Connect Who or what is your inspiration in business?

My dad’s grit, relentless work ethic, and sacrifice have instilled in me the value of what it means to give your all - something he does every day for his family. My own inspiration comes from seeing potential where others don’t. To me, there’s no such thing as a bad idea, and like my father’s resilience, I am committed to building and investing in these ideas from the ground up to make a meaningful impact the world, embracing all of the challenges that come with it.

How do you stay motivated?

I am motivated by two things: expectations and my curiosity. When there is a standard, my goal is to exceed that standard because there has always been something in me that just refuses to settle for “it works,” but, more than that, I’m fueled by my curiosity, “How far can I go?” a question I always ask myself when I feel like quitting, then I never want to.

What would you do with the $25,000?

$25k would go directly into my current project, GALA hair. It’s a hair wellness brand focused on identifying hidden causes of hair/scalp issues through at-home testing. With that, 5k would go into the branding/website, 8k would go into product development/testing, 3k into marketing, and 2k into customer/market research, with remaining acting as working capital to strengthen the business and turn the idea into a *feasible* proof of concept, creating a successful, revenue generating brand.