Who or what is your inspiration in business?

Arlan Hamilton - because she's proven that you can do good by doing well. Her story of going from living in her car to inking deals with Mark Cuban is proof that hard work pays off regardless of your circumstances. Her give back through her community for small businesses is amazing, uplifting and one of the most motivating communities that I have experienced.

How do you stay motivated?

Every time I write a small business success story - whether it be capital access or keeping their doors open - I am reminded how important small businesses are to our communities. Hearing their start up stories and their whys keeps me coming back every day. But even more than that, my daughter is my accountability partner. In her eyes, I can do everything and when I launched my business, she proudly told everyone she knows and she expects me to be great - and to that I must live up to.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would be able to have a greater impact and grow my reach to small black businesses to support them in amplifying the brand recognition through experiential branding experiences and to create a brand marketplace where small businesses will have the opportunity to have micro brick and mortar spaces where they will also be able to receive business, access to capital and branding services. Additionally, these dollars will support our youth entrepreneurship and abroad learning program for teens.