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.

Samantha Caltagirone | Owner, Thick As Thieves

We always vacationed in Palm Springs and loved the food, architecture + hotels, but felt like there was a gap in the retail space. To us, there wasn’t a shop selling Palm Springs souvenirs made locally/ by hand. Read more>>

Martin Crawford | Vacation Rental Company Founder

I’ve always had the entrepreneurial bug and shortly after college I started my own outdoor guide business, offering rock climbing classes and guided outdoor experiences including backpacking trips and wilderness survival courses. This grew over the next decade and my company was operating four different adventure programs at different summer camp locations, both for children in the summers and adult teambuilding retreats in the other months of the year. What I did not know at the time was that I was slowly honing my skills in the hospitality industry. Eventually, I dissolved the company as I transitioned to be the Director of Outdoor Education at the Claremont Colleges, offering those same experiences to college students, but with more of an emphasis on education – training the future leaders of outdoor education and wilderness pursuits. Read more>>

Beatriz Cabrera | Founder of The Beauty Tea Company

I discovered the benefits of tea when I needed to find a healthier alternative to coffee due to medical issues. Not only did it improve my health, but it also had a positive effect on my skin. This led me to research more about the benefits of tea and eventually inspired me to start my own tea company. It’s incredible how something so simple can have such a significant impact on our well-being. Read more>>

Shaynie Rhoads | Musician

I feel like we’re raised on this romanticized idea that we’ll get our “big break” and suddenly everything will fall into place. You write a few songs, “get discovered” and become a rockstar overnight. But it doesn’t have to be that way, and you don’t need to be a famous rockstar to get your music out there and do what you love. Eventually I got tired of waiting around for things to fall into place and realized that if I want something, I need to go out and get it. Wanna play shows? Start bookin’ ’em. Wanna put out an album? Start recording one. Wanna get signed by a label? Create a label of your own and sell your music yourself. Read more>>

Ashley Roelofsz | Tierrasanta Kindness Crew (Volunteer group) Leader.

During Covid me and some of my field hockey teammates were thinking of ways we could give back to our community. While doing so we realized how fortunate our community already was. We decided to reach out to under-served communities instead. I worked with a Non-profit organization leader and got into contact with an elementary school in a low-income area. Seeing how little these schools had compared to the schools in my community was very eye-opening to how privileged I was. This was when I knew that all I wanted to do was help these students feel as special and supported as I did when I was in elementary school. Read more>>

Corrin Crain | Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

After practicing therapy for nearly 10 years in a variety of settings including community non-profit, middle schools and high schools, intensive outpatient/partial hospitalization and group private practice, I became the founder of Greater View Therapy. I felt that, at this point in my career, it was time to take the leap of faith to open my own private therapy practice. I wanted to build a space for clients that felt inclusive and safe while also valuing my own work-life balance. Read more>>

Grace Sun | Founder of Melodies for Remedies, First-Year at Wellesley College

During the COVID-19 lockdown, as a student musician, all of my recitals and performances were canceled. Without a stage, I felt lost as well as my peer musicians. At the same time, I couldn’t see the people I cared about, and I wasn’t able to do things I could do easily in normal life, for example, visiting my grandparents. As I worked through my own issues, I realized that many people, such as seniors, were facing similar challenges. A lot of senior home residents were isolated due to the pandemic situation. Their family members and friends could not visit them, and I felt that I needed to create change when I saw their vulnerability, including my grandparents. Isolation had taken an emotional toll on teens like me and the elderly population. Read more>>

Jessica Mowry | Clothing Brand Owner

Starting my own business I knew I was embarking on a thrilling adventure into the unknown, where every challenge you face is an opportunity to grow and learn. It’s a journey where you are the captain of your ship, charting a course towards your dreams. I knew I would need to remain my own cheerleader even o the days I have so much doubt I also remind myself that successful entrepreneurs didn’t just create businesses; they crafted their own destinies. So, I embrace the process day in and day out, learn experiences, and always keep vision in sight. Just remember your story is the next chapter in the inspiring narrative of entrepreneurship. Read more>>

Jared Pigott | Owner Affordable Frameless Shower Door Inc.

In deciding to start Affordable Frameless Shower Door Inc., several key factors came into play. First and foremost, I’ve amassed over two decades of experience in the construction and glazing industries. This comprehensive skill set gave me the technical foundation I needed to venture out on my own. Secondly, I was driven by the desire to create something meaningful—something that I could take pride in while also providing financial stability for my family. Thirdly, my personal life was at a juncture where I was ready to embrace the risks and challenges of entrepreneurship. I had the time and resources to invest in building a business from the ground up. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly I was fortunate to have a strong network of skilled and trustworthy individuals around me. Their support bolstered my confidence that the business had a robust chance of not just surviving but flourishing. Read more>>

Angela Millan | Wedding & Event Planner

After many years of working underneath and for other wedding and event planners, I decided that I wanted to be my own boss and create my own empire. By the time I had launched Visio Events, I had been fortunate enough to be a part of over 200 weddings and events and knew that I had what it took to create my own successful planning company. I wanted to be recognized for someone who was an entrepreneur and a leader in the planning industry. Read more>>

Ai Hashimoto | Financial Consultant

I had been stay home mom raising three kids for 13 years. I enjoyed being stay home mom very much and I wanted to know how much I can do using my homemaker carrier and start my own business. I believe homemaker is wonderful carrier. Raising children needs long term commitment, long term thinking, hard working, leadership which all requires for entrepreneurship. Read more>>

Matthew Smith | Owner / Furniture Designer

Building a custom furniture brand made sense to me because I love building furniture and most of my small business experience has been centered around providing custom services to clients around the country. Leveraging years of business experience and marrying that with my favorite hobby (woodworking) seemed like a good idea. I’m accustomed to working closely with clients and delivering highly customized solutions, so adapting that approach to working with homeowners to provide tailor-made furniture for their spaces was an easy fit. Read more>>

Maxx Holdrieth | Troov Founder & Personal Trainer

My needs were not being met as a consumer and I felt others weren’t as well. I am super into holistic health and functional medicine and I believe the food and beverage industry has been doing consumers a disservice for years. I saw an opportunity to create an energy drink that is not only not bad for you, but actually good for you. Full of clinical dosages of functional ingredients, a transparent supply chain, and an authentic voice. My background is in Personal Training and Health Coaching. With that as my foundation, I believed I could develop a product that was much different then what is currently being offered and one with the consumer’s health in mind first and foremost. Read more>>

Ryan Hashimoto | Found of Shonen Soda

My name is Ryota Hashimoto but I go by Ryan Hashimoto. I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan but moved to San Francisco, CA at around 9 years old. Upon immigrating, I immediately noticed that the variety of soda flavors I was used to was missing. I wanted to create a beverage brand of my own to bring some of the “Nostalgic Japanese Crème Soda” to the western market and enlighten the palates of beverage enthusiasts. It has been my childhood dream to create and sell what I love, which happened to be cream sodas. I was a sophomore in college when I founded Shonen Soda. “Shonen” literally translates to “boy” or “youth” in Japanese. Read more>>