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.

Shaynna Pitman | Shaynna Pitman / Owner

I joke all the time that I was born into this field haha! I have a sister who has a developmental disability, and we grew up very close in age. Watching the experiences she had in various environments as definitely what drives me to impact the disability community the way I do. Elevated began with the hope of taking people with amazing hearts, apply impactful training, and create confident caregivers who love what they do! Read more>>

Joshua Remmert | Kettlecorn and lemonade

To answer how I came up with my business

When I was 8 years I was taught how to make popcorn.

10 years old I sold costume jewelry to my fellow classmates.

12 years old I bought ice-cream onsale .99 cents Resold it for $4.00 2 summers Read more>>

Scarlett Cowie | Surf brand founder- Sunchaser Clothing

I have always had a huge passion for all things swimwear, the ocean and sustainability, so at the age of 13 I decided to put all these things together to start my own brand. I came with the idea of Sunchaser Clothing, in lockdown of 2020 like so many other I found myself with so much time on my hands. I began the brand initially just wholesaling clothing and jewellery pieces but I always knew there was something greater. Read more>>

Heidi Block | Pickleball enthusiast and serial entrepreneur

Before COVID, I’d been a life long tennis player and didn’t pay much attention to the pickleball being played on the courts next door. But, like everyone else during the early days of the 2020 COVID lockdown, my family and I were looking for safe activities to get outdoors and be active. My friend Isabel had extra paddles and had just learned pickleball and offered to teach us. Read more>>