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.

misty Baumann

September 1, 2011, my husband, Phil Baumann (of Baumann Paint & body) was diagnosed with brain cancer called Glioblastoma Multiforme, Grade 4. A Glioma is the main group of brain tumors, occurring in 65% of brain tumors. Glioblastoma originates in the glial cells that surround and support neurons. It is highly resistant to radiation and chemotherapy and so invasive that surgery almost never eliminates it. Read More>>

Dr. Janne Chuang

My story started when I was a little girl whose vision seemed to get worse every year. My glasses prescription was very high, and my nearsightedness progressed quickly. Seeing leaves on trees felt like a luxury — something I only experienced briefly after getting a new pair of glasses every few years. Read More>>

Jason Wiltshire

Rooftop Boxer formed in 2019, modeling our songs and sound off early punk with a touch Motown soul and rock-n-roll thrown in to make things interesting. Our start was quickly put on pause due to the oncoming pandemic but by mid-2021, we were back at full steam. Read More>>

tyaisha Denise

My journey into entrepreneurship started way before I had a clue what that even meant. I never understood why family and friends consistently tapped me to plan or organize something on their behalf. It was second nature for me to take seemingly complicated projects, account for resources, the unknowns (because it’s always a possibility), and execute it. Read More>>

Elchanan Brown

I trained as an architect in Melbourne, Australia, and qualified as a registered architect in Victoria after a masters in architecture at RMIT. I spent years at top firms in Australia, including work on the redevelopment of Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. Then I did something a lot of architects never do. Read More>>

Olawale Shogbola

I immigrated to the United States from Nigeria when I was 10 years old. My parents made tremendous sacrifices to give my siblings and me opportunities they never had. My mother, who has since passed away, worked multiple jobs for many years to make sure we were cared for, often at the expense of her own health. Read More>>

Marissa Valsin

My journey into catering began more than 25 years ago when I helped a family member prepare for a catered event. I spent time helping with the food prep and behind-the-scenes work, and that experience opened my eyes to the creativity, organization, and satisfaction that comes with feeding people and being part of a special occasion. Read More>>

Janice Johnson Dowd

I grew up in El Lago, Texas, in the shadow of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. I was raised by loving parents, including a father who struggled with alcoholism. Like many children growing up in families affected by addiction, I faced my share of challenges, but I was fortunate to have several mentors who helped shape my path. Read More>>

Jen Johnson

5 years ago my husband and I put an offer on an existing surf shop in Galveston. Knowing virtually nothing about running a business let alone surfing! I’m a former Elementary Art Teacher, so at least I had people and organizational skills. My Mom had passed away the week before we closed on the shop. Read More>>

Monica Amariz

My story is one of reinvention, faith, and following intuition. I was born and raised in Colombia, surrounded by design and construction. Both of my parents are architects, and my father founded a construction company when I was a baby. Design was always part of my world, but at 15 years old, I chose a different path and studied Industrial Engineering. Read More>>

Michael Cato

Im 41, born and raised in houston texas.. southpark to be exact.. im a custom painter/artist. Been painting since I was a little kid. I was heavy into hip-hop and got inspired by graffiti and lowriders.. I started to airbrush t shirts in middle school and got deeper into lowriders. I had all the magazines and the paint jobs blew my mind.. Read More>>

Colitha Bush

I grew up in Port Arthur, Texas — in a family that had its own rules about what you said out loud and what you kept close. That shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand until much later. I was sixteen when I met the man who would change my life forever. Read More>>

Sharon BRIER

I started the Children’s Museum of Houston in 1980 when I was 30 years old;,inspired by the Denver Children’s Museum which at the time was in a small strip center and was about 3000 sq ft. I watched my 8 year old son and a niece and nephew ages 6 and 9. Read More>>

Kellie Washington

Kellie Cheree began as a hobby. At the time, I was working in a factory where I was laid off every six months, and candle making became something creative that I looked forward to during those periods. I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t building a business with a long-term vision. Everything changed in 2017 when my grandfather passed away. Read More>>

Abigail Stockbridge

I grew up with a pretty simple life. I’m the youngest of four kids, and both of my parents worked incredibly hard to provide for our family. We never had much, but we always had enough. Looking back, I realize how much they sacrificed to make sure we were taken care of. Read More>>

1000 PERCENT

1000 PERCENT started making music and writing songs at a very early age. He began producing music and DJing in High School, making various beats and mixes that he would upload to Soundcloud and YouTube. He is a multi-disciplinary artist who also began learning about digital media and marketing at the age of 13. Read More>>

Crystal Stucker

I found my way into the beauty industry in my mid-twenties as a second career, and it quickly became so much more than a job—it became my passion. As a military spouse at the time, I had the opportunity to work in different states and experience a variety of salon environments, each one teaching me something new about the industry and myself. Read More>>

Bao Tran

Bloomu Studio started in June 2025 during a season of uncertainty for my fiancé and me. After my fiancé was unexpectedly laid off, I began looking for ways to bring in additional income while still working full-time as an elementary school teacher. Bloomu Studio is an eternal floral business that my friend Vivian and I started from our love of creating. Read More>>

Ashlyn Hart

My business started on accident. I was doing my own professional learning while going to grad school and started sharing about how it was changing my teaching practice. People got interested. I remember polling my Instagram audience asking if they would want a live training on a particular content area and hundreds of people registered. That’s when I knew I may have landed on something. Read More>>

Emily Castro

Hi! I’m Emily, my clients call me Coach Em! I made it to this point in my career off of a love for guiding people through their fitness journeys. I show up everyday with the hope to make a difference in at least one person’s life. My coaching style is rooted in empowerment and my go to phrase is “Go Be Great”. Read More>>

Sydney Cousin

I’ve always had a passion for beauty and cosmetics. In fact, my journey started long before lashes—I even took cosmetology classes in high school. Beauty has always been something that inspired me, and I knew I wanted to build a career around helping others feel confident. Read More>>

Jinxie Peruzzi

I actually started on the baby clothing side of retail, with a strong focus on high-quality, organic, and eco-friendly products. As I worked toward opening a brick-and-mortar location, I found it challenging to secure funding on my own as a woman business owner. Read More>>

Sky Wong

Hi, I’m Sky — chef and owner of Tins here in Houston.I’m originally from New York, so how I start my everything and about my past . At 15, I told my mom I wasn’t going back to school. Read More>>

Dr. Tangela Stoot

My journey has been one of faith, perseverance, healing, and purpose. I was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and from an early age I experienced challenges that shaped my life. My parents divorced when I was young, and I watched my mother battle serious health issues while our family navigated difficult transitions. During those seasons, prayer became my refuge and my source of strength. Read More>>

Stephanie Haden

As an art educator who began in public schools, I discovered a lack of creative art class opportunities on the southeast side of Houston. Read More>>

Ericka Babygirl De Leon

I came from nothing. Not the kind of nothing that gets romanticized later — real nothing. Little money, less direction, and a world that wasn’t built to catch girls like me when they fell. I dropped out of high school. By 16, I was a mother. Struggle wasn’t a season — it was a way of life I inherited without asking for it. Read More>>

Christopher Jarmon

Storytelling has always been at the center of who I am. Long before I stepped onto a college campus, I was developing my voice as a writer and artist, using creativity to explore ideas and create meaningful connections with people and communities. That passion ultimately led me to Texas Southern University, where I pursued studies in Entertainment Management and Film & Media Studies. Read More>>

Nikkie Handy

If you had told 18-year-old me that one day I’d be coaching business owners, analyzing financials, helping build systems, and speaking to leaders across multiple states, I would have laughed and pointed you back to my preschool classroom. My career began more than 26 years ago in early childhood education. Read More>>

Max Gerall

I never set out to start a nonprofit. I came to Texas A&M as a college student from Houston, eager to build a career and make something of myself. Like a lot of students, I thought success was about grades, internships, and finding the right job. Read More>>

Margot Hogan

Like most entrepreneurs, I didn’t have a perfectly mapped out business plan. I started with an idea, creative instinct and a willingness to take a risk. What I didn’t expect is that one month after launching Transparent Sunglasses, I’d be styling musicians at the Grammy’s. Read More>>

Torenzo Rogers

My entrepreneurial journey actually started years ago. While I’ve always worked a traditional 9 to 5, I’ve always had a desire to build something of my own and not rely solely on one source of income. Back in Chicago around 2012, I started bartending and quickly discovered that I enjoyed creating experiences and serving people. Read More>>

Jocelyn Flores

Art has always been the thread connecting every stage of my life. As a child, I was drawn to all forms of creative expression—music, visual arts, and performance. Although I pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and later earned an MBA, my creative curiosity never faded. For several years, I built a career in recruiting and immersed myself in the corporate world. Read More>>

CORINNE MANETTO

I am trained as both a Medical Psychologist as well as a Neuroscientist. My area of expertise for the majority of my career has been focused in Oncology and Pain Management. Over the span of my career, I worked with many cancer patients of various ages, stages of diagnoses and disease status. Read More>>

Padon Suber

My journey has always been rooted in music. I started as a musician first — learning different instruments, performing, writing, and developing my ear for creating emotion through sound. Over the years, I’ve grown from being a player into becoming a songwriter, producer, performer, bandleader, and musical director. Music has taken me through many different seasons. Read More>>

Mayra Alabi

My name is Mayra ‘Mayan Queen’ Alabi. I was born in Guatemala and have spent my life building experience across several industries, including healthcare, cosmetology, business, and entrepreneurship. Throughout my journey, I have always been passionate about connecting with people, education, and community engagement. Read More>>

Jessica Mai

I’ve always been a creative but was always scared to put myself out there until I decided I was going to do the uncomfortable and just post. So it has really only been about 6 month since i’ve been posting about my interests (Houston Gems, Thrifting, Home Decor, & Fashion) and the growth i’ve seen so far is crazy. Read more>>

Michael E. Johnson

I remember drawing my picture and showing my Uncle Bob who suggested that I make one of the character’s hat bigger to fit his head. This simple suggestion opened my mind up to thinking about all of the details involved in drawing something accurately. Soon after, it became my goal to try to draw things exactly as they looked, which was my understanding of what creating a proper drawing was as an artist. Read more>>