The editorial team has a special attachment to our new series, The Trailblazers: Rewriting the Narrative, because so many of us feel that media portrayals of women have been too one dimensional. Today, women are doing incredible things in all fields – from science and technology to finance, law, business, athletics and more. With the Trailblazers series, we hope to highlight and celebrate female role models, encourage more equal and just representation in the media, and help foster a more tight-knit community locally helping women find mentors, business partners, friends and more.
Below, you’ll find some incredible trailblazers from in and around South Loop that we hope you will check out, follow and support.
Amerhyst Perrin
Listening and being confident in my voice and decisions as a parent has been a journey with rocky roads and tears, but the voyage is headed to triumph in the end. I want to live a life that when it is all said and done, I have finished the race and did all that I was called to do no matter the cost, no matter the fear, but to voyage in faith. That is my push and message to everyone! Read more>>
Avier Whitfield
I wanted to find the area in a fashion that was meant for my life. I prayed and prayed until my “Ah-ha” moment came. I had an addiction to trendy, fashionable sunglasses. I would even give and sell sunglasses off of my face to strangers. My family and mentor supported me 150%. My family had invested 100 bucks into my vision for a sunglass business. Read more>>
Christina Rodriguez
While working at the cosmetic counter for Estee Lauder and Ulta, she discovered that this was a career, not a “job” she wanted to pursue. At age 21, she attended Cosmix Makeup Artistry School. Continuing her own training by sought out leaders and industry pros. After working in the industry for several years while living in Houston, she did makeup and spray tan for hometown celebrity Erica Rose of VH1. Read more>>
Kristina Smith
A woman of polished beauty & image, from her head down to her polished toes. Hairstyles that I liked that matched my personality, having polished nails, makeup that enhanced my natural beauty. Well, over the course of the next two years, I began putting together my beauty & image but this time to reflect the new woman that I was becoming. I made wigs, learned how to create press on nails, and apply my makeup flawlessly. Read more>>
Kayla Wallace
I started experimenting with things like lemon poppyseed muffins and red velvet cupcakes. This was also around the time when I’d do lots of meatless meal preps for lunch to save money. Soon enough, lots of my meals were vegan too. I told myself I’d go cold turkey when I found a good chocolate chip cookie recipe. That happened a little too soon, so right now, I’m vegan at home and pescatarian when I’m out. Read more>>
Breia Amie
I hated college, I hated the thought of working for someone but I thought I wanted to be an anesthesiologist, but I only saw the money never had the passion to study or learn anything regarding that field. I couldn’t afford to get my hair done, so I was still wearing my sew in from that summer, I learned how to tighten/install my own sew-ins so I always looked nice (so I thought, fast forward. Read more>>
Courtney Lindsay and Kale Luhrman
They were both on separate career paths and their jobs and family takes them separate ways until they reconnected when Kale moved back to Houston and told Courtney she wanted to look into Teaching Pilates, these things she had been doing in Madison, WI to heal her injured knee after training for a marathon. Courtney, with a dance background, had been taking and teaching mat Pilates at this point for quite a while. Read more>>
Keyshana Mayo
After a year or two of attempting to get adjusted and failing over and over again, I was finally able to land a job that secured me and kept me off of my friends’ couches. After getting settled into my new job, I met a friend who later showed himself to be my best friend. So, we got married and had a child, haha. With that being said, I quit my job to become a stay at home wife/mom/entrepreneur. Read more>>
Jacqueline Sanchez
Jewelry has been one of those things I’ve loved since I was a kid, so my business just kind of happened organically. I opened up my Etsy shop right after I graduated high school with zero expectations. I hoped that at most I would get a sale here and there. As time went on, I began to take it more seriously and started to expand my knowledge about the jewelry industry. Read more>>
