This is Matthew Mullenweg is the founder of WordPress, the very site that is being used to write this post. Born in the January of 1984, Matthew Mullenweg created WordPress with the goal of creating a platform for clean and structurally appealing system for publishing. In 2001, Matthew was partnered with Mike Little, and they found a way of coding that would bring more power to blogs and increase the efficiency at which non programmers could make blog posts/pages. They primary inspiration for starting WordPress was the lack of support that b2/cafelog was getting from it’s developers, inspiring Matthew and Mike to set out and make be the change instead of waiting for the change. Mark and Matt, when creating WordPress, used the source code of b2/cafelog in as a foundation for what would soon become WordPress, and since then the platform took off and made great progress. Because of the work of Matthew and his co-founder Mike, entrepreneurs from all over have had a greater chance at growing their business. Both old and young entrepreneurs have been given a huge opportunity to be seen in a world where attention is a resource to be craved, and everyone is vying for it.

Born February 21st, 1983, Daniel Ek one of the Co-Founders of Spotify, and currently sits as the CEO of Spotify. In the 2006 of April, Swedish entrepreneurs, Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon started Spotify. Their inspiration for starting the platform was to fight the ongoing issue of music piracy in the emerging world of mobile digital music. While the main strategy for fighting piracy is convenient buying options for consumers, Spotify also fights privacy by providing the platform as a means of discovery and growth for up and coming artists who want to break into the music scene. Daniel Ek’s current net worth is 1.7 billion United States Dollars. Spotify was not the first platform for music streaming, but it was different from the competition in a major way. Spotify’s unique value proposition for their product was the unlimited streaming of content users would choose, making them very unique amongst competitors. Overall, Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon had a case of right place right time, taking the opportunity with Spotify to be among the first ventures when it came to the exploration of the music streaming frontier. Since then, the founders have effectively branched out to podcasting, and continue to keep Spotify a household name among avid music and podcast lovers everywhere, it’s mission and impact unparalleled by others in the field. 

John Zimmer, starting out as a programmer, began the company Lyft, one of the major players that foundationally changed the game of personal transport services. While Lyft wasn’t too different from Uber, Lyft solidified itself among the best ridesharing companies. John Zimmer started Lyft in the June of 2012, only a few years after Uber began in 2009. John Zimmer’s goal for starting Lyft was to help communities and families connect again with superior transportation. Lyft has fairly good branding through the way drivers are Identified, everyone has seen the illuminated purple Lyft logo on the dashboards of passing cars. It was that illuminated sign in a passing car that brought my attention to Lyft for the first time. Its simplicity and eye-catching glow at night (when most people use ridesharing services for “reasons”) was enough to spark curiosity, and like others, I googled it out of curiosity. While Lyft wasn’t the first ridesharing company to arrive to the scene, it was among the first, and John Zimmer’s aim to be environmentally and socially conscious with Lyft’s service is a critical reason for the success it has seen as a direct competitor to the likes of Uber, and it’s entrepreneurs like John that give hope and new perspective on innovations, even if that innovation is simply the reasoning and ethics behind the people that make the brand possible.

Heroes is the modern approach to applying for a job, aiming to reach the younger generation that is becoming ever more prevalent in the workforce of modern America. In a sterile world of professionalism, it can be hard to see the human side of those you consider hiring behind the screen of their resume and previous experience. When the human aspect of work is becoming more prevalent, so too is the need to see who people are beyond what they have done. That’s where Tristan Petit, Adrien Dewulf and Cyriac Lefort come into the picture with their new job searching platform, Heroes. The trio’s inspiration for Heroes is Tik Tok, and they considered how they could mold their platform to a similar style. The approach was to substitute the entertainment aspect of Tik Tok with an informative video that gives enough information to employers and those who wish to be employed. Petit, Dewulf, and Lefort settled on the model of video resumes, formatting the videos like Tik Tok with the goal of showcasing the personality of job applicants alongside what they have accomplished in a short amount of time. Heroes also gives companies a chance to show off who they are as a community and business to appeal to applicants. This format helps effectively communicate the compatibility of employers and job applicants so it can be swiftly decided if there is a good fit. This ultimately removes the step of hiring someone and realizing afterwards that they are a bad fit, resulting in someone being fired. Heroes allows maximum efficiency for both hiring and for searching for a job, while also appealing to younger generations of workers who struggle to gel with the current means of applying for a job.

Alex Masmej is a 24 year old entrepreneur located in San Francisco, California. Alex launched an NFT art gallery aiming to be the Instagram of NFTs. Alex’s aim for launching his platform was to make self expression via NFTs and the chance for artwork to be seen more available to anyone in the realm of NFTs. His platform, called Showtime, has raised 7.6 million dollars in funds. His business and strategies continue to grow and change as much as the new world of NFTs, and his desire to create an environment for NFTs is admirable when you consider how new NFT’s are to the business world. With so many people hopping on the train of NFT buying and selling in an attempt to make a profit or express artwork, it can be daunting and challenging to navigate. Due to this challenge it is immensely impressive that Alex has created a space for NFTs that is successful both financially as well as in its mission to create awareness for the artists and their work. In a new realm of business, it can be extremely risky to be among the first to take steps and make mistakes for others to learn. Especially when you put yourself in a financially dependent situation that relies on the success of your idea. Yet Alex leaped into action and boldly went forward to pioneer what does and doesn’t work, and his gamble paid off handsomely.

Luke Gilligan (right) and Ethan David (left) co- launched a unique product together, called the Resense Memory Box. Initially starting the Resense Memory Box as a class project at Grove City College, the potential for their product became more evident as time went on. Seeing the potential for their product to make a successful impact, Luke and Ethan decided to take the Resense Memory Box to the next level to help in the battle against Dementia and Alzheimers. Their product is a box that contains items such as adult coloring books, items like candles that focus on aromatherapy, fidgets that help improve dexterity and coordination, puzzles that help strengthen their mind, and more that help to keep dementia at bay. The purpose of the box is to focus on and strengthen the senses as a means of reaching the patients and slowing the development of Alzheimers. With both entrepreneurs having shared experiences concerning Alzheimers, Luke and Ethan are both up to the task of tailoring and marketing their product to effectively aid families in the battle against Alzheimers. Since their start, Luke and Ethan have made immense progress with their Resense Memory Box in the fight to help loved ones, and show no signs of slowing down