A number of the entrepreneurs that I have worked with or written about started their businesses during a crisis, like I did. Their stories below show how a crisis can create clarity about what’s important to focus on as well as how they focused on opportunity while going through difficult times.

“Crisis is opportunity.” You’ve probably heard that catch phrase numerous times. The word crisis evokes for me an anxiety-producing event, such as a financial/job loss, a breakup, a health problem, or political instability. However, when I look up the word on Dictionary.com, it reads, “a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, especially for better or for worse, is determined; a turning point.”

Alex Oana and I first met at St. Olaf College, back when I was a music student (clarinet/saxophone) and Alex an aspiring sound engineer. Alex recently launched his company and eponymous product, Audio Test Kitchen. St. Olaf Alumni Magazine gave me the opportunity to...