Business Inspiration
Stay energized—here's how to keep doing your thing, even if you're not sure what it is.
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Chinatown’s Oldest Family-Owned Store Is Still Centering Community
How 5th-generation business owner Mei Lum honors Wing on Wo’s legacy while working toward a secure, inclusive future for the community it serves.
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Cortney Gusick
After losing her father, Cortney Gusick left Silicon Valley and is now transforming the deathcare space from a toxic industry into something more environmentally friendly, through Pāhiki eco-caskets.
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Efrem Fesaha
For 6 years, Efrem Fesaha hid his Eritrean identity to fit into a stifling corporate industry. After a trip to his homeland , an idea to build a coffee shop rooted in Eritrean tradition began to percolate.
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Gretchen Bayless
After 25 years of countless doctors, Gretchen Bayless was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Once diagnosed, she decided to regain her sense of independence and start Roamerica, a campervan rental company in the Pacific Northwest.
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Tara Chapman
After years of traveling the world as a CIA operative, Tara Chapman gave it up to be closer to her mom in Texas. Upon returning home, she tried her hand at beekeeping, which eventually turned into Two Hives Honey.
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Chih Lin
Chih believed he could find his American dream in the oil and gas industry. Upon realizing he was unable to be himself at work as a gay, Taiwanese immigrant, Chih quit his job and started Dumpling Dudez with his husband, Mike.
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Kelly Carlisle
Working in the Navy fulfilled Kelly Carlisle’s dream of becoming a hero. Upon returning to Oakland, she became a local hero in the fight against food apartheid through her organization Acta Non Verba.
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Dave from Wayward Distillery
Within a week Dave realized that his distillery business was coming to a complete halt. Paul talks to Dave about hard decisions -- ones that ultimately provided Dave’s community with a measure of protection against the pandemic.
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Matt from Xocolatl Chocolate
Matt, a small-batch chocolate maker whose production was bursting at the seams when the pandemic hit, now questions his retail space vs. online and tries to understand what government intervention will mean for his business.
