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 Dallas.
Jacqueline (Jackie) Pelcastre
I’ve always been interested in art ever since I was in elementary school. Every elective I chose always included art and to this day I still use a lot of what I’ve learned. Read more>>
Jason Thing
I began making art because I needed a way to communicate when words were not enough. I was born in Burma (Myanmar), where my early life was shaped by conflict, displacement, and strong family bonds. These experiences followed me when I left home and lived in Malaysia for five years, a period marked by uncertainty and resilience. Read more>>
Curtis Olsen
My path to becoming a medical massage therapist began not in a classroom, but in my own body. Living with chronic pain revealed how deeply it can shape physical movement, identity, and daily life. Like many people seeking relief, I encountered a healthcare system that often separates care into silos. Read more>>
Ruby Jaffrey
We had just moved into a new house – my husband and I were looking for contemporary Islamic Art pieces for our home. Back in 2004, there weren’t as many options for that kind of thing as there are today. Anything we did find was mostly online, traditional, and very expensive to ship internationally. Read more>>
Eric Stafford
I got interested in leatherwork after moving into a small Dallas apartment after graduate school at Texas A&M. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in my Grandfather’s wood shop, learning to use my hands. When that small apartment understandably wouldn’t let me put a table saw in the living room, I wanted something else to keep my hands busy. Read more>>
Tony Davidson
Ship That Car was founded by Tony and Jimmy after more than five years of hands-on experience in the auto transport industry. Having worked across multiple companies, they gained deep insight into how car shipping operates behind the scenes, and more importantly, where it often falls short for customers. Read more>>
Keithsha Mitchell
After providing more than 15 years of services to a comprehensive group of ages in both behavioral health and social services programs I realized I wanted to create a greater impact on the lives of others. I started teaching individuals about mindfulness through journal writing and meditation. Read more>>
Tom Wagner
Ever since I picked up my first serious camera in 2016, I have been hooked on photography! I soaked up everything I could to learn camera settings, composition, and post-processing techniques. Since then I have traveled the world capturing God’s beauty in landscapes, city scapes, and the night sky. Read more>>
Cole Soileau
I started with video games learning how to play instruments through rock band contemplating if this is what I seriously wanted to do with my life forever before I actually committed to it. Read more>>
isabelle paulino
I never imagined that the photoshoots I loved as a kid could one day become my path to confidence and self-expression. Even as a child, I loved playing with clothes, though I was always self-conscious about my size. My mom often dressed me in colorful, playful outfits, and my friends and I would have little photoshoots at the mall or in backyards. Read more>>
Juliette Kalokoh
I started my journey with very humble beginnings in West Africa and later immigrating to the United States with big dreams but limited resources. Like many immigrants, I faced cultural shock, financial struggles, identity challenges, and moments of deep uncertainty. Read more>>
Lisa Halperin
I founded the Art Club of Fort Worth because I realized I needed an artistic community of my own. I kept discovering vibrant art groups across North Texas, yet I couldn’t find anything similar here in Fort Worth — which felt surprising given how rich and creative our city truly is. Instead of waiting for that space to appear, I decided to build it. Read more>>
Trupti Raykar
I was born and raised in Shimoga, Karnataka, India, where I completed my education and began my career as an assistant professor at an engineering college. On paper, my path looked traditional and structured, but long before I stepped into a classroom as a lecturer, I had already discovered my first love: dance. Read more>>
Brittney Kelley
On April 3, 2012, my life changed forever. A tornado completely destroyed my home. I lost almost everything materially—but what I didn’t lose was my faith, resilience, or belief that there’s always a silver lining in every storm. Instead of walking away from the devastation, I leaned into it. I single-handedly rebuilt a 3,300-square-foot custom home on the same lot. Read more>>
Jeff and Mardy Chen
Original Hot Yoga, aka Bikram Yoga, is a challenging physical and mental test of resilience. Accomplishing difficult things like this makes you tougher and your life better outside the yoga room. The 90-minute, 105+ degree hot yoga class has transformed countless lives over the last 20+ years with PURE Yoga + Fitness in Dallas and Austin. Read more>>
Jenine Therese Catalan-Referente
I wanted to become a lawyer, following in my dad’s footsteps, but God had a different plan for me. I graduated in the Philippines in 2012 with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing and moved to Texas in 2014 to begin my nursing career. Read more>>
Jeana Penny
I was in education for 23 years before I retired to run Lean Kitchen. My husband stayed on as a Captain with the Fire Department in sulphur springs to keep a steady income until we could get on our feet at the store. Read more>>
Omar Mchenry
Dear [Mark Wright], I am writing to share a bit about my journey and how I arrived at where I am today. My path in the music industry began at the young age of 16. Like many others starting out, I found myself caught up in what I call a ‘360 triangle’ of bad choices and misunderstandings about the industry—chasing rather than following. Read more>>
Kevin Scarbrough
I started playing music when I was five years old. It’s always been a part of who I am. Over the years, I learned drums, keys, bass, and guitar. I’ve gone through pretty much every phase you can imagine. I’ve recorded, played live shows, and even produced full albums where I handled every instrument, every vocal, and even the mixing and mastering myself. Read more>>
Bonny Pan
My journey started with a problem I saw repeatedly as an educator: capable students who needed more individualized instruction and confidence-building support to truly succeed in math and reading. That challenge became personal when my own son struggled with dyslexia and found the supplemental support he needed at Gideon Math & Reading in Frisco. Read more>>
LaTreece Ross
My journey into the field of mental health began in the classroom, where I first witnessed the powerful connection between emotional well-being and academic success. I spent 10 years as a Special Education Inclusion Teacher and 5 years as an Elementary School Counselor, walking alongside children navigating trauma, learning differences, and emotional challenges. Read more>>
Karen Sanchez
Oh man, it really has been quite the journey, and one that has been worth every single moment. My background is in civil engineering, and I spent seven years building my career in that field. Early on, though, I felt a deep longing for more purpose in my work. I started asking myself, What actually brings me joy? Read more>>
Justin Feemster
My name is McFeemy the clown, I am an East Dallas local artist and curator of all things weird, strange and odd. I have spent a lot of years working alongside the owner of Curiosities, Jason Cohen, to find and restore the coolest antiques and oddities from all over the world, just for other people to enjoy. Read more>>
inspyr faith
Growing up, I had a sharp tongue on me. I was never a bad kid, but most of the trouble I got in, came from something I said. My grandmother would always tell me how I could talk myself into and out of anything while warning me of my talents. Read more>>
Jane Martens
I had a nominal interest in photography growing up – it started the summer I turned 16. I documented a ‘bucket list’ of adventures with all of my friends before I moved from Virginia to Texas, so that I’d always have those memories to look back on. Read more>>
Dr; Lavinia B. Masters
Before there was a business, there was a broken young woman trying to understand how her pain could possibly have purpose. My journey began as a survivor of sexual trauma. For years, I carried questions, confusion, and silence. But healing began when I made a decision that what happened to me would not define me — it would refine me. Read more>>
Tammie McKenzie
Art has been woven into my life for as long as I can remember. My natural talent was evident as early as my preschool days and it was always said by anyone who knew me: ‘That girl is an artist.’ And I agree with that assessment. I am, and have always been, an artist. Read more>>
Thomas Deal
Life has not always been easy for me, most of my life, I have struggled to make ends meet. I started out as an iron worker, missing out on a lot of my kids events and life, I then moved into being a crane operator making money and dreams for other people. Read more>>
Lydia Baskin
I began as a barista at a locally owned shop in 2011. Later that year, for my wedding, I hired a coffee caterer to serve espresso and she is still the detail most people remember. In 2014, I started working for a large corporate coffee shop as a barista and saved to start my own coffee catering business. Read more>>
Gia Randazzo
Gia Randazzo of Gia Randazzo Productions (A media company that stays ready to travel to our clients) Fine art photography is not only my passion and profession, but it has also become my purpose. I have a very unusual history and background. Read more>>
Nicholas Rice
Nick’s Right Podcast started with a simple but intentional idea: put two Nicks in a room—one an old Millennial and the other Gen X—and let them argue about culture, politics, and everything in between. The goal wasn’t to manufacture outrage or talking points, but to highlight how two different generations can look at the same issues through completely different lenses. Read more>>
Heather Wallish
I’ve always been active and competitive. Growing up, I was involved in competitive cheer, which instilled discipline, resilience, and body awareness at a young age. That foundation naturally evolved into a deep passion for fitness as I got older. Eventually, I stepped on stage for my first bodybuilding competition, earned top placements in multiple categories and became nationally qualified. Read more>>
Michael Mistretta
I grew up in Toronto, Canada, and from a young age felt a strong desire to make my life count for something bigger than myself. At 11 years old, during a church youth conference, I sensed a clear call to dedicate my life to God and to serving others. Read more>>
Cory Crowley
In 2019, after a nationwide search which included bids from 27 cities, Arlington was selected as the home for the National Medal of Honor Museum. We broke ground on National Medal of Honor Day – March 25 – in 2022, and opened our doors to the public three years later on March 25, 2025. Read more>>
Janie Griffith
I earned a film degree from SMU and landed my first full-time role producing and editing training videos for a workplace learning company. I traveled the country interviewing firefighters who had survived difficult incidents and turned their experiences into a monthly docu-style training series called ‘American Heat.’ It was meaningful work and an incredible crash course in storytelling. Read more>>
Todd Nathan
I was working for a build-to-rent operator that developed large-scale communities, completed construction, and handled leasing entirely in-house. I loved the efficiency and vertical integration of the model. Inspired by that experience, I purchased a few rental properties of my own and began operating them as short-term rentals. Read more>>
Josh Krzywonos
I got my start in video by filming skateboarding. My brother and I saved up for a small Digital8 camcorder, and I began filming my friends around the neighborhood. That eventually turned into traveling across the country—including California—filming skateboarding. From there, I started editing weddings and filming a few with a mentor of mine. Read more>>
Mark Bentsen
My career in technology started where urgency is constant and failure is visible. I spent ten years at FedEx in technology roles, where millions of items moving through a network every day left no room for systems that looked good on paper but collapsed under load. Read more>>
Catherine Mennad
My story really began with a personal passion for craftsmanship, meaningful design, and the idea of consuming more consciously. Over the years, I developed a strong interest in brands that create with intention — especially those that produce locally and value quality over mass production. That curiosity gradually turned into a vision. Read more>>
Janice Schwarz
I began as a secretary for a multimedia department at a book publisher in Austin during the dot com boom in the 90s. I sat in on meetings and learned a lot about web design theory. A few years later, I was in tech support and tired of it, so I decided to try my hand at HTML and making a web page. Read more>>
Kiara Thomas
Love How You Heal was born out of my own journey through healing, heartbreak, growth, and self-discovery. There was a time in my life when I felt unseen, unheard, and emotionally exhausted. I learned firsthand what it feels like to carry silent battles while still showing up strong for everyone else. Read more>>
Rodrego Way, LPC-S, LCDC
I didn’t start out in mental health I started in criminal justice. Early in my career, I spent several years working in systems that were designed to respond to behavior after the damage was already done. Read more>>
Karelly Navarro
I’ve always known I wanted to be in the beauty industry. I actually started with makeup, but eventually I felt pulled toward lashes. During COVID in 2019, when everything slowed down and we suddenly had all this extra time, I decided to take a leap and go to school for lashing. I figured if not now, then when? Starting out was both exciting and intimidating. Read more>>
Wendy Moreno
I must begin with saying that my business is not only rooted in faith, but more than that, it is faith-forward. There is no story to tell here without God. It is also not just Eden Matcha, but Eden Creative House – a matcha cart and a creative agency, offering a wide range of services. Read more>>
Ian Justl Ellis
I’ll refer you to a url where I lay this out in a lot of detail: voafit.com/my-story and https://www.voafit.com/justlellis as well as voafit.com/mylevel The short story is, my story isn’t short. I didn’t come to medicine with a neat or linear story. Long before medical school, I was obsessed with fitness, nutrition, and the idea that you could reshape your life through discipline. Read more>>
Jorge Vasquez
We have a unique curriculum that separates us from other martial arts academies where we emphasize in problem-solving through task based training as opposed to step-by-step, traditional instruction. Utilizing a scientifically backed curriculum, called the constraints led approach. we are pioneering this method in the DFW with our martial arts program. Besides our amazing curriculum we are very proud of our family based community where all walks of life are welcome beginner to elite athlete. Read more>>
Sifu Chris Bouguyon, MMQ
SimplyAware was not built as a business concept. we created it as a response to what I had been observing for decades. My training began in traditional martial arts and evolved into Tai Chi, Qigong, and Medical Qigong Therapy. The early years were rigorous and martial—discipline, structure, repetition, and embodied principle. Read more>>
Andrew Webber
I’ve been in the live events world for about 20 years. I started out doing AV and lighting for concerts, weddings, and corporate events all over DFW. Read more>>
Sriyan Bodla
Entrepreneurship has always been more than just an activity for me; it is a mindset that has shaped how I see the world for as long as I can remember. Read more>>
Bernitha Rena
My story really began when I was working as a profession in the Financial Industry of corporate America. Where I spent several years chasing success, promotions, and the next milestone. On paper, everything looked right, but in my spirit something felt off. When life slowed me down, I finally heard God calling me to something deeper. Read more>>
Rachel Terrell
I would like to share the story behind Rooted and Rising Therapies. I (Rachel) have always been passionate about working with neurodivergent children, starting back in 2017. I was a speech-therapy assistant in DFW with my caseload being primarily autistic and adhd boys. Read more>>
Iris Meneley
My path to where I am today definitely wasn’t linear — unless you count a winding road fueled by music, curiosity, and a healthy willingness to figure things out the hard way. Music has always been a constant in my life. Read more>>
Milagros Belmares
Hello, I was born and raised in Brownsville, TX, what people refer to as El Valle. I am the first of my generation to not only attend college but graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Read more>>
Ebere Oyekwe
I’ve always been that person who loved sharing things online: travel moments, lifestyle hacks, random thoughts. But funny enough, starting a business or becoming “the tech girl” was never part of the plan. It all shifted the day a friend said, “Why don’t you talk about what you do in tech?” So I made a simple video breaking down my job in data and AI. Read more>>
Tneshela Jones
I often say I didn’t choose the entertainment industry, the entertainment industry chose me. My introduction into this world began at home. My former husband was the artist, visionary, gifted, and deeply creative. As we started building a family, it became clear that talent alone was not enough to sustain us. Contracts had to be understood. Value had to be negotiated. Read more>>
Kristina Kirkland
I moved to Dallas from Las Vegas with nothing but a U-Haul and my car. I didn’t have the support of my family — most of them believed I would fail. But I truly felt God calling me here, and even when it didn’t make sense, I trusted Him. The first six months were lonely. Read more>>
Araz Adamian
I’ve been around the towing industry for as long as I can remember, but I got my first official job in the industry at 19 as a night time dispatcher. Did my best to be good at my job and just moved up the ladder with them holding various responsibilities. Read more>>
David Hokanson
I grew up actually not liking music all that much. I even got kicked out of middle school band. (That’s a story for another day.) My older sister was gifted a cheap acoustic guitar right before she went off to college. She decided to leave it at home when she went off. Read more>>
Kailee Rubright
I usually tell people my story starts long before I opened my doors in June 2025. I grew up with a strong sense of service, which is what led me to the Air Force and ultimately to two tours overseas. Those experiences changed the way I see people, trauma, and resilience, and they planted the earliest seeds of what would eventually become Ironwood Therapeutic Wellness. Read more>>
Harbhajan Singh Virdee
I was born in Uganda in 1955 and enjoyed my childhood among children from different backgrounds, cultures and traditions. At the age of 16 I moved to England and completed my high school and college education while doing community volunteering. I came to USA in 1984 as a telecommunications engineer and enjoyed my work, successful procuring multiple patents in the telecommunications technology. Read more>>
Team Effort
Team Effort is a band defying boundaries of genre and conventional approach to music & expression. We describe our sound as ‘Noise with some real Force.’ The core members of the group are: frontman- Cy Samons (‘Cy Fangs’), drummer- Jeremy Marshall (“Big Jerm”), and lead guitarist- Noah Caywood. Read more>>
Emily Davis
She believed in me and after watching her run things with a smile and in a calm collect manner , I was encouraged. I knew what mattered to me was developing relationships along the way in my studio. I just didn’t want customers, whether a parent or child, to come and go as strangers, I wanted them to feel important and that they belong, and that we have a safe place to dance and express themselves. My dance studio was my second home and I want our studios to feel that as well. Read more>>
KIMBERLY WALLACE
There are days when we wonder if people see what we were trying to build, if they believe in the vision the way we do. We are learning that smooth roads don’t make strong founders. And we’re not just here to endure—we’re here to make a difference. We’re here to build something that outlives us. We’re here to create a place where seniors, Veterans, and families feel supported, understood, and honored. Read more>>
Kristine Keller
After many years of formal education as well as doing my own reading and research, I was able to help my boys overcome many concerns related to tongue ties. I’ve helped hundreds of thousands of families with breastfeeding and TOTS (Tight Oral Tethers), who otherwise would have likely not received the information until childhood or adult symptoms worsened or created awareness. Read more>>
Persephone Starks
**With reference to the neighborhoods drop down above – We are located in multiple neighborhoods throughout the Dallas area. visit https://parentsasteachers.org/program-locator/ for our program locator to assist in finding a program close to you.** I serve as the State Manager for Texas Parents as Teachers. I oversee the statewide coordination and implementation of Texas Parents as Teachers programs. Read more>>
Karen Crow
There is a much longer version on our website if you would like to read ‘About Us’ and there are some really fun pictures of us on our Instagram. Bobby and I met in the 6th grade and quickly formed a grade school friendship, which grew into a deeper friendship through junior high and high school. Read more>>
