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.

Jordan Dollard

I started Esther and Elsa as a women’s clothing boutique. This business did fine, but it didn’t fill a true need in my community. I pivoted as I saw more need in our community, and let our business model find me. Read More>>

Griselda Rivera

My thought process behind starting my own business was deeply rooted in breaking generational curses and stepping out of the traditional path that was expected of me. As a young Latina and first-generation entrepreneur/business owner, I saw firsthand how financial limitations and a lack of business knowledge held my family and community back. I knew I didn’t want to settle for just working a job—I wanted to create opportunities, build wealth, and inspire others to do the same. Read More>>

Ashley Masters

While I’ve always absolutely loved my career, working for other people left me feeling stifled, under appreciated and incredibly limited in how I could help people. I knew that if I wanted to create magic on a larger scale, I’d have to create my own space for it. I opened three small businesses in less than a year, they’re each their own separate entity but cohesively exist as a wellness center. Read More>>

Beatriz Martinez-Sperry

I received my degree in Business and was working in NYC when I decided to move back home to Miami, Florida and join my mother and help her with her Cafe that she had opened by herself two years prior. We ran this Cafe together for 15 years and I learned so much from her and this experience. When we moved to NC, I always had it in me to want to open a Cuban cafe in this area since there were not many and wanted to share my Cuban heritage and cuisine with others. Read More>>