Once upon a time, Sherri Franklin was a successful (but uninspired) hairstylist. To find purpose in life, she began volunteering at the SPCA…and an old dog named Heidi captured her heart. Today, Franklin runs Muttville, a $4 million social enterprise that specializes in rescuing senior dogs.
Colleen DeBaise
Colleen DeBaise is former small business editor of the Wall Street Journal. Her most recent book is “Start a Successful Business.” She has also written about the rewards and challenges of entrepreneurship for Inc., Entrepreneur and BusinessWeek, among others. She has been interviewed on MSNBC, Fox, CNBC, CBS and NPR. Colleen has a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. Contact her at [email protected].
Posts by Colleen DeBaise
An Immigrant Founder Uses Food to Lift Up Her Latino Community
Paty Funegra of La Cocina VA has raised $2 million to turn her community kitchen into an incubator, a café and a place of hope for struggling immigrants.
Meet the Plastics Engineer Who’s Raised $1 Million to Make Prosthetic Legs
Erin Keaney of Nonspec is on a mission to make prosthetics affordable around the world — and that means using medical-grade plastic.
This Texas Bakery Makes 26,000 Poundcakes a Year – and Survived a Vanilla Bust
Janie’s Cakes operates out of a small city in East Texas. But its production is impacted by severe weather around the world and other unexpected challenges.
She Designed Fierce Female Action Figures. And Surprise! Her Customers Are Men
Julie Kerwin launched I Am Elemental to combat all those hypersexualized girl superheroes. She didn’t anticipate her newfound fans.
Disrupting the Stereotype of ‘Scholarship Kids’
Cindy Laba and Marsha Feinberg of Beacon Academy want kids from low-income backgrounds to thrive at the best private high schools.
‘I Was Told I Was Too Old, Too Blonde, Too Female to Be a CEO’
Jules Pieri co-founded The Grommet, a marketplace for “maker” products — and overcame being turned down by 250 venture capitalists.
Fearless #Over50: These Bold Entrepreneurs Will Inspire You to Start Up, at Any Age
The Story Exchange releases its list of powerful 50+ women entrepreneurs who launched companies later in life.
‘The Everything Doughnut Changed Our Lives Overnight’
Leslie Polizzotto left lawyering and Los Angeles to start a New York City doughnut shop that’s winning rave reviews for its unusual treats.
‘My Brain Has Become Smarter, Faster and Retains More’
Near the shores of a Canadian lake, Leslie Bradford-Scott of Walton Wood Farm is growing a home-based multimillion-dollar business.
A Successful Entrepreneur Shares What It’s Really Like to Be an Immigrant
Claudia Mirza came to the U.S. to reunite with her father. While she’s found success, she says immigration is painful.
How a ‘Champion of Change’ Stays Inspired, Even on Soul-Crushing Days
Deborah Shore of Sasha Bruce Youthwork has worked with homeless young people for 45 years. The work is not easy.
Ep. 34: The Healing Power of Creativity
Childhood trauma is on the rise in today’s world of school shootings, natural disaster and terrorist attacks. Art With Heart helps kids cope, in a surprisingly simple way.
JJ Ramberg on the End of ‘Your Business’ and What’s Ahead
The former MSNBC TV host, who also runs socially conscious company Goodshop, talks about her career and what excites her.
How a Texas Abortion Provider Has Learned to Be Resilient in a Difficult Industry
Amy Hagstrom Miller of Whole Woman’s Health says monumental setbacks are just a cost of doing business.