Deciding to start a business is an unusual decision. It’s often considered irrational and yet for many it’s the best decision they’ve ever made. So we asked folks to think back to when they were starting their businesses and to tell us about their decision making process.

Antoine Desjonqueres | Co-Founder & CEO of Nutu

Nutu didn’t start as a business but as a reforestation project. Back in 2011 our goal was to plant trees with the Forest & Life movement. We were working with a broad constellation of actors (NGOs, firms, scientists, institutions, schools, experts, local entrepreneurs…) to make the most out of every tree planted. We became very familiar with the Moringa tree and realized how great of an ally it can be. Read more>>

Natalie Rodriguez | FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

My name is Natalie Rodriguez and I am a 27 year old Miami native, latina! I am the sole owner and photographer of Natalierodriguezphotog and also a first responder! My thought process behind starting a business in photography was very simple! I have a passion of capturing love, happiness, laughter, candid moments and creating memories that people can look back on and remember exactly where they were and what they felt when those images were captured. Read more>>

Carla Joseph | Nurse Practitioner; Chief Wellness Officer

I started using CBD myself when I was dealing with anxiety. I was introduced to it by a colleague and it revolutionized my life. I experienced the best sleep I had in a long time and I noticed that my anxiety improved dramatically. I said to myself ‘everyone should know about this!’. That led to the birth of Zula Essentials and my mission to source the best, high quality hemp and formulate premium, vegan CBD products for those who want to make self care a priority. Read more>>

Kevin Forrest | Owner of K4S Entertainment & HFL Magazine

When I first started my business I did it out of necessity. I started my career in entertainment as a music producer but it was difficult to be taken seriously by the media without having mainstream backing, it was hard to get interviews. Once I reached a certain level I wanted to create a platform where serious independent artists wouldn’t have an issue with their journey being showcased. That’s how HFL Magazine was born. Read more>>

Saphira Greenberg | Founder & CEO Saphira LLC

I saw that there were almost no women manufacturing salon professional hair care products. Although the majority of the target audience is women, it is men who seem to control the beauty industry. I also wanted to introduce something new to the world of hair care, a healing hair care line infused with the 26 Dead Sea minerals. Read more>>

Jeremie Etienne | The Wellness Pastor

Over the years I have suffered a lot of loses, hurt, and pain. I would take 2 steps forward and 7 steps backwards. I know what it means to have a lot and I know what it is to have little. In 2018, I decided that I was going to move forward in life and take my life experience of loses and turn them into wins. And in that process, I decided to take my community along with me. I consider myself to be a Wellness Guru aka the Wellness Pastor. Read more>>

Gabriela Paredes | Student and Entrepreneur

I had the first interest to start my own business at the age of eight when my mom bought me a jewelry making kit and I enjoyed creating designs with it very much. From there I started to use better quality supplies and went on to selling at craft shows which was a success. As I grew older I applied for a conventional minimum wage job like all other teenagers the same age do, but I quickly saw that this wasn’t for me.  Read more>>

Jessica Tessono | Entrepreneur – Handcrafted Natural Hair & Skin Care Products

Starting my journey as a naturalista in 2014, I wanted to bring my damaged hair back healthy. I gravitated towards popular shelf brands as many women of color do. After years of using different products by different brands, I was’t completely satisfied with how my hair felt and looked. I researched several of these brands and learned about their harsh ingredients that it contains.  Read more>>