Who or what is your inspiration in business?

My inspiration is the kid who’s talented but overlooked, and the parent doing their best with limited time, money, and guidance. I’m inspired by the coaches who care deeply but are stretched thin. They remind me that access isn’t a “nice to have”—it changes lives. That’s why I’m building CastReady: a screen-light, safety-first path where progress is real, visible, and celebrated.

How do you stay motivated?

I stay motivated by the problem I know is real: talented young performers and families navigating an industry with high costs, unclear steps, and not enough support. I’m fueled by my own experience as an educator, parent, and performer—and by every conversation that confirms the need for structure, safety, and access. I set small weekly goals, collect feedback early, and keep building one proof point at a time.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I’d use the $25,000 to turn CastReady’s early momentum into measurable proof and a scalable launch: produce a small run of accessibility-first, screen-light kits; fund safety/privacy and legal essentials for youth-facing work; and run a focused pilot with a few coaches/studios to capture outcomes and testimonials. The goal is a repeatable system we can expand responsibly.