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.

Sergio Herrera | Architect & 3D Artist

I’ve always been fascinated with Technology and 3D, from video games to BFX in movies and Architecture. So taking the path of architectural visualization was a no-brainer for me. I graduated in architecture and it was during my studies that I was introduced to 3D software, those were the classes I enjoyed the most, and I started practicing in my free time as well. Read more>>

William Rogers | Founder/Managing Member

I have always wanted to have my own business where I was able to control the outcome of our products. Working in corporate culture for 15 years showed me that large businesses lack the flexibility to adapt to market demands. Read more>>

Jessica Warrick | Author

I’ve always had a passion for writing; for bringing paper to life with words. For me, the driving force behind deciding to become an author is primarily the human factor and genuine connections. Read more>>

Nicole Thomas | Owner of Dunamix Dance Project

I was about 20 years old and I wanted to offer dance classes to children in an environment that protected them from body shaming issues, respecting childhood innocence while keeping the art technically strong. Read more>>

Franky J Rosales | Comedian, Podcaster, & Sickassfoo

The Lil Brown Boys started when we Franky J Rosales & Pancho Chavez decided to put our humor and perspective on topics into a format. That format was podcasting. Being fanatics of comedy, we gave it a shot. We quickly saw positive reactions and decided to commit to consistently working on elevating our podcast. Read more>>

Maria Ongpauco | Sustainable fashion designer

My thought process was more how can I incorporate what I love to do (fashion) , and what I believe ( sustainability) and be a mom working mom. By being sustainable I could create from what I find around me without much overhead, and with my creative skills I could make clothing & accessories, while being available to kids without having a commute. Read more>>

John Phillip Moreno | Professional Wardrobe Stylist

I’ve always had style, and though I didn’t come from a fashion career background, it’s in my DNA. When my daughter was just a baby girl she once wrote me a Father’s Day poem titled “Style Dad”. A few years ago it was unearthed from the fam archives and presented to me as part of a Father’s Day gift. Read more>>

Nicole Sachiko | Professional Organizer & Coach

As a little girl, I never dreamed of a big wedding or getting married. I dreamed BIG and that dream was to own my business. When I wasn’t role-playing being a business owner, I spent my childhood organizing. Read more>>

Jolynn Hansen | Founder, CEO and Lead Designer – Lofty Designs

I knew I wanted to be an Interior Designer as early as nine or ten years old. I didn’t always know what that would look like, but I always felt pulled to this field, especially for residential work. After college, I worked with various design related companies (custom cabinetry, high end custom stonework, etc) before landing a design assistant position at a high-end luxury furniture and design store. Read more>>

Amalia Consuelo Alduenda | Kundalini Reiki & Tree Channel & Temezcalara

There are many reasons why I had to venture and create my own path. Since I was a kid I could see the potential for my home to become Lagunitas organics, an organic greenhouse that supply’s vegetables and medicinal plants like lavender & sage. Read more>>

Dawn Schultz | Founder and President, The Dresses and Dreams Project

I wanted to help girls with hardships and difficult circumstances attend their formal events. But more than that, I wanted to provide a way for these girls to be able to overcome their obstacles to live out their God-given purpose and learn to value who they are. Read more>>

Sabrina Andren | Founder of Magic Skin Nutrients

I never expected or planned to start my own business. It was my family and friends who really pushed me to consider it. My natural products were not just helping my skin but their skin as well and told me “you HAVE TO sell this!” I was hesitant, being a busy mom of young kids, but the more I realized how many more people I would be able to help, the more I was motivated to start my business! 🙂 Read more>>

Danny Garcia | Magical Boy & Pinmaker

Well I’ve been collecting enamel pins for as long as I can remember, specifically Sailor Moon pins. Growing up as a little boy, I’ve always had an innate interest in so many things considered to be “feminine” and just all things traditionally taboo for a cisman to enjoy. Sailor Moon is probably the most recognizable figure in the “Magical Girl” genre. Read more>>

Ruby Fay | Luxury Housing Aficiando & Singer/Songwriter

Creativity and freedom is very important to me so starting my own business was instinctual. At the time I also felt there wasn’t a business exactly like mine, so I believed it would be a success. Read more>>

Ryan Holmes | Singer/Songwriter for Born to Rise

Well, our business is a band. And music has been a part of my family for generations. Great-grand father, aunts, uncles, my mother, cousins, all singers and musicians. As a kid, my mother, who traveled and sang with groups in and around Western North Carolina would sing these sad, melancholy folk songs like “Black Jack Davey” that just pulled at my heart. Read more>>

Silas Hunter | Fashion Designer

When I started Thirteen Los Angeles, I didn’t know what to name it. I called it Quality Control for a second. I then changed to Numbskull but scrapped that idea because it didn’t feel like it was me. As an artist and not just a designer I want everything I create to be the truest extension of myself. The number 13 has been a frequent occurrence in my life. Read more>>

Evan Garcia | Real Estate Advisor

I started my own business because I felt there was more to life than the typical 9-5. Coupled with having a baby, I knew I would have to make some crucial career choices to ensure I’d be able to provide not only financially but also physically for my family. Read more>>

Yana Todorova | Ph. D. (Doctor of Science); Yoga Instructor; Pastry chef; Mother of triplets; wife.

During my Ph.D. studies in Texas Tech University, I started cooking more than usual and always dreamed about going to Culinary School. After many years of teaching as a professor in the Mathematics department at California State University at Bakersfield and giving birth to triplets! Read more>>

Karina Roberts | Artist & Child Rights Advocate

My thought was just going for it, it did not start out as a business venture , it was a hobby that turned out to be more than what i could have imagined. I started out with just painting and eventually invested a little bit more into creating different merchandise that led to owning a brand. Read more>>

Taelor McMurray | Entrepreneur

My initial thought process behind starting my own business was that I bring too much to the table to sell myself short at a 9-5 job that was not going to get me to where I want and deserve to be in this life. I did not want to work for anyone but myself because I knew my self worth from the beginning. Read more>>

ACT3 Consulting Partners | Consultants

ACT3 Consulting Partners consist of three childhood friends from Pittsburgh, PA, Denele Biggs, Kendra Ross, and Tanika Harris. By 2014, we had all moved back to our hometown and immediately reconnected like we’d never left. One day we realized that by combining our experiences, passions, and talents, we collectively had a lot to offer our community. Read more>>

Vince Morales | Professional Mixed Martial Artist & UFC Fighter

Before quiting my job in 2018 and going full time in pursuing my MMA career, I had been working and juggling training morning and night around my work schedule. Which had paid off. By that time I had a solid 7-1 record with most wins by finish. I had been presented with an opportunity to break away from juggling both. Read more>>

Elan Pasmanick | Owner of Born To Repair LLC

In high school I majored in programming and that’s what I thought I will be, a computer programmer. In the country I grew up it is mandatory for men to join the military after high school and during my service the 2000 high tech bubble burst. I remember a man being interviewed on the news for loosing his job. Read more>>

Ry & Skyla | Sometimes Castles

Both of us are community builders, and it’s important to us to have a creative outlet. We love bringing people together, and sharing the things we love with others. While this wasn’t our plan when we made our first video for SometimesCastles, over the last year this channel hasn’t just been a fun creative outlet for the two of us to share together, but we’ve also grown as a part of the Disney creator community. Read more>>

shabina khan | Ceo Serenity Hue & Scientist

To be honest my life journey lead me to where I am today. I started as a scientist, and then as I entered motherhood l gave my sister a helping hand in her buisness and ideas just fell in to place. The thought process came naturally as the expereinence of being a scientsist, my love for good make up and helping my sister in her salon gave me the perfect ingredients to purse my brand. Read more>>