Indie Innovators

Good, Better, Best

Jul. 20, 2018

As a child, Rachel Krupa loved going to convenience stores for candy and popsicles. As she grew up and her tastes evolved along healthier lines, she could never find the products that met her needs. R...

Indie Innovators

Millennial Mecca

Jul. 20, 2018

Paul Allen, founder and general manager of the Farm 2 Counter convenience store in Springfield, Mo., is not a typical c-store operator. He’s not really a c-store operator at all. He’s a ya...

Indie Innovators

The Disruptor

Jul. 20, 2018

Rafael Ilishayev and Yakir Gola were mere college students at Drexel University in Philadelphia when they noticed the flaws in everyday c-stores.“[The stores] left a lot to be desired,” Il...

Indie Innovators

Next-Generation Retailer

Jul. 20, 2018

Each generation attempts to improve upon the accomplishments of those that preceded it. For Kelli Jackson, this meant taking the corner store that her father ran for 25 years and evolving it to meet t...

Indie Innovators

Modern-Day Hangout

Jul. 20, 2018

While studying business at the University of Chicago, Mike LaVitola noticed a surge in ondemand delivery services for restaurants, but none for the products he needed daily. So he put his investment b...

Indie Innovators

Underground Media Retailer

Jul. 20, 2018

New Stand was born during David Carson’s morning commute on the New York City subway. He was working for a digital media company and wanted a change; simultaneously, he noticed the shops beside ...

Indie Innovators

Local Hero

Jul. 20, 2018

Moroccan-spiced goat burgers with a roasted tomato and olive tapenade is not something you’d see at the typical country gas station, but then Saxapahaw General Store never claimed to be one.&ldq...

Indie Innovators