Starting and growing a business is hard, but often deciding to start the business in the first place is even harder. We asked some successful entrepreneurs from around the community to open up to us about how they thought about starting a business.

Tony Park | Company Owner, Web Developer, Network & Cybersecurity Engineer

When most people think of ‘tech company’, they immediately picture Google, Meta, and the Silicon Valley companies. These giant companies typically do not service local small businesses on a personal level. When I created Temecula Web Solutions with my business partner, Brian Tran, I wanted to create a web development and IT company that caters to local small and medium size businesses. Read more>>

Josh Neimeyer | Sommelier & Wine Bar Owner

My thoughts behind starting my own business were two fold. First, I saw several gaps in the wine industry, which I believe can be solved. Read more>>

Cameron Bunce | Owner, My Gym Poway & My Gym La Jolla / UTC

I’ve always been passionate about health, fitness, and childhood development. When COVID came along, I saw how businesses committed to these areas, and subsequently the people they support, were being adversely affected. Read more>>

Alicia Chong | Global Art San Diego’s Principal and Owner

I have always been fascinated with the world of art. When I was growing up, my mom would spend the weekends investing time in sending me to art classes and participating in various art competitions in town. We also hit various art spots and exhibitions whenever we had one in town. Read more>>

Ashley Shears | Barefoot Massage Therapist & Instructor

I knew I wanted to help people, but wanted to do it in a way that felt aligned with my heart and soul. After years of working for others, gaining experience, and learning as much as I could from those who came before me, I decided to take the leap of faith and start working for myself. Read more>>’

Shenell Malloy | Co-Founder, Do Cancer

During my battle with glioblastoma, a lethal form of stage 4 brain cancer. I found that so much of my ability to heal and survive was up to me. It was a lonely journey. I felt like I was lost in the dark when it came to how to navigate the toughest time in my life. Read more>>

Hannah Debban | Makeup Artist

The thought process behind starting my own business was, I loved doing makeup. I started doing makeup for fun, and I was self taught. I started getting noticed a bit, compliments here and there from strangers, my friends and family supported me immensely and I began to love it more than anything I had tried before. Read more>>

Kaitlyn Stewart | Creator of Agave Swim

Since before I can remember, I’ve always known I wanted to start my own business and work for myself. The next step was figuring out what business to start. I’ve always had a desire for creating, a talent for sewing, and a love of the beach. Read more>>

Tessa Tricarico | Chief Executive Officer of Alumni Tutoring LLC

As a 2020 high school graduate, I began my college experience at Point Loma Nazarene University through a computer screen in my childhood bedroom. While I was a successful student before, graduating with a 4.2 GPA, I quickly realized that I was not able to meet my potential in this educational format. Read more>>