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.

Tk Boyd | CEO/Founder

As a child growing up in Florida living with my grandmother, who was a chef/Caterer and CEO-Owner of “Mae’s Kitchen LLC,” I was raised in the kitchen watching her make just about everything from scratch without measuring tools. They were not just your ordinary household dishes, but meals made from love and past traditions. I began to memorize, and store the recipes that she created, and instilled into me to keep her traditions alive. That is where my true passion for cooking started to grow. Read more>>

Jeff Irons | Distiller and Owner of Irons Distillery

I became interested in distilling after I had made beer and wine. Making spirits seemed to be the next step up in the alcohol business. I started at home, and found that during my trial and error distilling period that many of my volunteer “tasters” enjoyed my bourbon product – some of my other products were not so successful. Read more>>

Robin Prince | CEO

Along my entreprenuerial journey I have learnt many fundamentals that I was not taught in school or University. Things like: – how to negotiate – how to face failure – how to handle money – how to communicate – Importance of company values – how to motivate yourself Read more>>

Raina Ford | Author/High School Student

I have grown up with an older sibling with a disability my entire life. We are four years and five grades apart. Our relationship has been complex and difficult to navigate at times. During my childhood, my sister needed extra time, care, and support from my parents, which caused me to become very independent at a young age. Read more>>

Oriana Robinson | Pastry Chef

I’ve always loved baking and cooking since I was a child. I remember living in Oahu, Hawaii mainly doing potlucks and baking for friends, neighbors and church fellowship, just trying to really make some extra money for my household. One night I was awaken from a dream or as some would say a vision, at 2 am in the morning! God showed me exactly what I would be doing but as a stay-at-home mom along with the struggles of being a military spouse most of my focus ended up on my growing family and supporting my husband in his career and dreams. Read more>>

Renee McClellan | Writer, Director, Producer

Growing up in Chicago with a plethora of aunts and uncles, I watched my grandmother live a life of irony. She lived the life of a black woman whose dreams were often deferred and sometimes continued through their progeny. The way she affected me was with her love of watching television – “my soaps”, as she would say. I remember days of rushing home from school to the smell of black-eyed peas, candied yams, cornbread, and some part a roasting pig. The sound of Macdonald Carey saying, “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the Days of Our Lives,” and then the dramatic music. Read more>>