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.
Andrew Liu
To be honest, I didn’t start with the idea of an “organization” at all. It started with a piano and a question: why should something as beautiful and formative as music education be limited to those who can afford it? Read more>>
Ayaan Magoo
Our story really began when my twin brother and I realized how many students around us were dealing with stress without having an approachable place to turn. We wanted to create something built by teens for teens, so we launched Help Youth Cope (HYC) together. Read more>>
Sibley Varghese
In 2018 I received news that turned my world upside down-I was diagnosed with breast cancer. For once in my life I did not know what I was going to do, I had no plan as when I was diagnosed it had spread and I was considered metastatic. Read more>>
Cheryl Baptiste
When I was in my late 30s, my hairstylist gently told me I was showing early signs of Alopecia. In that moment, I slipped into a quiet season of denial that slowly unfolded into deep sadness. As the months went by, the changes became impossible to ignore—my once thick hair began thinning at the crown and along the sides of my head. Read more>>
Roshunda Williams
Roshunda Williams, Executive Director Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like. Born and raised in East Dallas, one of the roughest areas you could say my childhood shaped a chapter of life filled with struggle. Read more>>
Joe Campos
The Gogi Time Story The menu at Gogi Time Korean BBQ is inspired by the flavors of Korea and the Flavor Creator Jae Sook Beaty (Mom) who handed down these family recipes. The menu features everything from our popular appetizer Mandu (Won Tons) to our hearty bowls. Read more>>
Young Kim
My journey with art started way back in first grade in South Korea, when I drew an ocean diver and totally fell in love with creating. Back in the 1980s, art education wasn’t really a thing, so I didn’t get any formal training until middle school. Read more>>
Amy Baker
I’m Amy Baker, and my journey with Urban Yoga began in 2010, two years after having my daughter. At the time, I was deeply disconnected from my body and my nervous system. I’d spent nearly 15 years in corporate real estate, pushing through stress, ignoring the signals my body was sending, and finding myself in a place that was far from healthy. Read more>>
Tyler Fonville
My interest in design began at a really young age. I had a love for animals, title sequences, video game UI, Halo, etc. Combining that with a natural ability to draw, and support from the fam, really sealed the deal! Read more>>
Heavy Blacknell
To make a long story short, I was at Exxon mobil for 11years, and we knew we were getting let go. During the pandemic I bought my own margarita machine, and started making up drinks from scratch. After a few weeks I made a IG and started posting the drinks and unbeknownst to me,it was a hit! Read more>>
Shreeya Mody
My journey with Finance Innovators began in the summer of 2024 with one simple goal: to help teenagers better understand financial literacy. As a sophomore last year from Centennial High School, I realized early on that personal finance isn’t taught as a required course in most schools, leaving many students without the foundational skills they need to make confident money decisions. Read more>>
Linda Bonner
Linda Bonner Studios got it’s start with creating miniature art and note cards for Art-O-Mat. Art-O-Mat is a company that refurbishes vintage cigarette machines to dispense original art the size of a cigarette carton. I discovered this opportunity in 2018 and was hooked! One of my first project was called Petite Notes, miniature handmade note cards and envelopes that are 2′ x 3′. Read more>>
Sabra Edgmon
I’ve been dedicated to the hairstyling craft for a decade. Growing up in Burleson, I became licensed in Colorado, and after returning home, I rebuilt my clientele following the pandemic. Over these ten years, I’ve continuously invested in my education, learning from leading independent stylists and seizing every opportunity to grow. Read more>>
Luann Morris
I am a Licensed Vocational Nurse, Biologist, Author, Herbalist, and Reiki Master. I studied at East West School of Planetary Herbalism. Ancient Herbal Apothecary, formerly known as Herbal Lu’s Apothecary, was Established in 2016, it initially focused on producing Elderberry Syrup. I started the business as a part-time endeavor, but it gradually evolved and expanded to meet customer demands. Read more>>
Haylea Brown
In a nutshell, I was 60-70lbs overweight, depressed, lost an unhappy with my life. So I finally got sick enough of my crap to do something about it. I started going to the gym regularly 5 years ago and never looked back. Read more>>
Lev Wright
Well, Stone Heart started about 4 years ago when singer and guitarist Lev Wright & Drummer Orion McGuill met in Freshman year of high school, and bonded over our love for Green Day and punk rock music. Soon after that our first bassist, Joey joined, and was our longest running bassist. Read more>>
Lei ‘Bai Rose’ White
My story really begins long before I ever touched a mixer. I come from a line of women who believed dessert wasn’t optional, it was a love language. In my family, sweets were the grand finale to every gathering: after Sunday service, at holiday dinners, at celebrations, or simply when loved ones walked through the door. Read more>>
Poya Eghterafi
Artsy Cakery began as a small home-based passion project in 2017, when Noushin Eghterafi started baking custom cakes from our home kitchen in Coppell. What began with a few cake orders quickly grew through word of mouth as people fell in love with her creativity, attention to detail, and the quality of our baked goods. Read more>>
Alfredo Salgado
I have always wanted to run my own Business and be a part of my Community and be able to give back. The last Serious Job I had was joining the USMC, 4 years in and after getting hurt and an Honorable Discharge. it was hard for me to adjust and to be able to go back to being a Civilian. Read more>>
Jessica Griscavage
I have been in the travel industry for 20 years and have never looked back. See my journey on our Awards/Accolades page and my 100% recommended rating on Virtuoso. Over the past decades I have enjoyed working with my clients and creating relationships to meet the needs and expectations of each individual. My clients are like family to me. Read more>>
Mariel Barajas
Growing up, I always had an interest in makeup and doing hair. I would ask for dolls and Barbies just so I could style their hair, and I loved doing my younger cousins’ hair whenever I got the chance. If an opportunity came up to sneak in some makeup practice, I took it. Read more>>
Lemark Collins
My first love was architecture drafting. Straight lines, balance, and order guided how I saw the world. I carried that into everything I created. I started with DC Designs, making flyers and cards by hand. Those early projects trained my eye and sharpened my work ethic. I learned to finish what I started. My interest in fashion grew fast. My first designs sold out. Read more>>
Angela Taylor
I graduated from Texas A&M in 2001 with a psychology degree with a plan to pursue counseling. However, I was recruited by the CIA based on my degree and my high level of involvement and leadership roles during school. I couldn’t turn that down, so I moved to DC and worked there for a couple of years. Read more>>
Valentin Torres
I started cutting hair in church, lining up my buddies and then later cutting on my porch. While I served in the Army I cut hair regularly in and out of training. I was transitioning out of the military working as a mailman, when one day I recieved a letter in the mail from the VA. Read more>>
Trey Mathis
I’ve always had a passion for service, leadership, and the business side of sports. I started my career in local government, where I learned how to manage complex operations, solve problems quickly, and work with people from all walks of life. Those years gave me a strong foundation in structure, communication, and accountability. Read more>>
Daisy Billions
My journey hasn’t been traditional, but it has shaped me into a resilient and resourceful woman. I started with a passion for beauty, creativity, and connecting with people, and over time those passions pushed me into entrepreneurship. I’ve worked in different industries and learned how to build a brand, present myself professionally, and create experiences people can trust. Read more>>
Kitrina Anderson
I became interested in balloons when I made a welcome home balloon column for my daughter and a birthday balloon bouquet for my husband. It was a fun challenge and it brought them so much joy. From then I realized I could bring more people joy. So I worked on my skills through a ton of practice. I practiced each skill until I felt confident. Read more>>
Liliana Tule
I’m Liliana, a 36-year-old nurse injector born in La Piedad, Michoacán and raised in East Dallas. My career began in traditional medicine, dental oncology, surgery, the ER, and hospice care, where I learned the importance of precision, compassion, and truly listening to patients. Read more>>
Xavier W
I have been in the content creation space before the term ‘content creator’ or ‘influencer’ was coined and I’ve had many social media endeavors both personally and professionally. In 2020, when TikTok was known as a dancing app for kids, I started posting career and college applications advice. Several copycats followed and I wasn’t interested in posting the same content as everyone else. Read more>>
Tiera Gilyard
Although I have a couple of businesses: an LLC called H.E.A.L. Solutions, LLC that provides trauma informed education professional development for schools, organizations, and churches. This was birthed after being in education over 10 years and helping at-risk students overcome their traumas and helping them learn resilience. Read more>>
Carolyn (Doll) Reeves
I actually never had being a tattoo artist cross my mind even though I’ve always drawn since a little girl. I wanted to do real estate, be a chef and drive 18 wheelers. I went with a cousin of mine and saw her get a tattoo done and wondered if that was something I could do! Read more>>
Tara Rydl
I started a DIY blog called Mom Can Do Anything where I shared DIY projects around the house. I started posting Christmas related DIYS and realized that content had taken over my blog. I decided I needed to give my Christmas content its own space. So, I started decorating Christmas trees year around and posting tips. Read more>>
Lucia Moreno
I always say Bossladies Rocking was born from a mix of homesickness, ambition, and a deep desire not to do life and business alone. Read more>>
Raissa Etono
actually started doing hair in my aunt’s garage — in that Dallas heat, with a tiny fan that barely worked and did nothing but blow my hair tools around. I still feel bad for my clients who stuck it out with me in those early days, but I’ll forever appreciate my day-ones for believing in me before anything was glamorous. Read more>>
Ashley Rogers
From as early as I can remember, I’ve been deeply curious about people and what shapes the human experience. Growing up in a traumatic environment gave me a firsthand understanding of pain, resilience, and the complexities of healing. Those early experiences became both my greatest challenge and my greatest teacher. Read more>>
Jennifer White
After I graduated high school, I worked a summer job at a local parcel warehouse and a second job at a grocery store to save up for community college that fall. Fall came around, I started community college, caring for my diabetic mother (on top of the 2 jobs) and was having a hard time juggling it all. Read more>>
Jim Buhrke
I was born and raised in Chicago and lived there until 7 years ago. I retired from the Chicago Police Department after 21 years of service. After that I went to work doing Executive Protection for the Boeing Company. When they opened an office in Plano, I decided to relocate and found a home in McKinney. Read more>>
Laurie Miller
I was born and raised in Dallas, graduated from The Greenhill School and The University of Texas at Austin. I spent 20 years working in my family’s 100 year old business. I eventually came to the realization that I wanted my work to make a difference for people. Read more>>
Soledad Bautista
My story begins in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México — a place that shaped me with its storytellers, vibrant art, unforgettable food, constant laughter, and, above all, a deep love for people. I grew up surrounded by community, color, generosity, and a sense that life is richer when it is shared. Those early years taught me resilience, joy, and the beauty of holding many truths at once. Read more>>
