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.

Saba Shaikh

Being Fly has always been my love language—whether it’s through the clothes I wear, the music I move to, things I can do or the people I vibe with. I’ve been known to be out dancing late into the night with my friends, swaying to the music blaring and my homies dancing. Feeling alive in the small but great moment time—my energy always has me connecting in the wild. I have a habit of making friends everywhere I go. Read more>>

Mariella Cavazos Aguilar

Hi! I’m Mariella, the CEO of Enchanted Creations HTX, a shop where I pour my creativity and passion into every piece I craft. My journey began in 2019, initially as a hobby, when I started making dreamcatchers. I’ve always been drawn to their meaningful symbolism — these beautiful talismans are believed to protect against bad dreams and negative energy, allowing only positive dreams to pass through. As a child, I struggled with nightmares, and I truly felt that having a dreamcatcher above my bed offered extra protection and peace during the night. Read more>>

Vanessa Claudio

Sales is definitely not for the faint of heart. It takes grit and determination to always keep your client’s best interests front and center. Letting go of the fear of rejection and pushing through obstacles has been a huge part of what’s helped me succeed as a realtor. Problem-solving is my superpower! I don’t take no for an answer and I’m always looking for creative solutions to offer in even the most complicated situations. Read more>>

Vivian Yeboah

I believe that my path to doing hair and makeup for a living was truly predestined before I was even born. As the youngest of 5, 2 sisters and 2 brothers, you would think one of my sisters before me would have been named after my mom; but God specifically appointed my mother’s name to me. So yes I am technically a junior, just minus the jr being legally put on my birth certificate. Read more>>

Maria Monterrosa

Through it all, I’ve learned that perseverance and a genuine heart for people will take you further than anything else. Every challenge has made me stronger, more resourceful, and even more passionate about what I do. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing because each obstacle has led me to where I am today—doing what I love and helping people achieve their dreams of homeownership. Read more>>

Gianfranco Percovich

But at the end, you need to get focus, your mind need to visualized those thinks that you want, before the become real. Keep fighting for what you want, make smart choices, if you made a mistake.. Fixed. Don’t LIE. Negotiate better and make sure that you have BALANCE in everything that you do. Read more>>

Jakaylee Minor

I was born and raised in Pascagoula, Mississippi. At 17, I achieved a major milestone by earning my Associate of Arts (AA) degree in Business Management & Marketing from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College before even graduating with my diploma from Pascagoula High School. This early achievement fueled my passion for business, real estate, and law, setting the foundation for the path I continue to pursue today. Read more>>

Taty H.

Through the years that I worked as a designer, I was able to develop a keen eye for detail and aesthetic layouts. I also took photography and modeling classes a while back, participated on a tv program and commercials. All what I learned in the past are valuable instruments that I apply now in the videos and photos that I share on social media. I film and edit visually appealing videos for products, craft engaging content for an audience and use the power of storytelling. Read more>>

Kendramia Prestage

I guess I can say I’ve earned the opportunities I’ve been blessed with. Alot of hard work and not being afraid to try new things has brought me to a place of peace. It has also guided me in understanding when you allow yourself to explore your creativity and dare to be different, life opens up a new path for you. Read more>>

Sebastien Lutomski

Like many young boys, I always loved climbing and jumping on everything as a kid. I was inspired by my neighborhood squirrels and the animated Batman series of the 90’s. In high school, I met a group of kids that trained this deliberately and gave it a name; parkour. It quickly became my favorite thing to do. Training with friends that support each other is such an empowering and liberating experience. That’s the experience I want to create and share with Houston families. Read more>>

Karian Durham

No, it hasn’t been easy. The journey to establish The Anderson HTX was fraught with challenges. It took over two years to find the perfect location, and when I did, it was merely a shell space requiring a complete build-out. I personally sketched the layout, collaborated closely with a contractor, and meticulously selected every piece of décor. Just as we were preparing to open, disaster struck—first a tornado, followed by a hurricane, causing significant damage to our venue. Additionally, dealing with the city’s inspection process was frustrating, as different inspectors had varying requirements, forcing us to make continuous updates. Despite these hurdles, we persevered and eventually opened our doors to the community. Read more>>

Inobishorr

Today, I work in healthcare management, and I’m a creative entrepreneur, songwriter, producer, and business owner. I’m building Inobi into a brand that isn’t just about clothing but a lifestyle that merges fashion, creative expression, and storytelling. I also run Inobishorr Core Creative Consulting, where I help other creatives and brands shape their vision, execute projects, and build meaningful narratives around their work. River of Letters has now blossomed into a beautiful community that seeks to create a safe space for people to feel, process, and express themselves, and we’ve been privileged to receive entries from all over the world. Read more>>

Walter/ Dalphne Harrison

At this point we knew this business could be successful but we had to work hard on our jobs to save to enlarge the family business. Jumpland Moonwalks and Party Rentals became a true family business, I have 3 boys all of which made the delivering process a little easier as time went on. We made a plan to pray, save and purchase at least 1-2 items for the business each year. The results of the praying, and saving plan worked, within the next 10 years we went from 2 regular moonwalks to 2 warehouses filled with waterslides, moonwalks, commercial tents, trackless train, hayrides, obstacle courses, table, chairs, machines and more. We were also blessed to have a few contract workers to meet the demands. Read more>>

Lyd Araujo

I’m Lyd a native Houstonian. I love my City. I love traveling and trying out new cuisines. I’ve been a foodie all my life. I would always take picture of our meals. My personal Instagram started to look like a food only page. I decided to create another instagram for my food experiences. I’d say about six months in I had a reel go viral and gained a lot of new followers. I love trying out different places and finding hidden gems. I love helping restaurants grow and showcase their yummy food. Everyone that eats with me knows my phone eats first. Read more>>

Joanna Reyes

There were financial struggles, moments of burnout, and times when I had to sacrifice sleep and social life just to keep pushing forward. But through all the challenges, I never lost sight of my goals. I learned that success isn’t about having a perfect journey. It’s about persistence, adaptability, and believing in yourself even when the road gets tough. Read more>>

Juanita Brown

After careful thought and planning, I founded Unlocked Hearts Matchmaking in February 2021. My goal was to create a service that not only helps individuals find compatible partners, but also equips them with the tools to build lasting, healthy relationships. What started as a passion has grown into a mission to transform dating experiences and help people open their hearts to real meaningful love. Read more>>

Kemi Adeoso

I originally grew up in New York, but three years ago, I took a leap of faith and decided to officially move to Houston, TX. Exploring and seeing the bigger picture in life has always been a quality of mine and I find it quite a coincidence that the Texas slogan is “everything is bigger in Texas”. Back in New York, I spoke at several different events, empowering others and sharing how my love for travel, art and mental health plays a role in my self-confidence. Life to me is like a canvas and you have the ability to create anything you want out of it. Having these kinds of reminders allows others to step outside their comfort zone and create new memories and experiences. I also provide gems on fine dining experiences, local events, and hotels within different communities. Read more>>

Krystle Wilson

Well I started modeling pretty late in life (at least back in the day was considered late). I was in my late 20. I grew up in Detroit and there weren’t many opportunities to model. I just focused on basketball and track, I always knew in my heart my time would come. My aunts would take me shopping and once home I’d put on a fashion show for my mom to show her my new clothes. Later in life my family moved to Columbus, OH, where I started to get into modeling. I was signed to my first model agency and my first big job was with “The Limited Brand” as a E comm model! I was so excited.  Read more>>

Langston Grady

In 2014, Langston made the move to Houston, embracing a new chapter in his professional journey. He shifted his focus to real estate, earning his license and building a successful career as a Realtor over the past eight years. His experience in education translated seamlessly into real estate, as his patience, dedication, and strong communication skills helped him guide clients through the home-buying process. While he thrived in the industry, another passion had been calling him for years—his love for cooking. Inspired by the joy of creating meals that bring people together, he decided to take a leap of faith and pursue his culinary dreams. Read more>>

Cheyenne Chanel

Being a caretaker for the feisty and bold, yet irresistibly cute dog breed – raised my own awareness of the personal joy I gained from exercising a softer, more nurturing side of my femininity. I learned how much I enjoyed providing a safe, welcoming, and stable environment to foster happiness in others – including my fuzzy companions. The next kennel to be launching out of Cheyenne & Fido is the Black Billionaire’s Club, specializing in pedigree quality-of-life breeding of Giant Schnauzers. Ironically, the breed was recently awarded the 2025 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show’s Best in Show title. Read more>>

Sonee Black

He then sent me a private message saying that he was starting a new record label that would be under the G.O.O.D. Music umbrella and he wanted me to be a part of it. I of course accepted and sent him my phone number as he requested. He told me that he would call later that day. I didn’t receive a call that day and wasn’t surprised. I figured it was too good to be true anyway. He ended up calling after all a couple days later or so. I can remember being very surprised at how humble he was, he was extremely apologetic. He told me that he had been busy working with Ye in Paris which is why he didn’t call earlier. I could hear Ye in the background on another call and instantly was in shock. I was in disbelief that these guys saw something in me. Read more>>

Grace Estrada

I took over in 2021 and since then Houston Underground has become an official 501c(3) non-profit organization drawing in a crowd of approximately 600 people annually. In 2024 we welcomed participants from all around Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina, Nevada and California. We gave away over $3,000 in cash prizes, hundreds more in gear from sponsors and had a convention style exhibit room with over a dozen vendors. Houston Underground continues to expand well beyond the city of Houston and has become a household name among saxophonists. My goal is to continue raising the bar of musicianship among young students and to create a strong sense of community within ALL participants. Read more>>

Olivia Alcid

Then I had this thought – infused chocolate and infused fruit are a thing, right? Having experience in both the dipped-fruit industry and bartending, I thought, what if I combined the two and twist up these boxes? Then the experimenting began. I tried infusing the chocolate-covered strawberries with that peach whiskey and decided that combination was… not what I thought it would be – at least not with the chocolate! Because after testing more fruits & alcohol combinations with the chocolate together, I came across much better-tasting combos that really surprised me, my family, and friends! Read more>>

Thushara Mathew

My relationship with God is by far the most important thing to me so i have Gotten to the point where i would Like to be used as a vessel by God through my art, music, and creativity. I also started my own christian podcast called ” the bloom and bee podcast ” which is on Apple, Spotify and youtube in which I help guide people into a better them. Though the sky is the limit, and I’m continually chasing after new ideas, passions and discovering more I’m on a mission to spread light and peace through whatever i do. Read more>>

Alia Vela

When I was little, I always said I was going to be an artist! I was always finding ways to make something out of whatever I could find. When I found that the magic of photography could capture what my eyes could see… That opened a whole new door for my creative juices! Read more>>

Dominique Duque

I was able to have 2 in-person BookLIT brunches in Wichita, KS before moving to Houston in 2022 where I continued virtually. In February 2025, I added the in-person element again, called BYOB: A BookLIT Social where I have teamed up with Besocial Houston and their literary lounge located within Social Status in Citycentre. It’s a fun take on BYOB for Bring Your Own Book, we read for an hour, then share our books with each other. This will be every second Monday of the month. For the virtual side, this year is packed full of joint meetings with other virtual book clubs and authors are joining in as well! Read more>>

Brittany Sumrall

In October of 2022, my son was born 10 weeks prematurely so his first month was spent in the NICU. His doctors told us he would need surgery at around six months old, so I spent a lot of time thinking about what I thought would be best for me and my family – I decided to take a huge leap of faith – I would leave my current job in Houston to start my own dog training business, closer to home, in my home actually. When I couldn’t do it on my own any longer, I recruited my sister, Heather, to help behind the scenes as my Director of Details. The dogs have spoken so Cultivated Canine continues to grow, and we have now been able to add two other trainers to the team, Kourtenay and Joshua, a husband and wife team! Read more>>

Ellyn Rose Benigay

I wanted to bring that same experience to others but in a way that could travel anywhere. That’s how my boba cart business was born—a mobile way to share my love of tea and boba with people at their most special moments. My husband and I started by setting up at different markets in Houston, introducing our drinks to the community and meeting some amazing people along the way. Seeing people light up after their first sip and hearing their stories about their own love for boba made me even more passionate about what I do. Read more>>

Son Bayou

Son Bayou started from the love of cumbia and its roots. We played in pulgas, quinceaneras, and house parties for more than 10 years before being found by Los Skarnales’ Felipe Galvan on the Flea market located on Airline, on the northside of Houston. He offered us a a opening slot on one of their events in the famous and long gone Fitzgerald’s, and we gladly took his offer. Now as an up and coming local cumbia band, we want to show the world the cumbia we play and love to see people dance to it! Read more>>

Paul Previlon

It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges has been the fact that I’m naturally talented in many areas, which has made it difficult to pinpoint exactly where I want to make my impact. While having multiple strengths is a blessing, it can also feel overwhelming—like standing at a crossroads with too many paths to choose from. I’ve had moments of doubt, questioning whether I should commit to one thing or keep exploring. But through it all, I’ve learned that the journey itself is just as important as the destination. Each experience is helping me refine my direction, and I trust that, in time, I’ll find the space where my skills and purpose align in the most meaningful way. Read more>>

Jacob Previlon

I’ve always been creatively inclined, ever since I was a kid. No matter what I did, I had to put my own creative spin on it. Being a twin also shaped a lot of my mindset early on—I’ve always said, “I already have someone who looks like me for the rest of my life,” so when people would try to match my style or do things similar to me, it was a turn-off. That pushed me to be different, to stand out in a way that couldn’t be copied even if someone tried. Read more>>

Anna & Stephanie

Our goal with Cocktails & Cravings, is to show local places such as restaurants, bars, nightlife, etc. We realized there aren’t a ton of food bloggers who post about North Houston. With both of us living on the north side, we decided to really dedicate our page to The Woodlands and surrounding areas. We want to show off all the area has to offer. Being that the city isn’t too far, we also incorporate places in Houston that we enjoy & think our audience will too! Read more>>

Royal Richmond

I’m excited about all the new material I have coming. The next step will be to start putting a set together and hit the road. Not sure what you would categorize my music as, but that is something I don’t concern myself with. You can call it Country. You can call it Country-Rap. You can call it Crap for all I care. Just know whatever you label it as, I’m the best at it! Read more>>

Ximena Miller

But like any dream, this journey has not been without challenges. Starting from scratch meant learning everything about running an ice cream truck—permits, suppliers, operations, and how to stand out in a competitive market. The unpredictable Houston weather sometimes made it difficult to operate, and balancing family life with the demands of the business was a challenge on its own. Maintaining the truck, handling fuel costs, and adjusting to seasonal slowdowns also required creativity and perseverance. Despite these obstacles, our passion has kept us going. Every ice cream we serve is more than just a treat—it’s a special moment, a memory made on a warm afternoon or a celebration. Read more>>

Keston Meighoo

I go by Blvkrose — I’m a DJ and producer out of Houston, mostly pushing deep tech house and honestly, everything started pretty naturally for me. I didn’t come into this with some big plan — I was just drawn to music and started experimenting, messing around with sounds, seeing what felt right. But looking back, I think it’s always been in me. I grew up around music — my dad was a DJ and also built out sound systems and speakers back home. My mom was a singer, and a lot of my family were musicians too. So music was always playing around me — whether it was in the house, at family gatherings, or just in the background of everyday life. Read more>>

Daniel Power

In the beginning, I operated with just a single truck and basic equipment. Most days were spent handling routine rodent calls in The Woodlands area, learning the specific wildlife patterns of southeast Texas through hands-on experience. Those early years taught me more than any training manual could. Read more>>

James Perryman

Being/becoming an entrepreneur will always have challenges, one of the struggles I encountered was getting sales beyond the people I had contact with. Then beard products became more popular, I had to stand out, separate Joe Finn Collection from the other grooming brands. Imagine going down the bread isle in a grocery store. What makes you choose a certain loaf of bread amongst 8 dozen different companies? So marketing became a huge strategy that I had to incorporate in the business plan. Joe Finn Collection had to stand alone amongst other brands. Read more>>

Jessie Ferguson

I went on to earn my BFA in Dance from George Mason University, graduating in 2024. During my time there, I had the privilege of training with and learning from world-renowned professors and choreographers, many of whom continue to be incredible mentors and supporters. George Mason gave me a much bigger stage to create on, and by the time I graduated, I had five completed choreographic works—an experience that solidified my passion for making and directing dance. Read more>>

Keene Kirill

I am Keene kirill, from Baton Rouge Louisiana, and I started creating music on my own from out a back room of my mothers apartment from anything from beat production, engineering, recording, and distribution of my own music. I walked to where ever to be in a studio into I began to start getting my own equipment and doing everything myself. I been creating music for over 13 years. And now I’m running my own record label superior records LLC. Read more>>

Jenna Moore

From childhood the ember fanned into a flame as I started taking photography classes in high school. A couple of years into my college career a friend reached out and asked if I’d be willing to take some headshots of her and I posted them to MySpace, which led to my first client and the rest is history so to speak. I realized over time, and through a couple of different majors in college, that my love never went away and settled into fine arts of photography. I’ve never stopped pursuing making and developing my artistic skills. I’m definitely a mix of educated and self taught which continues to shape my style. Read more>>

MiCah Dailey

I’ll be honest, I was terrified. Putting myself out there and sharing my progress felt like a huge risk. But I didn’t know what it could lead to, so I decided to go for it. What followed has been incredible. I’ve met so many amazing people, connected with others who share similar struggles, and experienced things I never thought were possible. Powerlifting became a way for me to not only transform my body but to build confidence, strength, and a sense of community. Read more>>

Tonisha Peel

My journey into content creation began in 2020 after having my second baby girl during the height of the COVID pandemic. In need of both an outlet and financial support, I turned to what I knew best—fitness. I channeled my passion, committed to home workouts, and lost 50 pounds. That transformation opened doors to collaborate with brands, leading me to dive into the world of fashion content. Read more>>

Shawn Allison

Today, I’m a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, mentor, speaker, podcast host, and majoring in Social Work at Prairie View A&M University.I volunteer in prisons and juvenile facilities, sharing my story to break cycles of recidivism. I created D.A.W.N. Ministries (Dads Are What’s Needed), an initiative teaching young men that masculinity includes more than just anger. I also developed an online course guiding boys on their transition from male to man Read More>>

Federica Ferrari

I started modeling around 2017. I started with small shoots and networking events to meet local creatives. As my portfolio grew, so did my confidence and reputation in the industry. I started booking bigger gigs and working with well-known brands. The thrill of walking down the runway in designer clothes or seeing my face on the cover of a magazine never got old. It was a dream come true to see all my hard work pay off. Despite the challenges, modeling opened up so many doors for me and allowed me to see the world in ways I never thought possible. It taught me resilience, perseverance, and the importance of staying grounded no matter how high you climb. Read more>>