Born for Business

Meet the Cast

• Qiana Allen

  Culture’s Closet

  Qiana is a fashionista with lupus who creates clothing for women with curves.

  In 2001, Qiana was experiencing excruciating pain in her leg that made moving impossible. After a series of tests, she was diagnosed with lupus — an autoimmune disease that causes painful inflammation. Despite her diagnosis, Qiana has pursued her dream of being her own boss.

  In 2014, Qiana opened up a plus-sized boutique called Culture’s Closet, which quickly became one of America’s top curvy clothing brands. That said, Qiana’s journey to success is far from over. While still experiencing lupus-related flare-ups, Qiana is working on expanding her brand. As she grows the brand, Qiana is learning how to practice self-care and how to lean on her friends and family for support.

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• Collette Divitto

  Collettey’s Cookies

  Collette Divitto is a baker with Down syndrome who owns a cookie brand on a mission to create change.

  After graduating from college, Collette struggled to land a job. Prospective employers kept telling her that she “wasn’t the right fit,” so Collette decided to hire herself and start her own cookie business, Collettey’s Cookies. To date, Collettey’s Cookies has sold more than 300,000 cookies and has earned praise from top news outlets, and she has plans to expand her franchise.

  Now that Collettey’s Cookies is a success, Collette has made it her mission to employ other people with disabilities. She hopes her story will encourage others to start doing the same.

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• Lexi Zanghi

  Always Reason

  Lexi is a millennial entrepreneur with anxiety who runs a fashion-forward brand.

  Lexi, the owner of the trendy womenswear boutique Always Reason is a young woman from Long Island. Lexi has had severe anxiety for several years — at times her anxiety has been so debilitating — leaving the house felt impossible. While Lexi’s anxiety caused her to drop out of college, she has found newfound joy, motivation, and inspiration as an entrepreneur.

  With the support of her family, Lexi launched Always Reason on Shopify. Always Reason is in its third year of business and is about to expand into a brick and mortar store. The new storefront is Lexi’s opportunity to take the company to the next level.

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• Chris Triebes

  The Congregation Presents

  Chris is a driven single dad with spinal muscular atrophy (type III) making waves in the music industry.

  Chris was born with spinal muscular atrophy (type III), a genetic disease that affects his motor neurons and makes movement difficult. At age 21, he broke his clavicle; this further impeded his ability to move, so he began using a wheelchair. Chris has been working hard to make his mark in the music industry.

  Chris is a true serial entrepreneur. He runs a concert production company called The Congregation Presents, and co-owns two venues in Chicago and Indianapolis. In addition to producing concerts, he also runs a ticket service and manages music festivals. The music industry isn’t always glitz and glamour, though; it takes grit to survive in this tumultuous industry, but Chris is always up for a challenge.

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