As a poor kid, Geraud Staton became an entrepreneur out of necessity, initially selling Blow Pops to the rich kids at school. He's hustled and he's seen how to grow a business, and he wanted to give back. So he started Helius (now Echo) because he wanted to level the playing field when it came to minority and women-owned businesses. According to Geraud, "There are too many knowledgeable business people in our community for anyone to not have the skills they need to survive as hard-working entrepreneurs."