Success stories

International Construction Expert Puts Down Entrepreneurial Roots in Omaha, Nebraska

Mark Santo, owner of Mark VII Enterprises, has been in the construction industry for decades. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Santo lived overseas and travelled the world building American embassies...

Mary Lyn Baker of DH Casters Rolls with Her Customers

DH Casters got its start in 1985, and the Baker family’s three generations of experience in the hardware industry contributed greatly to the success of this award-winning company. Mary Lyn Baker...

Law School vs. Chef and Business Owner

Dennis Chan, Owner of Blue Bamboo Canton Bistro and Bar started his restaurant in 2005 after attending the Culinary Institute of America. Initially, Chan wanted to go to law school after completing...

Lifelong Entrepreneur Makes the City Pretty with High-end Salon in Lincoln, NE

Jason McLaughlin, owner of Iasan & Sebastian Studio Salon, has been an entrepreneur since he was 19 and started a clothing company in his hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah with his high school best...

From Combat to Coffee: Air Force Veteran Trades Boots for Beans

Mike Sutmaier is a firm believer in the power of coffee. As a self-described serial entrepreneur, he says, “one of my side businesses as a real estate company is you can break the ice by offering...

Living the American Dream

Jeannette Coronado, CEO of JIRACOR, started her business in 2011 along with her husband primarily to provide online training for a certification program. Ms. Coronado is an immigrant from El Salvador...

From Prison to Policy Reform: Innovative Labor CEO Paves Way for Returning Citizen Entrepreneurs

After serving a more than seven-year prison sentence for bank fraud, Troy Parker would be free in a matter of days. With a red bookbag containing extra clothes and doubling as a briefcase in hand,...

Bringing Big City Living to Small Town Plates

When you meet Jilan Hall-Johnson you instantly recognize that she is driven as well as passionate about food and family. The love of food and cooking started at an early age where she would often be...