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 Fort Worth’s gems below.
Landon Cabarubio
I started writing music when I was 15 and was in my first band by 17. Since then I’ve played in bands of almost every type of music, but my biggest projects have been Cleanup (indie/math rock), Lando Sea (solo instrumental hip-hop) and the newest project is with Njia Martin (back-up vocals on Leon Bridges album Coming Home) called Cotinga (electro/r&b). We started writing in the fall of 2019 and were ready to start playing shows when COVID-19 hit. Read more>>
Sticky The Menace
I started writing short poems and also making music around the same age I started playing Basketball & drawing which was eight years old. I grew up listening to people from Aretha Franklin, Prince, Jimi Hendrix to Erykah Brady, Tupac, Pimp C, Andre 3000. I mean, I could go on but this would probably be the longest interview ever. Read more>>
April Conkel
I have been working as an aesthetician for about 3 1/2 years. At the beginning of my career, I started as a skin care specialist. After doing that for about a year or so I decided I wanted to explore a different avenue with my license. I had always had an interest in doing lash extensions. It seemed like a good challenge and a really great area to grow in and at this time, the lash industry was still very new. I went on to work for an employer for about a year before I decided that I wanted to grow not only in my craft but personally. Read more>>
Ruth Marquez
You’ve heard it before, “Is not what happens to you in life, but what you do with those experiences that matter.” You can allow your bad experiences to turn you into a perpetual victim or use them to propel you to heights you thought could never be possible. Heights that would not only transform your life but the lives of hundreds, thousands and possibly millions of other people as well. This is the story of my love life and career. It gave birth to my mission and my business to help 1 million people find love. Read more>>
Baquee Sabur
After being under conditions known to the homeless population, once I got on my feet, I decided to be a part of a cause. Stumbling across a program called THAP (Temporary Housing Assistance Program) funded by TDCJ (Texas Department of Criminal Justice), living in someone else’s home, no job, no transportation, no money, I put my plans in motion and applied to be a provider. Read more>>
Daphney Poyser
I have had an affinity for the gay community since I was a teenager. I met my first openly gay couple when I was 16. They lived in this cute little house with a white picket fence and all I could remember thinking was that these guys are just like my own family; which at the time was not a thought many black people felt they were allowed to have. From there, I was pretty much hooked. As I got older, some of my most important friendships were rooted in this community. Read more>>
Ashton Theiss
Immediately upon graduating from TCU, I dove headfirst into a full-time career in real estate. As an independent agent, I learned the industry from the ground up and had years of ups and downs in my career that taught me so much about not only real estate, but myself as well. Most entrepreneurs say that starting their business is not just something they wanted to do, but that it was something they felt they had to do. Read more>>
Prince Armani
I started making music when I was 12. It all started in my bedroom when I couldn’t afford any studio time so I started recording myself on cell phones, tape recorders, cameras, etc. Anything that had an audio recording feature. So as time went on and I got older, I began to work with my father who has a studio full of equipment which allowed me to develop my sound. Read more>>
Terria Nichols
In 2012, my daughter Aviana was in Kindergarten and I was working full time in the corporate world (where I had been for nearly eight years). As the month of May rolled around, I was forced (blessed) to make a decision that would change my life. Aviana’s class held its annual Mother’s Day tea and wanted all the moms to come and have tea and doughnuts with their kids. We were also cordially invited to watch a very special performance that the kids had been practicing for weeks leading up to the event. Read more>>
Key Latrice
I started singing at the young age of 4/5 years old in the church house, onto elementary talent shows that continuously followed me throughout the rest of my following years of schooling. I continued to pursue my career/dream in music after graduating from Dunbar High School, also picking up the art of hip hop in the process… from joining my first group of collective individuals to being my own solo artist’. Read more>>
Chuck Greeson
I have been fascinated by photography, movies, television, commercials, animation, graphic design, books and architecture since the beginning. I wanted to learn how the things I saw on tv and on the big screen were made. As a kid, my sense of wonderment has gotten me where I am today with the help of my parents and hard work. I had a pretty interesting life so far. Read more>>
Tracie Amador
I married my husband in 1992. We have been married for 28 years. We have two beautiful daughters. We have lived in the same house since 1994, we built our home in Meadows West, Meadows West is a wonderful neighborhood in fort worth. We absolutely love this neighborhood. We both decided we wanted to make a career change and build something from the ground up. Read more>>
Christie Howard
Founded by Rudy and Marian Eastman in Fort Worth, Texas on June 19, 1981, Jubilee Theatre is the original home of African-American theater in North Texas. Jubilee Theatre was incorporated in 1982 and received its 501(c)(3) status in May 1983. After one season at 1801 East Vickery, the Board of Trustees, under the leadership of Darwin and Muriel Mendoza, decided to become what the local press affectionately called a “gypsy theatre”. Read more>>
