Southern Style

Today, Lauren James Enterprises, a Fayetteville, Arkansas–based apparel company that sells preppy dresses and T-shirts with a southern flavor, has more than 100 employees, three retail locations, and $13 million in revenue. In the beginning, it was just Lance and Lauren Stokes, their baby, and the business—and no time to sleep.

The Drive To Thrive

Armir Harris came to the U.S. as a political refugee, but under the wing of his uncle, who immigrated two years later, he acquired the tools to shape his own American dream. Harris is the founder of Shofur, an Atlanta-based platform that books buses for events and tracks their location in real time.

Building A Business On The Move

Cameron Cruse faced a problem common to those who marry into the military: Relocating often, it's hard to find a job, much less build a career. Cruse teamed with fellow military spouse Lisa Bradley to put people like themselves to work making high-end handbags. With R. Riveter, in Southern pines, North Carolina, they've built a network of spouses to make their products.

Making America Great

STARTING A successful business is tough. Even tougher: starting a successful business after emigrating to another country. All of these founders did just that, moving thousands of miles from home to where their talents and drive would be most appreciated. “The spirit of entrepreneurship in America is unparalleled,” says Vinita Negi, the New Delhi–born founder of Trigent Solutions (No. 369 on this year’s Inc. 500), a D.C. area–based business and IT consultancy. “There’s no comparison to what it’s like in India, or even other countries.” They still call it the American dream. These founders show us why.

Get Smart About Social Security

Maximize your retirement income with these tips.

How I Built— And Maintain— A Cult Brand (Even After Selling To Private Equity)

Greg Koch was a wannabe musician who ran a rehearsal studio in Los Angeles for renowned rock bands like Fear Factory, Fishbone, and the Melvins. Then he co-founded Stone Brewing, which quickly became enormously influential in the craft beer world, thanks to its strong brews and even stronger personality. Stone Brewing is a 12-time Inc. 5000 honoree. But forgive Koch for being more excited about a recent collaboration with Metallica.

How I Spotted— And Grabbed— The Huge Opportunity That Almost Everyone Else Missed

When Ethan Brown founded the plant-based protein company Beyond Meat in 2009, he knew he was on to something big, even if everyone around him thought he was crazy. Then Whole Foods and other grocery chains came calling. The massively successful IPO that Beyond Meat launched this May gave more proof that he just might have been right all along.

How I Joined An Industry Incumbent I'd Set Out To Defeat

After co-founding the wildly successful direct-to-consumer eyewear company Warby Parker, Jeff Raider co-founded DTC shaving brand Harry’s, which Edgewell Personal Care, the parent company of Schick, bought in May for $1.37 billion. In Raider’s view, the deal vaults him and co-founder Andy Katz-Mayfield closer to their goal of reinventing a huge category.

How Designer Couple Are Saving Health Ceramics!

Heath Ceramics was strong on cachet, but weak on its balance sheets. Then a designer couple came along to save it.

In Your Sandwich and Your Cone

Taylor Ham, a favorite lunch meet in the Garden State, has made the leap from sandwiches to ice cream

How I Launched My Company And Learned To Let Go

Thanks to her unruly curly hair, Alli Webb knows how a good blowout can completely change the way a woman feels about herself. In 2010, she persuaded her brother and her husband—both bald—to help her launch Drybar, which focuses exclusively on blowouts. Eight years later, Drybar has more than 100 locations and over $100 million in revenue.

How Losing My Mentor Inspired A Business

Selina Tobaccowala co-founded Evite when she was in college, and, after selling it to IAC, took on senior roles at Ticketmaster. But then she met her mentor in Dave Goldberg, the CEO of Survey- Monkey, and she became that firm’s president and CTO. His sudden death in May 2015 prompted her to get more active—and start a company to help others do the same.

How I Decided To Take On The U.S. Bail System

Many of the two million prisoners in the U.S. are nonviolent offenders awaiting trial. Oakland, California–based Promise has an audacious solution: Work with cities and counties to release them, and provide an app and support system to keep them current with court appointments and hearings. Promise is operating in Alameda County; co-founder and CEO Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins expects launches in several more counties this year.

How I Escaped The Islamist Regime In Iran ...And Started A Winery In America

Moe Momtazi’s Maysara Winery and his Momtazi Vineyard now sprawl across 532 acres of rolling Oregon hills. His pinot noirs get great reviews, and his grapes are coveted by the region’s top wine makers. It all started with some inspiration from his ancestors— and fleeing Islamist Iran.

Think You're Too Small For CRM? Think Again

Customer relationship management solutions are essential for—and accessible to—growth-oriented small and midsize businesses.

Fisker's Battery Breakthrough

Since Alessandro Volta created the first true battery in 1800, improvements have been relatively incremental. When it comes to phones and especially electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries have resisted a slew of efforts to increase their power and decrease the time it takes to charge them.

What's Next for the $400 Million For-Profit Built on Karmic Capital

When he founded Toms, Blake Mycoskie reinvented the idea of a company that does well while doing good. So what’s next for him? Doing that again.

Meet the Cycling Startup that's Reinventing Studio Fitness

Peloton did everything wrong - and still reinvented the studio fitness industry.

Culture, Tech, And Flexibility: Keys To Talent Acquisition

Hiring and keeping the best employees is a big challenge in the current labor market, but SMBs have advantages they can leverage.

How To Grow Wings

Congratulations—you have enough money to start investing in fellow startups. What to know to become a supportive— and successful—angel investor.

Get Off Of That Cloud

Storage vendors can box you in if you try to switch. How to avoid the data trap.

For Love Or Meat

The hippie endurance athletes behind Epic Provisions sold their natural food company to General Mills for a reported $100 million. It began as an unexpected love affair. Then, it got complicated.

Gaining Altitude

Meet Wheels Up, one of Inc.s Private Titansthe nations most dynamic non-public businesses. No, its notUberfor jets. But the rapidly growing company is lowering the price of entry into the world of private aviation.

Man Of Steel

No.324Viv Helwig VESTED METALS INTERNATIONALThree-year growth 1,423.7% | 2018 revenue $2.6M St. Augustine, Florida | Founded in 2014

Josh Levin Powered His Way Through The Darkness

No.210Josh LevinEMPOWERED ELECTRICThree-year growth 1,944% | 2018 revenue $3.6M North Kansas City, Missouri | Founded in 2015

How A Job Layoff Kickstarted A Company

No.56Russ LaytonSPARX HOCKEYThree-year growth 4,916.2% | 2018 revenue $8M Acton, Massachusetts | Founded in 2014

How The 9/11 Tragedy Pushed Her To Build Anew

No.374Keri MungoSABGThree-year growth 1,228.9% | 2018 revenue $21 .7M Arlington, Virginia | Founded in 2005

“A Very Unfortunate Growth Industry”

No.392Keith Walawender and Mike BillerTOMAHAWK STRATEGIC SOLUTIONSThree-year growth 1,168.3% 2018 revenue $2.8MNashville | Founded in 2014

How Did The Top-Ranked Company On This Year's Inc. 500 Make It There?

No.1Chris Stark and David FreedmanFREESTAR

Setting The Table

No.305Krystle MobayeniBENTOBOXThree-year growth 1,480.3% | 2018 revenue $4.4M New York City | Founded in 2013