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.
Ana Marie Pool
From a very young age I had a loving fascination with animals, insects, ocean life…all beings. I developed a great interest in animal welfare and care in elementary school with an early dream to become a veterinarian, however, the universe had a different plan for me. I started volunteering at a local animal shelter by Jr high. Read more>>
Toi Harris
My journey started with a genuine love for bringing people together and creating positive energy through dance. What began as simply enjoying line dancing grew into something much bigger when I realized how much joy, confidence, and connection it could bring to others. Read more>>
Jamaine Davis
I started C. O. A. Global Travel about two years ago. I’ve always had a passion for geography and learning about different cultures. When I was younger, I was fascinated by globes and maps. When the opportunity was presented to me to start my own travel business I didn’t hesitate. Read more>>
Justice Maxwell
Honestly, it was by accident. One day when I was in school studying for veterinary science, a friend of mine asked would I go to a Model rehearsal with her. I agreed and honestly that one choice changed my life. Read more>>
Michael Silverman
I’m Michael Silverman, an independent game developer and the founder of Silverware Games. I’ve spent more than a decade designing, developing, and releasing games, often working across several disciplines—from game design and programming to writing, production, testing, and marketing. My path has not been a straight line or an overnight-success story. Read more>>
Leyla Tina
A lot has changed since my last interview with you guys. I came to the U.S. after years of performing in Azerbaijan, appearing on The Voice and Got Talent, singing for the FIFA World Cup, and unexpectedly building an online audience through ventriloquism. At the time, I was still figuring out what this new chapter of my life would look like. Read more>>
Jennifer Williams
After spending more than 30 years in corporate Human Resources, I made what many people would consider an unexpected career change and pursued portrait photography full-time. Photography had always been a creative outlet, but I wanted to see how far I could push myself—not just technically, but artistically. Read more>>
Linda Duryea
I fell in love with mosaics when I travelled through Europe at a young age. After retirement, I researched this ancient form and quickly realized it was my passion. So, I started taking classes, attended workshops, and also traveled across the U.S. learning from some of the best mosaic artists in the country. Read more>>
SAANVI Abha
I was born in Mountain View, California, and grew up with a lot of music and movement around me: my dad’s a musician at heart and plays guitar as a serious hobby, and my mom’s a yoga therapist and yoga teacher, so between the two of them I feel like I got a bit of both worlds, which is pretty great. Read more>>
Syretta Scott
I have a love for both writing and learning; also a Lover of God and people. I discovered the love for writing in the 5th grade, through an amazing teacher, Nancy Popielarczyk. I have had the privilege of being in the tutelage of great educators and leaders and am grateful for it. Read more>>
Jerri Beasley
My name is Jerri P Beasley and as a child my desire was to always be famous, I would see people on television and hear DJ’s on the radio and knew I was meant to be there!! Read more>>
wendy Rincon
I’m Wendy Rincón, a professional Venezuelan journalist and radio host with 12 years of experience in the radio industry. I currently live in Austin, Texas, a city I moved to 9 years ago and where I have built my career in Spanish-language media. Read more>>
wait4u.web
Ed Lara and I (Grayson Mosk) met while touring with another artist and realized we had a lot of similar musical influences and instincts as writers. We started working on music when we got home, but life got in the way and the songs we had started ended up sitting untouched for about a year. Read more>>
Chef Machete
Chef Trinidad “Machete” Gonzalez grew up around cooking in Galveston, learning from his mother in the kitchen and his father cooking outside. He later worked in California restaurants, where he became especially interested in Asian cuisine, presentation, and plating. But cooking wasn’t initially his full-time career. Read more>>
Paul Lopez
I’ve had a passion for music since I was young. By the time I was 16, I decided that I wanted to pursue music seriously. I worked hard, collaborated with different people, and saved every penny I could to invest in my own equipment. I started by producing instrumentals, and eventually began writing and recording music as well. Read more>>
Joelanda (Jo)
Hi! I’m Jo, the owner of “Jo & Nora’s Soap Co” and I named the company after both myself and my 12 year old daughter. I wanted to create something that was wholesome and authentic like we are, like our products are. Read more>>
Sava Minton
My path to Sava Events was shaped by every side of the event industry. I went to Texas A&M and majored in Parks, Recreation and Tourism with an emphasis in event management, and straight out of college I went to work for a wedding planning firm here in Houston. I loved it and learned so much about the craft of planning. Read more>>
Artur Holosnyi
I am originally from Ukraine, and my story has always been about building something from the ground up. I have been without my parents since I was ten years old, so independence was never a choice I made later in life—it became part of me very early. I learned that no one else could build my future for me. Read more>>
Geniece Webb
One of the moments I’ll never forget happened early in my career as an educator. I remember walking out of a meeting thinking, ‘How did everyone hear the same conversation and leave with completely different understandings?’ That experience stayed with me because I realized the problem wasn’t a lack of talent or commitment—it was a lack of clarity. Read more>>
Catya Martinez-Gloria
I’m a Bryan-College Station native, but at 18, I packed up and moved across the country to Savannah, Georgia, to study fashion and textiles at the Savannah College of Art and Design. It was a deeply creative and formative season of my life. I was surrounded by people who were constantly making, experimenting, asking questions, and dreaming up things that didn’t exist yet. Read more>>
Løtide
We’re four Houston guys who just wanted to make music together. David, Jesse, and Kyle came out of a band that fell apart, and later we roped Seth in. Løtide’s only been a thing since October 2025, so we’re still the new kids on the block. That being said, we’ve already played shows, dropped some singles, and we’ve got our debut album dropping this October. Read more>>
Caroline Schulze
My interest in my passion of graphic design began in high school after taking a graphic design class. After this class, I knew that I wanted to receive a graphic design degree at the university that I decided to attend. I chose the University of Houston to pursue my dreams in graphic design. Read more>>
Jojo Trumbly
My career has never followed a straight line, and I’ve learned that’s actually one of my greatest strengths. My background includes acting and directing, marketing, teaching, HVAC, and eventually business networking. Each era taught me something about people, leadership, and relationships. Read more>>
Yelba Heaton
Yelba is a beloved and well-known performer based out of The Woodlands, TX, but she was actually born in Nicaragua to a musical family and has been involved in music since she could speak. Yelba’s gift for harmonies was perfected by singing with her four siblings and her mother and father, and by age 9 performing live on the Nicaraguan TV show “Junior Panthers”. Read more>>
Jesse Ward
I grew up in a musical family. My dad is a guitarist and singer/songwriter who worked as a band director, and there were other guitar players and singers in my extended family as well. My mom wasn’t a musician, but she has always been incredibly supportive, and I definitely wouldn’t be who I am or doing what I’m doing without her help. Read more>>
Sarah Carter
Sarah Carter— Bio In 2009, I founded San Francisco Showroom, an independent sales representative company for intimate apparel, loungewear, ready-to-wear, swimwear, accessories, and maternity brands. I launched in the middle of a deep recession, when businesses around me were closing in the wake of the 2008 housing crisis — and I grew it anyway, along with the revenue of every brand I represent. Read more>>
Ana Bueno
My journey to becoming an environmental reporter began in Veracruz, Mexico, where I grew up. Veracruz is a coastal city, and spending time on the water is part of everyday life. Kayaking and paddleboarding are especially popular, and one of the most common routes is around ‘Isla de Sacrificios.’ I promise, despite the name, there were no actual human sacrifices involved. Read more>>
JulieAnne Lally
I started my career as a wholesale insurance broker almost 15 years ago. I went to Texas A&M University and knew I did not want to work in finance. Insurance opened itself up to me and I haven’t looked back. I am now a Senior Vice President, Partner and the Real Estate Practice Leader at my company. Read more>>
Hayli Wells
My passion for skin started over 15 years ago because of my own struggle with hormonal acne. I spent years trying different products and treatments without ever really understanding what my skin needed or why I was breaking out in the first place. Eventually, I found an esthetician who completely changed my skin and, in a lot of ways, my life. Read more>>
Gregory Glass
My story is layered like many. I was born in Greenwood MS. I spent most days with family. I was raised in a two parent household until I was 12. My gravel street had aunties and uncles from both sides of my family. Cousins were everywhere, and so was community. After my parents divorced, my mother moved us to Jackson, MS. Read more>>
Ikea Evans
My journey began long before I ever understood what it meant to be an entrepreneur. I was around eight years old when I started braiding hair. At the time, it was simply something I enjoyed and a way to express my creativity. Growing up wasn’t always easy, but hair became an outlet and something I could call my own. Read more>>
Lorena Medinilla
I think I was born with a peculiar eye — for color, for shape, for what is beautiful and what simply isn’t right. Design was always my passion; I couldn’t switch it off if I tried. Read more>>
Laura LaMonaco
My journey into acting began in a completely unexpected way. I saw an ad in a teen magazine for modeling and sent my information to Barbizon. They called while I was at school, and my mom ended up signing me up as a birthday present. Read more>>
Liseth Adams
Well, about one year ago I got married and received my wedding photos back. I’ve always loved photography but as I was checking the photos I seen this beautiful picture of my wedding cake. I got super emotional because my dad made my wedding cake. He learned how to bake by my grandfather who immigrated to the United States from Mexico. Read more>>
Stephanie Gardner
I have always had an interest in mental health because I had many people with addiction and mental health struggles around me growing up. I was selected to be a part of a Peer Assistance Leadership and Service (PALS) program in High School, a program that paired high school students with elementary students to mentor and support them during difficult seasons. Read more>>
sally maxwell
Everyone knew I was an artist but me, I wanted to be a chemist. I was put in a position as an illustrator at a forms company when I was 19 after being hired to be in accounting. I fell in love with the fact you could make money being an artist. This was in the 1960s. Read more>>
Shabanese Nixon
I’m Shabanese Nixon, a Houston-area realtor, wife, mom of two and educator. My professional background is actually in psychology and education, and I’ve earned two postgraduate degrees along the way. Teaching, communicating, and connecting with people have always been a big part of who I am, and those qualities naturally followed me throughout my life. My story has had quite a few chapters. Read more>>
Ceion Scott
Ever since I was a child I always had a love for performance. I found joy in anything that allowed me to create, perform, and express myself. I used to put on private shows for my parents, write my own stories whilst completely immersing myself in the world of storytelling, through film and television. Read more>>
Gary Frisk
Signature Member – Outdoor Painters Society My goal is making the mundane beautiful. I am an award winning artist and my art hangs in corporate offices and in a fine art museum. I always knew I could draw. I started learning about art at an early age when visiting my grandmother, I would look in her art books and sit at her easel. Read more>>
Jonathan McNabb
I’m a Houston native, so the Greater Houston area has always been home. My professional journey has evolved quite a bit over the years; but real estate, business, negotiation, and helping people make important decisions have been common threads throughout it. Read more>>
King Duah
I am a writer, filmmaker, and cinematographer from New Orleans whose creative journey began in music and songwriting. His passion for storytelling expanded into writing poetry and songs across multiple genres, helping me develop a distinctive creative voice. A graduate of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), where I studied Creative Writing, I also gained performance experience by acting in several stage productions. Read more>>
Ric Mendoza
Since I was little I have always been interested in using my imagination to create. I enjoyed acting in theater and independent film projects. I also have years of experience as a graphic designer. Working in film projects motivated me to learn more about the technical aspects of camera work. Read more>>
Syd Moen
As a child, I loved to draw and dreamed of becoming an artist. Like many creative people, I initially pursued a profession, architecture, that I hoped would satisfy that creative drive. I earned a Master of Architecture degree with a focus on historic preservation and reuse, and that training continues to influence the way I see space, structure, and the built environment. Read more>>
Michael Mathis
Michael Mathis: The Vision Behind Handsonfilmz Michael Mathis is an entrepreneur, filmmaker, producer, and visionary who has built his career around one simple belief: great stories deserve the opportunity to be seen. Through Handsonfilmz, Michael has created a company focused on developing, producing, and bringing films from an idea to the screen. Read more>>
Ashley Cressy
The Story Behind Cré Magdalene I started out singing as a toddler. My dad was in several bands and had a recording studio in our home, so I recorded my first song with him when I was three. Obviously it was more of a joke at the time, but it became a notable part of my existence. Read more>>
Nicholas EZ Rios
Growing up as an only child, I spent a lot of my time watching TV and movies and creating my own movie scenes with my toys in my room. I think it trained a part of my brain early on to stage scenes and to think about arranging 3D objects on a 2D plane like a screen. When I graduated from Stephen F. Read more>>
Arlene Nowak
How I got started… that’s a long story but then there is War and Peace, so I guess in all fairness to all my near and dear readers, it’s just a blip! Feel free to skip the boring parts! My heritage and ancestors: Mother, Japan and Father, Bellarus/Poland. I am a surfer. I am a mom. I am a sister to a star sister. Read more>>
Nekesha (Nikki) Batchoukou
Hi I’m Nekesha but my friends call me Nikki! As a child I always had my nose in a fashion magazine or watching NYFW runway shows. I was bullied as a kid which caused my personality to shrink. Read more>>
Tatiane Siqueira
Being a doula for over a decade now, I have witnessed the strength and faith of wonderful mothers as they bridged life into this world and grew their families. This alone has been a source of joy and wonder of God’s miracles in our lives. Read more>>
Marcus Arceneaux
broken wings heal in time’ I am a dreamer I am pain I am hope I am ART. So I’m from Hiram Clarke Texas, the baby sibling of 4. I was always the wild one and rebellious one out of the bunch. Read more>>
Brandee Huddleston
I’ve spent my whole adult work-life reading rooms and helping people feel like they belong in them; in a classroom, at a party, on a cruise ship, or inside a book. I’ve never been a one-lane person, and for a long time I thought that was a flaw. Read more>>
Ashlee Palmer
My journey h as really been about growth, perseverance, faith and learning to trust God through every season. I started my career after earning my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and working in social services. A field that taught me so much about people, compassion and strength. I later earned my Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration and continued to challenge myself professionally. Read more>>
Luis Fourzan
My name is Luis Fourzan, and my journey has taken me through law, renewable energy, entrepreneurship, and sales. I started my career after earning a degree in Law and working at law firms, including Hogan Lovells. Read more>>
