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.

Charlie Bingham

I have loved it. Talking to other agents, they tell you they are always learning. You have to be open minded and not be afraid to tell a client (if something is new or you have not faced the same challenges for a while) – that you will get counsel before advising them the right course of action. Classes teach you the basics of RE but nothing beats working in the field. Each situation is different and all deals have their own nuances. You have to be nimble. I always build close relationships with colleagues, so I can ask the prevalent questions and expand my knowledge, while offering the best counsel and advise to my clients. Read More>>

Evan Dai

One can say for the most part, it has been really smooth. Like any business, it comes with struggles in the beginning but like they say, all good things take time. Being a new business in the Houston Heights area and trying to get our name out there, as well as adapting to the neighborhood took some time, but after a while it all fell into place. At first, we started with familiarizing ourselves with the surrounding neighborhoods and local businesses, then we started collaborating with communities and companies. After we began collaborating, we started to partake and be a part of more events in our area. We often try to host electronic recycling events, volunteer with organizations and assist companies dispose of their e-waste in a safe and efficient way. Read More>>

Cecile Reynolds

We have learned to be laser-focused on the type of products, brands, and styles our customers are looking for and actively find ways to make consigning with us easy, including a new service we added called FabDash, where ladies who want to consign their great items reach out for a local pickup in the greater Houston area, making it convenient and hassle-free in times where everyone is so busy. Read More>>

Diego Aguirre

Additionally, navigating the complexities of authentication and pricing was something I had to master early on. The last thing any dealer wants is to unknowingly deal with a counterfeit or receive a timepiece that isn’t in the condition it was described. That’s why I’ve put strict sourcing and verification processes in place to ensure every watch is 100% authentic and fairly valued. I’ve partnered with local dealers who help guide me in any authentication questions I have, to ensure my clients receive the best experience with Texas Precision Timepieces. Read More>>

Brandy Obvintseva

I have also served on the development committee of the UN’s International Year of Planet Earth and as the Energy Chair for the American Marketing Association, Houston Chapter. I’m a founding board member and Communications Director for TexSpace (texspace.org), a non-profit strategic communications organization that aligns civil, commercial, and military space for the benefit of Texas. In 2014, I started Gallant Culture, a Houston-based Based Strategic Communications Firm that supports clients in complementary B2B Industrial markets, including Chemicals and Synthetic Biology, Space, Oil&Gas and Geothermal. Read More>>

Hannah Le

With the growth continuing to climb steadily, I knew there would be a point that I wouldn’t be able to run and fund it on my own anymore, which is why I introduced memberships & The Gorls Team. This opened up more opportunities for girls to gain experience in marketing, social media management, and event planning. Memberships have allowed them to decide for themselves if the extra benefits were worth it, or if they still wanted to be a member without paying, they could. For less than the price of 2 coffees, our VIPs get access to all these discount codes and content opportunities all over Houston each month. I never imagined it would be where it is today – self sustained and thriving! Read More>>

Lucinea Vazquez

Monchy’s is a family-owned restaurant established in 2007 through the hard work and dedication of my parents, who migrated from Mexico to provide better opportunities for my siblings and me. We operate in a fast-paced environment, offering authentic Mexican cuisine to the East End community. Our main priority is to create dishes that evoke the memories of your grandma’s cooking. While we may not be able to replicate those exact flavors, we hope to bring a sense of nostalgia to your dining experience with us. Read More>>

Robson Da Silva

I, Robson Silva, through the company where I work as an Electrical Engineer, was transferred to the United States in December 2016. Having always been deeply involved in soccer in Brazil, I sought ways to stay connected to the sport. After Hurricane Harvey in 2017, together with friends, I founded an indoor soccer group called Amigos da Bola, which continues to this day. Read More>>

Chris Chino

The main clients I receive inquiries from inquire about my black and gray realism tattoos. Most of my tattooing years were spent in Southern California where I learned most of my style from. I think this is what separates me from most of the artists in Houston. Read More>>

Imani Murray

I started my career in public relations, thinking that was my path, but life had other plans! While working in PR, I found myself drawn to the energy of events and the creativity of marketing—so I decided to build something of my own. Nearly seven years ago, I launched Leda & Co., initially offering PR services, but as the business grew, I realized our real magic was in crafting unforgettable experiences. Read More>>

Amanda Schoby

So we opened the healing center with a small childcare add on. It didn’t quite catch. We got the feedback that parents already have the built in system for help, or they need more trust in the child care before bringing their kids. Absolutely understandable. We dropped the child care to make room for new activities! So now, instead of childcare we offer pediactric services such as massage for tweens and teens, facials for their delicate skin, offer spa birthday parties and more! Our focus did not change from supporting families find peace through restoration, instead it morphed to meet the needs of our clients. We are so excited to be the first full functioning family day spa in Friendswood. We love what we do and look forward to serving all the families! Read More>>

Jihad Spencer

No entrepreneurship has its ups and downs. Some of the struggles I’ve experienced is Time management, gaining credibility, and building a solid team. However, I took a different approach by staying consistent and persistent, implementing better strategies, and I also have a Mentor who helps me balance it all. Read More>>

Joshua Swenson

Despite the complexities of cultural identity, my childhood in Medellín was vibrant and full of adventure. Colombian food, especially the beans and rice of Medellín, remains one of my favorite comforts, and I still seek out Colombian restaurants whenever I can. Music was a huge part of life, from the cumbia and vallenato blaring from city buses to the Spanish rock of the ’80s that became my personal soundtrack. Read More>>

Urooj Mahmood

created my Instagram business account on November 6, 2022, and, to my surprise, my first official post introducing the business was also on November 6, 2023. It took an entire year to take that initial step, and I likely wouldn’t have done so if it hadn’t been for the motivation of raising funds for Gaza. The coincidence of the dates still amazes me. All it took was finding a purpose powerful enough to inspire the courage to take that first step—an opportunity for charity that drove Nurzadi forward. It set me on a path I never could have imagined. Although I had no prior experience in jewelry making, I found myself learning about gemstones, creating handmade bracelets, and running an online business. I initially sold on Big Cartel before expanding to Etsy, where Nurzadi’s Palestinian solidarity bracelets quickly became a bestseller. Read More>>

Natasha Williams

Being an entrepreneur in a new city comes with its own set of unique challenges and obstacles. . When I first started one of the biggest challenges hurdles was building a network from scratch in the military your used to a built in community but as an entrepreneur you have to actively seek out connections whether that’s finding clients, mentors or like minded individuals who can help guide you through the business landscape . Another challenge was learning the local market and how it operates . Every city has its own culture , preferences and needs and understanding those nuances is crucial. Read More>>

Kiara Bonham

In 2020, during a very uncertain time in life, I decided to create an LLC called Bonham Realty. At the time, I had no idea I would eventually become a real estate agent. I had just graduated with my bachelor’s degree and was unsure of what I wanted to do with my life. To keep moving forward, I enrolled in a master’s program at the University of Houston. However, I quickly realized that I hated school. With the pandemic making everything even more difficult, I struggled to stay focused and ultimately decided to drop out. Read More>>

Justina Bell

I am a real estate agent representing Buyers, Sellers, Renters and Investors with their real estate needs. I work all over the Houston and surrounding areas. I like to think of myself as your trusted real estate advisor. So, if you have any questions about real estate, the market or Houston in general, I would love to be that person for you. I pride myself in going above and beyond for my clients during and after each real estate transaction. My goal is to gain your trust, as well as a client and friend for life. Read More>>

Pernille Reck

but we still belive that wholesome food made from scratch is important for an healthy lifestyle , we are trying to give that to the Texans with a European flair to it. We have a Bakery where we bake all our bread and our cakes. We produce. wholesome food from scratch for our customers. We welcome diversity in our restaurant and supporting our community. we have small event like local artist, Single parties, Local art classes and will start with cooking and baking classes soon. Hope to see you here . Read More>>

Kelvin Louie

I’ve always loved selling and admiring beautiful, large homes, dreaming of one day owning something extraordinary. That dream fueled my passion, and with dedication and hard work, I made it a reality. After just two years in real estate, I became a top producer in Houston while leading a team that has now grown to 18 members. Read More>>

Layni Cade

I got started politically because of my mom. She was always very involved in local elections and she started my interest in local government. In 2014, I started attending Pearland city council meetings due to something happening in my neighborhood that I didn’t like—I decided to “get involved”. I first took an active role in my neighborhood. Then I applied and was appointed by city council to the Pearland Parks and Beautification Board in February 2016. After serving there for two years, I was appointed to the Planning and Zoning Commission in February 2018. I served as a commissioner for four years, with one year as Madame Chair. I served in these areas first, attending council meetings too, so I could learn how the city worked. I knew I wanted to run for city council, but I wanted experience and knowledge first so I could do a good job. Read More>>

Yuka Omori

But my first question was how to start my own business. I never studied about business, and I wasn’t really interested in opening my business. So, I had to call the city of Houston and asked what kind of permission and license I need for my business. They weren’t sure about it, but they recommended me to contact an organization called “Score”. Score has been helping America’s small business launch for 60 years. This is why I met my business mentor from Score, and he taught me how to start business, and gave me support what I needed and still he is. Read More>>

Platinum Music

Kardell Rodgers stage name Prince Ken was born and raised in Port Arthur, Texas. He moved to Atlanta in 2021 after being signed to a talent/model agency. After spending a little time there he decided he wanted to pursue music and started to write to random beats he would find online. A few months later he released his first solo EP on streaming services. Read More>>

Randy Santibanez

Last year was when I officially knew I wanted to take photography more seriously. I am thankful I did. The joy I receive from seeing a clients face light up when they appreciate their photo is a different type of rush. Nothing makes me feel more accomplished than people enjoying the art I create for them. That is why I do this. That is why I love photography. Read More>>

Astrid Silva

That’s when I discovered Coti Photography, which played a big role in inspiring me to become a photographer. From there, I decided to invest in educating myself, diving deep into the art of photography. Looking back, I truly believe that God had already placed this hidden talent within me—I just needed to uncover it. What started as a simple search for a camera turned into a calling, and today, I’m grateful to be on this journey, capturing moments that tell a story. Read More>>

Og Films

I started picking up a camera years ago doing music videos for my brother. I never thought I would be doing this full time but over the years I started to grow a passion for it. It lead to do doing some photography as a hobby then slowly turned into videography. Now today I do what I love and wouldn’t have it any other way Read More>>

Rosalyn Santiago

I’ve always been interested in art and creating things. I started drawing and playing instruments when I was a kid. My oldest brother was a musician, so I used to sit in on his rehearsals in our basement. I began writing in high school, mostly short stories and notes to myself. As I got older, I dropped music and kept drawing and writing. In college, I discovered filmmaking and scriptwriting. I’ve written and co-written several scripts. Read More>>

Zara Tariq

During my time off, I explored my passion for beauty and skincare, which had always been a personal interest of mine. I dabbled in freelance makeup artistry, but I also wanted to find a way to merge my scientific background with my creative side. That’s when I discovered aesthetics and realized this was the perfect intersection of both. I invested in my own training, took a pay cut, and committed to pursuing this new path. Read More>>

Tarrance Michael

I’m a self proclaimed chef. I started cooking at an early age, watching my moms cook and learning from her. The first thing I took notice to was how to season food. Once I got older and on my own, I would call her and get recipes. As I got better with cooking, I started posting my food on Facebook. My friends and followers would encourage me to start selling food. I did the necessary research I needed to start, stepped out on faith, and it really took off for me. Read More>>

Deandra Lee

No, it hasn’t been an easy ride, hehe. My biggest challenges were figuring out how I was going to develop my own style, learn how to use social media, learn to confront my former work, and go from hiding myself to opening myself. To be honest, I’ve come this far in part because of these problems, some of which still exist. Because I believe things would have gone differently if I hadn’t realized what I was going through, asked myself these questions, and came to terms with it. Read More>>

Veronica Vale

It all started in April of 2020 when I decided to start my business as you know this was during Covid and everyone was scared. I knew I had to rearrange my life the moment Covid happen. I was scared of my kids catching Covid because they have asthma and get sick so easily so I decided to quit my job as a teacher assistant and start my business this way I can work and homeschool my kids at the same time. At first I was selling my jewelry on Facebook lives. Then I started doing pop up events. Which was amazing I was able to network and met a lot of amazing people. Then finally I found a permanent location in January 2023 at 5407 Cypress Creek Pkwy, Houston, TX 77069, Booth A4. Two years later and it’s still going strong which is such a blessing. Read More>>

Shereka “Ree” Burton

The service that I offer is fresh never frozen served on a bit of spinach and people say that they eat fresh but they’re in the drive-through lines. So one of the biggest struggles is for me is to get clients to want to eat healthy and stay eating healthy even if they use my services for a little bit and then they began to Meal Prep for themselves. That will be me doing the job of Fit Meals and more. Cause A along the way, I do want to encourage and create an accountability community so that everyone will want to eat healthy and it can decrease the obesity in Texas starting in Houston. Read More>>

Sebrina Kennedy-Andy

Hi my name Sebrina Kennedy -Andy . I’m so excited to even have this opportunity ! I started my business in 2012 . I always enjoyed helping people so that is why I went into the line of healthcare . I have trained so many people how to save lives in the years I have been an instructor. I am passionate about what I do and will continue to thrive everyday . I appreciate this opportunity so much to show the world my business and how to save lives . Read More>>

Aalyah McKinnis

I always had a love and passion for all things beauty and skin related. From being a young girl looking at herself in the mirror wanting to be fabulous and beautiful to now being an adult and having the confidence to help others feel that way as well. I knew from then being an makeup artist and esthetician was in my calling. Read More>>

Celsa Vazquez

As I ventured further into my career, I sought ways to give back to the community. This led me to partner with Wigs for Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children suffering from hair loss due to chemotherapy, alopecia, radiotherapy, or other medical conditions. Collaborating with Wigs for Kids has been an incredibly fulfilling experience, allowing me to make a meaningful impact on the lives of young individuals facing difficult challenges. Being able to provide these children with beautiful wigs has underscored my belief that beauty can be a source of empowerment, even in the toughest of times. Read More>>

Ty Smith

My Journey has been one wrapped in servitude and art. I was born a natural leader and a natural servant for the people. However, My passion lies with my art entirely. I was able to play music by ear on piano as a child, and later on guitar when I picked it up my first year of college. Music is everything to me. Although I do not play it professionally, I think, eat, live, and breathe music- of all genres I might add. Read More>>

Sir Chrisjon Turner

From music selection, to perfecting the art of smooth transitions to fulfill the needs of all musical entertainment needs for organizations on campus. I began gaining the experience and knowledge as well as the opportunity to showcase my skills at various events on campus and off campus. I then, started my own business titled “ DJ JONDOE ENTERTAINMENT”. This is where DJ JONDOE WAS BORN. This isn’t a story about your typical dj, this is a story about how a man’s love for music allowed him to do what he loves and make a living off something that never felt like work for him. Something that I can say I’d do for free if life would allow me to do so! Read More>>

Fed Morlan

In 2019 I left Boston and moved to Texas with my wife and kids. After networking with a few entrepreneurs In Houston I saw an opportunity to help small businesses navigate the complex digital landscape. This led me to establish Morlan’s Technology Services, offering website development, SEO, and digital marketing solutions. My goal has always been to help small businesses by providing them the tools they need to grow and succeed in an increasingly competitive online world. Read More>>

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>>