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.
Traniecshia Turner
My journey is a story of resilience, purpose, and learning to embrace my beauty through every challenge life has placed in front of me. For years, I have lived with keratoconus, a condition that has impacted my vision and left me partially blind in my right eye. Read more>>
Toynika Lewis
My journey in phlebotomy began with a simple desire to make a difference in healthcare. What started as learning how to draw blood quickly became a passion for patient care, education, and professional excellence. As I gained experience in clinical settings, I realized that I didn’t just enjoy performing the skill—I loved teaching it and helping others build the confidence to succeed. Read more>>
Crissy Lavoz
My journey into baking started the way most meaningful things do, through love. A deep love for animals led me to explore plant-based living, and that naturally spilled into my baking. I discovered that vegan baking wasn’t about taking things away, it was about getting creative, and I fell completely in love with the process. Read more>>
Trojan Noble
My name is Trojan Noble, and I am a proud father of 2 boys, Trenton & Tristan, faithful husband to my beautiful wife Krystal Noble. Read more>>
Oaks A
I’m Oke, though in the coffee world most people know me as Oaks, the Coffee Guy. I run Everyday Beans, a coffee education brand that lives across YouTube, a podcast, and a newsletter called It Smells Better Than it Taste. I didn’t come up through a fancy café or a barista competition. Read more>>
Kenneth Pongratz
I got started because I’ve always had a passion for animals and enjoyed working with dogs. What began as helping family and friends with their pets turned into something I wanted to pursue professionally. As I gained more experience, I learned about grooming, proper pet care, and responsible breeding. Read more>>
Adrian Medina
My story feels a little unreal whenever I take the time to look back at it. My name is Adrian Medina, and I am originally from Corpus Christi, Texas. Creativity has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Read more>>
Sentilion
What started as a dream in high school eventually became reality when Gabriel and I, Danny, decided to form a band that ended up doing terrible on our first attempt to perform in front of a crowd at a school talent show. We then switched gears, got new members, and formed the first Sentilion lineup in 2014. Read more>>
Andy Biggs
My path into the safari business actually started with a camera, not a spreadsheet. I’ve spent close to 25 years building a career around wildlife photography — spending real time in the African bush, learning to read animal behavior, understanding light and timing, and falling in love with Africa one trip at a time. Read more>>
Camille Roark
I don’t think there’s one big moment where I decided, “I’m going to be a makeup artist.” It happened little by little. I fell in love with the creative side of it, kept saying yes to opportunities, and somehow those opportunities grew into a career that’s taken me places I never imagined. Read more>>
Ayodeji Mohammed
My journey into cake artistry began with my son’s birthdays. For his third birthday, I ordered a custom cake, but when I saw the finished product, I knew it wasn’t quite what I had envisioned. Read more>>
Sara Amer
Sukar started from my love for coffee and matcha. I started by making drinks for my family and friends, and they always encouraged me to turn it into something more. I eventually began serving drinks from home, and what started as a small idea quickly grew with the support of my community and social media. Read more>>
Laura Sharp
Before entering the real estate industry, I spent 15 years as an elementary school teacher. While I loved teaching, I eventually reached a point in my career where I felt ready for a new challenge and wanted to explore a different way to help and educate people. I decided to pursue my real estate license and begin a new chapter in my career. Read more>>
Joan Son
I’ve always been crazy about paper. As a child folding fortune tellers and using them to divine a future was exciting. And it was magical to make tissue paper carnations transforming a 2D tissue into a 3D object. As a 9 year old I spent days designing paper doll dresses, my first FLOW experience. Then my best friend taught me to fold an origami crane. Read more>>
Lauren Clark
My name is Lauren Clark aka DJ LC I have been a professional open format DJ and MC for 6 years. I have always loved music, I grew up singing and being involved heavily in music as my mother was the minster of music at our church growing up. Read more>>
Jillian Krohne
My mom taught me how to play Mah Jongg when I was 8 years old, on the 1992 NMJL card. Read more>>
Nina Nicole
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, I started my entertainment career around 2012 as a songwriter and underground radio host. During my Cleveland tenure I was nominated for several Ohio Hip Hop Awards in addition to becoming the recipient for multiple COMA & Rebel Army Radio Awards. At around 2017 I decided to make the move to Houston where my entire career elevated. Read more>>
Taylor Sanders
My career in social media marketing really began with an unexpected turning point. After being laid off from my role as a Social Media Specialist, I had a choice: start over or bet on myself. I chose the second option. What began as freelance social media management quickly grew into opportunities to work with seven- and eight-figure entrepreneurs, YouTubers, podcasters, business coaches, and finance creators. Read more>>
Ocheona Waller
I like to mention that I ‘traded in my 2 degrees to wax coochie’! This statement goes back to me practicing Social Work post Masters Degree during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. During that time I begin to pick up an urge for correcting issues within my skin such as dark spots, dryness, and textured skin. Read more>>
Danaja Jai
I’m originally from Buffalo, New York, and creativity has always been part of who I am. Growing up, I was quiet and observant, but I also found humor and inspiration in the world around me. Read more>>
Breathing Space (Emi Salinas)
Maura and I got together shortly after our senior year of highschool. I was pursuing music on a whim, and she had years of singing jazz and musical theatre under her belt. She took a chance on me because making music was important enough of an outlet to both of us that she allowed me the time to develop and hone my craft. Read more>>
Morrinah Kamara
My journey started with Her Millennial Closet, where I shared my love for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle while building a community of women who trusted my style and recommendations. Through content creation and brand partnerships, I discovered a passion for creating something of my own. That passion led to Suah Clothing, a luxury fashion brand inspired by confidence, timeless style, and my Liberian heritage. Read more>>
Javier Amaya
I pretty much started tattooing when I was in the ARMY. a few of my friends saw that I was always drawing, and convinced me to tattoo them. I ordered a tattoo kit from a magazine and I started doing small tattoos in the barracks. Read more>>
Tori Johnson
Calypso’s Locker was born from a simple question I couldn’t stop asking myself while cleaning local beaches: How do I make a bigger impact than I can on my own? I realized that awareness alone wasn’t enough, that I needed something sustainable that could continuously fund conservation efforts and get conversations centered around conservation. Read more>>
Sharde Hawkins Knottii Shop
I taught myself how to crochet about 4 years ago. I simply wanted to make a hat. Soon I began making full outfits & sharing them online. As my work began gaining attention, I started selling my handmade clothing under my first brand name ShardeMadeit. After a few years, I felt the need for a fresh start, so I rebranded & launched Knottii Shop. Read more>>
Nicole/Ashlyn/Allysa Shelton
Glam Life Beauty Bar was inspired by my mom, who spent over 12 years in the beauty and direct sales industry. Growing up, my sister and I were surrounded by makeup, entrepreneurship, and the importance of helping women feel confident. Those experiences sparked our passion for the beauty industry from a young age. Read more>>
Nancy Anyanwu
I started my career in nursing and spent over a decade in healthcare, working across urgent care and family practice as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Over time, I saw firsthand how much of a difference consistent, compassionate support makes for patients and families, especially outside of clinical settings. That experience eventually pushed me to build something of my own. Read more>>
Allicia Wiley
I was born with a rare congenital heart condition called Heterotaxy, and just three days after I was born, I had to have a pacemaker implanted. Growing up, my childhood looked a lot different than most. I spent a lot of time in and out of hospitals, dealing with various health complications that caused me to miss a significant amount of school. Read more>>
Dallas Chamberlain
I’ve always been drawn to creativity, design, and building relationships with people. After earning my bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing from the University of Houston, I started my career in luxury automotive sales. That experience taught me the importance of providing an exceptional customer experience, and I was fortunate to consistently be recognized for customer service and top sales. Read more>>
Rebecca Smith
I got my start while living in Minnesota, not long after having my second baby girl. Cooking and hosting have always been part of who I am, I learned it from my mom, who worked full time but still always had fresh food on the table. We rarely ate out, except for special occasions like birthdays or when family was in town visiting. Read more>>
Fernanda Aller
My love for decorating cookies started 6 years ago. I think my passion had been in me for a long time, but I did not see it. Read more>>
Paul Seernani
The year was 1987. US was coming out of a depression. However, Texas, specially Houston was still struggling with a slow economy and the failure of Savings and Loan institutions. I was working in partnership with my brother selling ready to wear dress apparel, like a Men’s warehouse (on a smaller scale). Retail was extremely bad. Read more>>
Yinka Wilson Olowokere
Growing up, I experienced body shaming firsthand. Those experiences shaped me, but instead of letting them define me for too long, they made me curious about why body shaming is so deeply rooted in our culture and what could be done to change it. Read more>>
Danni Gyrl
My name is Danni Gyrl and I am the owner of D’vine Management and Entertainment Group also known as DMEG. We specialize in Indie Artist and small business services. We were founded in April 2012 and have spread nationwide since 2019. Our biggest markets are on the West Coast and in the Mid West. Read more>>
Claude Charlier
I was born in France, where my childhood was deeply influenced by the study of classical music composition, piano, and fine art—disciplines that continue to shape my artistic vision and aesthetic today. From a very young age, I knew I wanted to become an artist. At the age of 11, I discovered photography and fell in love with the magic of the darkroom. Read more>>
Meshah Hawkins
I was born in Oakland, California and raised in Houston’s historic Third Ward, a community that shaped my values, my resilience, and my passion for giving back. I graduated from Jack Yates High School and later earned my Bachelor’s degree in Education from Texas Southern University. My career began in the classroom, where I had the privilege of teaching and mentoring children in underserved communities. Read more>>
