Meet the trailblazing entrepreneurs celebrating 20 years on Yelp
Yelp turns 20 in October 2024!
Visit Yelp’s 20th anniversary hub for businesses to unlock more resources and milestones of the past two decades.
When Yelp appeared online in October 2004, business owners had never seen anything like it—but this trailblazing group of entrepreneurs took the chance and added their businesses anyway. “I thought, ‘Okay, we’ll give it a shot,’” said Paul, owner of the San Francisco piercing studio Body Manipulations. “’Then the reviews started coming in.”
20 years later, more than 80 million businesses have launched on the platform,* and those early adopters have grown and evolved along with it. Find inspiration in their stories: an esthetician who now owns the clinic where she got her start; the granddaughter of an origami legend who helped her family’s shop survive COVID-19; a stylist who opened her neighborhood’s first curly salon. Read more about them below, then check out a collection of tried-and-true advice from these seasoned entrepreneurs.
ANDREA GHIGLIAZZA
Owner of Dermaplus Skin + Body
Andrea Ghigliazza worked at Dermaplus as an esthetician for six years before buying the business from her mentor. Under Andrea’s leadership, the 23-year-old business has expanded from a small boutique spa in San Francisco to an ecommerce business with its own skincare line.
JENNY LIGHTSTONE
Owner and co-founder of Psoas Massage
Massage therapist Jenny Lightstone founded Psoas in 2003 with a focus on sports massage and clinical bodywork and a mission to provide massage as a form of treatment. In an industry known for burnout, Jenny sets her San Francisco clinic apart by investing in her therapists’ training and wellbeing, which then transfers to her clients.
LINDA MIHARA
Owner of Paper Tree
Founded in 1968, this beloved origami retail store in San Francisco’s Japantown neighborhood helped spark the origami craze in the United States. Linda Mihara, whose grandfather founded Paper Tree and published some of the first-ever origami books in English, added her family’s store to Yelp in 2004 and continues to share the art of origami as its third-generation owner.
MARIE CESAR
Owner and founder of MaduSalon
Marie Cesar founded her San Francisco salon catering to people with curly and natural hair in 2002, after discovering a lack of options for Black women in the area. Early on, she committed to training her team in curly hair techniques they didn’t learn in cosmetology school, and said she first got on Yelp to share the story behind her business name (Madu means “my love” in her native Creole).
MARISA HIRD
Director of culture at Naperville Running Company
This retail store dedicated to all things running in Naperville, Illinois, was one of the first of its kind when Kris Hartner opened the doors in 2000—and a few years later, became one of the first Midwest businesses on Yelp. Marisa Hird, the store’s director of culture and HR, ensures quality service for athletes, runners, and customers of all kinds.
MICHAEL WOMBACHER
Owner and head dog trainer at Dog Gone Good
Michael Wombacher added his business to Yelp at the urging of a client: Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppleman. With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, Michael is not only a trusted dog trainer, but also owns a dog lodging business and mentors the next generation of trainers.
PAUL STOLL
Owner of Body Manipulations
Founded in 1989, this locally owned piercing studio is a mainstay of San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood. After longtime employee and piercer Paul Stoll took over ownership in 2002, he grew the business to include both piercers and tattoo artists, established a 5-star presence on Yelp, and opened a newly renovated studio.
ROBERT PERRY
Owner and co-founder of Tattooed Mom
A beloved, LGBTQ-owned bar and restaurant, Tattooed Mom has been providing creative vegan food and an inclusive event space to the Philadelphia community for nearly 30 years. Founder Robert Perry became an early adopter of Yelp in 2004 and uses the business’s online presence as a form of advocacy and activism.
Read our exclusive interview with Robert
STEVE LITE
Owner of Steve’s Auto Care
Mechanic Steve Lite built his career—and perfect 5-star rating—on a commitment to honesty and integrity. After working in dealerships for 20 years, Steve opened his own shop specializing in Japanese vehicles in Novato, California, and became an early adopter of Yelp, which he said largely contributed to his success over the years.
Read our exclusive interview with Steve
Photos from select businesses