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.
Oshin Saini
My journey with calligraphy began out of curiosity and a love for beautiful handwriting. Without any formal training, I started practicing on my own, spending countless hours experimenting with different scripts, tools, and styles. What began as a personal creative outlet gradually became a profession. Read more>>
Christopher Strong
Basketball and music is where it started. In 2016 was playing Division II in the state of Vermont with plans to graduate with a Bachelors in Communication. At the time I had a classmate named Chris ironically who started to mention trading to me. Read more>>
Kylin Thomas
Hi, I’m Kylin Thomas, founder of Good Works Pro, a marketing firm where exceptional customer service and authentic storytelling are at our core. Growing up under an entrepreneurial army father, I naturally became the go-to advisor in my family for soft skills—communication, sales, marketing, and creating a level playing field. Read more>>
ACTIV3 UNIVRSE
ACTIV3 UNIVRSE was founded by DJ YB, a New York-based DJ and event curator who has spent over a decade building communities through music and culture. Read more>>
Anthony Sosa
My Story Started As An Underground Hip-hop Artist In Deep Ellum Tx .. Spent A lot Of Time Doing Shows At Different Establishments There… And Promoting My Music And Upcoming Shows.. I Had My First On Camera Interview On The Streets Of Deep Ellum After a show One Night…At That Time YouTube Wasn’t Really A Thing Yet. Read more>>
Stephen Barton
I have always loved being around people, even when I was young my dad gave me my first book How to Win Friends and Influence People. That led me to down the entrepenurail road that I am on now with Core Community Mortgage, The Big Six Foundation and Soccer Spectrum. Read more>>
Auboni Essence
I started writing poetry when I was 12, but I began taking it more serious in college. I had a professor challenge my writing and demand that o stretch myself as a poet. So I did. I studied page poets, slam poets, spoken word poets and created from these sources. Read more>>
Marguerite Felder
My career didn’t begin in construction—it began in healthcare. I served as a Respiratory Therapy Director, where I learned the importance of leadership, compassion, and putting people first. Working in healthcare taught me that every decision has an impact on someone’s quality of life, and I carry that same philosophy into my work today. Read more>>
Corey Thomas
I always loved music since I was a little kid one day I was making Christian music for fun and shared it with some guys at work and one of the guys came to me crying asking to get to know the God I was writing about from that moment I decided to take it more serious Read more>>
Erika Effinger
I’m Erika Effinger, and I grew up in a small town in South Texas. My childhood was complicated from the very beginning. Read more>>
Adriana Rodriguez
I am a girl born in the summer heat craving to express myself without words through art. People call me Air sometimes. I keep creating because I look for beauty in the mundane and transform those feelings into visual pieces. From paper pencil drawings, screen printing, canvas, glass, and now skin, any blank surface can be transformed. Read more>>
Tracey Panzer-Michelle
After a more than a decade in the corporate world, I was presented with the opportunity to train with a young, woman-led company. It was a chance to be my own boss and it afforded me the opportunity to be more present in my children’s lives. I wanted to do everything the same way as those before me and everything different. Read more>>
Jennifer N.icole Williams
I am a Master Middle School Math teacher in the DFW area. I graduated from Dallas Baptist University with a Bachelor or Business Studies and one day I just applied for the Dallas ISD Alternative Certification program. It all worked out and I started teaching middle school math. Read more>>
Trisha Rose
I grew up in Mabank, Texas, in a house that always felt like a little zoo. We had Blue Heelers, Chow Chows, ferrets, horses, pigs, and even sugar gliders. Animals were just part of how our family worked, and that love followed me into adulthood. Read more>>
Viga Kpakol
How I started. Really great question. I guess how I started comes from loving to have a good time! Who doesnt love a good party and mingling with people. That passion is what led to Party Rental Project. It felt like a natural way to channel my entrepreneurial spirit into something fun, creative, and meaningful. Read more>>
Kathryn Ikle
My journey has always been driven by a love for creativity, problem-solving, and bringing people together. I began my career as a designer, but over time my work expanded into UX, strategy, marketing, and leadership roles across industries including finance, healthcare, technology, and retail. Read more>>
Keith Alexander
I’m a native Texan, and I’ve always believed in doing business the way I was raised: keep your word, work hard, treat people right, and take pride in what you build. Read more>>
Sabrina Jones
I am a self-taught artist whose journey began long before I ever imagined showcasing my work in art shows. Growing up, creativity was always a part of my environment. The arts were consistently woven into the curriculum at every school I attended, which gave me a strong foundation early on. Read more>>
Sherley Delia
My story began with survival, but it has become a body of work rooted in language, healing, scholarship, and sacred return. I am Sherley Delia, M.A., founder of Healing Majestically Consultancy, author, Ph.D. candidate, speaker, and healing-centered creative. My work emerged from my own lived experience of reclaiming voice, dignity, faith, and embodiment after trauma, illness, grief, and deep life transition. Read more>>
Keenan Vigne
Five years ago, Keenan Vigne embarked on a journey that would completely transform his life. Although he had spent years serving others through careers in law enforcement, mental health, and the medical field, storytelling had always been quietly developing beneath the surface. His experiences exposed him to the best and worst of humanity, giving him a unique perspective on resilience, justice, trauma, and hope. Read more>>
Alex Rivera
I am a Dallas native and have spent my life here in the Big D. Most of that time has been living in East Dallas. I live here with my wife, Juliana, and our cat (Chonga) and our dog (Annie). Growing up, I was living just a stone’s throw away from Lower Greenville. This was before the McMansions started showing up and gentrifying the place. Read more>>
Corenza Handy
. My journey into beauty started long before Pixie Lamode became a product brand. I have been a hairstylist for over 20 years, and throughout that time, I have always understood that hair is so much more than hair. For many women, it is connected to confidence, identity, healing, femininity, and how they show up in the world. Read more>>
Hannah Handshy
My dad still remembers me telling him when I was 15 years old that I wanted to become a professional makeup artist. Just one month after graduating from high school, I enrolled in cosmetology school to begin making that dream a reality. After earning my cosmetology license, I applied for my first makeup artist position and was hired full-time by M.A.C. Cosmetics. Read more>>
Stephen & Britney Simpson
Britney and I started Luv on the Move to bring real mental health support to our community — we’ve spent many years in the education and mental health field, so this felt like coming home to what we love most. Read more>>
Marium Haq
Hi, I’m Marium. I am a speech pathologist, a mom of three, and the creator of Draped with Haya. Before I started this brand, I actually ran a small home baking business in my spare time. Baking is one of my favorite hobbies, and my friends were the ones who really pushed me to start taking orders and make that venture profitable. Read more>>
Lama Abu-Amara
Lama’s Littles began with a passion for preserving the fleeting moments of early childhood. I’ve always loved combining creativity with attention to detail, and photography became the perfect way to tell meaningful stories while creating artwork families can cherish for generations. Read more>>
Isaac Westbrook
My photography journey started back in 2018 when I bumped into another photographer at my full-time job. Her name was Elissa Pace at the time; now Elissa Pace-Martinez. She gave me the basic knowledge on what camera I should look into and using Adobe Lightroom to store my photos. I self- taught myself for four years, learning about shutter speed iso and aperture. Read more>>
Rosa Hilda Arreola
First and foremost, I want to thank God, because without His guidance and blessings, none of this would have been possible. I also deeply thank my family for their unconditional support and those who give me the opportunity to share my story. Read more>>
Jesse Aguirre
Moved to Dallas 3 years ago. Former professional dancer in Los Angeles. Lost myself in Dallas gained over 40 lbs. needed a way to find myself. Started at Life time las colinas 2 years ago. New to fitness. Felt like the most cringy coach. Used to only have 4 ppl in class. Leaned into cringe and found growth on the other side. Read more>>
Kendra Britton
My journey into the world of dogs began in Virginia, where I worked at a kennel and doggy daycare that emphasized creating a calm, structured environment for balanced social play. It was there that I was introduced to the foundations of canine behavior and basic obedience, sparking a passion that would shape my career. Read more>>
samira Karimi
I immigrated from Iran to Dallas in 2015 with the hope of building a better future. At the time, I was a stay-at-home mom. My first job was working as a cashier at a pharmacy in Walmart, and while I was grateful for the opportunity, I knew I wanted to become financially independent. I started teaching myself how to code. Read more>>
Sarah Brenay
In 2019, with a four year old daughter at home, and twins on the way, I decided to quit my part-time job and stay home. This was a huge leap of faith since we were also in the process of my husband quitting his 9-5 and going full time with his hobby turned job. V
Rahny Shihadeh
I started out as a gym supervisor. Wanted to be able to help people more in their journey so I decided to take the full plunge into personal training Read more>>
Tania Vitela
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and moved to small town Waxahachie, Texas with my family when I was 16. It was a big culture shock, but a journey that would lead me to become the person and artist that I am today. I loved being creative as a child and never gave up on it into my adulthood. Read more>>
Hope Hart
My name is Hope Hart. I am 24 years old. I grew up in Dallas, TX but also lived in North Carolina for about 5 years. Read more>>
Shelby Shepherd
My name is Shelby Shepherd and I am Fort Worth based mixed media artist and writer who blends storytelling and visual poetry to explore the layers of womanhood and femininity. Read more>>
PL Garner
I’ve been playing music all over Texas since 2004, mainly in the DFW area. Mainly a guitar and piano player but, I started as a drummer but realized I wasn’t much of a drummer My band over the last eight years has been called PL Garner and The Reburns. Country adjacent old school rock n roll. Love playing live and love recording. Read more>>
Cool Joe
I started my band and being asked to do a show at an establishment. A business owner seen me doing karaoke. He tapped me on the shoulder, presented the idea to do a show at his business. I never stopped after that. It’s truly a blessing. Read more>>
Armenthia Carr
My journey into the beauty industry started over 15 years ago with a passion for helping people feel confident in their own skin. What began as providing skincare services quickly grew into something much bigger when I realized there was a need for education, mentorship, and representation within our industry. Throughout my career, I’ve worn many hats, esthetician, educator, speaker, author, and entrepreneur. Read more>>
Karalyne Grammer
I was born into a family of retailers and have been working in Fashion Retail since I was 15 years old. I feel lucky to have always known what I was passionate about and what I wanted to do career-wise. Read more>>
Vital Rage
Music has always been a vital part of my life, guiding me through all the ups & downs. I always wanted to DJ/Produce Dubstep, in 2024 I decided to fully immerse myself in my musical creations and it was the best decision of my life! Read more>>
Zoe Yielding
Hi, I’m Zoe Yielding! I’ve been doing hair for a little over eight years, and I’m 25 years old. I’m also a brand-new mom, which has been the sweetest and most rewarding adventure of my life. I’m an independent stylist at Olive & Co. in Boyd, Texas, and I truly love what I do. Read more>>
Nene Nwoko
My journey wasn’t a straight line, but every step has prepared me for the work I’m doing today. I was born and raised in Delta State, Nigeria, where I fell in love with storytelling long before I knew it could become a career. Creativity wasn’t something my parents simply encouraged; it was woven into the fabric of our home. Read more>>
Christopher Ruffin
My name is Christopher Ruffin, and I’m an actor, model, entrepreneur, and content creator based in Dallas, Texas. My journey started long before entertainment. I earned a full athletic scholarship to college, where I competed in track and field and developed the discipline, work ethic, and resilience that still guide me today. Read more>>
Carleeka Basnight-Menendez
My journey began long before I launched my company. With a background in biology and more than a decade of experience in healthcare, I always knew I wanted to improve people’s lives. However, my own health experience changed the direction of my career forever. At 30 years old, I underwent a total hysterectomy, which thrust me into surgical menopause. Read more>>
Jessica Riggs
Since I was young, I’ve had a strong desire to help others who are suffering. I would befriend the elderly women at my church and was sought out by peers who needed a listening ear. I was always intrigued by the counseling profession and thought it would be a dream job for me. Read more>>
