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.
Hagit Bibi
Today, I own my business, Hagit Bibi Photography, where I work as a natural light photographer specializing in events, families, children, food, and product photography. In the past 4 years, I’ve also had the privilege of serving as a writer and photographer for the Jewish Herald Voice. These days, I’m shooting a bit of everything, from family portraits to product photography, and I love the variety of covering events like wedding, galas, showers, parties, and receptions while writing stories that accompany them. Read More>>
Neapolitan Scoop Podcast
They chose Neapolitan Scoop Podcast due to the vanilla, strawberry and chocolate details of the ice cream which resembled each of them and their different backgrounds. Their first podcast episode launched on September 17th, 2023, since then they have added 3 series to their podcast. Scoop Tuesdays are live interactions with the public on Instagram, What the Fudge Wednesdays is an opportunity to get the opinions and perspectives from male counterparts, and Saucy Sundaes are post and pictures that feature networking and socializing events. Since launching on September 10th 2023 they have created over 40+ episodes, have had several guest features on the podcast, and have collaborated with other podcast shows. Read More>>
Jessica Mcduffee
Upon graduating from high school, I moved from Washington D.C. to Huntsville, TX, to attend Sam Houston State University, known for its top-tier criminal justice program. My time at SHSU was enriching, and the summer before my senior year, I interned with a non-profit in Tennessee and Georgia, working with at-risk adolescents and leading pro-social groups with adult inmates. This experience was transformative, revealing that my true calling lay in rehabilitation rather than punishment. Read More>>
Preeti Kesarwani
Once I got my work permit, I was beyond excited to start something of my own. That’s when “MelonKidsNLearningTV” YouTube Channel was born on August 20th, 2023. The idea came from a special place – my kid. He love watching cartoons, and I realized how powerful educational content could be for children. With my husband’s support, I decided to bring this idea to life. Read More>>
Sandra Villegas
That is when I realized how important insurance coverage is, even when you are young you still need to protect yourself from any accident. I didn’t have my seat belt on and I severely injured my back and it affected my walking, which has led to my disability. That’s what motivated me to try to make people realize how important it is to have good car insurance, including medical expenses and also a life insurance policy. Read More>>
Aliah Aerial
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had a knack for creative hobbies such as writing, crafting, taking pictures, and recording videos. My love for digital creation was developed by my parents. During my senior year of high school, my parents gifted me a pink Kodak digital camera and that’s where my love for pictures and videos started. I took my camera with me on my Senior Trip and snapped pictures and videos of everyone and everything throughout the trip! Read More>>
Christine Ege
Boundless Mercy is a prayer-based initiative established in July 2011 to combat sex trafficking in the northeast quadrant of Houston. The organization quickly expanded to include awareness sessions and an intensive outreach effort. An outreach team of sexually oriented business chaplains takes artisan cookies and handwritten notes to about 175 people (45 of whom are men) on the same route every two weeks; the focus is to build friendships based on trust rather than on transactions. The goal is the ultimate dismantling of sexual exploitation in our area. This effort translates to over 8,000 large cookies and over 4000 handwritten notes of encouragement a year. Read More>>
Michelle Marquina
You are able to get creative or keep it simple depending on your liking needless to say your smile will definitely stand and grab people’s attention. Starting this business gave me the confidence boost that I can do anything I set my mind to and now my daughter who is 7 years old is wanting to start a business of her own one day. I love having the flexibility to provide my services in my private suite or mobile where I go to you. I feel blessed to have found this opportunity and I’m excited to continue to grow my business. Read More>>
Adriel Joy Thurston
Fast forward to today, and I’ve spent several years running my own business, collaborating with an incredible network of clients and partners across the country. If you had told me 20 years ago that I would become an expert in my field, building a successful independent career, I wouldn’t have believed it. Despite the challenges along the way, I’ve grown both personally and professionally, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to use my experience to help others thrive. Read More>>
Sherika Powell
We took over ownership of the Coder School in May 2024. My husband has worked in the IT industry for the last 20 years and wants to own a business supporting kids in STEM education. We jumped at the chance to own the Coder school which teaches kids ages 7-18 how to code aka write computer programs. Read More>>
Rajaa Tuere
I currently am running my business full time and finding novel ways to network, learn, and expand my business. I will be headed back to school in the spring to pursue my bachelor’s degree in Nutrition so that I may possess the full knowledge and understanding behind the food I am preparing, aside from the research I’ve done myself. I want to be able to provide communities with food that tastes and look appetizing, but do not have the unnecessary and unhealthy ingredients that many foods contain. I want to give back and not only teach people how to live a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, but provide them with nutritious and flavorful food. Read More>>
Keirra Ewah
At 22 years old, I produced my first major film, Elephant! a two-year film project directed by Chinwe Okorie. I led a huge team of talented cast and crew members as we worked on a massive, but stunning, private school in my hometown of Austin, Texas. Austin is the mecca for indie films. Elephant! was beautifully executed, earning its rightful place on the screen at the legendary Austin Film Festival! On our last day of production, the mother of our lead actress was shedding legit tears because her daughter got to witness being on a set led by two women that looked like her. It was a reminder of the importance of representation and that our work is bigger than us—it’s about showing people what’s possible. Read More>>
Zoie Magic
I’ve always created in my room or living room which made it easier to just try to stuff. I tried rapping instead of doing spoken word over instrumentals and honestly wasn’t that good. Here and there I sounded like I knew what I was doing but every time I loved it. The biggest thing that got me here was all the encouragement I got along the way. Even when I doubted myself, the people around me, the people I worked with, and the people that listened to my music always believed in me. Eventually, I believed in myself more and more and the growth that came from that got me where I am today. Read More>>
Alejandro Rodriguez
My story started as I was raised in Cypress,TX practically my whole childhood. After doing sports and not finding much of a passion or interest in them, I decided to follow my heart and dive into my artistic interests. Around age ten or eleven, I finally realized that sports and the “athletic atmosphere” just wasn’t for me. I knew I wanted to dive into some sort of art form, but I didn’t know which, let alone how to do it. Read More>>
Sasha Ray
After many friends insisted, I decided to create a website and start selling! I made quite a bit of money each month and realized I didn’t need all the profits to run it; so I began donating what I earned to charities and organizations. And to this day, I still do so and it is such a joy to brighten someone’s day through baking! My hope is that one day I can turn it into a real shop! Read More>>
Deisy Vasquez
Music has always been a big part of my life. I started my musical journey back in 2002 and went on to earn a degree in music, majoring in piano. Along the way, I also got a degree in Business Administration, which turned out to be incredibly useful when I ventured into the world of music education. Read More>>
Harold Velasquez
During one of those reflective moments, my boss gave me an unusual task: to climb onto a 25-foot roof to make some repairs. Even though it wasn’t part of my job description, I agreed. It took me over two weeks to complete the work, and every time I looked down from the roof, I questioned whether I had made the right decision. However, something sparked within me. The danger of the job made me think about the value of this kind of work. From up on that roof, I started to wonder about the roofing business. Read More>>
Juan Ruiz
On the other hand, we have to face the obstacle that, being a new brand, we have to make ourselves known, and that starts little by little, with a lot of patience. It becomes a challenge to get people to know you, to know that your business exists, and, of course, to generate trust and get the client to perceive the offer that we have for them in terms of quality, designs, service, etc. We know that we have great quality and a huge catalog of products, but how do you communicate this to the client? Read More>>
