While working for a design firm, Mark realized how much environment affected creativity & collaboration. Mark knew that turning this notion into a new business would bring success. Guests now walk in the sparkspace door and say, “WOW! What a space! This is going to be a great meeting!” After 18 years, they still say that every day when they walk in. For Mark, it’s all about creating and building something unique that solves a problem for someone. He’s wired for hospitality and creativity and personal development, and likes to solve problems and provide solutions that help people have top-notch experiences in those areas.
EPM was running their business operations out of their basement until consistent growth led to the need for an office space (and they were worried about neighbors complaining to the HOA). Now, Jason Carpenter has ambitions for the company to do $6-8 million in revenue, have 50-60 technicians and a succession plan in place for his kids.
Christian was a mechanic with no money prior to starting Cookie Bouquet, an eCommerce company that sells bouquets of cookies throughout the country. He credits his father, an entrepreneur, for inspiring him to start the business. Christian had to decide between either starting a Subway franchise or Cookie Bouquet, and he is confident he made the right decision.
Jim Wasserstrom is the President/CEO of Advance Sign Group. When you see brands and businesses with well-lit signage outside of their headquarters or inside a mall, Jim’s company likely had a hand in many of these projects. Learn how Jim took his Columbus company from a local business to a national player since purchasing ASG in 2001.
Each day, Stefanie Parks is overseeing an operation that ships skincare and beauty products throughout the U.S. Stefanie has grown DermWarehouse into one of the largest Dermatologist backed skincare eCommerce sites in the United States. She wears a lot of different hats, from customer service to digital marketing to logistics, she is a jack of all trades, which is needed when start your business from scratch.
Kaleigh Shrigley attended CCAD and made jewelry to sell on the side. She met Claire Lowe working at a local boutique and the two of them decided to start their jewelry business from there. ONE SIX FIVE opened its first location in Clintonville and sells via Shopify for eCommerce.
Singleton Hicks and Noah Mabry met in OSU’s Landscape Architecture program. They graduated during the great recession, and while working together in a 9 to 5 cubicle job, they would work on design competitions and other small side projects. Eventually, they decided that if this was the type of work they wanted to do they would have to forge their own path.