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.

JaKarla Spiller

Early in my career, I was awarded the opportunity to serve on the close-knit team that orchestrated arrangements and final disposition of the world-renowned services for Mr. George Floyd in 2020. I was responsible for coordinating logistics for the multiple day service where thousands of native Houstonians and A-list celebrities were in attendance. The historical service was live streamed all over the world. Read more>>

Derius Davis

I started Davis Insight LLC focused strictly on web design. I believed the website was the main solution, but as I worked with more entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and creatives, it became clear that the site was only the entry point. Behind every project were deeper needs like unclear vision, inconsistent messaging, and a lack of structure to support growth. People didn’t just need a better website. Read more>>

Melvin Stakely Jr

Where I am today in my career is nothing more than a display of never giving up on myself or my dreams. Coming from a background of obesity, nutritional deserts, and from communities where we are fed processed and nutrient dense and deficient foods. The gaps in cost of living and access to healthy produce and food products can most times be scarce. Read more>>

Pooja Prabhakar

My first introduction into orthopedic surgery was the summer after I graduated high school in Katy ISD, when I shadowed Dr. Valerae Lewis at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Read more>>

Brenna Cooper

I didn’t grow up planning to become a dog groomer. I actually applied at PetSmart on a whim—just to try something new and see where it led. What started as an apprenticeship quickly turned into a calling. Read more>>

Juan Devis

I started my career in web development over a decade ago, working hands-on with websites of all types and sizes. Over the years, I’ve worked with hundreds of clients across different industries, which gave me a strong understanding of how businesses actually use technology to grow—not just how it looks, but how it performs. Read more>>

Angela Henderson

I was still a little girl when I first learned that numbers told stories. Read more>>

Jeremy G

Maid Nice Cleaning started from something I’ve witnessed for years while serving my community through pharmacy. Working in a pharmacy, you see real life up close; exhausted parents, the elderly trying to stay independent, and people carrying more stress than they ever show. Over time, I learned what people often need most is relief and peace of mind. Read more>>

Wilfredo Soto

I’m from Puerto Rico. I moved to Houston in 2016. Then I started working for a company that built luxury homes. My job was to keep the houses clean and tidy. Then I started driving for Uber and Lyft for a couple of hours. Read more>>

Becca Nushell Hughes

I’ve been tattooing for almost 21 years, and honestly, tattooing is something that kind of happened to me. I walked into a tattoo shop with a drawing I had made for my husband’s first tattoo, and the artist was blown away by it. He told me I should be an artist. Something I had never even considered for myself. Read more>>

Danny Nguyen

My name is Danny Nguyen, and I’m the founder and designer of Danny Nguyen Couture. The brand is a reflection of a lifetime of growth — shaped as much by my upbringing and personal values as by my professional experience. Discipline and persistence sit at the center of everything I create. Read more>>

Nathan Shotts

I’m a veterinarian by training and, at heart, someone who has always wanted to make high-quality veterinary care more accessible. I graduated from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and have been practicing in the Houston area since 2014. Read more>>

Traeliqua Armstead

I was scrolling on Facebook when I noticed a post my cousin’s wife had shared to her newsfeed ‘ become a tax prepare earning up to 6 figures in 90 days’. and it instantly caught my attention because at the time I was a stay-at-home mother of three with little to no income due to my daughter being diagnosed with epilepsy. Read more>>

Zack Jurasek

I didn’t start out trying to build a company. I started out trying to solve a problem that annoyed me. I’m an engineer by nature. If something doesn’t exist and should, my brain won’t let it go. Years ago, I went night kayaking and realized the experience was cool, but this can be GREAT. I taught myself LED electronics, marine lighting, weather analysis, and fabrication. Read more>>

Oscar Flores

We created Houston to Galveston because we noticed a clear pattern: thousands of people arrive in Houston every week with one goal—getting to Galveston—and they have no clear, human, reliable solution to do it. They arrive tired, with luggage, on tight schedules, some nervous because they’re about to board a cruise, others traveling for the first time, and some accompanying their families. Read more>>

San Juanita Reed

My name is San Juanita Reed, and I am the founder and owner of Thriving Roots Speech Therapy, LLC. After almost seven years of experience in the field of speech language pathology, I ventured out into private practice to improve the lives of my patients as well as my own. Read more>>

Yesenia Arteaga

I’m an immigrant, a single mother, and an entrepreneur driven by purpose. I came to this country with the dream of building a better future for my daughter and creating something meaningful, not just for myself, but for others as well. I’ve always been someone who naturally helps people, sharing knowledge, solving problems, and guiding others through challenges. Read more>>

Ali Qureshi

I was born and raised in southwest Houston, specifically Alief, and the deli business has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, even my first birthday was in a deli. Read more>>

Humberto Marquez

I started my career working industrial jobs that often required traveling out of town for extended periods. The days were long — 12 to 16 hours — with very few days off. I did it intentionally because it was the fastest, most accessible way for me to stack capital early on. Read more>>

Maurice Goodwin

My journey to where I am today is really a blend of two worlds: my experiences as a professional singer and my training as a medical professional. I grew up in a household of singers, so performing felt like home early on. That passion led me to study Music Performance at Shenandoah University. Read more>>

Louis Lyons

I was an elementary school teacher, , but life eventually led me back to my family’s roots. I began managing my parents’ restaurant, where I spent several years learning the business from the ground up. Watching them work, I gained firsthand experience in everything from operations and customer service to the importance of consistency, quality, and community. Read more>>

Master Kim, Jongsang

I was raised in South Korea until middle school in a very loving and supportive family. Growing up, my parents encouraged my two younger brothers and me to explore many academies and activities, one of the most meaningful being Taekwondo. Through years of dedication, we each earned our black belts an experience that shaped my discipline, confidence, and character. Read more>>

Ashley Deleon

My journey began when I was in the military. Everyone would come to me with their struggles, needing advice, or needing someone to talk to. I thoroughly enjoyed being someone that was reliable and a safe place for others. I grew to have a strong interest in understanding people and helping others navigate challenges in meaningful ways. Read more>>

Elizabeth Penland

Sonny Cinematics Initially began as a Angus Penland Videography, but after my husband and I lost our pup Sonny we decided to rebrand in order to honor his memory. Sonny meant a lot to both of us, but especially my husband Angus. Before we had met Sonny was his grandfather’s dog. Read more>>

Jean Hawney

Little Eaters & Talkers began long before it had a name. My path into working with children started early, through volunteering in high school and continuing through college. I was drawn to service by participating in mission trips, volunteering in my community, and serving as a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Read more>>

Nicoletta Favaloro

started this journey out of necessity when my own dog faced serious health challenges and I couldn’t find pet food I truly trusted. I began making my own, focusing on real ingredients, transparency, and quality. What started in my kitchen quickly grew through word of mouth, local markets, and community support. Read more>>

Faith Larson

My road to opening and operation a mental health group practice has been anything but a straight career line. I actually started my professional career in law enforcement. I worked as a juvenile probation officer for 8 years and worked with youth ages 10-17 that were involved in the juvenile justice system. Read more>>

Tonya Schorre

I was artistic as a child. I grew up in Houston, TX watching all the PBS art shows like Bob Ross, Commander Mark and multiple others. My grandmother fostered that artistic need and let me draw and scribble on whatever was in grasping range. When I was in high school I took art and just simply loved all aspects of it. Read more>>

rupal mehta

My journey into physical therapy was never just about treatment plans or protocols—it was always about people, movement, and dignity. From the very beginning, I was drawn to understanding how the body heals, adapts, and regains confidence after injury or loss. What started as curiosity slowly grew into commitment, and that commitment ultimately shaped my mastery of the profession. Read more>>

Christen Lewis

I began my professional journey in the mental health field after graduating from Southern University at New Orleans with a Master of Science in Social Work in 2009. My graduate concentration in mental health was where I first discovered a deep and lasting passion for serving individuals and families impacted by mental health challenges. Read more>>

Sonia Rectenwald

My path into travel did not start as a business plan. It started as a life lived abroad. I spent over a decade living in Germany and have been traveling throughout Europe for more than 35 years. Over time, Europe stopped feeling like a destination and started feeling like a second home. Read more>>

Ivan Mariano

I started this business in 2023 with a simple goal: to give people honest, quality automotive work they could actually trust. I saw too many drivers getting overcharged, misled, or treated like just another ticket number—and I knew I could do better. What began with working on cars hands-on and helping friends and family quickly grew into something bigger. Word started spreading. Read more>>

Bryce Kibbey

Gumshoe Property Inspection began when I found myself at a bit of a career crossroads in 2024. I had spent 26+ years working in the retail loss prevention industry on the solution provider side. We provided radio frequency (RF), radio frequency identification (RFID), and software solutions to retailers to help identify and prevent loss in their retail stores and throughout their supply chains. Read more>>

Antonia Jones

I began my nursing career in 1995, but in many ways, my life has always been centered around caring for people. From an early age, I was taught that service, compassion, family, and community matter—and that foundation has guided every step of my journey. Read more>>

Paul Pizzi

I am the President of the Christian Business Luncheon (CBL) of Tomball. CBL was founded in 2005. Every month we have a guest speaker talk to local businessmen & women and share their faith journey and how much his/her Christian faith has meant to them in their life and on the job. Read more>>

Haylee Handly

Beautiful, sure, but often interchangeable. I cared deeply about and advocated for the clients, sometimes more than my role technically allowed. After a few years, I was notified that my position had been “dissolved,” at which point my then-boss suggested that I get out of the wedding industry for good, because I “couldn’t put the client first and the business’s bottom line second.” Read more>>

Preston Ceballos

Over the years, I worked across multiple concepts and roles, gaining a deep understanding of food cost control, labor management, menu development, vendor sourcing, and day-to-day execution. That experience led to opportunities to step in and help underperforming restaurants stabilize operations, improve systems, and become profitable. Read more>>