Founders : Woman Owned

Jen Baird doesn't count on miracles to survive in the business world, but she doesn't turn them down either.

Questions with Jen Baird on finding a way to fund breakthrough technology

"As soon as they see it operating they see the value in it," says MJ Cartwright, CEO of Court Innovations. "They really get it and want to start using it."

Questions with Seeing is believing spurs growth for Court Innovations

"Make sure the production side of things is something you have a passion for," Ellis-Brown says. "It's not easy. It's one of the hardest things I have ever done."

Questions with Ellis Infinity Beverage Co figures out the recipe for finding the first home away from home

"We discovered what the customers wanted was different," says Rosemary Bayer, chief inspiration officer for ardentCause. "We had to change who we thought our customer was and adapt our products to it."

Questions with Flower child capitalists turn low profit company into gazelle startup, ardentCause

"I ran the business with my heart, but my costs continued to go up," Gutierrez says. "I closed my eyes and prayed for help. When I opened them up I saw things differently. I am an administrator who needs to run a business."

Questions with Building a community-based company, Hacienda Mexican Foods in southwest Detroit

Sassa Akervall built her mouthguard startup, Akervall Technologies, from scratch. But Saline-based company started to grow quickly when its CEO became less of a manager and more of a leader. That maturation is why Akervall Technologies is one of the Gazelle 100, a year-long exploration of the fastest-growing startups in Metro Detroit as part of SEMichiganStartup's Year of the Gazelle series.

Questions with Akervall Technologies hits its stride when the business moves beyond its CEO

Amy Swift launched Building Hugger a few years ago with an idea or two of what to do with it. Several ideas later the Detroiter is figuring out what her business is all about and where it's going.

Questions with Amy Swift on evolving a company's business plan and focus

Sarah Nicoli started her own day planner line, DotMine Day Planners, in the late 20th Century. She stopped production last year only to meet a vocal demand for the return of her day planners. She relaunched the firm over the last year.

Questions with Sarah Nicoli, relaunching a 20th Century business in the 21st Century

Lindsey Walenga is the co-founder of Siren PR, helping build a client list from nothing. Today she and her partner have the Royal Oak-based boutique public relations agency growing quickly thanks to new customers.

Questions with Lindsey Walenga on building a client list from scratch

Savorfull originally got its start selling healthy boxed meals and moved to providing healthy-eating consulting services. Stacy Goldberg, Savorfull's CEO, explains why that switch made sense.

Questions with Stacy Goldberg on evolving the best path forward for your business

Growing a company isn't just about adding more employees. Sometimes it's about adding more leadership. It's what Juliet Shrader discovered when she expanded iVantage Group's executive team and revenue growth followed.

Questions with Juliet Shrader, expanding leadership to grow a company

Joe Hessling is the founder & CEO of 365 Retail Markets, which means he has to balance a shareholder's need to create value and a executive's impulse to build a business.

Questions with Joe Hessling, balancing CEO and shareholder duties

Every day Sabra Scott-Moorman and Catherine Watson work to get business owners to tell their stories. It's the basis of what their business, Cosmo Branding and Marketing, is built on.

Questions with Sabra Scott-Moorman & Catherine Watson, telling entrepreneurs' stories

Sassa Akervall has built her business from the basement up. The CEO of Akervall Technologies recently took the startup from her house to its first office in Saline.

Questions with Sassa Akervall, taking biz from the basement to its 1st office

Helen Dennis already started, built and sold one successful business. Now she is doing it again with 300 Decisions, a relocation management firm based in Ann Arbor. Check out her reasons for encore entrepreneurship.

Questions with Helen Dennis on encore entrepreneurship and starting the same business a second time