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.

Ryan Bezzant

For a few years my wife Yetzi and I had tossed around ideas of potential businesses. We shared a deep entrepreneurial spirit and longed to create something unique, take risks and bring a vision to life.  Read More>>

Nikolay Kibkalo

Once I lost a job, just because company lost a contract and I realized, I always want to control my live and my job and income Read More>>

Nelson Garcia

SBV is a brand I created in high school with the vision of one day becoming a household name. Initially standing for Soccer, Basketball, and Video Games—activities that defined my high school years—SBV has since evolved to represent Superior, Brotherhood, and Visionaries. Read More>>

Dani Loo

The reason why I wanted to open The Sanctuary Aesthetic, as a dentist, is to help people feel confident and comfortable in their own skin. Many individuals struggle with skin concerns, signs of aging, or self-esteem issues, and I wanted to create a space where they can receive expert care in a relaxing, supportive environment. Read More>>

Laura Parker

My husband Matt and I lived in Thailand with our three young children to do humanitarian work with a private family foundation. While there, we saw the realities of human trafficking — especially children and teenagers trapped in sex trafficking — and we were heartbroken and horrified. We knew we had to do something about what was happening, and we started looking for ways to help.  Read More>>

Ramon & Alyssa McPherson

Our thought process behind starting our own business was driven by a mix of passion, purpose, and opportunity. We saw a gap in the industry—independent artists weren’t getting the exposure they deserved, and mainstream platforms weren’t prioritizing them. Read More>>

AJ Gallegos

As a native of Colorado, hunting and fishing has been in my blood since a young child. When I became a Barber 20 years ago I learned quickly that a Barbershop is a place of camaraderie, sports, and stories about hunting and fishing. Read More>>

Abigail Robson

To be honest, I never had any interest in running my own business, but man…having children changed everything for me. The seed was planted when I had lactation come to my home for my second baby girl. Read More>>

Danielle Eldridge

My husband and I had bought a few houses, fixed them up and sold them while starting our family. Our current home is our most recent renovation and really gave me the push to starting my own small design business. Read More>>

Bret Newman

Like many businesses, Newman Cold Plunges was born out of personal experience. After undergoing a major surgery—the first I’d ever dealt with—my middle-aged body did not bounce back as expected. For the first time in my life, I understood the meaning of ‘feeling my own age.’ Read More>>

Katie

After having my children and deciding to stay home with them I soon realized my desire for photography. Capturing their expressions, moments and milestones became a new world for me to explore, and I soon discovered an untapped passion. Read More>>

Devon Salisbury

I ran my own Etsy shop for 9 years when my kids were young, so I would have a creative outlet and something of my own besides just being “mom”, which is of course an awesome job as well. Then both my kids went to school and were out of the house more often, so I got a little bored and lonely working at home in my basement by myself all the time. Read More>>

Sierra Dockery

Regarding the question about my thought process behind starting House of Light, it was sparked by a disheartening experience. A principal once told me that I wouldn’t make a difference in the lives of my visually impaired students, dismissing me as a mere “seat filler.” This dismissive comment fueled my determination to prove her wrong and create a space where I could genuinely support students and their families. Read More>>

Meredith Verzino Haner

The journey of starting my own business began when I reconnected with the creative energy my younger self once knew. When I was laid off from my Interior Designer position during COVID, it became a moment of rediscovery—an opportunity to create for the pure joy of it. Read More>>

Evelyn Grae

I grew up in an unstable environment—bouncing between foster care and a single-mother home, experiencing poverty and even homelessness at times. I knew from a young age that I wanted to break that cycle and create a better life for myself. Read More>>

Steven Wrioght

My family was really excited for me to be an electrical engineer and 3rd generation General Motors. The money was good but I hated every minute of it. And when I looked forward at people 10-20 years in the career path of Plant Mangers they too seemed miserable. Read More>>

Adeline Kuroki

Before covid, I worked full time for a travel company, but by the time trip planning was again an option for me, I had 2 young kids at home and really wanted flexibility in my schedule and location above all else. So instead of going back to my old job, I started my own travel company! Read More>>

Kristen Baltrum

Honestly, starting my own business wasn’t the result of a detailed plan—it was a response to a glaring need. I saw the gap in services for people experiencing homelessness with a pet, and I felt compelled to do something about it. Read More>>

Amanda Kingry

My husband and I started Yellow Paddle 16 years ago. My husband was shooting weddings and he had been working with some incredible second shooters who didn’t have the skills or desire to do all that was required to have a successful photography business, they just wanted to be creative and shoot weddings. Read More>>

Dawn Jones

I really wanted to have “time freedom” and be able to set the pace of my own life. I’ve never been a fan of early wakings, rushed mornings to get somewhere, or being mandated to be in a work setting at specific times of the day – so early on in my entrepreneur journey that’s what I was trying to avoid. Read More>>

Alex Carneiro

From a young age, I developed a deep passion for health and fitness, recognizing its transformative impact not only on physical well-being but also on confidence, mental resilience, and overall quality of life. At 18, when I arrived to the United States as a foreigner student I knew I wanted to dedicate my career to helping individuals improve their health, but over the years, I also saw the gaps in the fitness industry, where many people lacked proper guidance, accountability, and a sustainable approach to training. Read More>>

Nikole Marston (O’Brien)

Starting my own photography business was a natural progression of my passion for photography and a desire to turn my love for it into something more meaningful. I’ve always had a love for photography, something that began in high school and only grew stronger over the years. After moving to southwest Colorado and starting a family, I began to realize the opportunity I had to turn my passion into something more. Read More>>