Small Business Profiles
Engineer-Turned-Entrepreneur Aims to Make Sustainable Living Easy
After years working as a chemical engineer in the oil and gas industry, Mohamad Sam started thinking about the environmental impact of everyday products — and wanted to do something about it. In 2015, he launched Purifyou, a Houston-based business that makes durable, reusable everyday products. One of his first designs was a sleek glass…
Nebraska Friends Ship Customizable Ice Cream Pints Nationwide
In 2007, friends Becky App and Abby Jordan spotted a gap in the online gift market: People could send their loved ones flowers, candy, and baked goods — but not ice cream. Sensing an opportunity, they launched a unique new business — which they named eCreamery — offering personalizable gourmet ice cream pints that could…
Best Friends Help Families Tell Their Stories, One Journal at a Time
When Stephanie Peters and her best friend, Sarah Autry, struggled to find the right journals for documenting their child’s milestones, they sensed a business opportunity: If they were looking for tasteful, keepsake-quality journals, other families probably were too. In 2020, the two moms teamed up with their husbands, Garrett and Garland, to launch Duncan &…
Illinois Entrepreneur Brings Handmade Beauty Products to Customers Nationwide
After years of struggling with sensitive skin and cystic acne, Amanda Kezios set out to create the products she couldn’t find on the shelves. What started in the late ’90s as a personal wellness journey turned into a mission to build a beauty brand rooted in self-love, inclusivity, and natural ingredients. In 2003, Amanda founded…
Ohio Entrepreneur Brings Healthy Breakfast Cereal to Customers Nationwide
After struggling with chronic fatigue for over a decade, Cleveland mom and digital marketing expert Veronica Blue finally found relief by switching to a low-carb, gluten-free diet. But she missed her favorite comfort foods — especially hot cereals like farina. Unable to find low-carb substitutes, she experimented with ingredients like almonds and flax seeds until…
Iowa Kitchenware Company Continues 77-Year Tradition of American Craftsmanship
In 1948, a small Iowa workshop began making kitchen knives from steel and aluminum no longer needed for the war effort. When the Rada family took over in the 1960s, they gave the company its current name — Rada Cutlery — and grew it into a national brand. Nearly 80 years after its founding, Rada…
Brothers Bring Traditionally Crafted, US-Made Leather Products to Customers Worldwide
Eleven years ago, when brothers Chris and Jason Angelini started handcrafting leather wallets in their parents’ Massachusetts garage, they never imagined they’d soon be running a thriving global business. But what began with a single wallet design and a few sales to friends and family quickly evolved into American Bench Craft — maker of rugged…
Boston Artist Brings Bold, Bright, and Unapologetic Statement Pieces to Customers Across the Country
In search of a creative outlet beyond her corporate career, marketing consultant Erica Goldstein launched The Blank Canvas Company in 2014 — sharing and selling her colorful, hand-painted designs on Instagram. What started as a passion project soon gained traction, and Erica started selling at local markets and pop-up events in 2018, steadily growing her…
“Mompreneur” Aims to Replace Throwaway Plates with Sustainable Alternatives
“Mompreneur” Pallavi Pande founded her Portland-based business, DTOCS (pronounced “detox: echoing with the meaning cleansing journey but with leaves”), to help replace single-use tableware with a chemical-free biodegradable alternative. Inspired by memories of meals served on banana leaves in India, Pallavi decided to source and process Areca palm leaves to offer elegant, all-natural, compostable tableware…
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Navigating Uncertainty: The Power of Small Business Advocacy
Engineer-Turned-Entrepreneur Aims to Make Sustainable Living Easy
Nebraska Friends Ship Customizable Ice Cream Pints Nationwide
