Our city is home to so many incredible businesses and so we asked the founders how they came up with the ideas for their businesses and have shared their responses below.

Trevor Cully | Entrepreneur & Ametuer Streamer

I came up with the idea back during the pandemic and when Tiktok was booming. I was looking at updating my Xbox username and wanted something “Fresh” and arrived at Dr Fresh. I took that name and made it my Tiktok name and online persona. 4 years later and I have slowly made a name for myself and have an online presence with a small following on Tiktok, YouTube and Discord. I felt it was the right time to try to monetize and lean into this as much as I could. I’m about to launch a website and a merch line at the beginning of the year and I’m so excited for what’s to come. Read more>>

Elijah & Porscher Black | Return of the Giving Dead: Horror Cosplay for a Cause

There are several amazing superhero and comic cosplay groups that make significant contributions to charitable causes. However, we recognized there wasn’t a charity cosplay group more geared towards horror cosplayers. My husband and I primarily specialize in horror cosplay and are actively engaged in the robust local horror scene. The generosity exhibited within this community is profound, yet many may remain unaware of its extent. We aim to inform local charitable organizations that they can rely on our support, while also showcasing the immense compassion that horror fans possess. Although we celebrate the allure of evil monsters, we horror fans are far from being one. Read more>>

Alex La Pierre | Director of Borderlandia & Public Historian

The idea for our business came from a desire to share the good news about our neighbor Mexico and its wonderful people. Over the last decades, the American news media has been laser-focused on sharing only the negative aspects. As they say in the industry, if it bleeds, it leads and this has led to the tragedy of Americans with very skewed perceptions of the country and being fearful of visiting our neighbor to the south. Read more>>

Katie Rapkoch | Founder/Yoga Teacher; Paws + Breathe

I have been volunteering at the county animal shelter and with various rescues in the valley since 2017, and teaching yoga since 2018. I adopted my first dog, Champ, in 2013 and he was the inspiration to start volunteering to vulnerable animals in need. I have spent countless hours at the shelter, fostering, promoting adoptable dogs since 2017, and I started teaching yoga funraiders soon after becoming a yoga teacher to help raise money for local animal welfare organizations. In April 2024, just four months after I lost my beloved Champ, I launched Paws + Breathe and began teaching regular yoga class fundraisers as a way to honor his legacy. Since April 2024, I have helped raise over $15,000 for local animal welfare organizations. Read more>>

Megan Engbring, Dnp, Fnp-c | Doctor of Nursing Practice

Flagstaff Optimal Health and Weight Management is a culmination of decades of experience helping my cardiology patients improve their health by focusing on weight loss and healthy lifestyle change. What I found working in outpatient cardiology, is that patients DO want to feel better and take less medication but they needed more than the quick diet & exercise advice or dietician referral that I was able to offer in that setting. Patients thrive when they have access to 1:1 coach support, an education system that guides one small change at a time, and a simple nutrition plan that works. When I implemented those factors in 2020, my patients started to lose weight and gain health in ways that I had never witnessed prior to that. Read more>>

Cat Cantrill – Can-trill (like Drill) | Matchmaker & Dating Coach

The idea for my business came during a moment of reinvention in the pandemic. I previously ran a dance studio for women—a space where we didn’t just dance, but built a strong sense of community. For over a decade, I had been coaching the incredible women who came through my doors, helping them build confidence, embrace their femininity, and feel empowered in every step. Read more>>