Our community is comprised of some absolutely brilliant entrepreneurs and so we asked a few of them to tell us the story of how they came up with the ideas for their business.

Julie Whitney | PR Professional and Children’s Author

I am a PR professional based in Cincinnati, and have had my own very successful consulting practice since 2000. Then along came 2020 and the pandemic. My husband unexpectedly lost his job as a Chief Corporate Pilot for on May 5, 2020 when his company decided to sell the Gulfstream Jet and eliminate the flight department since they weren’t flying during the pandemic. This was a huge shock and blow to our family. I went with him to clean out the hangar and his office that very evening and started weeping as I sat inside the interior of the plane for what would be the very last time. I was both sad and angry and my emotions got the best of me. Read more>>

Bob Otter | Retired Firefighter and Founder of citizenAID

Well my background is in public safety, I spent 26 years as a firefighter/EMT and so often saw serious injuries that ended tragically, but the saddest part was those tragic outcomes might have been avoided if someone on scene prior to our arrival had rendered effective aid. I cant tell you the number of people who met me at the door of the truck I was getting out of and said “I wanted to help but didnt know what to do”. I started citizenAID to change that. Read more>>

Kris Renee | Nail tech/ Manicurist

Nail Frenzy was born out of my passion for nail art and beauty. I wanted to create a brand that offered high-quality nail products and services to help people express their unique style. It took a lot of hard work, creativity, and dedication to turn that vision into reality. Read more>>