Houston’s Most Inspiring Stories

Every neighborhood in Houston has its own vibe, style, culture and history, but what consistently amazes us is not what differentiates the various neighborhoods but rather what they all have in common.  From the Fourth Ward to Sugar Land (and everywhere in between) we’ve been blown away by how many creative and talented people call Houston home.  Check out some of the inspiring stories we’ve discovered throughout the city.

Shawntavia Davis

1. Before I’d even graduated high school, I had my cosmetology license in hand. I jumped in right away, renting a space inside an existing salon and building my client base one appointment at a time. Nobody handed me a playbook, so I taught myself the rest. Read more>>

Antonio Villegas

I’m originally from North Carolina, and my journey to Sugar Land really began with an opportunity and a leap of faith. In 2019, after making a connection through Instagram, the owner of a barbershop in the Sugar Land area reached out and offered me an opportunity to come to Texas and work. Read more>>

Oluwatoyin Tinuade Akinterinwa

Tinuadeskitchen started in February 2018, right from my apartment kitchen, and was born out of my genuine love for cooking and creating delicious meals for others. Catering is truly in my blood. I am a third-generation caterer, following in the footsteps of my grandmother and my mother. Interestingly, growing up, I never imagined myself becoming a caterer. Read more>>

Chris Light

I went to college in illionois at Devry, i came to Texas to work in the medical industry training under my Uncle who was a HE CT veteran. I worked for them til they sold the company 8 years later, then for the new company for a few years, then started my own company. Read more>>

Joy Ikpe

I am a native Houstonian, born in Alief before my family moved to Sugar Land. During undergrad, I relocated to the D.C./Maryland/Virginia (DMV) area, where I earned a degree in Civil Engineering from Howard University. Interestingly, I began my college career on a pre-med track with dreams of becoming a sports medicine physician. Read more>>

Alyssa Mayo

I started my art career back in 2014, I was 18 years old, when I thought I was but a model/actress and nothing else due to poor surroundings and beliefs built around strict parenting. Read more>>

Aurora Robson

I was born in Toronto in the early 70s. When I was a little girl, my family fled Canada and moved to Maui so that my dad wouldn’t go to jail. While I was blessed to grow up surrounded by pristine natural beauty in Hawaii – it was also very difficult as my personal life was fraught with continuous trauma. Read more>>

Sontera Dresch

Like most photographers, I can’t remember I time I wasn’t playing around with my camera. From high school newspaper to the dark room in college and then eventually earning my BFA in photography from Sam Houston State University in 2009. I started out doing a bit of everything until I discovered boudoir and then made the decision to go all in on that genre! Read more>>

Bria Buteau

I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023 with a bachelor’s in Medical Laboratory Sciences. Soon after graduation, I got offered an embryology position at Weill Cornell Medical College in Manhattan. Read more>>

Mia Rodriguez

Towards the end of high school, reality started hitting me: I wanted to build something of my own and become an entrepreneur. That drive led me straight to esthetics school. Growing up, I was constantly complimented on my skin and the products I used, and I loved sharing recommendations with anyone who asked. Read more>>

Andrea Castellanos

I’ll go all the way back to the beginning. I grew up performing magic shows with my dad at birthday parties. Performing was something I genuinely loved, and it’s where I first learned the power that storytelling and visuals have to captivate an audience. That love for storytelling and visuals manifested itself in different ways over the years. Read more>>

Michelle Heinesen

My journey in clay began at 15 years old in Singapore, where I apprenticed under my ceramics mentor then worked for their art education company for many years, even throughout art school and after. Read more>>

Shunta Etheridge

Im not going to sit her or start of by saying, I started photography because I wanted to capture the moments in my kids life. I had a camera in my hand way before my kids were thought of lol. Photography was always a passion of mine and it was something I wanted to venture more into. Read more>>

Kevo Aregbe

In short, my story is from inmate to multidisciplinary artist. It’s not often someone who starts their life in the streets end up being an award winning Writer, painter, tattooist, and photographer – but here I am. Read more>>

Angel Romero

We started our baseball program in 2011 with a vision to give young athletes more from baseball than just tournament rings. With limited resources, we began in a small warehouse in Spring, Texas, using indoor batting cages for training and renting fields whenever they were available. Read more>>

Wesley Northmen

When I started piercing, I didn’t really think about it in the same way I do now. Honestly, I never expected it to become the career or passion that it has. I’d always been interested in piercing and jewelry, I just never really had the realization that it was something I could actually make a career out of. Read more>>

samantha thrasher

My story begins with a deep longing for something more. My childhood was filled with arts and crafts as many of ours were. As I grew up, I was taught to get a good job and make money, which did not involve my dreams to be an artist or designer. I began my career as an Admin Assistant and enjoyed that for many years. Read more>>

Kim Mason

Kim Mason is the Executive Director and Founder of Women Cultivating Greatness, a nonprofit organization committed to empowering diverse learners through education, advocacy, emotional wellness, family support, and community engagement. Her work is driven by a deep personal journey of overcoming the challenges associated with dyslexia, attention deficit disorder (ADD), and short-term memory deficit. Read more>>

Inga Strauss Godejord

I started my company almost ten years ago, and ever since, silk has been the fabric of my days. I paint on it almost daily — scarves, shawls, pillowcases, and pieces that exist simply as art. Each brushstroke lifts my spirit, and each finished work seems to brighten the world around me just a little more. Read more>>

naoki yoshida

My name is Naoki Yoshida, I was born and raised in Houston, and being Japanese American has shaped a lot of who I am today. Growing up, I always felt caught between two cultures. I was American, but I also knew there was this whole other side of me that I wanted to understand better. Food became a big part of that connection. Read more>>

April Renee Graves

My background actually began in fashion and design rather than stone. I studied Textiles and Interiors at Seattle Pacific University and later earned my master’s degree in Design from Central Saint Martins in London, where my work focused on multi-sensory branding and how design can create an emotional, human-centered experience. My introduction to Aria Stone Gallery happened somewhat unexpectedly. Read more>>

Yvonne Smith

My musical journey began at the age of three when I started piano lessons with my mother. My father, an orchestra conductor, introduced me to the instruments of the orchestra when I was five, and I fell in love with the sound of the viola. Read more>>

SoHaus Marketing

SoHaus Marketing really started from the three of us, Paula Urdaneta, Maria Arenas, and Angel Benavides bringing together different backgrounds, personalities, and strengths with one shared vision: to build a creative agency that felt modern, personal, and genuinely invested in the brands we work with. Our backgrounds are different, but that’s ultimately what made SoHaus work. Read more>>

Manny Griggs

My journey has really been about believing in myself before other people could see the vision. I’m a Houston native and I’ve always had a creative and entrepreneurial spirit. I started by simply creating content, making people laugh, entertaining my community, and finding different ways to connect with people through social media. Over time, what started as a passion grew into something much bigger. Read more>>

Jesse Bainbridge

I received a Bachelor of Arts in Photography, but went back to school after graduation and became a 4th grade teacher. I hadn’t really been involved in photography for many years, but when I decided to stop teaching and move to LA to pursue my dream of being an actor, I picked it up again. Read more>>

Mya Brave

I started doing drag makeup in high school out of boredom and later during covid lockdowns I started buying wigs and figuring out my face better. But it wasn’t until 2022 that I stepped out in full drag for anime conventions. I would go to anime conventions in full cosplay drag and its what launched me into being a performer! Read more>>

Lea Merriwether

Meet the Maker Behind September Moon 74 September Moon 74 was born during COVID-19, on a sleepless night when I discovered pour painting and fell in love with its color, movement, and freedom. It reminded me of my life: colorful, imperfect, unpredictable, and beautiful. I began making handmade coaster sets and washable face masks when masks were difficult to find. Read more>>

Luis Gonzalez

Born out of the COVID-19 pandemic that paralyzed the world, Favelas emerged in Chicago in March of 2020. Our sound is characterized by a vibrant fusion of rhythms, including rock, punk, ska, jazz, cumbia, and bossa nova. Read more>>

Jakari Lister

I got my start in filmmaking in the Pearland area through A/V classes in 8th grade and into high school. From there, I began shooting for my church and met a man, one of my mentors, Chad Prince, who brought me onto my first paid gig: a wedding. Read more>>

Melissa Hulsey

The Story Behind Tameless Tallow What began as a journey to create healthier, more natural products for my family has grown into something far beyond what I ever imagined. I started as a homemaker, making small changes in our home by choosing more natural products for my family. When my daughter began experiencing skin issues, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Read more>>

Rachel Magdelena

I got my start in the industry in my late twenties. Prior to hair, I worked in the media industry. I decided to pivot once I had what I like to call my ‘quarter life crisis’. I was working for magazine and it was mostly a standard 9 to 5 desk job. I hated it, but was unsure of what to do instead. Read more>>

Jacinta Ikegwuonu

My journey has been shaped by hard work, perseverance, and a genuine love for bringing people together. As the daughter of immigrants, I grew up watching my parents work hard and make sacrifices to create a better life for their family. That work ethic became a big part of who I am and continues to motivate me today. Read more>>

David Burchett Sr.

While working as a special ed teacher, we were printing out of our home. Eventually we created a concept for a print shop that allows you to see the process done. Ultimately this enhances the customer experience. Due to our layout and system it also allows for faster turnaround compared to industry norms. Read more>>

J O V A

My story really starts when I moved from Puerto Rico to Houston at 10 years old. Puerto Rico had already given me a strong sense of identity, culture, and a love for music that would stay with me. By 16, I was seriously making music and beginning to figure out who I wanted to be as an artist. Read more>>

Gabriel Montoya

My story starts when I was 11. My father always played guitar around the house and would always talk about when he and his brother would jam together. I never had much interest until the “grunge era” of music really spoke to me. Dad had this beat up classical with a wide neck laying around and one day I decided to pick it up. Read more>>

Diana Soto

I’ve been dancing pretty much my entire life. My parents originally put me in dance because I was incredibly hyper and they didn’t know what the heck to do with me! I also wore orthopedic boots as a child (which I apparently managed to break), and someone suggested ballet could help with my alignment and posture while giving me somewhere to channel all that energy. Read more>>

Naiah Figuera

Before becoming a content creator on my own platforms, I was already working behind the scenes in social media and creating content for other brands. My academic and professional background has always been closely connected to communication: I have a degree in Social Communication and also studied Social Media Management and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Read more>>

Evan Jupiter

Back in 2023, I had just gotten off a hitch offshore and headed to Houston to look at some potential investment properties. Read more>>

Jerome Cabeen

I couldn’t have imagined that just 6 1/2 years ago I would pick up a camera to fill a void in my life, and now I am a professional photographer traveling the world on photography assignments. Photographing music festivals has offered me an opportunity to interact with cultures and artists I otherwise may have never had the chance to share air with. Read more>>

Riri Valora

I discovered pole dancing as an adult, with no dance or fitness background at all. At the time, I was working a corporate job and living a sedentary life. When a friend suggested I try a pole dance class, I signed up without really knowing what to expect. That one class changed everything. Read more>>

Reginald Ford

I’m Reginald ‘ Teddy Bear’ Ford CEO & host of night Traxx Podcast formerly Lotl radio the Zone. Read more>>

Jodi Walsh

I recently realized that I’ve been in the creative business, one way or another, for 50 years. As Director of Marketing Communications in the software industry in the 1990s and then a studio artists for the last 40 years. How I got to where I am today is years and years of doing the same thing day after day. Read more>>

Corderro Currie

I was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Hernando, Mississippi, by a single mother who raised me and my two brothers. My mother always made sure we had food, clothes, and everything we truly needed, but even as a child, I could see that things were not always easy financially. Read more>>

amanda Slivinski

I actually started out in the wedding industry by designing and building wedding venues for Barns and Buildings back in 2013. When I started construction on Willowynn it was early 2019 and was the 7th venue I had built but this one was my own. I had dreamed of building a venue for years and knew one day it would come true! Read more>>

Daidrien Johnson

My journey started with a genuine passion for creativity, communication, and helping people bring their ideas to life. Over the years, I’ve explored different areas of media and marketing—from podcasting, photography, and content creation to social media strategy and business consulting. What started as a personal interest gradually turned into a career. Read more>>

Maritza Sanchez

My story began in Venezuela, where I built my professional career as a psychologist and developed a deep passion for helping people understand their emotions, strengthen their relationships, and create meaningful change in their lives. For many years, psychology was not simply my profession; it became part of my purpose. Moving to the United States marked a major turning point in my life. Read more>>

Dr. Robyn Kebede, DrPH

My story really began during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a time filled with so much uncertainty, and I found that friends, colleagues, and women in my community who were pregnant or navigating postpartum life would often come to me with questions, looking for information, reassurance, or simply someone they trusted to help them navigate what they were experiencing. Those conversations stayed with me. Read more>>

Ariana Stanley

Fresh out of college, I landed my first job and quickly realized I had the ability—and the drive—to manage social media and marketing for multiple businesses at once. So, I made the scary decision to quit, bet on myself, and go all in. I started Creative Concepts Agency from my bedroom and hustled to build it one client at a time. Read more>>

Ana Longoria

My story didn’t begin with a perfect plan…it has been shaped through motherhood, hard seasons, starting over, and learning to believe in myself again. I’m a mother of three, a grandmother, a full-time insurance Advisor, and a lifestyle content creator. For many years, so much of my identity was centered around taking care of everyone else. Read more>>

Alexis Wagner

My journey into entrepreneurship wasn’t necessarily a straight line, but every chapter helped shape what MAYVN is today. After graduating from Texas Southern University with a background in public relations and communications, I continued waiting tables while figuring out what direction I wanted my life and career to take. My first real step into entrepreneurship was becoming a personal trainer. Read more>>

lavicophotography@gmail.com

My foundation has always been motherhood. I’m a mother myself, and so much of the way I see photography has been shaped by my own experience of raising my son and realizing just how quickly life moves. Read more>>

Shannon Briley

I was an educator for many years, and my experience working with students inspired my passion for helping young people grow and succeed. When the opportunity came for me to become the Program Director at Face to Face Enrichment Center, I saw it as a chance to expand my impact beyond the classroom. Read more>>

sacha Lazarre

For as long as I can remember, I have carried pieces of home with me. I was born to a Haitian couple in Brooklyn whose dreams stretched far beyond the place they called home. My father was a math teacher, and my mom, a nursing student. Read more>>

Rocio Garza

I started BYROCIO after withdrawing from St. Thomas, where I was studying to become a PA. I honestly had no idea what I wanted to do next, but I knew I had always wanted my own business and loved being creative. I had tried so many things before, from doing nails, making prints, ceramics, paintings, bracelets – but none of them really stuck. Read more>>

Brittany McDaniel

My story has really been about learning how to take everything life has given me, the good, the bad, and the unexpected, and use it to keep moving forward. I started my real estate career in 2016, and what started as a career opportunity grew into something much bigger. Read more>>

Juliett Art

# The Story of an Artist For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to art. I was the child who could disappear into imagination for hours, creating little worlds and stories in my mind. I always knew that I would grow up to be an artist. I simply didn’t yet know what my canvas would be. Eventually, I found photography. Read more>>

Chloe Jeon

For over 12 years, I built my career in the hair industry and eventually became a business owner. Hair was such a huge part of my identity and my life, and I loved being able to build something of my own while connecting with so many different people along the way. Read more>>