Houston’s Most Inspiring Stories

Every neighborhood in Houston has its own vibe, style, culture and history, but what consistently amazes us is not what differentiates the various neighborhoods but rather what they all have in common.  From the Fourth Ward to Sugar Land (and everywhere in between) we’ve been blown away by how many creative and talented people call Houston home.  Check out some of the inspiring stories we’ve discovered throughout the city.

Loriza Rubio

Property management requires continuous marketing, strategic managing, coordinating repairs and preparing financial reports, on the hard days you play bad cop when it comes to discussing late payments, evictions, legalities, or other contract breaches, but on good days you pour love into your community and its people, and the gift of being part of their daily lives, and new journeys and memories are also just as fulling and why I am so passionate about what I do. Read More>>

Matt Mireles

Zegovia started this year with my brother and I and our friend/amazing bass player, Chandler Weber. We’ve released three singles and we have an album on the way, set to come out later this year! We’ve been working with Houston legend, John Allen Stephens. John has been bringing our songs to life in a way that we’ve always dreamed of. Zegovia’s sound is loud, raw, energetic, dynamic and complex. There’s lots of inspiration from alternative rock and hard rock. Read More>>

Gabriela Gutierrez

As a business that heavily focus on meeting with clients it was very hard. No one wanted to open talk in person and if it was through zoom most people didn’t think it was something real or didn’t want to move forward through with the process, so we were stuck for a while. Read More>>

Mauricio Morales

My name is Mauricio Morales, and I run a performance shop that specializes in Nissan/Infiniti sports cars such as the 300ZX, 350Z, 370Z, etc. I began this journey initially as a hobby back in 2015 with my own personal vehicle, a 1994 Nissan 300ZX naturally aspirated model. As time went on and I became more hands-on with my 300zx, in 2018 I had the opportunity to work at a shop that allowed me to hone my skills, which ultimately helped shape me into the person I am today. Read More>>

Ben Carter

After I separated from the U.S. Air Force after 9 years, I wanted to start my own business, so I opened an epoxy flooring business through franchising with a company called Veteran Service Brands, who franchises exclusively to veterans. It was always my dream to become a business owner and I finally made it happen. I’ve wandered through my whole life not knowing what I wanted to do, and I feel like I’ve finally found my passion in becoming a business owner. Read More>>

Mekhi Ates

So struggles only the way that I had to learn was how to say no. Also, I had to learn to not let people walk all over me and you use me for my service. Also, it was hard, not having that much support. Do you know your friends and family always say to support you but it’s not always physically or up front. Read More>>

Shaniaya Johnson

In 2022, I relocated to Las Vegas, and that’s when my passion truly began to take shape. Friends and even strangers would often stop me to ask who did my makeup, and their encouragement pushed me to take a leap of faith into the makeup industry. What started as a hobby quickly turned into a calling. Read More>>

Lisseth Larios

That experience showed me what was possible with the right mindset and resources. It inspired me to not only become a real estate investor but also a Realtor so I could teach others to do what I did. Alongside my husband, I’ve built a successful rental portfolio and dedicated my career to helping others achieve homeownership. Read More>>

Mayra Aldrete

I was still freelancing in make up and as I was doing that I kept getting asked if I knew how to do hair also but I didn’t. Therefore I left TSA and enrolled in Paul Mitchell the school Houston.I went there for a year and received my license. Now I can do both hair and make up for brides, quinceañeras and special events. This is my passion, this is where I belong. Making people feel beautiful inside and out is what I love to do. Although I still love the criminal justice field I knew that being in the hair industry the schedule would be more flexible for me and my kids. Read More>>

Nina & Rachel

We first met when we worked at Edible Arrangements together. I had just started and Nina had just come back from a break. I remember I was nervous bc I thought Nina was so cool with her died hair and tattoos. However, I used to be super shy and was scared to talk to people so I think I mainly kept to myself. Then there was this moment when Nina put on some music and she played The Used and it instantly was like ohhhh yes! This is my girl! Haha and it just went from there. Fast forward to today and here we are, 17 years later. Read More>>

Sakinah Omari

My junior year of high school, I completed a culinary arts program at a local community college. That’s when I realized, my dream wasn’t to be a chef working at a high-end restaurant but rather to have my own business and cook on my own terms. My junior year of college, I started my journey as a vegan. As I neared the end of my college career, I started to think about what I could do with my love for food, cooking, and veganism along with a degree in Business Management. Read More>>

Ashley Shields

I’ve always had a passion for fashion and individuality, which led me to start The Foxy Leopard Boutique. I wanted to create a space where bold, unique accessories could inspire people to express themselves confidently. Over time, that passion extended to wardrobe styling through Styled By Ley Nicole. Styling allowed me to help clients curate looks that feel authentically theirs. This year, I’m thrilled to expand my entrepreneurial journey by launching my online thrift store through Styled By Ley Nicole. It’s a dream come true to combine my love for thrifting and vintage finds with my vision of making sustainable, one-of-a-kind fashion accessible to everyone. Read More>>

Christopher Saltz

Living at home with my non-supportive parents at 21 was a nightmare; neither of them could understood my passion for music. They helped where they could, but after getting into some legal trouble, I decided Austin was a place for me to expand my portfolio and try a shot at some type of music career. I packed everything I could carry and hitchhiked down 290 until I was picked up by a truck, and taken to Austin where I would spend the next twelve years of my life cultivating a music scene. Read More>>

Zyania Benavides

Over time, I decided to build my personal brand and share what I had learned through courses, my podcast Notas de Vida, and various other projects. Today, I dedicate myself to guiding women towards their best version, helping them recognize their worth and reach their highest potential. Every step on this journey has been an opportunity for learning and transformation, and I’m truly grateful to be able to share my experience with so many people seeking to improve their lives. Read More>>

Vyvian Nguyen And Sonu Mathew

Neighbors, friends, and bakers for years, we have had two very different paths that led us to establish The Art of Flour Bakery. We would joke about how cool it would be to bake the world a better place and then one day, we decided to give it a shot. We discovered that for all our differences, we had this common thread of style, value, and most importantly, humor. Our baker jokes are almost as funny as our mom jokes. So we decided to take a WHISK and go for it! Read More>>

Ellen Leventhal

When people ask what my story is, I’m not sure how to answer it. I certainly don’t have a “Yay! I made it!” story. My “story” is more like an ongoing journey. Although I am not teaching now, I will always be a teacher first and writer second–or as a friend says, “A teacher who writes and a writer who teaches.” (Thank you, Pamela Courtney). Read More>>

Jaqueline Duque

Also working with kids makes it well worth it because no matter how your day is going before hand, while you’re there with this kids, the most important thing is satisfying them. Read More>>

Madelyn Silva

After graduating high school in 2021, I was inspired to start hosting events. My father owned a piece of property, and we often brainstormed ways to put it to good use. A close friend, who frequently attended local events, encouraged me to organize one myself. I’d also always loved attending events. Sharing my vision with my parents, we decided to have my first event on November 14, 2021, marking the beginning of my passion for event planning. Read More>>

Kristin Marie Bachmann

My life has been a winding road – from being a research analyst to a consultant to a lawyer, and now a sculptor and an artist. I could not have predicted where my life was going to go at 15 or 25 or 35. And now, at 45, I still can’t. The biggest challenge is trusting the process. Read More>>

Hanna Santanna

Originally I had a breakthrough on TikTok back in 2015, being one of the original content creators on the platform, while in High School. Originally the platform was called Musical.ly which first become popularized by a mass movement of people of all ages posting lip sync videos. I guess you can say TikTok turned me into a drag queen, but the drag didn’t come until much later. I eventually grew a YouTube following in 2016 as well and within my first year posting on social media I had accumulated at least 100,000 followers across all platforms. Read More>>

Juhina Farooki

I faced my childhood wounds and insecurities, I journaled, I found my spirituality, and found peace in prayer. A lot of people call this journey a spiritual awakening. I knew I wanted to start and health and wellness center with spa services. I just did not know how to start. My very close family friend, who is like a sister to me, Sumera started a holistic wellness center with Stacey, our business partner and now dear friend. When I went to visit back home and I saw Aura in Illinois I knew right away I was meant to open this in Texas and that is when my entrepreneurship journey with Sumera and Stacey started. Now we have Aura Holistic and Metaphysical Wellness Center in Spring TX. Read More>>

Benjamin Selle

Adopted at four months old by a missionary family in the Philippines, travel has been in my blood ever since with everything on both a personal and professional front. Traveling between the US and Asia frequently at a young age really opened my eyes to the diversity of our amazing planet while fueling my passions to experience as much I could. My fascination for people of all walks of life, different cultures, foreign lands and culinary delights are just some of the many things that I honestly can say has shaped me into who I am today. Read More>>

Maryjo Willsey

There was no guarantee the business would succeed, and the fear of the unknown kept me up many nights. However, deep down, I knew I needed to take that leap, trusting that if God was leading me, it would be meaningful. The ups and downs of being a small business owner have helped me develop character in more ways imaginable and I carry the lessons and memories from my clinical experience with me every step of the way. Read More>>

Dominique Pineda

A few months later, I visited Orange County to see my mom’s side of the family, who live there as well, and Timothy and I met in person for the first time. It felt so natural, like we’d known each other forever. A month later, he came to visit me in Texas and discovered that his dad’s side of the family lived just down the road from me. From there, everything fell into place. Our families got along wonderfully, and a few years later, after his dad passed away, Timothy moved to Houston to be closer to his dad’s side of the family. We’ve been living together since 2022. Read More>>

Author Mya

Being a creative is never a smooth road, in my opinion. Especially with two little ones. Life can get very hectic which can stifle creativity. I’ve learned to work through my chaos. When we were between homes and staying in a family member’s guest room, I made a little space to write my books. That book became one of my best selling novels to date. There was a time when my baby who was ten months at the time spilled milk on my laptop, my pen sisters got together to pay for a new laptop. I appreciate the community I’ve made in the industry. Read More>>

Niswiyya / ZAY

What has helped me is confidence, but that is not something I was born with. I think I began to gain confidence at age 21, when I decided I no longer want to wear a hijab, which was also a big step for me. One lesson I have learned that applies to every decision I make now is that no one has to live your life except for you. All of my wins are solely mine, and in the same sense, all of my losses are also mine. It takes so much confidence to do what I do, and I am grateful to have gained it in my 20s. Read More>>

Hannah Wilson

Now, I work with women who feel stretched thin by their responsibilities and stuck in their wellness journey. Through sustainable strategies, I help them rebalance their hormones, allowing their bodies to naturally release stubborn weight, boost energy, and thrive—all without adding more stress to their already full plates. Read More>>

Heba Toulan

I’ve encountered multiple rejections in auditions, mostly because I am Deaf. A lot of directors had a specific vision and I was an hindrance (I’ve been told this many times), and I push through. I’ve been told I’m inspiring when I’m just pushing through and refusing to accept a no. I take these rejections as detours, not a return trip. I hope that there are more projects that see people with disabilities as part of the society, not something that they push aside. Everybody has a disability, visible or not – and disability isn’t a trend, nor is it a taboo. Read More>>

Chris Gilbert

I am an individual who has had to overcome struggle and adversity in life to formulate a successful career and owning my own business. Growing up, I struggled. I barely made it through school. I had to repeat the seventh grade made trips in and out of juvenile detention and was labeled as at risk from the age of 12. With the help of many, I have been able to grow up and get two associates degrees a bachelors and a masters work for a very good Engineering and Construction Firm as well as own my own business. Read More>>

Kc Gifford Iv

Building houses for this long has taught me a lot about what works and what doesn’t, where to follow trends and when to stick with tradition. My company puts a premium on attention to detail because details are what make a house a home. Whether you’re building something from the ground up or remodeling something existing into something you’ve dreamed of, we want to make your home exactly what you envision. Read More>>

Kennedi Swanks

The idea for my business was on my mind for years, sparked by my experience bartending at events for friends and family. I’ve always loved creating specialty cocktails to elevate any gathering. My vision truly came into focus after participating in the Houston Margarita Festival the year before launching my business. That experience and background in restaurant management inspired me to expand my services by creating a commercial-grade margarita machine rental company that also offers professional bartending services. Read More>>

Dr. Melinda Luper

Dr. Luper’s journey into veterinary medicine began with her upbringing on a farm, where she developed a deep connection with animals. From a young age, she worked alongside her grandfather raising and training horses, while learning animal care from her father, who raised peafowl and other exotic birds. She also gained valuable experience rehabilitating injured wildlife, such as deer and skunks, with the goal of releasing them back into the wild. This early exposure to animals and her desire to help them solidified her decision to become a veterinarian. Read More>>

Kamisha Cooper

I entered the new year 2025 with my newest add on which is my very own hand made The Royalty All Purpose cleaner which will be sold in many stores, Amazon, TikTok and many other platforms so stay tuned.I will continue to build my brand anyway possible with GOD on my side my contacts are by phone (281)793-9615 email: Kamisha_Cooper@yahoo.com Google Page: High Maintenance Cleaning Services LLC or Digital Business Card. Thanks For This Blessed Opportunity Much Love and Blessings From Kamisha Cooper with High Maintenance Cleaning Services LLC. The Clean Up Woman  Read More>>

Mrugesha Gurjar

In 2017, I launched my first baking venture in India, creating desserts for major restaurants and learning how to balance creativity with professionalism. However, life’s journey brought me to the U.S., where I continued pursuing my dream. I gained invaluable experience working at Paris Baguette and Heavens Bistro before finally deciding it was time to pour my heart and soul into a venture of my own. Read More>>

Amanda Burk

I started my journey in animal shelters as a volunteer, helping dogs get adopted. During this time, I realized I had a natural talent for working with dogs, which inspired me to pursue it further. I found a mentor, started working professionally, and eventually launched Raise the Woof. Now, I’ve just finished my third year in business and my 8th year of training. Read More>>

Chandni Pal

My creative journey began in 2014-2015 when I started working as a Radio Jockey at one of the South Asian radio stations here in Houston. For about four years, I had the opportunity to connect with listeners, share my love for music, and entertain audiences. This experience not only helped me develop my communication skills but also gave me the confidence to emcee events and participate in the Mrs. Bollywood beauty pageant in 2017. Read More>>

Kayanna Hopson

I spent sleepless nights and days pouring so much into my business while working a full-time job and hoping to have my own salon one day working for myself as a full-time stylist and content creator. On this journey confidence, gratitude, consistency, resilience, faith are the key values that have allowed me to stay afloat and move further with my business and I know that with the hard work I have put in it will soon pay off and I will be super successful while carrying my mother’s legacy Read More>>–

Nicolas Tanaka

I took on the role of general contractor to take control of the build out, and designed the drinks. menu, and interior of the whole shop. My whole family has a pride for serving and bringing Japanese hospitality to Sugar Land became a real goal of ours. We take pride in how we present our coffee; the way it’s carried to you, the perfect temperature, texture, and sweetness. We make all of our syrups in house and present all of our drinks with purpose. We love to make everyone welcome and accepted and feel just at home. We are always eager to host anyone at our coffee ‘house’. Read More>>

Halston Luna

Because of the importance of learning to read music and play and listen to jazz and blues by my instructor at KD Music, I joined the jazz band at Morton ranch high school 2004-2008. I also played in my first musical production while in highschool, ‘suessicsl the musical’ in 2006. Mr. Dyess mentioned that musicals hire guitarists that can read and the gigs pay decent, so it would be a good idea to do any musicals I could at school. I also got to go to some Univeristy of North Texas jazz camps as well. Over all in middle school and high school I pretty much only thought about music. Read More>>

Aida Khanum

My families call me Dr. Khanum, Dr. Aida, or Dr. K. I am a Baylor trained board-certified multilingual Pediatrician in Houston/Bellaire, TX with more than 20 years of experience and a range of International and local experiences. I am a traveler, amateur dancer, movie buff, wife, daughter, and mother. It is amazing how motherhood changed so many things in my life. I have trained and worked in some great and well-known places but what I really want you to know about me is that I am a mother just like many of you. Read More>>

Seshni Naidoo

Hi, I’m Seshni Naidoo, the owner and founder of Fly On The Wall Photography HTX. My journey into photography began with a Canon camera in hand and a love for capturing action as a sports photographer for Centerline Pro Air Hockey. What started as a simple hobby soon blossomed into a passion for capturing life’s most meaningful moments. Over time, I transitioned from action shots to heartfelt portraits, proposals, engagements, weddings, and other vibrant celebrations like baby showers, dinner parties, and quinceañeras. I’ve always been drawn to stories, and I love documenting the joy and beauty that make each event unique. Read More>>

Chad The Choppa

I have a background in marketing and brand building so I was able to grow my clientele rather quickly. I recently opened my own private barber studio in Midtown Houston summer of 2024. My business has been growing rapidly. My goal is to open a barber school of my own that focuses on how to become a professional barber rather than a hair cutter. I want to give students the skills to structure their business properly, acquire grants, business credit and etc. Read More>>

Krystle Dance

I started as a self taught makeup artist. I’ve always had a passion for drawing & creating art that naturally turned into enhancing beauty. At the age of 23 I was diagnosed with cancer & I thought it was all over me. But God had something better in-store for me. Throughout my treatments I worked at MAC for several years. After being let go I then became a full time freelance makeup artist where I truly learned to manifest & grow my business. Read More>>

Patrick Bias Ii

Becoming a certified NBA agent is no easy feat. It requires an in-depth understanding of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which spans 676 pages and covers contracts, regulations, guarantees, and much more. If you don’t pass the exam, you must wait until the following year to retake it. Additionally, a bachelor’s degree and other important qualifications are required. I passed the exam on my first attempt. There are only 767 certified NBA agents worldwide. Read More>>

Diana Oquendo

It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road—like any entrepreneurial journey, it’s been filled with challenges. Starting “Mamás Emprendedoras en el Gabacho” meant juggling a lot: my responsibilities as a mom, running my business, and learning the technical and creative aspects of podcasting, which was completely new to me. Read More>>

Devante Jones

It all started in Louisiana. As a young child, I grew up in St. Maurice, Louisiana, and at the age of 12, I moved to Clarence, Louisiana. I would like to say that I have always been a small town boy with big dreams. I never knew what I wanted to do going through high school. All I knew at that time is that I was smart and I was loved by people that truly supported me. It felt like enough. I must add that I have always had a very ambitious mindset. By the time I turned 17 years of age, I was very nervous about what my future would look like as an adult.  Read More>>