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.

Paula Goins

Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to own my own business. One thing my father used to tell me was as long as you love what you do.you’ll never work another day in your life. Read More>>

Allen Kamrava

It wasn’t some lifelong dream to “be an entrepreneur.” It was more practical than that. I kept running into systems that were inefficient, poorly designed, or constrained by incentives that didn’t make sense. At some point I realized I understood the problem well enough that I could either keep operating inside it — or try to build something better. Read More>>

Cameron Gaskins

Honestly, starting my own business wasn’t some perfectly planned thing. It came from experiences that stayed with me for a long time. Growing up, my mom was really intentional about teaching me about money early. Read More>>

Alyssa Trawkina

My story is about letting go of the entrepreneurial path. Over the years, I moved through many professions—from programmer and interaction designer to art director and startup founder—often working across different countries and fields. While each role shaped me, I repeatedly ended up feeling limited. Especially during the time of building a business. Read More>>

Mengyi Grace Wang

From a young age, I had the opportunity to explore different creative mediums, such as painting, drawing, calligraphy, etc, and that’s the time I developed a strong interest in art, especially acrylic on canvas. Over time and through living across cultures in China, the U.S., and the UK, I came to realize that art is more than just a visual medium, but a form of narrative expression that allows me to share a cross-cultural perspective and communicate stories that are beyond language. Read More>>