Habibi Grill is redefining Mediterranean cuisine with love. Founded by Lebanese immigrant Tarek Albast, this restaurant builds community while pursuing the American dream. From food truck to voted best restaurant in Columbus, Albast’s journey showcases perseverance, quality, and staying true to one’s roots.
When Joe Valenti was told his lung cancer would kill him, he decided to take charge of his life. Almost thirty years later, he’s running one of the most thriving vintage shops in the state.
Jason Williams always wanted to have his own shop, but never saw himself as an entrepreneur. After years of hard work, and with lots of help from his wife and friends, he’s managed to carve out a space where his business can thrive in the Short North district of Columbus.
Dr. Stephen Nogan never expected to become a business owner, but when the opportunity arose in 2019 to take over a retiring surgeon’s practice, Dr. Nogan took the chance and founded Columbus Facial Plastics. Striving to deliver outstanding patient care is at the core of his business. Dr. Nogan is guided by a mission of providing real results through science-based treatments, connecting genuinely with patients, and building community in central Ohio.
THE Foundation, co-founded by Brian Schottenstein and Cardale Jones, has become one of the top NIL collectives in the country, helping Ohio State football and basketball secure top recruits and transfers. Read on to discover the inside story of how this collective is shaping the future of Ohio State athletics. Learn the backstory of this collective and what’s on the horizon.
Schmidt’s Sausage Haus, a 5th generation family business, has been a Columbus staple since 1886. Owner Andy Schmidt shares the history, challenges, and triumphs of growing the brand from a German Village restaurant to a multi-faceted company with food trucks, catering, and retail products. Discover the stories behind their famous Bahama Mama sausages and cream puffs, celebrity visitors, and how faith and innovation have guided Schmidt’s through 137 years.
Food’s always been a part of Sadaya “Daisy” Lewis’s life, but it wasn’t until dropping out of pre-med that she set her sights on a culinary career. Soon after committing to this path, she got a life-changing call from the Food Network! But the past two years haven’t been easy. From higher wage demands to vendor cost increases, Daisy continues to find a way through the struggle. Read about how she stays positive in the face of adversity, why we should talk to our elders, and some of her favorite business books.
Kary Oberbruner began his entrepreneurial journey as an author, which evolved into creating and running his own publishing company. Passionate about Web3 and turning books into “18 streams of income,” Kary’s approach to the book business is far from conventional. Read on to learn about his “Jimmy Dean Sausage Strategy” of marketing and how confronting his deepest wound transformed his career.
Isana Sebastian started IA GLAM, a small beauty business, at the age of 20. Having recently dropped out of college and feeling lost in life, it seemed fate had a plan in store for her. After coming across serendipitous posts on the internet and with no previous experience, Isana decided to start her own business. Within a month of this decision, she was launching IA GLAM. Read about why she’s glad she started young, how social media has been integral to her brand’s growth, and why sales aren’t the best measurement of success.
As the owner of Big House Photography and co-owner/founder of Flat 51, German Village Maker’s Market, and Pasta Social, Chelsie Casagrande is no stranger to the process of starting a business from the ground up. Since 2014, she has been navigating the tricky terrain of being her own boss and executing her many visions. A firm believer in the interconnected nature of creative businesses, Chelsie’s businesses range from photography to events to digital strategy. Read about why she views continual evolution as the fuel that keeps a business healthy and thriving.
With a degree in Art Education, Melanie Guzzo never planned on becoming a salon owner. It wasn’t until she started interviewing at salons that she realized the salon she was looking for didn’t exist yet. Self-funded and debt-free for the first 7 years, Virtue Vegan Salon is guided by Melanie’s focus on community, giving back, and paying her employees well. Read about why she believes failure is a vital part of being a business owner and Virtue Salon’s exciting new development being launched later this year!
At the age of 18, Claire Coder dropped out of college to start Aunt Flow, a company on a mission to increase access to period products. Six years later, Aunt Flow has convinced Google, Princeton, Netflix, and more to provide tampons and pads for free! Read about her lessons as a young entrepreneur and how she pivoted during the pandemic to save the company.
Alex Copeland tried numerous “day jobs” before becoming a full-time entrepreneur. On this quest to find something that fulfilled him, one thing remained constant — cookies. Eight years ago, Alex decided to combine his two passions to create Plenty O’Cookies, a drag queen cookie-decorating business. Read about how he turned his side hustle into a full-time gig!
What began as a hobby in her parents’ basement has grown into a three-store business with plans for a new studio space! Teaching herself jewelry-making through YouTube, Kate Stevens has been running Red Giraffe Designs (RGD, for short) for over 10 years. During this time, she’s moved from sole jewelry designer to manager of 15 employees. Kate shares how customization became central to her business, the tools integral to her success, and why adaptability and evolution are vital to being an entrepreneur.
As a niche business owner, Ryan Srbljan plays by different rules. Running Corvette Care as its third owner has required Ryan to continue to adapt to the specific needs of this specialty. Read about how he’s shifted his payment structure, moved to a new, larger facility, and blended old school with new in marketing.
What began as a love for hosting has transformed into a bustling charcuterie business for Brooke Hohlbaugh, the business owner of and personality behind Boards by Brooke. For the past two years, Brooke has been honing her Instagram presence, creating consistent, high-quality content that resonates with her followers, all while holding down a full-time job as a teacher! Learn about how she’s leveraged Instagram to grow her business and what she’s learned does (and doesn’t) work.
As a serial entrepreneur, Mike Leibrand understands the ins and outs of starting and running a business. His first venture began in 1990, selling T-shirts door-to-door in college. Since then, he’s owned multiple businesses, his most recent being Summit Technologies. Read about how he’s kept his entrepreneurial fire burning for over 30 years and what he’s learned along the way.
It all began in 2019, when Dr. Meghna Mahambrey gave a TEDx Columbus talk on “the birds and the bees.” From there, she created SPARK out of a desire to continue to share valuable insight on relationships and sexual wellness with the public. Initially just hosting workshops, SPARK has evolved through listening to the community’s needs and requests. These days, Meghna’s multi-faceted business offers one-on-one coaching, singles’ events, a podcast, and more!
Since 2016, Nathan Leber has been honing his niche as a small design and print shop owner, focusing on building lasting relationships and crafting the highest quality products for his customers. Instead of emphasizing profit and growth, Nathan’s found success through community, employee achievement, and creating products that speak for themselves. With a strong belief in education as investment, Nathan shares resources that have been vital to his entrepreneurial process!
Previously to opening her own business, nothing in Tabitha Mund’s work-life seemed to be working out. From graduating during the recession to working at a startup that was burning her out, she was struggling to see the path forward. At the end of her rope, she had a realization that would change the course of her life — at her e-design job, she saw a gap in the market for high-quality curated rugs. From here, she developed Swoon Rugs with “no inventory, no money, and no clue.” Read more about her journey to accidentally finding her dream career after years of searching, and how it’s evolved to running her own brick-and-mortar shop.
Back in 2008, Karla Larson-Miller saw an opportunity: the salon she was working for was closing, and she’d just accomplished great success in her secondary career as a real estate agent. An entrepreneur at heart, she recognized this moment as her chance to finally have a salon of her own. Since taking this leap, she’s navigated long hours, opening two additional businesses, and even employee theft. With her newest business less than a year old, there are no signs of her slowing down!