It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from in and around Houston.
Evan De Anda
My name is Evan De Anda, and I am an alternative singer-songwriter from Houston, Texas currently based in College Station, Texas. From an early age, music became a constant in my life. Songwriting became a way for me to wrestle and to reflect on the struggles I was dealing with. Read more>>
Meghan Silva
My journey into the automotive industry was anything but traditional. Before COVID, I was working in the medical field, but when the pandemic hit, it caused me to rethink my career path and ultimately shifted my gears toward pursuing something completely new: automotive. I got my foot in the door as a parts delivery driver for AutoZone and quickly became fascinated by the industry. Read more>>
Jose Delgadillo
I was born in Aguascalientes,Mexico been here almost all my life. On My days off I enjoyed bbqing for all my friends and family. I started during the pandemic as a pop up food vendor hauling our smoker. My background was oil & gas and during Covid they were shutting down rigs which means not a lot of work. Read more>>
Chizube Anakani
If you ask me who I am, the short answer is simple: I’m Chizube a Southern Belle Houston girlie by way of Nigeria who believes there is always something worth discovering and getting into. As a first-generation Nigerian American, I was fortunate enough to grow up surrounded by my culture while also being immersed in the beautiful melting pot in Houston, Texas. Read more>>
Angela Kim
My story really began long before I understood what I was going to do with my life. I grew up in a family where depression, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm were part of everyday life. My father became disabled after multiple brain surgeries for a brain tumor, while my mother was trying to manage a restaurant, a marriage, two children, and an enormous amount of responsibility. Read more>>
Jazminn Stewart
I’ve been cooking since a little girl, and turned into a full time business in March of 2026 when my mom became extremely ill; stepping back from my law enforcement career. I love what I do, it gives me peace, and it’s such a great feeling seeing people react to my food. Read more>>
Chisom Ogbonna
I’m originally from Nigeria, and in 2009, I came to the United States with a passion, a dream, and a deep love for soccer. I didn’t know exactly where the journey would take me, but I believed in the gift God had given me and was willing to work hard for the opportunity to pursue my dream. Read more>>
Mayet Banos
I always knew I was going to be an entrepreneur. It’s in my family. It’s in my blood. From my first office job at 15 to my first business plan just a few years later, I knew I wanted to build something for myself. Something that changed people’s lives. Read more>>
Gary Funes-Figueroa
I’m Wise Real, a Houston-based hip-hop artist, and my journey has been about turning real-life experiences into something creative and meaningful. Music has been part of my life for years, but the road hasn’t always been straightforward. I’ve had to balance everyday responsibilities, working in the trades, being a father, building a career, and still finding the time and energy to keep pursuing music. Read more>>
Lala Couture
To be completely honest, I’ve always loved fashion, modeling, and pageants. I’m Venezuelan, after all, so I feel like that world was always somewhere in me. Read more>>
Jazmine Blocker
Hi, I’m Jaz, from Jersey! I’ve always been a creative person, but I didn’t necessarily know what that creativity was going to look like professionally. I’ve always loved making things, customizing shoes, fashion, art, and coming up with ideas that I couldn’t necessarily find anywhere else. My journey into 3D printing actually started with a random gift. Read more>>
MaryJane Hall
My path into coaching started somewhat unexpectedly. I didn’t begin cheerleading until I was 15, going into my junior year of high school. Despite already having a strong tumbling background, I made JV as a junior—which, at the time, felt pretty embarrassing. Looking back, though, not immediately being recognized for what I could do became an important part of my story. Read more>>
Caron Woolsey
When VoyageHouston first shared my story in 2023, I explained that CW Interiors began almost by accident. I had always loved beautiful things and had an almost unreasonable curiosity about why some rooms worked and others did not. Still, I chose the practical route after college and built a career in business. Read more>>
Christopher Bell
Strategic Insight was officially form in 2020 during covid with the sole purpose of improving small business within the minority community. Recently, Strategic Insight has rebranded and relaunch in the summer of 2026 however the mission and vision remains the same!, Read more>>
Keaton Grovey
I really started honing my craft around the time of COVID so about 2020. But it started longer before that. From 2006, I had a thing of doing random headshots using the phone I had over the years. My inspiration came from the opening of the Bold and the Beautiful where they showed very dramatic portrait shots of the cast. Read more>>
Bebe Harry
Pretty Girl Goals started from my own journey as an ambitious woman balancing motherhood, my career, education, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. Over time, I realized the brand needed to evolve as I evolved, so I’m currently relaunching and rebranding it with a clearer vision and purpose. Read more>>
Sharhonda Webster
My journey began in the criminal justice field, where I worked as a detention officer in a jail. I entered the field because I had a genuine desire to help people make meaningful changes in their lives and understand that their past did not have to determine their future. However, I quickly realized that my role was primarily focused on maintaining safety, security, and order. Read more>>
dj NIMBUS
I moved here as a Mechanical Engineer to work for Cooper Cameron in Waller Tx. I was laid off 6 months after arriving, so I was faced with the decision to create my own destiny as entrepreneur or look for employment elsewhere. I chose the entrepreneurship route, and from that my first two businesses were born, Superior Audio Solutions & dj NIMBUS. Read more>>
Jonathan Tuftee
I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember. Art has always been something I’ve naturally returned to, even as life took me in different directions. In my late 20s, I decided I wanted to take it more seriously and really focus on developing as an artist. Read more>>
Rodney Warner
I grew up in a tiny town in upstate New York and worked in my family’s construction business into my late 20s. The internet showed up somewhere in there, and I was tasked with building the company’s first website. I bought some books, went deep, and really loved it. Read more>>
Sharifa Callender
My name is Sharifa, and I am the owner of Sharifa Creates, a do-it-yourself arts & crafts blog. I started my blog 12 years ago after graduating from college. At that time, like many new graduates, I was trying to figure out what was next. The workforce? Sure! Graduate school? Maybe. Read more>>
Minyette Young
How It All Started Hey Sis, It’s Me Again was birthed during one of the most difficult seasons of my life. After going through a separation and preparing for divorce, I found myself in a very hurt and broken place. I struggled with depression, self-doubt, and constantly beating myself up while trying to figure out how to rebuild my life. Read more>>
Donnie DeShazer
My journey into fatherhood advocacy began the moment I became a stepdad to my eldest daughter. Slipping into that role felt natural, and I instantly fell in love with being a father. That passion led me to launch a YouTube vlog, The Daddy Deal, where I shared our family’s experiences to inspire and connect with other dads. Read more>>
Franchelle Young
I started photography in 2023, completely self-taught and simply wanting to learn how to create images that felt like art. What started as me picking up a camera and learning through trial and error has grown into Excusemyflicks, a photography and videography brand that has allowed me to explore so many different sides of visual storytelling. Read more>>
Elizabeth Hoover
Freddie’s story began after we lost our previous dog. While making the three-day drive from Texas to visit my parents in Montana, I began looking at shelter websites and found a litter of six-month-old Cavapoos near their home. Read more>>
Alyssa Martinez
I was welcomed on to the opening team as a barista in January 2023. After about 8 months, I was promoted to Cafe Manager. Since then I’ve been part of a dynamic team that connects with people daily, plays an important role in our community, provides a space for guests to hang out, and nurtures local art and culture. Read more>>
Jermori Caldwell
I started in 2018 in Thibodaux, Louisiana, with very little knowledge of the fashion industry. At the time, I knew one person who made shirts using a Silhouette machine and an iron. I had made a few shirts with her before, and that was pretty much the extent of what I knew. Read more>>
LeFrance Burns
Boxing for Bullies is a community -based boxing therapy program established in the SouthEast area of Houston, TX . Boxing for Bullies mission is to prevent youth from attempting or contemplating violent behavior toward others and/or themselves due to bullying, mental, physical trauma, low self esteem, depression, and anxiety. Read more>>
Christine Sheeren
I spent 18 years at a small studio here in Houston, photographing outdoor, natural light portraits of families, children, graduating seniors, and added maternity and newborn sessions as well. It was a huge chapter of my life, and I learned so much of what I know from those years. But eventually I felt like I’d hit a ceiling. Read more>>
Christy Holecek
I used to be the ‘I could never’ woman. The one gripping white-knuckle control over everything I could control, so the uncontrollable didn’t feel so big. And when you have 3 kids within the span of less than 5 years, the uncontrollable list is pretty long. Read more>>
Renee Harmoni
Music has always been a part of who I am, but my journey to where I am today definitely wasn’t a straight line. I’ve been singing and performing for as long as I can remember, but I initially took a more traditional route and went to college at Texas Southern University, where I studied Business Management. Read more>>
Keycha V Dorsey
My name is Keycha V Dorsey. I wear many hats. I am a wife, mother, minister & prayer warrior, advocate & panelist for women’s mental, emotional & spiritual health, published authoress, actress, model for a cause, event & red carpet host, lyricist, play writer, aspiring pageant queen, play writer & future film maker! Read more>>
Queen Helena Adeleye
My journey began in business management, where I worked closely with clients in the beauty space. That experience sparked my passion for beauty entrepreneurship and eventually led to the creation of Helena Adele Beauty Co., a brand focused on helping women feel confident and beautiful in their own skin. But my compassion for people, especially women, led me in another direction. Read more>>
Coach Pink
My story did not begin with a business plan—it began with a heart for helping people and a life journey that challenged me, stretched me, and revealed the purpose that had been developing inside of me all along. Long before I became known as Coach Pink, helping people was already a part of who I was. Read more>>
Imin Love
I’m originally from Sacramento California. I was raised by two southern grandparents (One form Alabama & the other from Louisiana), my living situation as a child was unique given our generational divide but the bond that allowed our family unit to thrive was the sense of humor that we shared. Read more>>
Ruby Maldonado
I started my business at just 17 years old because I knew I wanted more for myself and wanted to become independent. At the time, my mom would decorate and plan events for family and friends, and I saw the opportunity to turn something we both enjoyed into a real business. Read more>>
Jonny Martinez
I grew up watching my dad work on cars, listening to him talk about racing, and learning to appreciate machines with character. Those moments were my first connection to this world — not engineering, just a father and son sharing time under the hood. Read more>>
Beth Caveness
Our story essentially begins at 22 and 24 years old. Nick and I found ourselves desperate for God to save our twins. They had a condition called Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. During that time, I made an audacious prayer — ‘Lord if you save their lives, I will serve you all the days of my life.’ And He did. Read more>>
Exvelma Webb
CocoEssentialsByWebb started from something very personal to me: my love for healthy, beautiful hair and wanting to create products that were rooted in natural ingredients and intentional self-care. I began experimenting with hair oils and researching ingredients that could support healthy hair growth, eventually creating my own hair growth serum featuring ingredients like fenugreek, black seed, rosemary, and rose petals. Read more>>
Yancy Villatoro
Photography has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My mother was a photographer, so I grew up surrounded by cameras, lighting equipment, and all the language of photography. Even with that early exposure, however, I never imagined that I would become a photographer myself. Read more>>
Tasia Taylor
My journey began long before I published my first book. Back in 2021, my life changed when I willingly took in one of my students as a foster child. At only 21 years old I became a mother overnight to a 12 year old. Fast forward a year and a half later and I had adopted 3 teenagers. Read more>>
Veda Cavitt
The Portia Southern Foundation was established in October 2015 as a non-profit organization, geared to advocate for families against Domestic Violence. Portia Southern was a silent victim of Domestic Violence until her death. She graduated High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. Upon completion, she went on to pursue a career with the US Navy. She leaves behind two children. I. Read more>>
Joshua and Whitney Sullivan
This Is Home: Our Story of Friendship, Faith, and Following God We are so excited and honored to share our story. More than anything, we pray that somewhere along the way, our story deeply connects with you and inspires you to dig deeper, seek God, listen for His voice, and follow His way—even when His way looks completely different from what you expected. Read more>>
Tonya Jones
’m a Houston girl through and through. I was born and raised in South Park, the oldest of five children, and I grew up in a family where hard work, faith, and service were deeply ingrained in me. I didn’t grow up with a blueprint for becoming a lawyer or a judge. Read more>>
Krystal Mota
I started running when I was 15 years old, beginning with cross country. From there, I also got involved in track, soccer, and powerlifting. I’ve always been an active person, and I’ve always had a passion for movement, competition, and challenging myself. Read more>>
Ashton Remo
When I was younger, I always had a passion for the arts. I can remember traveling to Louisiana to visit my grandmother and somehow always ending up in her church’s Easter play or program. Little did I know, those moments would become the foundation for my love of performing—and maybe even enjoying the spotlight a little bit. Read more>>
Hailey Herrera
My love of art began when I was a child growing up in South Korea. I loved drawing and painting from an early age, but when it came time to choose a career, I followed a very different path. I pursued science and moved to the United States in 1997 for graduate studies at Texas A&M University, where I eventually earned my Ph.D. Read more>>
Chelcee Williams
I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I went to college at University of North Texas in Denton. Texas. That is where I fell in love with poetry, my freshman year. I joined an organization named Poetic Justice and throughout my journey it eventually led me to becoming the president in my junior year. Read more>>
Andreza Oboli
Long before I understood much about life, I understood what it meant to work for something. I grew up in Brazil surrounded by hard work, resilience, generosity, and people who simply figured things out as they went. I was also an incredibly curious child. I wanted to try everything—dancing, singing, cooking, painting, sports, learning languages. Read more>>
Alicia Shanta’e
My love for fashion started in 1998 when I was 15 years old and featured in the Austin American Statements for my academics and fashion. I started buying clothes and styling other family members in the 90’s. Read more>>
Jill Simms & Sondra Lagasse
We started this business with a shared passion for beautiful, and yet accessible design. Design for ANY space, in ANY style. We have since brought on other stylists who share our same vision. We know that each person has a unique style, and that every home has different needs. Read more>>
Taylor Simone
I entered the beauty industry at just 14 years old, initially providing hairstyling services to friends and family. Shortly thereafter, I enrolled in my high school’s cosmetology program, which allowed me to graduate with my cosmetology license in the state of Texas. During the COVID-19 pandemic, hands-on beauty training was limited, which ultimately led to my first major pivot within the industry. Read more>>
Anastasia Rodriguez
I have always been interested in the arts. I was pursuing a career in geology when I took my first college-level sculpture class, just as part of the required extracurricular course requirement. I fell in love with mixed-media sculpture almost immediately. My sculpture professor, Tony Shipp, told me several times that I should seriously consider changing my major to sculpture. Read more>>
Kenneth Ross
I’ve been a dedicated gym rat for many years. My journey began in 2013 after the passing of my mother. This business was born from a deeply personal place in my heart. Both of my parents passed away at an early age, and this tremendous loss motivated me to make a change in my life. Read more>>
