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.

Hansi Sanchez | Portrait and Street Photographer

I’ve always wanted to do something creative. I have always been a creative person, whether it be through music or photography, two forms of art I’ve always admired. Read more>>

Gabriel Pabon | Business Owner, Inventor

Being a transgender man, I created my business GMP Wear to help transgender female to male people alleviate gender dysphoria. Being a transgender male I know what people similar to me have to experience on a daily basis. We are the 1% and there is not many resources or products to make transitioning easier as well as make us feel comfortable when we step out the house. If something doesn’t exist I will make sure I do everything I can to come up with a solution and help my community. Trans people face many obstacles. I believe that with more transfriendly products like my Prepacked Boxer Briefs (boxer briefs with a built in polyfoam bulge) we can change peoples image of themselves for the better. Read more>>

Camilo Buitrago Gil | Director of Photography and Photographer

After graduating college in Colombia, I was faced with a challenge. I had so many things that I wanted to say but I did not have the right medium to say them. In studying Sociology, the way that we would express ourselves was through scientific writing but I was aware of the limitations of scientific literature to transmit effectively in popular culture. So, even if what you had to say was very valuable, its reception would be poor because it isn’t very accessible. It was at that moment that I realized that I wanted to create powerful narratives through audiovisuals and the arts. Read more>>

Spinny | Wuk-Up Artist, Entertainer & Fitness Instructor

I’ve always been into both dance and fitness and thought it was about time to share my passion with the world. I fused both together and created an aerobic fitness cultural dance session named Spin Pooch with Spinny Read more>>

Carlos Pulido | Real Estate Avidor

I always had a 9 to 5 and a side hustle. Corporate America got to a point where I had no control over my time, my schedule would specify what time I could go to the bathroom, and when I could or could not take a vacation. When my daughter was born I knew that had to change, I did not want to miss special milestones just because someone else would not approve my time off request. Read more>>

Dovi Ichilevici | Founder & CEO

LanceFlex started from my observation at a huge gap in the market. I noticed an increase in the number of individuals and businesses full of creative, innovative ideas for applications and websites, but ideas struggling to come to fruition due to technology for lack of knowledge. This connection between the growing demand for technological solutions and the lack of understanding of how to actually do it intrigued me. Eager to fill this void, I embarked on a journey to create LanceFlex, a company that acts as a bridge between the complex world of technology and the budding and clever ideas of entrepreneurs and business owners. Read more>>

Stacy Preece | Personal Chef

Service and hospitality are the core themes in my life. I began my journey at an ice cream shop, I was a scooper. Yes, that’s what they called us. From there I went on to work as a hostess and then a server and I moved to bartending, I loved my jobs and the people who work in hospitality often become your other family. I was in school to be an interior designer, and then I switched majors to philosophy and religion. It was then that the school of culinary arts at the art institute of Atlanta opened, and my mom told me I should go. So I did. After graduating culinary school and working at some of the finest restaurants in Atlanta, I decided to open my own restaurant. Read more>>

Jenny Marquez | Instagram Manager

Starting Jenny Marquez Virtual Solutions was driven by a simple yet powerful idea: to help businesses and individuals excel in the ever-evolving world of social media. I noticed that many struggled to develop a unique online presence, often relying on generic strategies that didn’t truly represent their brand. My motivation was to offer a different approach. I wanted to provide tailored, hands-on support to clients, understanding their unique challenges and crafting personalized social media strategies. This wasn’t about quick fixes; it was about creating lasting partnerships and guiding clients to social media success. Read more>>

Christina Massucci | Esthetician/Lash Artist/Owner Primp skin suite

I had spent a good part of my young adulthood working in the retail and the restaurant industry. I dabbled in other things as well but it all led me to the conclusion that I did not want to spend my entire life working for someone else. So as a single mom I was determined to make a change and be something that my daughter would be proud of and I also wanted to be doing something that I would actually enjoy. For me it was a no brainer, the beauty industry. After graduating as an esthetician I went on to learn the art of lash extensions and found my passion there. I was fortunate to be hired at a successful salon where in a short time I was able to gain the experience and knowledge I needed to feel ready to venture out on my own. I started small by renting a room in a salon suite which then led to my very own salon and I love being my own boss. Read more>>

Gisele Crespo | Owner and Licensed Optician

Mango Optic is not just an optical boutique, we are a promise to our community. Our promise is to provide every customer that walks through our doors with a customer experience that puts them at the center of everything we do. Prior to opening Mango Optic, my wife Gisele, worked at both small boutiques and large franchise chains. What she found in the large corporate chains is that they focused more on the numbers, the sales, the volume, and much less about the patient care. She vowed that when she opened up her optical boutique, she would not only make one aspect of her business different, she would make EVERY aspect of the business different – from our name, to our mango-themed decor, to our hand-selected premium and luxury brands of eyewear, to our cutting-edge teleoptometry eye exam system, to our amazing customer experience, where Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish are also spoken. Read more>>

Rob DiDonato | Neuromuscular Specialist & Trainer

My parents always made me work since I was 15 years old as a dishwasher. I worked for many bosses over the years who did not treat their employees very well and I never learned anything useful from them. I learned at a very young age that working for someone who I could not learn from and respect was not for me. I started my business at 23 years old. Read more>>

Yoann Dorat | Digital marketing expert

I have been in the real estate industry for over 15 years before starting Axia Media my digital marketing agency, and over the years I noticed that the #1 struggle for real estate investors was not being able to generate a good quality of leads. Meaning they were having a lot of conversation with non-motivated sellers. I decided to use the processes and ad copies I created and tested in my own real estate business to create the “Inbound lead generation system” and help other real estate investors scale their business. My company vision is to “help 1000 investors scale their businesses to 7 figures” (aka $1M/yr+) Read more>>

Angel R Lopez CPA, MBA, ESQ | CPA and Tax & Business Attorney

Controlling risk is the toughest aspect of starting a business, which in my case was the opening of a CPA/Attorney office for Tax, Business and Estates advisory. In that process, one often rehearses the different scenarios of “what if”, with all the things that can go right, and those that may not, and all possible contingencies. At the end, a decision is made to leave the comfort of a 9-5 job and embark on this amazing self-employment journey, where, as an advisor, I get the chance to add value to others in a somewhat similar journey. Read more>>

La’Kita Williams | Founder & Lead Strategist at CoCreate Work

I made the decision to start my own company to have more impact. During my previous corporate role, I would often tell my mentor about the big changes I wanted to make at our current organization, and how we needed to think differently about employee experience and culture. One day, she explained to me that the organization was already on their path, and if I wanted to have a bigger impact I would need to go to a place where they were open to change. I decided right then that instead of going somewhere else, I would leave the organization and start my own business focused on working with companies as they grew to create workplaces that were innovative and impactful by prioritizing their systems and culture. Read more>>

Aaron Marshall | Founder and Chief Marketing Officer

As I grew up checking the right boxes, I got good grades in school, went to college, joined the military, worked my way up to own a tiny slice in a small corporation, I slowly realized that climbing a corporate ladder or “putting in my time” like the generations before me would not yield the same stable results. I wanted something better for my family that didn’t completely depend on working for someone else’s vision that often placed a ceiling on my value as an employee. I realized for someone with my skillset and background, the best way to build stability and flexibility for my family was to start our own business. Read more>>

Antonio Rodriguez | Owner & Dog Parent

The idea for Shampooch Dog Wash & Grooming was born about 15 years ago! Kathye, one of the owners, has always loved big dogs. She had a Great Dane, Duke, who was the sweetest boy. Washing Duke was a challenge due to his size and stature. Kathye had a difficult time washing him in the bathroom and in the yard; she ended up with backaches, hair and shampoo everywhere, dirty towels, and a mess to clean up after…not to mention having to buy all the supplies to wash Duke – shampoo, conditioner, towels, brushes, dryer, etc. We spoke to other pet parents and whether they owned small or large dogs, they had similar issues at home! We thought “there must be an easier way to do this!” And to our surprise, there wasn’t! Read more>>