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.
OLUWATOBI ADELEKE
My journey into mental health advocacy is deeply personal. I migrated from Nigeria with dreams of building a better life, but like many immigrants, that transition came with its own emotional and psychological challenges. Growing up, I saw firsthand how mental health issues affected members of my family, yet these struggles were rarely acknowledged or addressed. Read more>>
leila peraza
Space Montrose began in 2010, founded by Carlos and me with a simple dream: to create a place where our community could come together and support independent artists and entrepreneurs. We wanted a space that didn’t just sell beautiful things, but shared the stories behind the makers who created them. Over the years, we’ve had the honor of representing hundreds of artists and creators. Read more>>
Gaëlle Till
I have always loved photography but never thought about it as a career before because I didn’t believe I still could change path after 4 kids and starting over later in life but I did and I absolutely love what I do. Read more>>
Renata Goos
SHINE Photography began as a way to merge my passion for photography with my business expertise. Most of my career was spent in large corporations, but after having two kids, I decided to step back from the corporate world. Read more>>
Kayllie Felske
Tiny Magnetics started with a real life motherhood moment that revealed a problem I could not ignore. Toddlerhood is full of joy, curiosity, and big personalities. My daughter has always been fiercely independent, and I love that about her. She wants to do everything herself. At the time, I was finishing maternity leave and returning to a job that required a long daily commute. Read more>>
Kamilah Thomas
My journey started in the mental health field more than 15 years ago, long before entrepreneurship was ever part of the plan. I became a therapist because I was deeply drawn to helping people heal, especially high-achieving women who looked “successful” on the outside but were silently struggling on the inside. Read more>>
Janice Hernandez
I was born and raised in New York City, and my creative journey began in 2015 when my dad gifted me my first camera. At the time, I dreamed of becoming a YouTuber, like so many creatives of that era, but that camera quietly opened the door to a deeper passion. Read more>>
DaleTrice Young
My story is I was a girl from a small town known as Mccomb , Ms . I was always a book worm and the person that spoke out . At the age of 13 years old , I developed type 1 diabetes which led to later complications in my life such as surviving a diabetic coma in 4 days . Read more>>
RonNesha Harris
Angie’s Scents Candle Co. was founded in 2023 as a tribute to my mother, who passed away from COVID-19 in 2020. What began as a deeply personal journey through grief slowly transformed into something far greater than I could have ever imagined. In the midst of my healing, creating candles became both a form of therapy and a way to keep my mother’s memory alive. Read more>>
Annie Li
when we looked at the growing community in Katy, we saw a vibrant, diverse neighborhood that truly appreciates authentic global flavors. However, we felt there was a missing piece in the local dining scene: the authentic, soulful experience of Yunan Rice Noodle. Read more>>
Chantel and Renee Mark
Chantel and I have been business partners for over a decade, brought together by a shared heart for service and a deep compassion for people. When we were introduced to the idea of creating a boarding home for seniors, we were immediately drawn to the opportunity to truly make a difference. Read more>>
Sade Beaulieu
I’ve felt drawn to helping others from a very young age, even before I had the language to describe what that would look like professionally. While I didn’t originally set out to become a counselor, my early academic path was rooted in Nursing, and the transition into counseling felt both organic and deeply aligned with who I am. Read more>>
Megan Maberry
I’m from Galveston, a place with a festival culture that runs almost year-round, and I’ve been making fun things to sit on my head during festivities for as long as I can remember — usually talking my friends into wearing them too. Read more>>
Jessica Howell
I didn’t begin my career with a background in marketing or formal training in the field. It actually started while I was training for a duathlon with my sister. To pass the time during long treadmill runs, I began up-skilling by watching YouTube videos on coding and website building. Read more>>
Dean Dalton
What led directly to the founding of Dean Dalton Tours was a meeting in 1994, instigated by the founder of a Houston-based, opera-focused tour company. At that time, I was the host of KUHF radio’s Morning Show of classical music and arts interviews. Read more>>
Paul Adams
I was a medic for over 35 years and woodworking was my hobby and my escape from a LODD. I started like most just messing around doing crafts which later turned into me making my daughters graduation gifts. Read more>>
Evgeniia Omarova
My story began far away, in Kyrgyzstan, with my grandmother and her garden. She owned a large garden, and as a child I loved watching her work among the plants. Despite her fragile appearance and small stature, she cared for every flower with incredible tenderness and patience. Read more>>
Hateem Anwar
Ever since I was a child, cars have been a passion of mine. I’ve been in the automotive industry since 2011 and founded Auto Glow six years ago. One of my earliest memories is washing cars as a kid and genuinely enjoying every part of it. That early experience motivated me to start a business built around something I truly love. Read more>>
Barry Rosen
Most people tell their story like a perfectly scripted movie, you know, “I had a dream, I trained, I succeeded.” My story is more like a director’s cut with surprise cameos, plot twists, and an inordinate amount of caffeine. Read more>>
Eric Whaley
I have always been an artist with a creative streak, but necessity had me following a different career path for many years. I served in the Marine Corp shortly after highschool, and ended up driving trucks over the road for over 20 years after I got out of the military. Read more>>
Lindsey Tipple
Teaching dance and owning my studio was a dream I had in High School. In my early 20s I started my career as a Professional Ballroom Dance Instructor. I wanted it to be my only career, so I pushed myself to learn more, get more certifications, and compete as much as possible. I’ve always loved performing and competing. Read more>>
Jesus Manjarrez
My life has been very eventful since I could remember. When I was young about 4years old my mom decided to get a better life in the dream land USA. Read more>>
Caren Chellgren
After graduating from Kansas State University School of Veterinary Medicine, I moved to Texas for an internship at a busy equine hospital. After 3 years there, I decided to open my own practice. Horse and Hound Mobile Veterinary Services opened in August of 2018. It started as just equine medicine, but has grown to a mixed animal practice. Read more>>
Skip Nguyen
Over a decade ago, I was helping out at my family’s Vietmanese restaurant in California. Years later, I met my now wife and that’s when I decided to move to Houston. Her Brother in law, David Tu, who was also a good friend of mine had an idea to open a second location of his family’s restaurant (Dan’s Seafood & Wings). Read more>>
Paula Dixon
As with any story, there is never a clear simple road. For me, my design journey began at a young age–with Barbie dolls and a spiritual gift of creativity. My mom was a teen single mother doing her best with limited resources in the 80s, which meant that when it came to playtime, creativity filled the voids. Read more>>
Felipe Rodriguez
Felipe Rodriguez – An Inspiring Journey Felipe Rodriguez was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he discovered at an early age a passion for engineering and building. In 1994, he graduated as a Civil Engineer, convinced that through discipline, integrity, and hard work he could create a better future for himself and his family. Read more>>
Anthony Clay
I’ve spent over 25 years working in the food service industry, learning the craft from the ground up. Cooking has always been more than a job for me—it’s been a calling. With encouragement from my wife, I stepped out on faith and decided to turn that passion into a business. I initially launched Smoke Sumthin with Donnie, offering smoked meats in bulk for events. Read more>>
Oneil Fuller
Support HVACR Trade Inc. was founded to close the gap between HVACR education and real-world job readiness. As both an HVAC contractor and instructor, I saw students leaving programs with theory but lacking confidence and practical skills, and employers left to bridge that gap on their own. Instead of waiting for the system to change, I built what was missing. Support HVACR Trade Inc. Read more>>
Shawn Coffey
From working as a brick mason to equipment operator, then 23 yrs ago taking a position as a concrete cutter, which led to my passion today. I was introduced along with my previous skills to learn this craft and to find it so natural to me. I became an Csda certified operator in 2004. Read more>>
Tina Melamed Jaremko
I’m a Houstonian born and raised. I went to Bellaire High School, then UT Austin undergraduate, and then TCU for a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology. From there, I came back to Houston to work for HISD. Read more>>
Gili Mor
I began working in wholesale diamonds in Dallas in 2012, and after moving to Houston in 2014, I opened my own business. In 2020, we launched Diamond Exchange Houston with the goal of beating retail prices and offering the public true wholesale pricing. Read more>>
Claudia Montalvo
Slashed by Claudia was created from a passion for lash artistry and a love for horror, specifically slasher films. What began as a creative interest evolved into a brand focused on delivering high-quality, customized lash services with a bold and distinctive edge. Read more>>
Blessing Blaai
I started art at 32 flavours art studio where I learned a variety of techniques from painting to print making. From then I moved to study at the artist proof studio which is a full on printmaking school(the duration of the course was 3 years). After this I assisted one of my mentors( Vivien Korhler) while establishing a career. Read more>>
Takiya Jarnagin
I hadn’t updated my Voyage Houston feature in nearly four years, but revisiting it recently made me pause and truly reflect on how far I’ve come. In 2015, at just 17 years old, I left home to attend the illustrious Clark Atlanta University, where I studied fashion and business. While in Atlanta, I began discovering who I was beyond the classroom. Read more>>
Monica Longoria
My journey is deeply rooted in service, family, and creativity. I come from a family where trusting God, work ethic, resilience, and showing up for others were instilled early on. Service was modeled in real life, not just spoken about, and that foundation shaped how I move through the world. Read more>>
Linda Lopez
I’ve been interested in the brain and in helping people for as long as I can remember. That really started with my first psychology class in high school—it immediately clicked for me and felt like a natural path to pursue in college. Read more>>
Amenta B.
My path hasn’t been linear—it’s been organic, much like the plants I work with. I’ve always been drawn to creation in its many forms: art, sound, design, and nature. Early on, I expressed that through sewing, graphic design, and vocal music, but plants were always quietly present in my life as a source of grounding, healing, and curiosity. Read more>>
