When Francisco Aguilar, 37, saw the devastation of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, he was working on a college research project on emergency response missions. "It was a problem that needed to be solved," says the Costa Rican-born founder-CEO of Bounce Imaging. First responders can toss his bocce ball-size 360-degree cameras into dangerous spaces and know what’s happening inside while staying at a safe distance. The company serves over 300 police and fire departments plus the FBI and Department of Defense.
Small businesses account for 99.9% of all U.S. businesses and some two-thirds of net new American jobs. The vast majority of these enterprises are bootstrapped via savings and credit cards. While venture-backed startups generally skew white, male and coastal, these Main Street enterprises actually look like—and drive—America. To shine a light on this new class of entrepreneurial hero, Forbes has created the Next 1000. This year-round initiative showcases the ambitious sole proprietors, self-funded shops and pre-revenue startups in every region of the country—all with under $10 million in revenue or funding but infinite drive and hustle. Fueled by your nominations and screened by top business minds and entrepreneurial superstars, at the year’s end, we’ll culminate with 1,000 new faces. Let’s get started with the first installment of 250 standouts who embody the best of the American dream right now.
Read the full list of Next 1000 entrepreneurs to watch on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/next1000/
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