It takes a lot more than an idea to build a business, but there can’t be a business without the idea. So we asked folks who’ve built wonderful businesses to tell us about how they came up with the idea in the first place.

Sid & Danielle from THE RUED | Musician & Band

THE RUED was created through artistic expression. We were all musicians, on solo projects, but once we all got together we realized, this music, THESE songs, were special. We thought let’s take this art, decorate it with our expertise in music, and give it away to the world. Whether the words meant something to you, or if you just wanted to groove, THE RUED was created to impact your day. THE RUED is an outlet to encourage any person to embrace the day and dance their hearts away. Read more>>

Tom Jimenez | Recording Engineer & Mixer

I came back in 2009 to playing music after a 12 year hiatus, also after pursuing a career in Firefighting and Paramedicine. Immediately I wanted to record the band I was in, only because I was never happy with the studios I went to years ago. So I bought Pro tools software which to me was like learning a new language. I immediately loved it and began recording my own band. I was terrible at first, of course, but soon caught on and started recording bands for free off of Craigslist around 2014. It took off from there, and I have not looked back. Read more>>

Mel Lim | Founder & CEO of Chateauz

Chateauz emerged from my extensive experience collaborating with a global enterprise client during my design and strategy consultancy work. Over the past seven years, we’ve explored the potential of XR technologies to enhance various aspects of business, from hybrid work collaborations and cultural improvements to product demos and annual sales kick-off events. These experiences have revealed critical insights: For enterprises of all sizes to succeed and expand their XR initiatives, they must address challenges related to adoption, interoperability, and business intelligence. Every day, I wake up driven by questions like, “How can we create a scalable technology to enable this? How can we improve upon existing solutions, learning from both their successes and failures? What core values should guide us?” Read more>>