We reached out to some of our favorite entrepreneurs and asked them to think back and tell us about how they decided to start a business. Check out their responses below.

Tyree Lomax | Fitness Trainer

I wanted to create a training program that is dedicated to not only helping people reach their body goals but also be their best mentally as well. Read more>>

Renisha Freeman | Licensed Professional Therapist and Mental Health Advocate

I’ve watched my husband own and operate barber and beauty salons over the years so I knew some of the highs and lows of business. When it came to being a therapist, I always knew I wanted to have my own private practice. I heard horror stories of licensed therapist who worked for agencies and were treated unfairly. Read more>>

TOMEKA Kuhn | Master Makeup Artist & Educator

As a child, I dreamed of owning my own business, being in billboards, and talk shows. I’ve always had a desire for more. I’ve tried entrepreneurship many times and I’ve given up many times. Before stepping out on my own this time, I had the wildest opportunity that I was not qualified for because I had absolutely no experience in the field. Read more>>

Kandice Rose Rose | CEO & Founder, LMSW

The thought process behind starting Pretty Girls With Cancer stemmed from a deeply personal journey intertwined with loss, resilience, and the desire to make a difference. As a three-time cancer survivor myself, having witnessed the devastating impact of this disease on my family—my brother, grandmother, great grandmother, and mother—all succumbing to cancer, alongside the loss of my business partner Lindsey, cancer’s toll was undeniably profound. Read more>>

Gloria Sakombi Walker | Non-Profit Organization

The foundation of our organization is rooted in the belief that giving back is a powerful force, instilled in me by my parents and my grandmother Antoinette Bena Dia Lutete. Our mission is clear: to support the community, locally in Houston and globally, by enhancing the potential of children, women, and men. Read more>>

Shawna Solomon | Entrepreneur | Brand Success Strategist

Never wanting anyone to have a limit on my potential. Having the freedom to be as successful I could be, or not, because of me. As a single teen mom, being told what you would not be, ended up being the reason I knew entrepreneurship was for me. I remember one of my supervisors telling me, I had gotten as far as I would with the company. Read more>>

Bryan Sackey | Mental Health Clinician, Educator, and Entrepreneur

It was all about connecting the threads of my culture and what defines us from the roots. Enter the Twi Flashcards. As a Ghanaian born individual who “transplanted” over to the United States at the early age of 5, I was truly enamored by what this country represented and the opportunities that lies ahead. Read more>>

Jennifer Lisson | The WHIT Program Inc. Founder and President

I saw a need, and I did something about it. Through my volunteer work as a CASA I saw a need to bridge an educational gap that children fall into by simply being in foster care. i found that only 62% of children in foster care graduate high school and only 2% go on to graduate college. Read more>>

Jordan Singleton | Professional Family Photographer

The idea of starting my own professional photography business stemmed from a couple of things. The first one being a giver at heart. I love making people happy. I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I put my heart into something for someone and they truly love it. The second reason I decided to start Overcome Photography is because I deal with different levels of anxiety on any given day. Read more>>

Dr. Danielle Corbie Archey | Education Specialist and Consultant – Special Education and ESL

Well, initially, I just wanted to do professional development with special education teachers.. so I presented at teacher conferences, including the NAME conference in Tennessee, the National Literacy Institute Mega Conference in Houston and at TABSE in Galveston. My workshops were generating positive feedback, so I began offering workshops for a fraction of the average conference registration. Read more>>

Laine Olivas | Baker

I’ve always had a love for baking! From baking in high school for my calculus class to now, baking is truly my passion! During Covid, we were all on lock down, and there was no where to go, I used this time and started to perfect my dessert recipes – one of them being French macarons! Read more>>

Mavi Rodriguez | Mavi Rodriguez | Plastic Surgery Podcast Host & Patient Advocate

Starting my own business was like embarking on a thrilling adventure fueled by my passion and expertise, which I cultivated over 14 years as a patient coordinator for plastic surgeons. You see, during my time in that role, I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of plastic surgery. But I also saw the confusion and uncertainty that often accompanied the journey for patients. Read more>>

BJ Rottinghaus | Founder of Y’alloween

The process started with the idea of helping people. My family and I are huge Halloween fanatics, and we wanted to spread that joy to people who couldn’t experience it the same way we could. Through that, we created Y’alloween in 2021 and in the last three years have partnered with many other organizations like AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse), HAWC (Houston Area Women’s Center), and the Salvation Army to give hundreds of costumes to kids in need across Texas. Read more>>

Julia Martin | Visual artist/ Gallerist

The 444 building was purchased about 13 years ago by a very old friend of mine. He had been renting it out residentially and wanted to shift into non-residential tenants. Since we both grew up here and know loads of people he was showing me the space to see if I had any bright ideas… in that moment I had the brightest idea to claim the space myself and start a little vanity gallery. Read more>>