AUTHOR

Mark Sullivan

LATEST STORIES

In London, a five-year-old entrepreneur toys with a new idea

Tyler Dias is like a lot of other first-time entrepreneurs. He’s confident about his business plan, he’s putting together a great team, and he’s pushing to get his product to market as soon as possible. He’s also 5 years old. A few weeks ago, Tyler started going to work with his father, Vernon Dias, founder […]
Producer Jared Ian Goldman puts his own stamp on indie films

After a screening of his latest film, producer Jared Ian Goldman was a little confused when his stepfather asked for help installing Instagram on his phone. “Is that what you took away from the film?” Goldman remembers replying. “Because the whole message is that you probably don’t want Instagram on your phone.” Starring Aubrey Plaza, […]
At Taste Beauty, three cofounders share the secret of going viral

When you’re a new beauty brand, how do you catch the attention of some of the world’s biggest retailers? A viral video doesn’t hurt
In London, ad agency shakes up the ‘Mad Men’ model

As business partners, Stephen Wise and Tom Maverley were set up on the equivalent of a blind date. “We were introduced to each other by the CEO of a big ad agency,” Maverley explains. “He said: ‘You should work on a project with my mate Stephen. I think you two would get on well together.’” […]
How Microsoft makes its sales staff happier with WeWork

Microsoft General Manager Matt Donovan had a challenge: All of the tech giant’s New York City-based sales team worked from its headquarters in Times Square. That made it difficult and time consuming for them to get to customers scattered around the region. The solution was a partner they were collaborating with on several other projects: […]
Winning at Creator Awards, Austin sisters give back to community

When entrepreneur Abianne Falla won $180,000 at the Creator Awards, she knew that her company was about grow at a pace she had only dreamed about. Falla is cofounder of CatSpring Yaupon, which makes tea from a plant that grows wild throughout Texas. To satisfy the growing demand for her product, she realized she needed […]
At Arkiv, vintage sneakers are big business

That pair of Air Jordans you’ve kept in pristine condition all these years? You wouldn’t believe what they’re worth. “These sneakers are commodities,” says Robert Mulokwa, founder of Arkiv. “They are very valuable assets. The secondary market in U.S.—just for sneakers—is over a billion dollars a year. That’s 300 million pairs of sneakers a year.” […]
Austin’s Matt Glazer wins WeWork’s Community Award

Matt Glazer jokes that he “blacked out a little” when he heard his name from the stage of the Austin Creator Awards. Glazer, executive director of the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce, had no idea he was going to win WeWork’s Community Award. That award, presented on June 27 by cofounder Miguel McKelvey, is given […]
Foley artist Joanna Fang’s long journey to pride

This is how Joanna Fang describes herself: “I am an Emmy-award winning Foley artist, an avid guitar collector, a Taiwanese American, and also transgender.” In the years she spent “struggling with my body,” she focused on her work as a Foley artist, the person who creates everyday sounds effects for television and movies. To create […]
Top winners at Austin Creator Awards announce ‘we’re hiring’

Austin entrepreneur Robert Olivier says that getting this far hasn’t been easy. “I literally couch surfed, and even spent a few nights sleeping in my car,” says Olivier. “But it was worth it, because it got me to the place that I am now.” That place was on the stage of Austin’s ACL Live at […]
WeWork LGBT Portland Pride Parade
Across the country, WeWork shows off its rainbow colors

Before coming out, media planner Megan Barta was apprehensive about how her coworkers would react to her sexual orientation. When talking about her weekend plans she always hedged a bit, saying “friend” rather than “girlfriend.” “My biggest fear, behind telling my family, was experiencing negative repercussions at work because of my orientation,” says Barta. “I […]
Discover Detroit’s mysterious side with On the Town Riddles

 When you book a trip with Detroit’s On the Town Riddles, you don’t just watch the city go by from the window of a bus. You explore various neighborhoods, hidden bars, and other off-the-beaten-path destinations. And along the way you solve a mystery. The company is the brainchild of Kris Caster. He combined several different […]
Hate insurance agents? New wave of online insurers feels your pain

When his son was born, entrepreneur Adam Erlebacher was so apprehensive about buying life insurance that he put it off for two years. When he finally met with an agent, he felt pressured into buying an expensive policy. “The guy was making me feel hustled,” he says. “And I have a graduate degree in finance, […]
Video: Detroit Creator Awards help entrepreneurs follow their dreams

“To be a creator means to live out who I am, my potential,” says entrepreneur Jovan Landry. Landry’s a triple threat: a filmmaker, photographer, and emcee. Her dream is to create an all-woman hip-hop album. She’s not just talking the performers — every sound technician, graphic designer, and musician will be a woman. That groundbreaking […]
Three Creator Award winners who are changing the world

They come from different backgrounds—one was a teacher, one worked in theater, and another was passionate about renewable energy—but these creators ended up in similar places. All three wanted to do even more to make the world a little better. Another thing they have in common: all three were winners at the Creator Awards, a […]
In Toronto, cousins launch their food app at WeWork

Josh Walters was so excited about launching Feedback App that he almost didn’t graduate from Queens University. “It was tough to not leave before my last semester,” the 21-year-old entrepreneur admits, “but my family talked me out of it. So I started working full-time on the project immediately after final exams.” Walters is cofounder of […]
18 organizations win at Detroit Creator Awards

A total of 18 organizations—ranging from a group that sponsors theater productions in a women’s prison to a company that markets vintage athletic shoes—were among the winners at WeWork’s Creator Awards, held last week in Detroit. There were three categories of Creator Awards, including the Incubate Award for great ideas or specific projects that need […]
In Detroit, ‘not-just-for-profit’ companies win big at Creator Awards

Garret Koehler and his business partners were about two weeks away from having to come up with a $70,000 payment on the building housing their recording studio Assemble Sound. And they had no idea how they’d manage to find the money. It wasn’t just any building—it was a historic church dating from 1872 that anchors Detroit’s […]