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.

Tamika Chester | Dermatology FNP-C

I’m an African American Dermatology Nurse Practitioner and I constantly help others with their brand so one day I decided to step out on faith and start my own brand. My thought process was since I’m in the skincare business and have been for the past 22 years why not branch out and see what I can do. I have the knowledge and the people in the community know and trust me so I decided to take a chance. Read more>>

Muhammed Khraim | Owner of Caspian Horticulture Group a Landscaping and Carpentry Business

I started working for a mechanic when I was 19 for only $8 and hour. I quickly realized that if I wanted to achieve my personal and financial goals I set for myself, I would have to start my own business. So, I bought.a lawnmower for $50 from a garage sale and started my own company. Read more>>

Alana Polanco | Salon owner

I have loved the salon since my Aunt Hattie Mae used to press my hair and I had to sit on a booster to be tall enough for her to reach me. The salon has always been a happy place for me. It is a place where I feel at peace and the rest of the world fades away. In those moments, the two most important things to me are patience and precision. Read more>>

Shantae Richardson | Web Designer & Design Coach

My thought process behind starting my own business was unexpected but driven by my passion for design. Initially, I never considered the idea of starting a business. As I continued to immerse myself in design and share my creations with others, I noticed a growing interest from people who admired my work. They started asking for advice, seeking guidance, and even inquiring about my design services. Read more>>

Tatiana Nchotu | Salon Owner

The biggest thing that initially drew me to starting Braids That Speak was the creative aspect of it. I like being able to take a fiber (the hair) and attach it to someones loose natural hair and create a beautiful braid out of it. Like that’s amazing and was so fascinating to me. It was being able to transform a person from looking one way to looking another way in a couple of hours. Read more>>

Kia Brooks | Mental health therapist and Wellness Coach

I just wanted to help! As an educator, working in a low socioeconomic demographic, I noticed a need beyond the scope of being an educator to help the families that looked like me. It seemed like Parents were increasingly lacking the trust in the educator and the educational system while the students were falling behind with negative outcomes and behaviors and the teachers seemed to be the blame for it all with little to no resources and minimal pay. Read more>>

Emanuel Jones II | Founder/President/Financial Advisor of Jones & Co Wealth Strategies

I wanted to solve a need within my community. I saw that financial literacy was not only lacking, but so were the amount of licensed financial professionals. It lead to the rise of influencer with little to no credentials giving blanketed advice that was not always suitable for everyone. I felt that we deserved better. I felt that we should have advisors on the highest levels that spoke to our generation and encourage proper action to better position finances for ourselves and our families to come. Read more>>

Photogenic Jae | Stylist

I want to be the boss. I am the boss. Im bigger than what I can see already. Read more>>

XNE | Performing Artist, Producer, & Creative Director

I grew up in a musically gifted family, from my mom and dad to uncles and aunts on both sides I’m surrounded by musicians of various calibers and genre, so choosing to learn the instruments I taught myself and playing songs I like and writing came naturally. Honestly, there wasn’t much thought about having a career in music, until I was first offered money to come somewhere and perform while in college. From there, it was whatever opportunities came about. Read more>>

George Anthony Pratt | Morehouse Alumnus, Marshall Scholar, University of Oxford Graduate Student, Writer & Orator

Once I decided I was going to start a business, I wanted to approach it from the perspective that my personal enterprise would emerge as a passion project. I was intentional in thinking about specializing in areas that I was already talented in, which led me to consider the various ways I was already assisting people in my social circle and realm of influence based upon my skills. Read more>>

Zach Chahalis | SEO/Analytics Consultant

I’ve always wanted to own my own business and I’ve been entrepreneurial from a younger age. prior businesses led me to my career in digital marketing. Even as a kid, I was trying to find ways to make money based on my skill set (I started out making custom portfolios for Pokemon card collections). In college, I ran a custom computer and IT business. Read more>>

Mia Glass | Makeup Artist

In 2016, I was diagnosed with PCOS and one of the first things that changed on my body was my skin. I began to experience dark spots, hyperpigmentation and even eczema all due to this new condition. Fast forward to 2018 and I began using bleaching cream to deal with said skin conditions. My friend told me it was horrible for my skin actually. Read more>>

Paris Williams | CEO & Co-Founder

In 2018 our lead CFO, James Williams Jr. started working with some small business owners in Chicago who needed support with creating a financial operating system for their growing business. They were friends of ours with two separate businesses. Initially he was also supporting them with their personal finances. Read more>>

Carlos D. Morla | Visionary & Sneaker Designer

My Business/ Brand ( OSOM ) Was one of those things that came into my life unexpectedly. What started off as a thought of curiosity, introduced me to this lifestyle, this industry i had no idea ever existed. My Names Carlos Aka ‘Los” i’m a sneaker designer based out of jersey Specializing in high quality custom footwear, CEO OF OSOM ( “Outta State Outta Mind” ). Read more>>

Kelly Laws | Educator, Entrepreneur, and Ambassador of Change

I have been an educator for over 29 years. I am also a visionary and have seen the need for change in our nation’s school system from the beginning of my education career. I finally made the move to seek change in education during the pandemic. I, like other educators, watched in horror as our nation struggled to effectively rollout eLearning to the numerous amounts of students who needed to remain online during the pandemic. Read more>>

Marshawn Dixon | Videographer, Photographer, & Director

My thought process was very simple, I had a natural eye for cinema and I’ve always wanted to create things. I use to think that starting your own business was only something rich people do. But any goal is reachable as long as you’re willing to do the work. I believe that every has an eye for something. So why not perfect it and make your own empire. Read more>>

Crystal Wells | Home Fragrance Specialist

I wanted to bring candle lovers and home décor enthusiasts a better option for scenting their home. I love luxury candles but can’t always justify the price. I wanted to bring the feeling of a luxury home fragrance experience to people but take away the luxury price tag. Read more>>

Kelsey Dennard | Salon owner, educator and color specialist

As the salon industry has evolved over more recent years, I’ve seen a gap in what salon employees are looking for versus what salons are offering. Particularly in the hight of social media marketing, stylists are often running their own business to a degree, even without being independent stylist. My business partner, Lauren and I thought, why not offer a space for both. Read more>>

Nat & Mia Vargas | Social Media Agency Owners

My business partner Mia and I have wildly different skills sets – we know this because we grew up together! As sisters who easily pass as twins, you could never meet two people more unlike each other. Building our business was a reflection of our childhood and complementary personalities. Read more>>

Sierra Cunningham, MA | Mental Health Professional & Entrepreneur

My name is Sierra Tayler. I am the CEO of HERbySierraTayler, LLC. H.E.R stands for Healed, Elevated, Refreshed. Much like a woman my service is not neatly wrapped or confined in a box, rather it is presented on a multi-faceted platter designed to reach women from every aspect of life and across the globe. Read more>>

Denetra Smiley | Founder and Owner

I started Smiley Connections LLC in January of 2023 after 2 years of losing my son and having an already support group on Facebook call Parents That Have Lost a Child/Children Support Group, and it has 263 members. This is my pride, my passion and my new family. I have connected families from all over the United States and it is still growing. Read more>>

Savanna Thomas | Residential Designer – Business Owner

n 2020 the remodeling industry saw a substantial influx of new projects. I was a senior designer for a design-build firm at the time and would have benefitted from having a second set of hands to assist in all the computer work that goes along with residential design. In the summer of 2021, my husband and I relocated from metro Atlanta to Charleston, SC and I was not able to stay with the company I had been working for in Atlanta. Read more>>

Brittany Joy Drew | Owner of interStellar Nannies

I initially started with a non-profit society for Nannies in the Atlanta Area (The United Nanny Society). This was a way for me to help educate Nannies and bring Nannies together. We do playdates, socials, vent, talk about continuing education opportunities, help with resumes, help each other with contracts, and just be a big support system for each other. Read more>>

Matthew Jean Pierre | Celebrity Hairstylist/ Content Creator

Initially, I just couldn’t get a job. Nobody would hire me! They must’ve known that I only March to the beat of my own drum. I use to always play in my homegirls hair and one day, one of my friends paid me to do her hair and that’s how everything started in high school.. Read more>>

Tamara Robinson | Business Owner & Music Artist

The thought process behind starting my own business was to create spiritual items for myself & others to use to help empower oneself internally and externally. My pieces of jewelry are divination tools to enrich & evoke powerful & prosperous energy into one’s life. I wanted to invite incantation into others life’s by showing you can create your own magic, protect & evolve energetically wearing & carrying tools such as crystals, cowries, and copper. Read more>>

Michael Kiett | Film Entrepreneur and Performance Coach

The thought behind my behind was how do I solve the gap between reform and poverty. The gap between returning felons and homelessness. The thought was how do I create a real solution to victims of a system being able to return to society no just as a productive citizen but in other words a boss, the head of their household the hierarchy in their families legacy. Read more>>

Halliea Milner | Horseback Riding Instructor, Trainer, and Riding Program Director

I have been equine obsessed from an early age. As a teen, my whole world revolved around my first horse, Classy – who I still have til this day 😊. I was quite good at school, specifically science, so the expectation set was for me to become something “big” – get a full ride scholarship, become a doctor of some sort. I graduated high scho at 16, found that full ride scholarship, and fell in love the summer I turned 18. Read more>>

Tasiana Harmon | Licensed Master Esthetician

I have a love for skin that I have fought to fix my very own flaws I had with my skin. Throughout my time at Atlanta School of Aesthetics I’ve learned a lot about the human body, skin types, organs, and skin conditions that I was eager to begin my solo career as an Licensed Master Esthetician. My thought process behind my business was “Will I change lives of others dealing with their skin insecurities?” “Will I be able to educate the people in my community on the importance of skincare?”. Months later here I am meeting my accomplishments of my thought process. Read more>>

Seairra Irving | Model / Hairstylist

My thought process behind starting my business has always been uplifting others . Living my purpose by utilizing my gifts I been blessed with . Considering I’ve had alopecia since 7years old and struggled with confidence and self acceptance I poured into others which ultimately filled me up. By doing hair I can brighten up someone’s day by modeling I can inspire someone to realize they can turn pain into joy by doing what you love. Read more>>

Ayoleka Sodade | Human Performance Strength and Fitness Coach

As a graduating student-athlete, you go from being on such a high, kind of like a constant state of adrenaline, to then such a state of unknown and fear post graduation. Life really hits you and you go through a phase where you feel like you have no control, but in reality you always do. This realization was when I decided to take control over the next few transitional phases in my life, I decided to poor my heart into something I was passionate for.  Read more>>

Jeremiah Nealy | Photographer & Content Creator

My thought process behind starting my own business was simple. I decided I didn’t want to work for anyone else my entire life. The only way to go, is being my own boss, so I had to think about it. Picking up a camera always came easy to me. It eventually became my passion, so the best option was to turn into a business. Read more>>