Every day we have a choice. We can support an up and coming podcaster, try a new family-run restaurant, join a boutique gym started by a local fitness champ or we could keep giving away our money to the handful of giants who already control so much of our commerce. Our daily decisions impact the kind world we live in; if we want a world where small businesses are growing and artists and creatives are thriving then we should support them with our time, money and attention. We’re proud to highlight inspiring creatives and entrepreneurs each week in Hidden Gems series. Check out some of our latest local gem features below.
Mya James
I was a teen Mom. Even though I had a very supportive family I wanted to be a great example for my son and be able to support myself. This lead me to finishing school early and learning a vocation, I chose Cosmetology. So in the early 2000’s I was the hairstylist. Long days and nights in the salon paid off, I earned very well. Read more>>
Kathleen Maca
After over 20 years in the advertising industry (as a writer, media buyer and broadcast executive), I refocused my energy on writing. I ‘dipped my toe’ back into the public writing world by writing articles for several national magazines. I also began being a contributing feature writer about Galveston’s colorful history in 2011 for Galveston Monthly, and am happily still contributing to that publication. Read more>>
Dr. Lynda Wright Gittens
I am a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, mentor, minister, and author. I have been mentoring young people since I was 21. I served as a Girl Scout leader for 37 years and held leadership positions within the Girl Scout Council, including Community Manager, Gold Award Advisor, District Secretary, and committee member. Read more>>
Daniel Quezada
I will always been facinated by language and culture, different kinds of people with their likes and beliefs. When I was 18 I took a solo trip throughout western Europe and I realized that food is what really brought people together; despite their origins or ancestry. Read more>>
Miles Presley
My journey in music started as a kid. My dad named me after legendary jazz musician Miles Davis. My dad’s massive CD collection included Jazz, Soul, and Funk; the essence of Hip-Hop. My introduction to Hip-Hop was through the legendary duo ‘Outkast’. In the year 2000, Outkast released their 4th album ‘Stankonia’. My mind was blown from the lyrics and instrumentation of each track. Read more>>
George Edison
Born and raised in Los Angeles, I moved to Houston after graduating high school. I’ve always had a strong creative instinct, from drawing and showcasing my work around the city to producing music in college. Photography came naturally to me because of my ability to notice and capture details others often overlook. Read more>>
Jose Diaz
I grew up in Chicago, and when I started my music training in the 1970s, the arts and culture scene was incredible. Music was everywhere — in the neighborhoods, in the schools, and in the people. My teachers were active musicians who performed with artists like Earth, Wind & Fire, B.B. Read more>>
Ashley Ealasia Stafford
My journey into the world of hair and beauty began as a creative calling from the moment I can remember. As a little girl, I was captivated by the artistry in music videos, the bold looks of ’80s and early 90’s icons, and the power of hair, nails, makeup, and fashion to convey personality. Read more>>
Scott Moore Jr
Tejas began in 2011 as a craft ‘bean to bar’ chocolate maker, as the first American craft chocolate maker located in Texas. We were selling chocolate bars at the Tomball Farmers market on Saturdays and began to build a nice following there. Tejas was discovered by Spec’s where we began stocking the flagship Spec’s in Houston’s Midtown area. Read more>>
Kischa Hernandez
I often say my story didn’t begin in a boardroom or a courtroom, it began in my grandmother’s kitchen. She was born in 1912, a woman of deep faith, quiet strength, and old-fashioned grace. I was raised by her hands — literally and spiritually — and she became the anchor that steadied me through some of life’s hardest storms. Read more>>
Stefanie Bates-Mouton, LPC
So I did what teachers do best—I became a one-woman support department. I combed hair. I kept snacks in my desk like a convenience store. I bought clothes. I made sure basic needs were met before we opened a textbook. It didn’t take long for me to understand that you can’t teach a child who’s in survival mode. Before they can learn, kids need to feel safe, seen, and supported. That realization opened my eyes to the emotional and mental weight so many young people, along with their caregivers, carry, and it awakened a new calling in me. Read more>>
Nathan Prestwich
Fitness has been a constant in my life, but my foundation wasn’t typical. While most kids were just in a high school PE class, I was also teaching martial arts. From age 16, I was coaching everyone from four-year-olds to seniors in their 60s on how to move and control their bodies in very specific ways. Read more>>
Victoria Dixon
To be honest, I don’t believe there’s such a thing as a “smooth road” in business. Before opening my company, I spent countless hours researching, refining my craft, and planning every detail. But once I launched, I quickly realized that some lessons can only be learned through experience. Makeup is such a personal and subjective art — no two faces are the same — and it takes time, confidence, and courage to truly find your style. Read more>>
Angel Goines
Hi there! I’m Angel Goines, proud owner and founder of Next Level Dance! Our studio, based right here in La Porte, Texas, is a vibrant, joy-filled space where dancers ages two through eighteen come to explore their creativity, build confidence, and discover just how far their passion can take them. Read more>>
Alaina Sitka
I always grew up wanting to play with makeup and hair. My dad used to always comment on how I would sit in front of my vanity he built me back in high school and just made myself feel pretty. Read more>>
Jesús Arias
I started out with a real passion for storytelling and curiosity about how ideas spread. That passion eventually led me to work with several media outlets, including Online Chronicle, Stock Sense, and a few others, where I honed my skills in writing, editing, and interviewing people from all kinds of backgrounds. Read more>>
Pat Wilson
Two US Marines, met on a small tropical island of Okinawa while stationed together there in 1994. Been best friends ever since. Left the US Marine Corps in 2002 to pursue a civilian career with my wife. Jimmie Morris, had been working for one of the largest building suppliers in the world in Texas and reached out for my interest. Read more>>
James Bramble
For me, the path to entrepreneurship was a gradual one that started early in life. I’ve always been fascinated by business and was fortunate to be surrounded by strong leaders from a young age—people I learned from just by watching and listening. Music also played a surprisingly big role. Read more>>
Luis Guevara
One day I looked at my life and reflected. My mom worked two jobs, and my dad worked long shifts. I wanted to make a difference and pave a new path for my family. Growing up, that became my motivation. My parents didn’t have much, and sometimes it was hard to even ask for money to get a haircut. Read more>>
Curt Lockhart
My path to becoming an IP attorney and business owner has not been a straight line; rather a branching path with many unexpected turns. I actually started my college career at BYU thinking I’d become an engineer. Partway through pursuing my chemical engineering degree (with a minor in computer science), I realized that chemistry wasn’t what I wanted to do long-term. Read more>>
Avery Bowers
I’ve always been drawn to how spaces tell stories and how design can capture memory, emotion, and identity all at once. I grew up surrounded by creative women, immersed in the interiors world. Both my mother and grandmother are interior designers, and my grandmother founded MILIEU Magazine, an international shelter publication headquartered in Houston. Read more>>
Anissa Wright
I’ve always been deeply curious about the world around me. Everything from traveling and exploring history to solving math equations and watching YouTube videos about quantum physics. I love learning how things work. I also love sharing what I learn, as well as my profound faith in Christ, with others. I wanted my children to grow up with that same sense of wonder and purpose. Read more>>
David Tepera
It all started almost 8-years ago when I decided to resign from orthopedics. My wife Tina, and son Dylan were competing in the bodybuilding. Well, Tina and I earned our Pro cards in two different categories, and Dylan was an undefeated Teen champion. Read more>>
Valencia Luckett
Over 30 years ago I was a newly divorced single mother leaving an abusive relationship. I found myself determined to establish a better life for my daughter and me. In that. I began a journey best described as one of faith, healing and resilience. In the midst of those changes I was newly called to ministry. Read more>>
Juan Carlos Hernandez
It’s been a long journey — first as a player and later as a coach, which has brought me to where I am today. My father owned a soccer academy in Caracas, Venezuela, and that’s where everything started for me. I began coaching very young, working with small kids and discovering my passion for teaching the game. Read more>>
Whitney Mickins
I’ve always liked taking pictures for as long as I can remember. When I didn’t have a phone I’d have either the disposable cameras that you have to go to Walgreens and develop or I’d use my parents flip phone. Read more>>
Abby Gray
Our story didn’t unfold in a straight line. A few months after my husband, Reid, and I got married, he was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis and ulcerative colitis. We quickly went from newlyweds dreaming about the future to navigating lab results, procedures, and the possibility of a liver transplant for my husband. Read more>>
Carol Davis
I founded BlissWood Bed and Breakfast Ranch. Now catering to the city folks who want to relax in nature and offering activities such as horseback riding, Exotic Animal Safari, archery, tomahawk/knife/star throw, trapshooting, fishing, massages and a variety of packages such as Lone Star Stargazing Package, Uncork Adventure (horseback/wine tasting), Horseback/picnic Package, Blissful Romance Package, Ride Off into Sunset Package, Texas Dude Ranch Adventure Package. Read more>>
Patricia Jackson
After completing college and nursing school, Miss Patty spent 14 years in the corporate world. During that time, she opened an interior design business and a legal nurse consulting practice. While she enjoyed interior designing of homes, some commercial designs and working in the legal nursing field, her dream of opening a restaurant never faded. Read more>>
Dwayne Pano
It has not been smooth at all all the time. In the beginning after quitting my full-time job and running out of money, it was four months before I had a closing two years later my wife had a TIA, which is a mini stroke in my business tank I wasn’t making phone calls to check in with people. I was just making sure that my spouse wasn’t about to die. But through that time, is when we started discovering the other passions that we wanted to teach. Read more>>
Dr. Jacinta Anyaoku
I opened Hibiscus Aesthetics and Wellness 4 years ago in August 2021 out of a desire to practice medicine on my own terms. At the time my boys were 1 1/2 and almost 3. I loved being a physician, but I loved being a mom even more. Read more>>
