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.

Brenae Bradley

Creating a brand new business from the ground up while also going through so much personally — navigating an unexpected divorce, losing friends, starting over — has been one of the hardest but most empowering, and most beautiful paths I’ve ever walked. Early on in my entrepreneurship journey, I made a promise to myself: no matter how much I had to learn, there was nothing I couldn’t figure out. Unsure? Ask someone. Don’t know how to do something? Research. Problem solve. Research more. Just don’t give up. That mindset has truly carried me through these past three years as I’ve built a thriving, successful interior design business! Read More>>

Hamzah Ghia

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where my journey began with a profound passion for learning and serving the community. At the age of 7, I embarked on the remarkable journey of memorizing the Holy Quran, completing this achievement by the age of 9. While I enjoyed my love for sports and video games as a child, my mother encouraged me to seek balance by spending time at our local mosque, where I discovered my calling in teaching. Read More>>

Ursula Wright

The majority of parties today are based around a specific theme and so I specialize in printing out, personalized decals or stickers and putting them on the ball pit and blocks to match party themes . I am based in Baytown, Texas, but my customers are all over the greater Houston area so I’ve done parties in Houston, Spring, Baytown, League city and so on. Soft Play is a great way to ensure that babies and toddlers enjoy their birthday parties in a safe way and it takes stress off of the moms who usually are the ones planning the parties. Read More>>

Rachel Sekler

We believe that everyone should have access to a private space where they are free to be their most authentic selves. That is why we developed our signature and floorless Kubebooth Collection – a set of prefabricated modular soundproof booths and office pods designed for optimal acoustic performance. Our booths provide a quick, simple and affordable solution to the lack of privacy common in workplaces. Read More>>

Iman Fela

The bands that we loved in the old scene either disbanded or went commercial, and the fans craved a new, more supportive scene. Now, we’ve been together for a little over a year, and I’d like to say that we’re partially responsible for bringing together this new era of music in Houston. We are really feeling the love recently from our friends and fans in the rock scene and are absolutely digging the camaraderie between the bands. So, if you love good music and good vibes, we have a ton of new material and projects coming soon, so we hope you’ll follow us on our journey! Read More>>

Samantha Aquiningoc

In 2020, I got my brows done by a local PMU artist where I lived and haven’t regretted it. This sparked my interest in PMU that I later ignited this past year after welcoming my daughter. I’ve been a stay-at-home-mom for 3 years, my first year being the most difficult. You get lost in motherhood, losing any sense of yourself, and your identity. When we moved to Houston last year, I decided it was time for me to become a person outside of motherhood again, and have something for myself and my husband agreed. I wanted to be someone who helped others while doing something I loved in any possible way. Read More>>

Tiara Traamble

In the midst of the 2020 pandemic Tiara was faced with a difficult decision; to plan and decorate her own baby shower or not have one at all. So of course she went to work! After a successful event friends, and family began to not only request her services but also refer their friends. She soon found passion in event planning especially weddings and realized she was not only good but a natural. Read More>>

Jazmine Reyes

Work-life balance (or lack thereof). Coming from a schedule of three 12-hour shifts where I could clock out and be done, I was not prepared for the nonstop nature of entrepreneurship. There were weeks where all I did was work, with zero social life. I quickly realized that if I wanted to show up as my best self in my business, I needed to prioritize self-care and quality time with loved ones. Read More>>

Florcy Morisset

Over the years, Vivant Art Collection evolved beyond a gallery. It became a curatorial hub, a bridge between art and tech, and a catalyst for cultural conversations in spaces that had historically excluded us. My work expanded into tech, blockchain, and digital art, ensuring that Haitian and Black artists weren’t just seen but had a stake in the future of the creative economy. Read More>>

Hydee Kagan

My story truly begins in my childhood home, witnessing both of my parents’ creativity and willingness to learn new skills. They were always patient and willing to teach me their crafts when I expressed interest. As a result, I have always enjoyed being creative and learning new skills. However, until I started my balloon decor business, Punky Lou Designs, my creativity was always just a hobby. Read More>>

Fryda Gonzalez

During that time, I started working as a front desk receptionist at a high-end hair salon. To be honest, I never thought I’d be in that world. But something about it was really alluring to me because theres so much variety and you never truly stop learning. I started watching the stylists work and how they transformed their clients. But what I was drawn to the most was seeing the genuine connections you can build with people of all walks of life. Read More>>

Myron Fountaine

After his release, Myron’s mission began in his own community, working tirelessly to intervene with at-risk youth. He knew from experience that change starts at the root, and his vision grew into what is now a nationwide initiative. Today, The Prison Dr is the only organization in the nation that goes directly into the homes of at-risk youth, addressing their challenges head-on. Read More>>

Brad Murrill

He called one of his branch offices and told them that he had someone new to interview for a job as a financial consultant. I was beyond shocked. I knew absolutely nothing about financial matters let alone the capital markets. I interviewed and tested and wound up getting a job at what was then called Smith Barney Shearson in 1994 as a FC. I stayed there for 11 years learning all I could about the capital markets and how they ran. I was recruited from there to Wells Fargo where I was to stay for another four years. It was while I was working for Wells that I came up with the idea of creating a family office type firm that would go onto to become Redfish Capital in 2010. Read More>>

Karisa Holland

But, one little boy lived rent free in my head that whole weekend. I had heard his heartbreaking story & it weighed heavily on my heart. I prayed and told God if He wanted me to go back, I’d go back….just so long as He knew that I really didn’t want to. Well, Monday morning the principal called and asked if I’d long term sub the rest of the year as one of the aides. So, of course I said yes. I ended up being an aide for 1 year while working on getting my alternative certification. I taught that unit for 3 years, then taught in Conroe ISD for another 3 years in the 7th grade language arts resource class. I absolutely loved working with the kids and helping them reach their potential. Read More>>

Katrina Nolan

In 2024, I took a leap of faith to start A Curators Cause, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering child-focused organizations through volunteer support, curated events, and accessible resources. I wanted to create a platform that connects passionate individuals with nonprofits to create lasting change for children and families, including those with learning challenges such as dyslexia. Read More>>

Taquyyah Bond

My name is Taquyyah Bond, though most people know me as Quylee— a name I prefer. Originally from Chester, Pennsylvania, a small city just outside of Philadelphia, I’ve always had a passion for both the beauty industry and mental health care. After graduating from Chester High School in 2014, I initially pursued a degree in Psychology and Behavioral Science at West Chester University, with plans to enter the mental health field. While I was deeply interested in becoming a therapist, I realized my true passion lay in beauty, and I wanted to find a way to combine the two. Read More>>

Paul Cannon

When I first applied at the firm, the ad said nothing about the firm being a Christian law firm. The truth is that I had gotten away from the church at age 14 and probably would not have applied had I known. Immediately after I was made an associate, the senior partner, Robert Simmons, went to work on me. From day one he pushed me to get involved with a local church. When he first asked me about my beliefs—which he was not afraid to do—I told him I was a believer but didn’t believe in corporate worship. Read More>>

Tiauna Patterson

I have been on my self love journey, and one night I had a dream, and God told me that I was going to start a lemonade business. He gave me the name and told me to be quiet. I was quiet, I didn’t tell anybody, not even my best friends, my mama and granny. I worked on my paperwork, got everything I needed and then I started working on my recipe. There’s not a lot to make lemonade, but I know I needed something that makes me stand out. After doing everything, and when it was time, I finally launched Main Squeeze and I love everything about it. My goal is to give back to communities, show kids how to start a business, save their money, and spread love to others. Read More>>

Robin J. Anderson

I was born and raised in Houston. Grew up with 2 siblings in a single parent household. My mother was a teacher for 35 years in A.I.S.D before passing in 2012 from breast cancer. I graduated from Aldine High School in 1994 and I am an alumni of Prairie View A&M University. While attending Prairie View I majored in Political Science and minor in Psychology. After college I started a family. January 2008 my business partner and I started a company called Square Biz Greek Shop #1 store in Houston . Being a business owner allowed me to be more engaged in my community.  Read More>>

Naudia Jackson

In 2020, I began selling 25mm lashes because that’s all I would wear in high school and years after. I always had a passion for lashes and knew I could go bigger and expand my ideas. It wasn’t until June 2020 that I took a leap of faith and took a classic lash course. I spent months practicing and taking models but realized I didn’t learn how to make fans , so I did the work, looked on YouTube and started practicing fanning/lash mappings. Eventually I taught myself everything else I needed to know about lashes and I started to get booked consistently. Read More>>

Claudia Fernandez Carquez

Being a professional in the beauty industry is truly wonderful when you do it with the intention of making a positive impact. Feeling good and looking good are essential parts of life, and helping others love themselves is what brings me the greatest satisfaction. Read More>>

Shi’ana Roberts

Hi my name is Shi’Ana (shy-nana) and I am from Alexandria,Louisiana but I currently reside in Houston,Texas. My story is very different from most. I started being into fashion at a very young age. I got so tired of being in the stores with my mom and grandma shopping that I would go hide under the clothing racks. This one specific store by the name of Cato’s they would always have these mini fashion catalog books of their new releases that were in store. So I would grab those to play with and to look into while I was hiding under the racks. Read More>>

Blaire Crowl

Hi! I’m Blaire and I’m the voice behind this gluten-free journey. I have always loved dining at restaurants, trying new food, cooking, and the whole experience. I noticed I wasn’t always feeling the best after eating certain foods so I decided to take a food sensitivity test. The results indicated a sensitivity to wheat. Thus began my story and experimentation of foods without gluten! At first, I was frustrated. The idea of giving up all my favorite foods and eating out at restaurants seemed impossible. But instead of letting that hold me back, I decided to take control and find ways to still enjoy life’s little pleasures—without gluten. Read More>>

Loyce Brown

Teaching had been my passion, but the years after the pandemic changed everything. The constant pressures and interventions left me feeling anxious and disconnected. I knew I needed something to help me reclaim my peace, so I turned to slow care—simple, intentional self-care practices that helped me reconnect with myself. Almost 30 years ago, my daughter was born with eczema, and I started experimenting with natural, organic ingredients to create skincare products that would be gentle and effective for her sensitive skin. It was a labor of love, born from my desire to give her comfort and confidence. Read More>>

Donald Catchings

Not only did the beef ribs find favorable, wide-eyed bites of delight, followed by the smack of satisfied lips, but there were numerous inquiries concerning how the ribs were made. After the meal and day were over, what began to make its way to my ears was an adamant, rhetorical question, “You’re making those for Christmas, right?” Though I was unsatisfied that I was left little in the way of leftovers, I was happy about the thought that I must have something special hidden in my original rub. Read More>>

Angela Rodriguez

In July of 2023 my husband and I rescued a dog from a very bad situation. “Vincent” the Catahoula became the newest member of our family. We were so excited to have a new pup in our home and we wanted to give him the best food and treats available. We started with a variety of store-bought food and treats, unfortunately Vinny had negative reactions to many of dog treat products. This triggered me to research dog’s digestive system and the benefits of different ingredients to incorporate into their diet. Read More>>

Allie Adamson

Hi! My name is Allie Adamson and I am a dual American and Australian citizen with over a decade of experience in the healthcare business sector. We relocated from Perth, Western Australia to Houston in August of 2024. However, I feel like an adopted Houstonian already as many of my expat friends in Perth hail from Houston. This has certainly made transitioning to a new city easier with many cross-continental friends established here! Read More>>

Demi Ali

I moved to Houston about four years ago from Nashville, TN, but I’m originally from Kentucky. Real estate and helping people has always been a passion of mine, even from a young age. I remember loving to decorate and just being fascinated by beautiful homes. It was like a natural pull for me, and I always felt deep down that it was a big part of my purpose. I’ve always been self-motivated and driven, and I’ve always known I wanted more. That inner drive pushed me to keep going after my goals, even when the path wasn’t clear. Read More>>

Miraily Reyes

The early days weren’t easy. I vividly remember working three jobs just to keep things afloat while pouring my heart into building Clover. There were long nights and moments of doubt, but my passion for helping people kept me going. Seeing someone finally able to buy a home for their family or experiencing the peace of mind that comes with good credit makes it all worthwhile. Read More>>

Elyssa Martinez

Whether it was makeup, hair, dressing up or trying new styles. Being girly has always been my thing. I specialize in color corrections, hair extensions and balayages (the most known technique in the hair industry). I am an independent hairstylist that has always worked alone since day one. Being the top boss is always on my mind. Also by the grace of God, I push myself everyday to remain strong, positive, ambitious and to keep pushing. Now, I am pushing myself even further to start fresh in a new city. I’m so excited to see where my new journey takes me! Read More>>

Jennifer Holsomback

Eventually I shadowed a wedding photographer in the Houston area and I was hooked! I wanted to do weddings. I had a teammate from college that had been doing wedding photography for a couple years so I asked if I could shadow her and I shadowed for about a year! The rest is history. I started by taking smaller weddings until I slowly started taking bigger weddings. We lived in SETX and eventually moved to Baytown to be closer to Houston because most of my weddings that I was getting hired for were in the Houston area! I have loved every minute of my job. Read More>>

Alexandra Makeeva

The Covid-19 crisis was a turning point for me. It gave me the time and clarity to realize that photography wasn’t just a passion—it was something I wanted to pursue professionally. That period encouraged me to take the leap and start my business on a professional level. Read More>>

Zharia Montgomery Venters

The biggest thing I struggled with however was burnout and losing motivation. Sometimes you just get in a rut where you feel you need a break, you wanna stay in, or you want to put off a project. But on the flip side of that you know you’d feel like you didn’t amount to anything if you did that. In the beginning it was a constant battle of such, but eventually I had to learn how to balance both out and find a happy medium. Now, whenever I feel a burst of creative energy, I capitalize off of that. Meaning I do as much as I can while I have the energy, whether that’s setting up meetings with models, site visits, finishing graphic design projects, or organizing my photography concepts on Notion. I do it all while I can, that way by the time I’m starting to settle down I’ve finished a week to two weeks worth of work. Read More>>

Terrisha(tee Styles) Lewis

Im a passionate Cosmetologist turned Loctician , educator, and Mompreneur with a mission to redefine the beauty industry by empowering others to Embrace celebrating natural hair. Over the years, I’ve built a career helping my tribe feel confident and educated about their loc journey. My journey began about 16 yrs ago when I discovered my love for hair. Growing up, I use to look at styles in magazines and try them on my mom. Read More>>

Daira Padilla

It has definitely not been a smooth road, for example starting when Covid was around was definitely hard because a lot of people were not interested in photo shoots and we had to reschedule a lot because of either my clients being sick or me being sick. Being a mom and a business owner is also not easy , I became a mom of 2 in the time I was getting my business up and running so being pregnant and working photo shoots was a bit hard but I loved doing it! Read More>>

Jayden Asamoah

I’m a photographer who specializes in capturing moments that tell stories, whether through portraits, landscapes, or events. I’m known for my ability to bring out genuine emotions and unique perspectives in my work, often finding beauty in unexpected places. Read More>>

Huseyin Karahan

I decided to upgrade my old camera, I bought a very good second-hand camera on credit, the lenses I had were of good quality and I could use my new camera with an adapter. I started to go out and make friends by taking photos of people on the streets at events, giving them my card, and sharing the photos I took in photography groups. With all the money I earned, I bought a new lens and a new gear and improved my equipment. I started. Just when I thought I was ready, some of my equipment was stolen from my car. Even though I got most of the debt back, I am still trying to pay off these debts. Read More>>

Irina Liebmann

When my family moved to Texas from Illinois, I was a stay at home mom and attended More Than Moms meetings at a local church. I was very impressed that many moms in that group were business owners including photographers. Since I liked taking pictures, I asked one of them if I could come to her house to see what equipment she used in order to work as a photographer. After showing me her home studio, she recommended that I joined some photography Facebook groups. Joining several of those group opened the door into the world of creativity. I became friends with numerous talented photographers around the world who inspired and challenged me to continue learning and experimenting as a photographer. I am so happy photography became a major part of my life. Read More>>

Ian Findley

We ended up homeless, then came foster care. Through all this I drew. In my early twenties I discovered photography along with alcohol and then it was a race against time for the next 15 years to see which one would win. Eventually through all the hardships I got sober and returned to making art, bought a camera, a bunch of equipment that was well outside of my humble budget, and started marketing myself. Started landing weddings and personal shoots and that coupled with my 9-5 job have enabled me to invest even further into my art. Read More>>

Ting Wang

From the beginning, I had to stare financial restraints straight in the eye and I needed to raise capital. With the capital I raised, I had to budget wisely and plan things strategically to turn my vision into reality. After finding the location for Pepper Salt, the work began. Immediately, I ran into unreliable contractors who made things more complicated and that delayed the opening of the restaurant. Read More>>

Susan Knapp

Olive Mixology was founded by USAF veteran, Susan Knapp in 2024. My passion for cooking and creating unique and interesting cocktails began at the age of 25 and has blossomed into a passionate career. I started as a private bartender for friends and family and one day my best friend, Savara said, “You really need to start your own company!” And a few years later, it’s grown into what is now Olive Mixology LLC. Read More>>