Blogs

Growing up in India, Pallavi Pande ate her meals using banana leaves as plates. This sparked her passion for sustainability and being close to nature. Raising her family in Portland, Ore. inspired her to reconnect with her heritage and share this tradition with the western world.

Leslie Allison-Seei is the president of Robust Promotions LLC, an award-winning turnkey service provider offering prize consulting, legal documents and support, microsite infrastructure, graphic design and much more, in Villa Park, Ill. Together with her husband Greg, they’ve worked with restaurant chains and global brands such as Popeyes and Häagen Dazs, among others. 

Non-compete agreements are an obstacle to entrepreneurship, create a non-level playing field and stop employees from using their skills. They are not only a barrier to entry for entrepreneurs, but they also prevent small businesses from hiring the most diverse, qualified and skilled talent. In January, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a rule to ban non-compete agreements and sought input from the public.

Small Business Majority’s Outreach Team advocates for entrepreneurs on two fronts: It supports policies that benefit small businesses and it offers webinars and in-person events that help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. We have found this work to be even more important as small businesses experience rising inflation, supply chain disruptions and workforce challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Neha Mehta has an entrepreneurial spirit that is always leading her to try something new. She, along with her husband, are the co-founders of Seashore Solutions LLC. located in Austin, Texas. After decades of multi-industry experience, they decided to launch Seashore in 2017, a consulting and software firm that provides affordable, sustainable and cutting-edge solutions to a global client base. Products range from mobile application development to e-commerce websites to enterprise-level solutions such as third-party integration.

Savannah-based Charlotte Garnes worked for 11 years as a licensed mental health and substance abuse therapist. When she was only two credits away from receiving her Ph.D. in 2013, her life completely changed. She was sentenced to five years in prison as a result of unethical billing practices performed by employees under her supervision. 

For the last 25 years, Amber Bilby has been in the childcare industry in one way or another. Her passion for children and her entrepreneurial spirit eventually led her to launch Daycare Home Arvada in 2009, a licensed and home-based childcare center in Arvada, Colo. She opened her doors with the vision to give children in her care the best possible opportunities to thrive in their environment.

In 1975, Adolf Dulan opened his first restaurant in South Los Angeles and became the “King of Soul Food” in his community. 

45 years later, Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen stands as a well-loved community establishment. With Adolf’s children—Greg Dulan, Terry Dulan, and other siblings—at the helm, it has grown to more than 60 employees and multiple locations across LA. Their mission goes beyond serving first-rate soul food in generous portions—they strive to be a socially responsible, successfully operated business with hospitality that reminds one of being at Grandma's for Sunday dinner. 

After more than 45 years of business, Dante Hamilton, owner of Internet Webpages Newspaper Inc., has found himself in a resource renaissance thanks to the newly prevalent online tools that have been available since the beginning of the pandemic.