Small Business Profiles
As a first generation immigrant who grew up in a community and household of blue collar entrepreneurs, Lori Shao always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Her parents’ grit and perseverance always inspired her, especially because immigrants often face unique challenges with starting small businesses. Some immigrant entrepreneurs must navigate language barriers and cultural divides, along with difficulty accessing the capital needed to launch and grow a business.
In 2018, Lauren Coleman started The Sursy with the vision to build a bespoke hospitality brand that owns, designs, and operates a portfolio of unique properties across the Southwest. She owns the White Swan Motel in Lakewood, Colorado (to become Loveland House Hotel) and Mellow Moon Lodge, Rodeo Mercantile, and the Moon Bar & Lounge in Del Norte, Colorado.
With a master’s degree in computer science, another master’s degree in information systems and an interdisciplinary PhD, Lisa Kaczmarczyk never planned on becoming an entrepreneur. After working in the tech industry as a developer, she transitioned into academia as a university faculty member teaching computer science where she also gained experience obtaining grants from the National Science Foundation. Lisa thought she would be doing this type of work forever.
While Leo Carr began his career in sales at Philip Morris, he “always had the bug to own my own business.” In 1999, he started his entrepreneurial journey and bought Express Personnel Services, a franchise staffing company. Leo had the opportunity to act on his passion, which was to fill a need by helping small businesses with their workforce needs while also helping people get jobs. This has given him unique insights into how small employers can meet the moment in addressing their staffing needs.
Sisters Lakila Bowden and Kamille Richardson are reframing disability and disproving myths that providing accommodations for differently abled employees is expensive and burdensome to businesses through their consulting company, iSee Technologies.
In 2022, Small Business Majority, in partnership with Support Latino Business and Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial, awarded critical funding to three Latina business owners through their annual #SupportSmallBiz grant program. The grant program bridges the gap in small business funding for Hispanic and Latino businesses, which often face challenges and systemic barriers in getting the capital and resources they need to start, grow and expand their enterprises.
Cristian Corona is the owner and founder of Little Sprouts Language Immersion Preschool, located in Los Angeles, Calif. After having her first child, she began working in the childcare industry and went back to school. This inspired her to open her first childcare center, which opened in 2020 just before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Serving her local community came as a natural transition for JeJuan Stewart, CEO and Lead Consultant of EAGLE 7 Consulting in rural Georgia. She also leads the John and JeJuan Stewart, Jr. Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose vision is to create a group of focused, empowered youth who make a positive difference as individuals in their families and communities.
After a quarter life crisis, former social worker Alanna Ferre took a course in makeup artistry–as suggested by her mother–and was surprised to not only find a thriving second career, but also a passionate community in her home state of New Mexico.
Growing up in India, Pallavi Pande ate her meals using banana leaves as plates. This sparked her passion for sustainability and being close to nature. Raising her family in Portland, Ore. inspired her to reconnect with her heritage and share this tradition with the western world.
- 1 of 24
- next ›