When I was studying computer science at one of India's top universities, I became fascinated by startups. I was captivated by the impact startups had: the idea that you could start a company from scratch that provided outstanding services, technologies, and jobs. Naturally, I then became fascinated by Silicon Valley. That's where the top startups in the world were being formed. My goal was to build a company, and it seemed like Silicon Valley was where I needed to be.
I didn't come from a food-and-beverage background - I was in consulting before this - but I always had an entrepreneurial itch. I grew up in a family of business owners, and from a young age, I was dipping into projects for them, learning the basics of running something of my own. It wasn't until I started creating something of my own that I realized how much more there was to learn.
Actress, singer, entrepreneur, and producer Selena Gomez shared some sage advice from her close friend and fellow billionaire Taylor Swift at 's Most Powerful Women conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. "She said: 'If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room,'" Gomez told Fortune 's Ellie Austin. Gomez added that she surrounds herself with "really incredible people" and is not afraid to ask questions.
Tim Ferriss has been called the Oprah of Audio. His podcast, the Tim Ferriss Show, surpassed a billion downloads and reshaped the digital media landscape. Yet at the height of his success, Ferriss found himself at a crossroads. With podcasting becoming a crowded competitive space, he wondered whether the medium that had defined his career was still the best vehicle for his curiosity, creativity, and impact. How should a creator who has always thrived by reinventing himself decide what's next?
Few entrepreneurs embody ambition, resilience, and global vision as distinctly as Michael Gelpke. With a career spanning investment banking, manufacturing, real estate, and venture capital, the Swiss entrepreneur has consistently demonstrated an ability to navigate complex markets and identify opportunities where others see obstacles. Recognized by Forbes as one of Switzerland's most successful entrepreneurs, he continues to build a legacy at the crossroads of finance, innovation, and social impact.
David T. Scott has spent his career blending corporate expertise with entrepreneurial drive. Now, as the CEO of Evil Genius Games, he is focused on a bold mission: positioning tabletop role-playing games as a major force in mainstream culture. For David T. Scott, TTRPGs are more than a niche hobby. They are the future of interactive entertainment, and his vision is to help elevate them to the same cultural prominence as film, streaming, and video games.
A decade ago, I was deep in the corporate grind of brand management in Los Angeles. This meant long hours, endless meetings, and constant stress. I worked 12-hour days, chasing approvals, but I felt unfulfilled. With an autoimmune condition that flares under stress, a vacation to Steamboat Springs, Colorado- where my phone wouldn't stop pinging - was the breaking point.
I was once a philosophy professor at the University of Colorado, and I was frustrated with my headset tangling every time I went to make a call on my phone. So I drove to a nearbyJoann Fabrics store and glued a couple of huge clothing buttons to the back of my tiny little iPhone so I could wrap my headset around them. I got made fun of for how ridiculous it was, but over the course of about a year and many, many prototypes, I miniaturized it, and eventually launched a business out of my garage in the mountains of Boulder in 2014.
Born in Chicago, Bobbi Brown, 68, studied theatrical makeup and photography at Emerson College, Boston. In 1980, she moved to New York to work as a makeup artist. She launched Bobbi Brown Essentials in 1991, sold it to Estee Lauder four years later, and built it into a global brand. Having left the business in 2016, she launched a new one, Jones Road Beauty, in 2020.
These roles gave him a close view of how businesses operate, as well as the challenges they face in balancing growth with costs. In 2020, Brewer relocated to Las Vegas to launch Greenhub, a merchant services company. His vision was simple but ambitious: help companies in retail, e-commerce and B2B sectors streamline payment processing and eliminate hidden costs. Under his leadership, Greenhub has earned a reputation for transparency and innovation in an industry often criticised for its complexity.
For Lubetzky, business begins with people. He recalled a South African proverb that says, "We're only human because of other humans," and argued that the same applies to companies. "Community is what makes us human," he said. "Create a community where everyone is in it together." Rather than focusing narrowly on profits, he believes leaders should prioritize building a sense of belonging among employees and customers alike - the kind of trust that sustains a business in good times and bad.
I left high school two months into my senior year. I believed my path didn't have to be high school to college to job to rat race. I'd always been different, and that difference gave me the determination to eventually open my own business in China. I grew up in Shanghai, and before dropping out in 2016, I spent most of my free time working part-time jobs: English-Mandarin translator, assistant for a nightclub owner, PA for A-list celebrities, and even a venture capital intern.
Brent Ridge , MD, cofounded Beekman 1802 in 2008 and has worked alongside Josh Kilmer-Purcell to lead the company ever since. Prior to his entrepreneurial career, Ridge was Vice President of Healthy Living at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. He also built a distinguished medical career as a specialist in geriatric medicine, completing a fellowship at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and joining the faculty there as an assistant professor.
In this episode, I chat with Marc Brown, a dynamic attorney and Big Dave's Cheesesteaks franchise owner. Marc opens up about his non-linear career path from Biglaw to founding his own successful firm, sharing insights on the fulfilling shift to plaintiff's work and the challenges of running a business. Aspiring lawyers and entrepreneurs alike will find inspiration in Marc's journey of pursuing passion over convention and learning to balance career and life. Tune in for a mix of legal wisdom and the secret to a perfect cheesesteak!
Back then, I was a marketing representative for an asset management firm in Penang, Malaysia. It was a steady job, and I had supportive managers who allowed me to take ownership of my work. It was a client-facing role, and over time, I realized it wasn't the best fit for my personality, even though I learned and grew a lot from the job. After the pandemic, I started feeling burned out. Deep down, I always knew a 9-to-5 wasn't meant to be my long-term path.
I always knew I wanted to study and work in the United States. When I was 18, I dreamed of making $200,000 a year working in Big Tech when I graduated. Over time, I began to question whether I wanted my career dictated by a visa. I realized how little control I had over external factors: the economy, layoffs, and visa policies. The only thing I could control was my response.
"The first five years of RIXO, we lived together, apart from being in the office together," Rix tells Bustle. "We were literally together 24/7. Neither of us had boyfriends." Other friendships wouldn't have survived, especially remembering how difficult that time was for both of them. "We were 23. We wouldn't even buy ourselves a coffee," she says. "We were so careful about our spending, wanting to put everything into the business. It wasn't a glamorous lifestyle."
