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.
Thomas (Buggzy Fresh) Rogers
My journey started in Hollygrove, New Orleans, where I first picked up a pair of clippers at just 12 years old. What began as a way to make extra money in the neighborhood quickly turned into a lifelong passion and career. Growing up where I did taught me discipline, resilience, and how to create opportunities for myself even when resources were limited. Read more>>
Esly Vera
I started studying at a university in Mexico City where I was part of only the fourth graduating class, so it was still a very new design school. I studied furniture and product design, and through that I became very focused on learning about materials. After graduating, I got really into ceramics — I even did my thesis in ceramics. Read more>>
Shavontae Wallace
I always say that I didn’t choose this profession, it chose me and I’m so glad it did. I was originally premed during undergrad at Sam Houston State University. During undergrad, I lived in Lisbon, Portugal while participating in a medical fellowship program. Back home in South Dallas, we had a neighbor who sold professional tools to salons. Read more>>
Jasper Zhang
I came to the United States with almost nothing, and for a long time, survival was the only thing on my mind. I had to adapt quickly to an unfamiliar environment while carrying financial pressure, uncertainty, and the constant fear of failure. There was no blueprint. No safety net. Read more>>
Amirah Mangum
My name is Amirah Mangum, I’m originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. My journey of being an entrepreneur began when I was in college at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). I started off doing henna in my dorm room in the year of 2017. Read more>>
Promise Houston
I started doing nails at 17! When I got out of high school I went straight to cosmetology school to get my manicurist license. Expecting that I’d like to do nails when I got done but it actually took me onto another path which is doing pedicures! Read more>>
Kenneth Craig Williams, Jr.
My story honestly began before I even realized it was becoming one. I’ve always been a creative at heart — the kid who saw the world through design, presentation, music, emotion, and detail. I grew up in Indiana and naturally gravitated toward leadership, creativity, and making things feel elevated, whether it was fashion, décor, music, or even the atmosphere of a room. Read more>>
Saad Shaikh
Saad was completely captivated by electronic music when he first heard DJ Sakin & Friends‘ “Protect Your Mind” — the theme for Braveheart — in the late ’90s. His taste quickly evolved, diving deep into Paul van Dyk, Tiësto, and Hernán Cattáneo, sneaking into raves as a teenager across the Dallas underground. Read more>>
Erica Murphy
ELM Interiors was born from my passion to help people and my passion for creating spaces that feel elevated, are the reasons why I created ELM Interiors, with the intention that beautiful design should feel accessible, inspiring, and attainable no matter where you are. Read more>>
Sara Carroll
Growing up in the foothills of North Carolina, I was surrounded by craftsmanship and design from a very young age. Read more>>
Zoie Stout
I grew up with a loved one who had Cerebral Palsy. It hsaped how I viewed th world in many ways. I watched this person overcome many things that other people with disabilities may not have the same opportunity to do. It made me want to work towards making it known that every individual has a voice and should have a way to use it. Read more>>
Dami Agboola
Flaair Decor started from a passion for creating beautiful spaces and meaningful experiences for people. What began as a creative outlet gradually turned into a business as friends, family, and clients continued trusting me with their special moments and recommending my work to others. Entrepreneurship has always been part of my journey. Read more>>
Rashida Bradley
My career has been rooted in healthcare, finance, and operational leadership, with a focus on driving strategic impact in complex environments. I currently work at within the Health and Pharmacy Services space, where I’ve led initiatives tied to financial operations, cross-functional process improvement, and large-scale business execution. Over time, my role evolved beyond traditional finance into broader leadership, strategy, and innovation work. Read more>>
Abigail Rainey
Since I can remember, even as a very little girl, I was drawn to light and color and in them found so much joy and beauty. As I grew up, I picked up drawing and watercoloring. I ADORED children’s books and wanted to become an illustrator. Read more>>
Aeriel Vanderburg
Getting my foot in the door of the tattoo industry was the hardest part, especially as a young woman in a small town, Texarkana. I made a portfolio of drawings to show my versatility and skill to a potential mentor. My apprenticeship led me to black and grey surrealism like my mentor, Quinn. Read more>>
Kaitlyn Lackey
As an equestrian and long time animal lover, I initially wanted to be a veterinarian when I grew up. But after sustaining 3 head injuries from riding horses, modern medicine “failed me.” This was my turning point. After suffering several years with headaches and migraines. I was told there wasn’t anything that could be done other than pain medication and a “watch and wait” approach. Read more>>
Krista Escamilla
I grew up in Northern California and graduated from California State University, Sacramento. During my college years, I worked full time as a dance teacher, karaoke DJ, professional acrobat for the San Francisco Opera, and performer at California’s Great America as a singer and dancer. Read more>>
Heena Khan
The Bloom Center for Motherhood was born from both professional and personal experience. After becoming a mother myself, I experienced firsthand how overwhelming the postpartum period can be. Read more>>
Paige Alexander
I became intrigued with content creation during peak Covid-time like most of the larger content creators. I was mainly a consumer and participated in some trends for fun, but nothing serious. Read more>>
McKenzie Broadnax
A tale as old as time, I grew up on a stool, next to my mother and grandmothers. When I was 10 or 11, I had a “cake boss” party. We took some pictures and my mom made signs and invitations made, but little did I know that very picture would become my logo 4 years later. In 2016, we started Kenzie Kakes & co. Read more>>
Alfred Rucker
During the midst of COVID, while working in education, I found myself searching for a balloon artist for an event. Little did I know, that search would spark the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey. I stepped into the world of event décor, discovered a passion for creativity and design, and turned an unexpected moment into the start of my event décor company Read more>>
TREASURE cyril
i will say first and for most what sets me apart is my faith in God and me curating a safe place for my clients to breath and be revived and refreshed , my favorite compliment from my clients is that my space is peaceful , which is so factual i am mostly proud of my versatility when it comes to my creativity one thing i am also know for is very neat work , clean parts and a fast work , Read more>>
Sandi Morse
I’ve lived in Texas for 13 years now. You know that bumper sticker—“I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could”? That’s pretty much my story. I was born and raised in New Jersey, where many of my family and lifelong friends still live. Read more>>
Sarah Huggard
I started as a cyclist back in 2021. My husband bought me a new bike in July. On a bike ride that August I came across a 70 year old man who told me about Lotoja bike race; from Logan Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I decided I wanted to do it. Read more>>
CeeCee Evans
My journey has never been a straight line. I started from a place of wanting to create opportunities not just for myself, but for people and organizations that often get overlooked. Early on, I saw how many small nonprofits, startups, and entrepreneurs had powerful ideas and real passion, but lacked access to resources, strategy, funding knowledge, and systems that larger organizations often take for granted. Read more>>
Tamarah Wild
I started with one pet sitting job. My daughter had been doing it, but she moved too far away to continue. The client lived close to my full-time job, so I agreed to take it on. That one job quickly turned into nearly a dozen more through word of mouth. Read more>>
Leslie Jackson
My journey into midwifery and birth work began from a deep passion for supporting women and families during one of the most transformative times in their lives. Over the years, I saw firsthand how many families—especially within under-served communities—struggled to access personalized, respectful, and holistic maternity care. Read more>>
Dr. Erika Nicole
Doctoring The Atmosphere Creating the Ambiance… My journey has been anything but linear, and honestly, that is what makes it meaningful. Some of my earliest memories are rooted in church and music. My mother surrounded me with both. Read more>>
Dena Igusti
I am an Indonesian Muslim interdisciplinary writer. I mainly use playwriting and poetry to preserve archives of Indonesian diasporic migration in New York City, and advocate for survivors of gender-based violence. I was born and raised in Queens as part of the Muslim Indonesian community in Elmhurst. My parents were the founding members of the Indonesian Muslim community in Woodside in 1995 via Masjid Al-Hikmah. Read more>>
Dr. Devean Owens-Toler
On April 23, 2025, I received a phone call from my gynecologist that changed my life forever. She told me I had grade three, triple negative breast cancer. After additional imaging, I found out that it was stage 2. Since then, I’ve completed 16 rounds of chemotherapy, eight rounds of immunotherapy, a sentinel lymph node biopsy, and a bilateral mastectomy with tissue expander placement. Read more>>
Edgar Ramirez
My story has been shaped by education, service, resilience, and a deep belief in human potential. I was born in Colombia, and from early on, I understood the value of hard work, perseverance, and personal growth. Over the last two decades, I have dedicated my life to education and human development, working as a teacher, mentor, coach, and leader. Read more>>
Louis Melton
I’m Louis Melton, the founder of Diva Goddess, a women’s activewear brand based in Dallas, Texas. The idea for Diva Goddess came from seeing how many women struggled to find activewear that truly made them feel confident, supported, and comfortable in the gym. Read more>>
Tenola Plaxico
I am a traveling lifestyle photographer based in the Greater Memphis area, specializing in a professional headshots, weddings, branding, and marketing, food, cars, children, events, real estate, abstract, etc. I began this journey 16 years ago as a junior in college merely picking up the camera as a hobby. Read more>>
Josh Hale
I started working in restaurants at 16. I didn’t really have a plan, other than knowing that one day I would own my own. By 18 I was managing, and by 24 my business partner and I were trying to rub two nickels together to open something from scratch in downtown Waco. Read more>>
Madison Benavidez
Where do I begin. My goal in life was to be a dancer. It was my passion and something I felt like I would do for the rest of my life. I went to college for dance and danced most of my life. I was injured in college and it ended my career. Read more>>
Veronica Petty
How the Journey Began I did not begin this journey as a business owner or educator. I began by growing my own food as a way to heal and create a healthier life for myself and my family. Gardening became my place of peace. Read more>>
Michelle Valeri
Over the years, I kept noticing the same pattern: women were exhausted from chasing answers. They were spending money on products, treatments, restrictive diets, and trends, yet nobody was explaining why their skin, energy, or overall vitality was changing in the first place. My background is actually very diverse, which ended up becoming one of my greatest strengths. Read more>>
Movmnt Band
We started in 2014 as “The Movement Jam Sessions” at Southern Methodist University, playing music and meeting other musicians. That evolved into creating our own grooves and songs which we enjoyed. In 2015, we went official as “Movmnt Band” in the current band configuration. Over the years we’ve released 3 albums, played countless shows in Texas, and gained fans literally all over the world! Read more>>
Labeaud Colbert
My path has been rooted in entrepreneurship and working with organizations to improve how they operate, communicate, and make decisions. Over time, I became less focused on isolated fixes and more interested in the systems instead. I started off in marketing but very quickly moved into tech solutions. That perspective eventually led me to build Panoramic Solutions Management, or PSM. Read more>>
Beth (Betsy) Holmstrom
Creativity has always been a part of my personality. I was fortunate to attend the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, TX. I earned a BFA from the Philadelphia College of Art in 1982. However, I did not pursue a career in the arts. Eventually, I became a special education teacher. I earned my MSpE at UTSA in 1993. Read more>>
Giovana Edwards
I’m originally from Brazil and moved to Texas in 2023 as an au pair. At the time, I was stepping into a completely new phase of life, a new country, a new culture, a new language, and honestly, a lot of uncertainty. As exciting as it was, moving away from everything familiar also came with loneliness and the challenge of rebuilding my life from scratch. Read more>>
Rebekah Perry
Hi! My name is Bekah and I’m a cottage baker in Dallas Texas. My business is called Sour-Doughnuts and we sell sourdough donuts, cinnamon rolls and other sweet treats. I’ve been baking my entire life. Starting on a step stool next to my grandma when I was 5 or 6 years old. Read more>>
Mary Morgan
I was born in Gainesville, TX., on February 12, 1950. When I was three, we moved from Houston to Fort Worth because my dad took a job as a professor at the Baptist Seminary. I spent the rest of my growing-up years in Fort Worth, with the exception of two years. Read more>>
Nekkia & Keishia
Charming Stylez Bar was created from both love and loss. After our loved one, Shantelle, suddenly passed away at the age of 43, we wanted to find a meaningful way to honor her memory and keep her legacy alive. She was a proud AKA sorority member who absolutely loved fashion, accessories, bling, pearls, and anything that made a statement with style and elegance. Read more>>
Dr. Alexandra Perry, D.C.
My name is Alexandra Perry, and I am a Doctor of Chiropractic with a deep passion for the nervous system and a lifelong love for design. Over time, I realized that both worlds shared a common goal: influencing how people feel, think, and experience themselves. Read more>>
Salvador Medina
My story in fashion began at a very young age. Ever since I was a child, I naturally stood out in the arts and in anything creative or handmade. I loved creating, drawing, experimenting with shapes and details, and I was always fascinated by silhouettes and dresses. Read more>>
Bismark Baidoo
It was a much passionate situation growing up..i was very much passionate about everything. but this one realkkly got to me. Read more>>
