name that has deep meaning behind it. All that I do has deep meaning behind it! The name Salt Studio comes from the Book of Matthew, the idea of being the salt of the world. Read more>>

Joshua Thompson | Musician & Creative Producer

My thought process behind my brand Taste and Treble was really rooted in wanting to create a space for musical artists to tell their creative stories outside of the space and identity that comes with being an artist and performer. Read more>> 

De’yanna Seoul | Executive Director, Mother, Medicine Woman

When I dreamt up Village Of Mothers it became a vision with many moving parts and I also understood it was an extension of me and many others. I call VOM, “The collective dream,” I believe this is what our mothers, elders, and ancestors dreamed of. Read more>>