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.
Kareem Jackson 
Connection! originally formed as The Youth Musicians in Houston, TX, with a group of seven teenagers, ages 13-18, performing for local churches. As the group developed musically and expanded in both experience and reputation, they recognized the need for a name that better represented their growth. In 2000, they rebranded as Connection!. Read more>>
Joannah Hillebrandt 
The last time your readers heard from me, I was in the middle of building Loved Up Vintage — a sustainable vintage clothing line I created entirely from the ground up, from the website and branding down to every product description and Instagram post. Read more>>
Taurin Hurley 
My story begins over 25 years ago. Ever since I was a child, I LOVED stories and art. I would sit for hours reading comics and watching movies. My mom would take me to the library regularly and I would spend so much time looking through art books and admiring the classical arts. As I got older, that love never died off. Read more>>
Shenelle Wallace 
I first started singing in the church. As early as I can remember, I was 8 years old. By the time I was 12, I was directing the youth choir. I was young, but the elders saw something in me. They saw leadership and purpose. I was collecting songs, arranging harmonies, and giving out parts. Read more>>
Sunky OG 
I would say my story started with curiosity, the kind of curiosity that doesn’t let you stay in one box. I have always been drawn to people, images, sound, culture, expression, and the way stories can move from one heart to another. Over time, that curiosity became a full creative journey. Read more>>
Marlene Anaya 
Hello! My name is Marlene Anaya I am a designer an educator and overall, a multidimensional artist. I’m passionate about sustainability and have been evolving through learning how education and societal; structures shape people. Read more>>
Arina Pfaff 
I was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and long before I ever imagined creating a fashion brand, travel became one of the biggest influences on the way I see the world. I’ve visited 47 countries, and being exposed to different cultures, traditions, architecture, textiles, craftsmanship, and ideas of beauty created a kind of visual library that I still carry with me today. Read more>>
Ben Bumguardner 
I grew up with a strong interest in sports, performance, and helping people, and over time those interests naturally came together in healthcare. I earned my undergraduate degree from Texas A&M and later went on to become a chiropractor, with a focus on sports medicine and performance. Read more>>
Pap God 
It all started May 13, 1997 in Houston Tx where I was born. Born Dylon Groves, I was raised mostly on the east side of Houston in north shore school district. I always been an outgoing enthusiastic person since a child. In high school me and 3 of my brothers along with my cousins would constantly hang out and record music daily. Read more>>
Melissa Pavone 
I’ve spent nearly two decades in the financial services industry, helping individuals and families make thoughtful decisions about their money and their futures. But the work I do today became deeply personal long before I ever knew what a CDFA® was. Growing up, I watched my mom go through a difficult divorce after 20 years of marriage. Read more>>
Leida Theis 
Behind every successful endeavor lies a powerful combination of discipline, technique, and a clear vision to transform lives. My professional journey did not begin in a treatment room or at a manicure table, but rather among balance sheets, financial audits, and enterprise systems. Read more>>
Jordan Myles 
Jordan, a native of Elizabeth, New Jersey, discovered her passion for dance as a teenager. She attributes the discovery of her passion to her mother, whose loving yet firm encouragement led her to pursue it as an elective. Read more>>
Sara Tanner 
My path to becoming a therapist began with a deep curiosity about the human mind and a desire to understand why people respond to difficult experiences in the ways that they do. My own experiences with trauma played an important role in that curiosity. Read more>>
Siddik Lartey
From the time I was a kid, or into my teen years I can remember having a knack for culinary creativity. When it comes to new and fun ways to reimagine some of your favorite and even the not so favorite foods, we invite the opportunity to enjoy our kitchen creations. Read more>>
Chris Hughes 
I grew up, listening to and playing country music in East Tennessee. My granddad was an old Honky Tonk before World War II. When he came back, he sort of laid down Music to work and provide for his family. When I was a kid, he taught me how to play the guitar and get involved in music. Read more>>
Christina Herrera 
Graced Candle Company started from a simple love for candles and a desire to create something that felt meaningful. What began as me learning how to make candles at home eventually grew into a business that became so much bigger than I initially imagined. Read more>>
Adrienne Phelps 
I began my career in journalism shortly after graduating from college, working for The Birmingham Times in Alabama. After moving to Houston, I continued writing as a freelance journalist for Rolling Out magazine and later gained experience in radio. Storytelling and connecting with an audience have really been at the center of everything I’ve done professionally. Read more>>
Ren Polk 
I’m a multifaceted creative from Baton Rouge, LA. I received my bachelor’s in Graphic Communications from Northwestern State University of Louisiana and started off as a graphic designer, then ran a small brand and web design business, which is where I picked up UX design experience along the way. Photography was always there in the background, a passion I kept putting on the back burner. Read more>>
A Tone
Well, I’ve always been into music, I guess like most people, but mine started mostly in my teens when I would see my cousin and his homeboys freestyling. I couldn’t figure it out at the time, like rhyming words so quick and all. Read more>>
Kristie Burns 
Earthschooling started in 1994 when I was preparing for the birth of my first child. I had grown up in nature in Iowa and Seattle, Washington, hiking and exploring with my family, so I wanted to provide her with the same kind of childhood experiences. Read more>>
Rashard Davis Baylor
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, I graduated from Worthing High School and continued my education at Texas Southern University, where I completed two years of study. I later attended Houston Community College and earned certification as a firefighter. After experiencing challenges finding employment in the firefighting field, I chose to serve my country by joining the United States Navy as a submariner. Read more>>
Kennedy Washington
I’m a Houston native, and a lot of who I am today was shaped long before I had a job title or knew what I wanted to do professionally. I grew up as an only child in a single-parent household with my mother and grandmother. Read more>>
Parth Shah 
Polygon PT started back in 2017, right here in Sugar Land, though my road here didn’t start in Texas at all. I actually made the move from New Jersey to chase this vision, because I believed in it enough to pack up and start fresh a long way from home. I had a pretty clear picture in my head of what I wanted to build. Read more>>
Mandi Newman 
Before owning my own company, I worked a lot of physically demanding jobs in warehousing, logistics, shipping and receiving, and high-end retail. I never really imagined that I would end up owning a pet care business. It actually started when my next-door neighbor went to Italy and asked me to watch their dog. Read more>>
Kimberly Upchurch 
My name is Kimberly Upchurch, and I’m a proud native Houstonian. I grew up in Missouri City, Texas, graduated from Willowridge High School, and went on to attend Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, now known as Texas State University. My professional journey has always centered around people, service, and creating opportunities for others. Read more>>
Kenya Mighty
Nest Music is my baby. My relationship with music started long before Nest Music existed. Music became an important outlet for me when I was younger. It gave me somewhere to put my emotions, somewhere to be creative, and a way to connect with people. Read more>>
Aaron Garner 
Music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I played trombone growing up through middle and high school, and I was also into athletics — I wrestled in high school and continued for one year in college. After leaving college, I started bartending, a career I stuck with for 10+ years, four of which I spent managing a bar. Read more>>
Linda Voils 
I’ve always loved art. Drawing, painting, crafting, any forms of creative expression. I actually won class reserve Grand champion at the Houston Livestock show and rodeo school art contest in 2009. I went to college and earned a degree in biology, and a degree in dental hygiene. Those fields seemed more practical than the starving artist route. Read more>>
Meg Porter 
I’ve pretty much always been the girl with a camera in her hand. Growing up in Southern California, I was constantly taking photos of the people around me, long before I ever considered photography something I could build a career around. In college, I bought my first DSLR, taught myself how to use it, and never really stopped. Read more>>
ora burley 
818 Floral Boutique Bar began from a love of flowers, creativity, and the desire to create something that felt personal and meaningful. My entrepreneurial journey actually started with 818 Shop, a women’s boutique that I launched in 2018. Over time, I realized that my creativity was leading me in a different direction, and that evolution eventually became 818 Floral Boutique Bar. Read more>>
Bella Chiang
I started to work at the age of 3 as a Brazilian-Taiwanese model. The brands used to love me because at the time I was soon to discover that I my body didn’t produce the growth hormone naturally, so I would be chosen to be in spring, summer, fall and winter campaigns because of my height. Read more>>
Jules Palton 
My acting journey began in 1994 with my debut on Barney, where I was discovered through Quaid’s Talent Agency by my late talent agent, Julie. That opportunity opened the door to a career that has taken me through television, film, commercials, theater, print, and runway. Read more>>
Cyntreia Hayes 
Traveling Temptationz really started from my own love for travel and planning. I’ve always been the person who wants to know where we’re staying, what we’re doing, where we’re eating, and what experiences we absolutely cannot miss. Eventually, I realized that what came naturally to me could become something much bigger. Read more>>
Lila Hawthorne 
This business was given to me by God. I really wasn’t thinking about starting a business at all. In 2020 we were in the midst of COVID. And as you know in that time so many things were happening and there was so much uncertainty…. My kids and I were all stuck in the house and I was doing personal training on ZOOM. Read more>>
Lakeisha Brown 
Born and raised in South Louisiana, cooking and food and family were apart of some of my most cherished memories. I got married, graduated from college, had a family and career. Some years later, I was divorced and raising four daughters. I started LA Browns in June 2015. Read more>>
Kayce Clark 
I have been performing for literally as long as I can remember. Even my playtime revolved around theatre and performing. But never quite the kind of performing most theatre kids were into. I wasn’t the kid singing the latest Broadway hits. My heart has always been about fifty years behind everyone else’s. Read more>>
Chrisnatha Derosier 
I’ve spent the last decade at the intersection of leadership, personal transformation, and education. For ten years now, I’ve served as a Certified Life Coach and the founder of Masterpiece Coaching & Consulting Firm, helping people align their purpose with their everyday reality. Read more>>
O Lando 
I never had the chance to keep quiet. I was born into a loud & musical family, my mom & dad being a dancing social butterfly and a DJ respectively. I spent the first part of my childhood singing in the school choir, traveling the world & being a mannequin for my mom’s fashion choices that I didn’t understand yet. Read more>>
Lucien Takang
I started my hair journey in 2018, shortly after arriving in the United States from Cameroon. I began as a braider, even though, at the time, hairstyling was the last thing I ever imagined myself doing. I knew absolutely nothing about braiding or hairstyling when I started. Read more>>
Uche Anyanwu
My story starts on the streets of Brooklyn, Bed Stuy to be exact where I spent most of my life. Being from Brooklyn, and being exposed to a m,elting pot of different cultures and people cultivated my love for the arts and culture. Read more>>
