Start Up

Daniel Rose wanted to help people, so he went to school to become a nurse. Watching the countless cases that he felt could have been avoided through a better diet he decided to change the course of his life and create a source of real food. So, Daniel left health care, found a plot of land in northeast Tulsa, Oklahoma and opened Grassroots Ranch.

Growing up in West Helena, Arkansas life wasn't always easy for 22 year old Eric Jones. Eric overcame countless obstacles, including the loss of both parents, but that didn't stop the ambitious 22 year old from creating LFLS Shoes, a company that sells high quality shoes at affordable prices designed in the US and manufactured in Brazil.

Eric and Jodie DeLeon ran a wedding space in downtown Kansas City, but felt that they could do even better in crafting a memorable experience that focused on customer service. They relocated to an old funeral chapel in a beautiful historic building, fixed it up, and began a new company that caters exclusively to the dreams and desires of brides and grooms.

Knife maker Tom Maringer used his metal working skills to start engraving coins, using hand-engraved steel dies and pressing coins one at a time. Thus, Shire Post Mint was born and Tom has been minting custom coins ever since. His work caught the eye of George R. R. Martin who commissioned some coins for a new book called A Song of Fire and Ice, which became the hit HBO series "Game of Thrones."

Afloat provides float therapy, infrared saunas, and sound therapy. Vicki Westergard decided to forego retirement for entrepreneurship when she left her corporate job at 56 years old. She had experienced float therapy, or "sensory deprivation" first hand and it changed her life, so she took out a loan and created afloat: Mind + Body Wellness to Omaha.

Unable to find a real New York style bagel in Kansas City, husband and wife Janna and Pete Linde would lug suitcases full bagels from the east coast back to Missouri for years. After working for corporations for most of their lives, they quit their jobs and decided to turn their love of bagels into a business. Today, Meshuggah Bagels has four locations and uses age-old Kosher methods.

Bill Copeland is a US Army veteran and a Master Chocolatier. He opened Glacier Confection in the Tulsa Arts District in 2006. He was inspired by Major Dan Rooney of "Folds of Honor" and decided to link his business with help for veterans, especially with those who have PTSD and were having difficulty integrating back into society. Now in his new location, he's teaching chocolate making 101.

While subscription box services have become massive new market, Bulu Box was the sixth company on the scene. They now focus on private label subscription boxes for companies of all sizes. Founders Paul and Stephanie Jarrett walk us through how they've lead the way and changed the game in this exciting new category.

Cole Johnson has a science degree in Health and Safety Management, a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, and has a certification as an EMT. After a layoff from his Health and Safety job, he called on his friends Jordan and Seth to start a small business. Without hesitation, they collectively abandoned traditional employment and went all-in on Periwinkle.

Omar Kasim created a fast-casual fusion taco restaurant in Fayetteville Arkansas, only to be pushed out of his own business by an investor. Picking himself up and starting again, Omar stayed positive and opened a cold-pressed juice bar named Juice Palm. Over time, the investor ran Con Quesos into the ground and Omar was able to buy back his first restaurant, bringing it back to the standards.

In the 1800's, J. Rieger and Co. was the largest mail-order whiskey maker in the U.S when prohibition forced them to permanently shut their doors. 90 years later, Kansas City bartender Ryan Maybee discovered a faint Rieger billboard on the site of his new establishment and made it his lives mission to resurrect the brand with the only remaining heir to the Rieger name.

Caleb Benson is a 10 year veteran of the USCG and now the co-owner/operator of Flip Side Ninja Park with his wife Emily. Both fitness fanatics, Caleb and Emily abandoned their careers to chase something they both truly loved, fitness and helping people stay active and improve their health. So they put their house up for collateral and started an indoor ninja training facility in Arkansas.

Max Younger watched his dad struggle with crutches for years, but when his father finally had a leg amputation, Max and his wife Lilliana sprang into action to design a new style of crutch that was easier, safer, more comfortable, and allowed people mobility without compromise. Starting the company Mobility Designed, Younger's drastically improved a design that hadn't changed since the Civil War.