We’re looking forward to introducing you to Gaby Velasquez . Check out our conversation below.
Gaby, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: Have you stood up for someone when it cost you something?
Yes, I’ve stood up for others even when it cost me. As an immigrant, I know how easily people can be devalued or misjudged, especially in roles considered “less important.” I once called out someone speaking negatively about a colleague who wasn’t present, and that moment of accountability created conflict. I also had to defend my own work when it was unfairly scrutinized by someone who didn’t understand my contributions and influenced others against me. These experiences taught me that integrity has a price, but protecting your voice and values is always worth it.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Gabriela “Gaby” Velasquez, the founder of Houston Cultural Collective. I’m an Afro-Indigenous Venezuelan creative who loves building spaces where art, culture, and community come together. HCC started from my experience as an immigrant trying to find opportunities and connection in Houston, and now I focus on bridging creatives with companies, real-estate communities, and local organizations that want to engage more intentionally with culture.
I create events, collaborations, and platforms that highlight local talent and make people feel seen. Right now, I’m expanding projects that celebrate immigrant stories and support artists who deserve visibility and real opportunities..
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was a girl full of imagination, intuition, and light. I was connected to nature, to rhythm, to color. I was curious, spiritual, and deeply empathetic, someone who felt everything. I didn’t worry about fitting in or being “acceptable.” I was simply myself.
Life, migration, motherhood, and survival tried to shape me into versions that made other people comfortable, but underneath it all I’ve always been that same creative soul. The one who sees beauty in small details, who protects others, who dreams big, and who trusts her energy.
In many ways, I’m returning to her now, the version of me that existed before expectations, judgment, and limitations. She is the foundation of my work, my art, and the community I build today.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
The defining wounds of my life came early. I became a teen mom because of sexual assault, immigrated under circumstances no one should experience, and lived undocumented while trying to survive. The pandemic was the first time I could finally go within and start healing. My jewelry, my photography, and the community I build through Houston Cultural Collective became my medicine. They helped me transform pain into purpose and turn my story into strength.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
A cultural value I protect at all costs is dignity. I learned this the hard way while working at a community space where I witnessed how easily people in positions of power can misuse their influence. Instead of empowering new entrepreneurs, they allowed gossip, bias, and personal insecurities to shape decisions. I saw how discrimination and exclusion can shut doors for people who are already part of communities that have historically been excluded.
Those experiences taught me that dignity must be non negotiable. Every person deserves to be treated with respect, truth, and fairness, no matter their background, accent, or social status. This value guides everything I do with Houston Cultural Collective, creating spaces where people are uplifted, not diminished, and where our communities can thrive without fear of judgment or exclusion.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
If I laid down my name, my roles, and all my possessions, what would remain is my spirit. My intuition, my resilience, my ability to create beauty from pain. What would remain is the part of me that survived everything I was never supposed to overcome.
I would still be the girl who feels energy before words, who sees stories in people, who believes in community, who protects others even when her voice shakes. I would still carry my connection to my ancestors, to the land, and to the deep knowing that guided me long before I had a title or a brand.
What would remain is my heart. The part of me that loves fiercely, heals through art, builds spaces where others feel seen, and refuses to let the world harden her.
Everything else can be taken, changed, or lost.
But my essence, my purpose, my empathy, my courage, that is mine.
That is what stays.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.get-cultural.com
- Instagram: @gabyvelasquezhouston
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriela-a-velasquez-24118860?
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17U2capzEt/
Image Credits
Violeta Alvarez photography
Gaby velasquez photography
