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.
Angel Pollard 
My story really started with a love for bringing people together and creating spaces where people feel seen, celebrated, and connected. I’ve always been someone who loves planning experiences, building community, and finding ways to make ordinary moments feel special. I just never imagined that those passions would eventually turn into something so much bigger than me. Read more>>
Cameron Concepcion 
My name is Cameron Concepcion. I’m twenty-three years old, and I was born in Houston, Texas. I was raised north of Houston in The Woodlands, TX. My family knew since I was young that I was going to pursue music. I remember singing in front of my living room fireplace at just five years old, imagining the crowd of people watching me sing. Read more>>
Elijah A. Thompson 
My journey began with a passion for creativity, storytelling, and the belief that animation could be more than entertainment — it could be a way to connect people, share important stories, and create opportunities for others. That vision led me to build Lethal By Law Animation Studios (@AreYouLethal), where we develop original animated concepts, characters, and stories. Read more>>
Lakeisha Rush 
My story brings together business, creativity, and a love of personal style. I’m a Charlotte-based e-commerce and growth marketing leader, content creator, wife, and mom. Throughout my career, I’ve helped consumer brands grow by understanding their customers and creating shopping experiences that build lasting relationships. My professional background spans digital commerce and growth marketing in the beauty, wellness, and consumer products space. Read more>>
Britttany Christine 
I’ve been an Actress my entire adult life. I guess you could say I started acting as a child, for the outdoor, drive by, Christian nativity scene at our family church. I remember thinking to myself, ‘acting’s hard’ because I was cold being outside at night so long with hand warmers. Read more>>
Ann Nguyen 
Hi, I’m Ann Nguyen, founder of Capture the Moments Events (CTM Events). After planning my own wedding in 2022, I realized just how challenging it can be to manage every detail while trying to be fully present and enjoy such a meaningful day. Read more>>
Secily Garcia 
I started my Pilates journey about 3 years ago, knowing absolutely nothing about Pilates but always hearing people talk about taking classes. I finally decided to get a membership, and from my very first classes, I was hooked! Pilates quickly became so much more than just a workout for me. Read more>>
Nate the Great 
Hello there! My name is Naquan Brown but you may also know me by my stage name Nate the Great. I’m 28 years old, I originate and I was born in raised in a small peninsula between borderline Long Island and the deep end of Queens called Far Rockaway. Read more>>
THERESA ROEMER 
I’m originally from Nebraska, and my story began long before the businesses, social media, or the closet people know me for today. As a child, I was diagnosed with rheumatic fever and a heart murmur, and I was told I wouldn’t be able to do many of the normal things other children could do. Read more>>
Darla Delayne 
I grew up in the Humble/Kingwood area, studied education, psychology, and math at SFASU, and started my career as a teacher in Humble ISD. For 40+ years now I’ve had careers in the fields of education, psychology, real estate, mortgage, film production, online business, and coaching. Read more>>
Teniesha Biagas 
My journey has never been a straight line, but looking back, I can see how each chapter has prepared me for the next. I’ve moved through communications, marketing, entrepreneurship, motherhood, and technology, and each experience has shaped the woman I am today. I graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana in 2010 with a degree in Communications and a minor in Sales and Marketing. Read more>>
Robert Bennett 
My story is rooted in ambition, resilience, and the belief that where you start in life does not have to determine where you finish. I grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Baytown, Texas, and graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 2011 before attending the University of Texas at San Antonio, where I earned my degree in Human Resources in 2015. Read more>>
Kyleen Bushroe 
The spaces we remember most aren’t necessarily the most extravagant, they’re the ones that make us feel most at home. That’s the essence of quiet luxury: timeless beauty, thoughtful details, and spaces that invite you to truly live in them. That belief has shaped both my life and my business. Read more>>
Ebony White 
My story is really one of reinvention, confidence, and learning to show up for myself in every season of life. By day, I’m a regulatory professional in the oil and gas industry with over 15 years of experience. I’ve also spent years as an entrepreneur, building a business in the event industry. Read more>>
Audrey Nath 
I grew up in Houston, with my early life focused on piano performance and composition. I went to Rice University and then the MD/PhD program at UT-Houston. I was drawn to the MD/PhD program, with a PhD in Neuroscience, with the idea that I could help develop new treatments and technologies to treat diseases. Read more>>
Kirk Kinart 
My journey to owning Print Max is probably a little different than most people would expect! My background was actually in geology and gold mining, so the printing industry wasn’t necessarily where I imagined I’d end up. But sometimes the best opportunities in life are the ones you don’t see coming. Read more>>
Ashlyn Wall-Gonzales 
My journey into counseling has been shaped by my own life experiences, my faith, and a desire to help people shift from just surviving to thriving. As a trauma survivor myself, wife and mother; I know how difficult it can be to show up as our best selves for the people who depend on us. Read more>>
Calia BRENCSONS-VAN DYK 
My career began in the arts and media, where I learned how to bring people, ideas and ambitious projects together. I went on to spend more than a decade producing television, including *The Martha Stewart Show*, and later worked across film, coaching and personal branding. Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to receive industry recognition, including an Emmy and an award for empowering women. Read more>>
Ekene Ochiagha 
Ekene’s Corner started the way most meaningful things do, out of a personal need. I’ve always been a reader, but I found myself craving a space where books weren’t just consumed in isolation. I wanted community. I wanted conversation. I wanted a place where stories became the starting point for something deeper. So I created it. Read more>>
Angel Moore
I started ‘OH, Okay Sis!’ in early 2019, by writing a blog dedicated to black and brown women. I was and still am obsessed with shouting out ‘Oh, Okay Sis!’ to women doing their best and being completely free in who they are. That’s how it all started. Read more>>
Robyn Torpey 
bluebonnet bread co. was never meant to become what it is today. Baking sourdough started during a point in my life where my three young kids were starting to get a little older, a little more independent, and I had a few more moments of free time in my day to find a new passion. Read more>>
Jake Lane 
I initially started cooking for my close family after coming home for good after ending my college baseball career. My brother ended up pushing me to take it a little more seriously by giving me an opportunity to cook for his customer appreciation event for his own business last Valentine’s Day (it was about 70 people). Read more>>
Alexis Alex-Praylow 
Hey how’s it going my name is Alexis Alex-Praylow aka Lex Effect hailing from New Orleans. Louisiana and I’m Marcus Praylow and y’all can call me 2Low. I was born and raised in Columbia. South Carolina. Together we combine to make The L Effect. We have been together for eight years, deejaying together for three years, and just got married recently this year! Read more>>
Ingrid Haynes 
My journey in education has always been driven by one belief: Literacy is not just about learning to read; it is about creating opportunities, transforming lives, and opening doors to a brighter future. I began my career in education with a passion for helping students succeed, particularly those who struggled with reading and learning. Read more>>
Portia Gordon 
My journey started with my own experiences and a desire to understand how trauma shapes our lives. As a college student volunteering at Planned Parenthood, I remember listening to patients share their stories and recognizing that what they were describing was trauma. They didn’t have to use that word, or even understand their experiences that way, for its impact to be visible in their lives. Read more>>
Alex Guillen 
My name is Alex and I am a 30 year old artist currently living in Houston. I grew up in Webster and League City, studied studio art at the University of Texas at Austin, and moved to New York after graduating. Read more>>
Tammy Moon 
I am the third of four girls raised by a single mother in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The 16th of 21 children born to my grandparents, my mother obtained a 6th grade education. She and her siblings were needed on the farm to assist her father, who was a sharecropper, no time for school. Read more>>
Isaiah Johnson 
In high school my admiration was to become a stylist and have my own clothing company. I did as much research as I could. I came across Personal Shopping and fell in love. Once I graduated in 2020, the following month I immediately began doing internships. I’ve done internships with Tv Networks and Stylist in the Hollywood industry. Read more>>
Timothy Hood 
I got started when my wife suggested I try a semester of college at age 35, she said if you don’t like it quit. From there I met a instructor who gave the class a test and he said to just be honest. I was there for healthcare but the test showed the arts and not healthcare. Read more>>
Kierstan Hernández
Since 2013, my journey as a fitness instructor has been a steady evolution from learner to leader. It began in Houston, where I started teaching Zumba and discovered how much I loved bringing people together through music and movement. Those early classes taught me the fundamentals of reading a room, keeping energy high, and making every participant feel welcome, no matter their experience level. Read more>>
Hikmat Oriyomi
My journey began in February 2024 when I first started doing henna. It began as a simple hobby but eventually opened pathways of opportunities aligned with my passions. In the beginning, I was practicing designs on my sister and mother. With my family’s continued encouragement, consistency became easier as I beautified their hands one design at a time. Read more>>
Latoshia Lee 
My journey began with a passion for helping others reach their fullest potential. Before becoming a teacher, I spent four years as a Direct Support Professional working with adults with disabilities. That experience taught me the importance of compassion, inclusion, dignity, and recognizing the unique abilities in every individual. Read more>>
Briana Leandre 
I was always innately artistic. There were several different times in my childhood when my mom would remind me of the glimmers of creativity she saw in me. My mom was stationed at Camp Zama, Japan, for several years during her service in the United States Army. Naturally, I became obsessed with everything Hello Kitty as a child. Read more>>
Sipora Weissman 
As a freshman in college I wanted to be a social worker. But I took one social work course and quickly decided it was not for me. I wanted something a bit more fun and glamorous! I enjoyed photography and videography and ended up getting my degree in Television and Radio Production from Brooklyn College in NY. Read more>>
Jay Sutaria 
My passion for fitness started when I joined my middle school basketball team. I wasn’t the tallest guy on the roster, so I had no choice but to become one of the strongest if I wanted to earn playing time. In college, I studied exercise science with plans to pursue a career in physical therapy. Read more>>
Jamie Simon 
My journey into the world of barbering and product development has been nothing short of remarkable, defined by over 15 years of hands-on expertise and a relentless pursuit of excellence. It began with a simple curiosity that blossomed into a profound passion for the artistry and precision required to craft unique haircuts and develop high-performance grooming products. Read more>>
Natalie Hobock 
I’d love to! I opened Houston Dyslexia LLC about ten years ago to serve students with language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia and dysgraphia, along with other co-occurring conditions. In total, I have almost 25 years of experience inside and outside of the classroom. Read more>>
