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.

Jesse Hormachea

I started Valdivya because I wanted to apply my operational leadership experience across a wider range of teams. Over the course of my career, I’ve worked with companies of different sizes and across many industries, and I kept seeing the same challenges come up as teams grew. Read More>>

Veronique Leclercq

Starting my own business came from a very personal place. After living in Denver for several years, I felt there was space for a different kind of fashion experience ; one rooted in quality, storytelling, and human connection. I missed the intimacy of independent boutiques in Paris, where pieces are chosen with intention and shopping feels more like a conversation than a transaction. Read More>>

Lisandra Matos

I come from an entrepreneurial family — it was always the goal that no matter what career I chose, I’d end up being my own boss in some way. However, when I graduated from law school, the reality was different. I had to learn how to practice law and I had $165K of student loan debt that I had to pay back. Read More>>

Venessa Hamaker

My journey back to business ownership was driven by a desire for creativity and connection. After a rewarding period working with a chiropractor and focusing on my two children, I realized I missed the freedom to curate a specific healing environment for my clients. Read More>>

Talia Haykin

We didn’t start out planning to build a business. We started because we were looking for something we couldn’t find in our local bottle shops. My husband, Dan, and I were drawn to cider as a drink capable of real depth, structure, and elegance – something dynamic, expressive, and genuinely food-worthy – but it simply wasn’t available in the way we imagined it. Read More>>

Tuneishia Harris

My decision to start my own business came from my lived experience as a young Black girl and a deep desire for opportunities to flow more freely to girls who look like me. Knowing what is possible and being exposed to people across different industries changes how you see yourself and your future. Read More>>