A Bright Idea

On this week's episode- we’re Joined by the founder of Chosen Advisory Group, and Wealth Management Advisor Bilal Afolabi Bilal was born in Togo, Africa, and moved to Hartford, Connecticut at 8 years old. Bilal started his wealth management journey at 19 years old through a nationally ranked internship program at Northwestern Mutual. He was the number one intern in the Northeast, ranking Top 10 na...

Join us as we take a walk around the Capital City Mambo Sauce where house, where Arsha and her team package and ship her mambo sauces across the country. In this mini episode, Arsha talks to us about her keys to success, how she's been able to scale Capital City Mambo Sauce through partnerships in the community, and how she is intentional about letting the brand speak for itself rather than being...

Sometimes inconveniences can form brilliant ideas. In Arsha Jones's case it was the fact that her go-to wing spot and mambo sauce was no longer down the street. Arsha Jones- founder of Capital City Mambo Sauce was born and raised in Washington, DC. When she and her family moved to the suburbs, Arsha began making her own mambo sauce in her kitchen. Realizing she could give back to her community by...

Jan Receski is the founder and CEO of @OnPar Now. A state-of-the-art indoor golf instruction and practice space located in the newly renovated Terminal building in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jan wasn’t always a golfer.. the first time she ever picked up clubs was in a golf elective in college.. but after a 30 year career with The Hillman Company, a prominent Pittsburgh Family...

On this week’s episode of a bright idea, we are joined by Zsameria Rayford - founder of Swapdc . Swap DC is a creative recycling event in Washington, D.C. That fosters a diverse community around swapping clothing for residence who want to reduce reuse and live a more sustainable life. Did you know that the fashion industry is responsible for 8 to 10% of global missions according to the United Nati...

On this week's episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Tye Barrett, the owner of Amami, an Italian leather handbag brand based in Los Angeles. Tye’s mission to celebrate individuality and self-love shines through her brand’s collection ‘Me’. From climbing the corporate ladder at Disney and Warner Brothers to embracing her unique path as a single parent, Tye’s story is one of resilience, sel...

Job hunters listen up! we’re delighted to introduce Cassandra Whitlow, CRS a highly accomplished Recruiter, Career Coach, and Author. Cassandra began her career at IBM in Information Technology, later transitioning to Human Resources and Recruiting where she found her true passion. Her extensive experience spans across Fortune 500 companies in diverse industries like telecommunications, banking, t...

We're thrilled to have Anthony McCray join us, a visionary photographer hailing from West Baltimore. Anthony's journey is nothing short of inspiring, having overcome profound challenges to discover his artistic passion. Growing up in Park Heights, Anthony faced adversity on multiple fronts, from external threats to personal struggles within his own home. However, it was through these hardships tha...

On this week's episode- we’re joined by founder of Safety and Security Consultants - Terrance Brown. Terrance Brown holds over 36 years of combined military, law enforcement, and safety management with the US Air Force, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Mercy Health Systems.  Joining the U.S. Air Force as a Security Forces Specialist in 1984, Terrence's service took him to Langley Air Force Base, G...

Kid Onyx was born out of Nia's passion to provide essential tools for the children she serves in the vibrant communities of Los Angeles, Compton, and Inglewood. As a social worker, Nia recognized the need for resources that truly resonated with the experiences of her young clients. Nia created Kings and Queens Emotion Cards, a revolutionary tool designed to help young black children identify and m...

This week we’re joined by the founder of Dembo Inc. Stephanie Coradin. As the founder of DEMBO Inc, Stephanie brings over 18 years of expertise in leadership and development training, along with life coaching for individuals and groups across diverse industries. With an MBA and a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling, her unique background equips her to uncover hidden barriers to growth and...

For years, Nia Imani captivated audiences as a natural haircare influencer on YouTube, collaborating with industry giants like Mielle Organics, The Mane Choice, and Shea Moisture. But with over 125,000 subscribers on YouTube, she knew it was time to harness her expertise for her own brand. Introducing Imania Beauty, where luxury meets natural. Nia created a High Maintenance Elixir, a multipurpose...

We are joined by Jenna Levine Liu, founder and president of Sixx Cool Moms.  Sixx Cool Moms is a national network of social groups for moms. Sixx currently operates 45 chapters across 13 states, with over 110k active and engaged members. Using her decade of media and advertising experience, Jenna turned a traditionally free medium into a profitable space for advertisers to reach local moms on a pe...

When was the last time you read newspaper? According to a 2022 survey conducted by the media insights projects, 44% of Gen Z report never received news and information from traditional sources compared with 45% of younger millennials and 31% of older millennials. Kelsey Russell is looking to change that. Kelsey Russell is a content creator and full time graduate student at Teachers College, Columb...

On this week's episode we’re joined by beauty influencer Raven Small- also known as @Beautymavenraven. Raven is an online beauty educator and content creator from Baltimore, MD currently living in New York City. Her dream's always been to inspire people worldwide to be their best selves and to feel beautiful. She's been creating content for well over ten years. Before creating content full-time, R...

On this week's episode we’re joined by Desaray Garland, owner of Sknnself, a lip oil and lip scrub line based out of Virginia Beach. SKNNSELF BY DESARAY provides hand crafted, easy to use, products that will elevate your “me time”. The mission of SKNNSELF BY DESARAY is to empower people to embrace their natural and authentic self while using the very same products proven to be effective by the fou...

The end of a season is only the beginning of a new journey. Thank you for joining us on this wild ride. See you soon for season 2! In this episode, Amber takes you down memory lane to recap our most watch, most shared, and most inspired episodes of season 1 based on our fan favorites!

On this week’s show we are joined by Chanel Person, a cosmetic chemist and founder of Marie Methods. Marie Methods is a cosmetics research and development laboratory located in Maryland. It provides formulation and development services for indie beauty brands. The areas of formulation and development include hair care, skincare, and makeup. The services provided by Marie Methods gives up and comin...

On this week’s episode, we are joined Chelse Prejean - founder of Smoky Mmmeats a plant based meat company based in Washington, DC. Smoky meats believes that when it comes to feeding and providing a more sustainable future, we don’t have to sacrifice quality. Our positive choices no matter how small can have a huge impact on our health, our local communities, and our planet. Smoky Mmmeats provides...

On this week's show, we are joined by watercolor artist Anne W. Thomas. Anne Thomas had an unlikely path to the art studio.  After graduating from the University of Maryland in 2003 with a degree in History, she began her career working on Capitol Hill.  Later she transitioned to the Commerce Department where she got to travel the world and work with Cabinet members.  She finished her time there a...

This week's episode- we’re joined by Terrence Wheeler, founder of Lumiere Vodka. Lumiere- which stands for Light Vodka was put through 51 iterations before developing the flavorful, aromatic, and aesthetically pleasing drink that it is today. Terrence created his own vodka from scratch in his dorm room at Hampton University as an alternative to the popular college party drink, Jungle Juice. He nam...

On this week's episode- how this husband and wife duo created a décor rental business all starting with a donut wall. [Take a beat here before bringing in the music] While planning their wedding, Kait and Joe Brown realized how expensive and stressful planning a wedding would be and decided they would make a huge effort to save everywhere they could without sacrificing the look and feel they wante...

On this week's episode- we’re joined by Terrance Diggs, a Baltimore - area based designer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and all around creative. He is most notably making his mark as creative director of the streetwear and lifestyle brand, D17. Founded in 2016, the Towson University graduate has used his combined passion for athletics and design too create a diverse portfolio of designs for Maryl...

On this week's episode- we are joined by Burrell Brown, owner of StreetSmart Tailoring, a mobile tailoring company based in Washington, DC. Burrell is a data scientist by day and a tailor at all other times. Perfecting his tailoring skills with the help of YouTube, Burrell has found so much joy, fulfillment and purpose through connecting with his clients and helping people feel confident in how th...

CampSpaces is a brick & mortar  franchise concept that offers physical spaces and full-service content experiences for production teams, business owners and marketing professionals.   Campspaces’s flagship location is in Hyattsville, Maryland right outside of Washington, DC.  Built out of a necessity for entrepreneurs looking for a place to work, CampSpaces launched in 2016. While working as a...