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.

Stephanie Livingston

A Business Tax Solutions Strategist is a person that can “play” the game of tax with many scenarios in play at the same time. It’s very much like playing a game of chess with myself where I have the opportunity to know how the other player will respond. In the professional “game”, the other player is the IRS Revenue Code, Treasury Bulletins, and business tax litigation US Districts case decisions as well as prevailing judicial opinions in States of interest. I read everything I can find that may be relevant for a particular Client who presents me with a challenging tax scenario I’m trying to abate, mitigate, change, or optimize. Read more>>

Kenyetta Praise Thomas

Kenyetta Thomas, professionally known as Kenyetta Praise, is a dynamic Christian artist, missionary, and inspirational voice born in Moultrie, Georgia. Raised in the church, Praise discovered her passion for music at just three years old, learning to sing by mimicking iconic artists such as CeCe Winans, Whitney Houston, and Faith Evans. Read more>>

Cathy Mogler

Publishing has been woven into the fabric of my life for as long as I can remember. It truly is in my DNA. Although my parents were divorced, my summers with my father were often spent in his office. He worked for a large national magazine company before eventually starting his own trade publications. Those summers offered more than time together—they created a shared language. Read more>>

Kenya Dozier

I started Silent Assassin Moms because I saw a need that wasn’t being talked about—moms like me, quietly carrying the weight of their families, their children’s dreams, and their faith, all while the world often overlooks the struggle. Being a mom isn’t just about the big, loud victories. Read more>>

Kimberly Morrison

I traveled a lot before 2019, before Covid. That all came to a halt in March 2019. I needed something to occupy my time so I started buying the weirdest, hardest plants to grow. When I found carnivorous plants, I instantly fell in love with the variety in them. Read more>>

Brineisha Lawson

Access Family Home Care began as a dream fueled by my passion to serve, support, and make a meaningful difference for families. What started as a personal calling quickly became my mission. Growing up closely with my grandparents was one of the greatest blessings of my life. Being surrounded by their wisdom, stories, and love shaped my heart for service at an early age. Read more>>

Felicia Barcelona

I grew up immersed in a blend of country life—riding horses through the creek and barrel racing in penny loafers. Many of my summers were spent in an antique store in the colorful, vibrant Montrose and Houston Heights areas of Houston, alongside my amazingly eccentric artist grandmother, Arah Pearl—the namesake of my gallery. Read more>>

Luke Bruner

It all started when we had no bread! Our oldest brother works at H-E-B, and we were waiting for the 25% off holiday discount to buy our groceries. He surprised us and came home with a fresh homemade loaf of sourdough bread that he had received from a customer. This alone was an answer to prayer. Read more>>

Karla Nash

After college in Wisconsin I worked in healthcare in Marketing/Communication/Physician Recruitment for about 16 years. It eventually became where the job wasn’t gratifying anymore. I had always wanted to own my own business, and a friend and I decided to open a winery where people had fun and were not intimidated no matter what their level of experience was with wine. Read more>>

Donald Rhodes

Early on in my career, I became fascinated by how nerves and cells use electrical signals to regulate healing, circulation, and pain. The more I studied, the more convinced I became that many chronic conditions were not purely structural or psychological, but bioelectric. That belief led me to begin developing therapies aimed at restoring those disrupted signals. Read more>>

Taylor Marron

My journey started behind a camera in high school, where I first discovered how much I loved capturing people and moments. That creative spark eventually led me to the University of Houston, where I began shaping my marketing foundation and learning how strategy and storytelling work together. In my early twenties, I began freelancing and creating commercials for local businesses. Read more>>

Dayna Gurley

My path into this work began in a very real and personal way. I was a young, single mother of two when I was diagnosed with cancer. Facing a life-threatening illness while raising children on my own changed me profoundly. Read more>>

Emily Simmons

I have always been creative. One of my earliest memories is walking around with a little Little Mermaid camera, capturing the world the best way I knew how. But when I started college, I lost sight of who I was and what I loved. Life happened, priorities shifted, and I stopped creating altogether. By my sophomore year, I dropped out for a year. Read more>>

Nasiya Ahmed

I am a native Houstonian. I went to medical school at the McGovern Medical School (UT) in Houston and did my residency and fellowship at the University of Arizona in Tucson. As part of my residency training, I was required to do a geriatric medicine rotation. This rotation was eye opening for me. Read more>>

Sue McCarron

McCarron Home Care began spontaneously out of personal experience and a shared dream. My daughter-in-law, Feliciana, came to live with me after her husband (my son) got deployed. She had a lot of great experience working as a caregiver and found work quickly here in town, but she felt the agencies she worked for were subpar. She had a desire to do things better. Read more>>

Bolaji (BJ) Ajimotokan

Bolaji Ajimotokan is the President & CEO of Heritage Hub Federal Credit Union, With expertise spanning entrepreneurship, finance, taxes, investments, and IT, he has successfully led initiatives that expand financial inclusion and empower underserved communities. Bolaji has also served as a consultant to leading Fortune 500 companies, including Mastercard and HP, bringing strategic insight and innovative solutions to global business challenges. Read more>>

Marie Nguyen

Marie Nguyen is the owner and founder behind the Fizz Nails / Fizz Nail Lounge brand in Houston. She built the business from the ground up with a clear passion for beauty and service.  • She grew up in a large family with Vietnamese immigrant parents and learned the beauty trade early on, helping in her family’s nail salon. Read more>>

Stephanie Kyles

I didn’t set out to build a “mortgage brand.” I started by learning how to do the work well. More than twenty years ago, I entered the mortgage industry at a time when everything was paper-heavy, relationship-driven, and built on trust. I learned the business from the inside out: processing, structuring loans, solving problems, and understanding guidelines at a granular level. Read more>>

Desiree Cortez

My journey began at a young age, practicing on family and friends, where I quickly discovered my passion for hair. I started doing hair outside of my home, and soon after learned I was pregnant with my son. The early stages of my journey were challenging as I navigated building and promoting my clientele while pregnant. Read more>>

German Alexander

I actually started my creative journey behind a screen, not behind a camera. Before I ever picked up photography, I spent about a year teaching myself Photoshop. I was obsessed with understanding every tool…what it did, why it existed, and how it could change an image. It wasn’t easy at all in the beginning. Read more>>

Ericka Coco

Hi, my name is Ericka Coco, and I’m originally from a small town called Sorrento, Louisiana. While I come from a small town, I’ve always had big-city dreams. In 2018, my husband and I took a leap of faith and relocated to the Houston area, where we’ve been building our life ever since. Professionally, my background is in finance and accounting. Read more>>

Peggy Zhang

Before stepping into the world of baking professionally, I spent years working as a CPA. While it was a stable and rewarding career, baking had always been my creative escape. What began as a hobby slowly became a passion I couldn’t ignore. I’m completely self-taught, learning through countless hours of practice, experimentation, and curiosity in my own kitchen. Read more>>

Eric & Myra Delgado

My wife and I had initially gone to a bee keeping class at Texas Bee Supply in Dayton (which is no longer open). We were looking for a way to spend quality time together and also take a break from parenting for a few hours, a date night if you will, but obviously during the day. Read more>>

Keisha Griggs

My story begins where food and memory meet. I’m a Trinidadian-born, American-raised chef, and in my culture, good food always came with a great story. Cooking was never just about eating, it’s about gathering, laughter, history, and care. From a very young age, I understood that food had the power to connect people, and that understanding has guided every step of my journey. Read more>>

Te’Quell Tyler

I have always been an enthusiast of multiple things, but most especially – Disney, Dolls, Amusement Parks,Traveling, and creating outfits. Most recently, I fell in love with ‘Disney Bounding’ – creating outfits by using color block to represent a Disney character. Being born in the late 70s, I was able to witness the evolution from analog to digital society. Read more>>

Cornelia Johnson, MA, LPC

My name is Cornelia Johnson, LPC and I am a Counselor in Spring Texas. My story starts with a deep love for helping people. Even as a child, others naturally came to me for advice and mediation. I knew by age 12 that I wanted to be a counselor. Read more>>

Janice Morono

Gracie Barra The Woodlands opened in 2007. We have a large Kids and Adults program for Brazilian Jui Jitsu, Muay Thai, and MMA training. I run the gym with my husband, Alex Morono. He has been training here from day one. Our Head Muay Thai coach, Matt Wald and Alex have been training together over 15 years. Read more>>

Sanna Roling

Dream Catcher Stables Inc was established (by three women) as an all volunteer charity with just 4 athletes, 4 volunteers, 1 horse, and a $5000 debt. As we enter our 27th year we are debt free, have 9 horses, 73 volunteers, 83 athletes, just over $31,000 in cash, $312,088 in fixed assets, and have set our sights on a capital campaign to acquire a permanent program home. Read more>>

Salmina Tarek

Like many immigrant families, my parents left Bangladesh in pursuit of the American dream — not for wealth, but for the chance to live honestly and with integrity. In Bangladesh, my father was a government physician and held a senior role in health administration. He worked closely with NGOs and even supervised the Rohingya camps in the 1990s. Read more>>

Sarah Villarreal

My journey into personal styling began during a season when getting dressed became an afterthought. After becoming a mom, I noticed how much that shift impacted my self-esteem, mood, and energy. I experienced firsthand the deep emotional connection between what we wear and how we feel, and I realized many other women were navigating the same disconnect. Read more>>

Staci J

when i was 7 years old my grandma was disable and i help care for ,from that moment at 7 years old i know that was calling was to help the elderly . as i got older i started my career in nursing caregiving for the elderly . Read more>>

Balderas Tamale Factory

Our parents started selling tamales out of a white Chevrolet astro van, they had a route they would do throughout the week. The plan was to only sell tamales, and they were perfectly content with that, but after our grandparents suggested to put food that they sold at their restaurant in Round Rock, Texas our parents said why not… Read more>>

Tiana Banks

My story starts on Pool Street in Linden, Alabama, where I was raised by my great-grandmother, Willie Nell, and my great-uncle, Rick. By the age of seven, my grandmother had me in the kitchen cooking and baking, while my uncle Rick was the one who always showed me “how it’s really done. Read more>>

Mary Carol Edwards

Entrepreneurs reading this will relate to the 14 hour workdays and living off your savings for a scary amount of time. I said goodbye to a lot of my possessions at The Guild consignment shop and Facebook marketplace in the early days! Then the next year there was the pandemic, but the upside was that the PPP and SBA loans helped us keep going and invest in our farm down in Alvin. So there have been challenges but there is nothing else that I would rather be doing. Finding people along the way that feel the same has been amazing. Read more>>

Sharon Hinds

We provide virtual Intensive Outpatient Substance Abuse treatment(IOP), virtual Supportive Outpatient Substance Abuse treatment (SOP), virtual Thinking for a Change program, stand-alone Assessments, Relapse Prevention Counseling, Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Trauma Focused Therapy, with experience in trauma-informed care. We are honored to serve our community.  Read more>>

Mrs Lakelvia Chatham

I’ve heard many times if you ever want to make God laugh tell him your plans. In December of 2017 I quit my job expecting to start another job within the next day. I’d just moved into my new apartment about a month prior to. Read more>>