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.
Kelly Jones 
In 2013 I took a leap of faith and stepped away from full time employment and into full time small business ownership. I am a single mom, and at the time my children were 17 and 12 years old respectively. My soul was longing for real connection and the opportunity to make my own way. Read more>>
Jennifer S 
When Covid hit in 2020, the start-up tech company I was working for was negatively affected. Employees were getting laid-off due to reduced company revenue and eventually, I was laid-off as well. I found myself dumbfounded by the sudden amount of free-time I had while being in-between jobs. Read more>>
Dana Takenaka 
I’ve always been someone who naturally steps into the role of “figure it out.” I grew up in a hardworking immigrant family, and from a young age I learned a lot about responsibility, independence, and doing what needed to be done. That mindset has followed me through every chapter of my life. My background is pretty varied. Read more>>
Winniffer Diluyo 
My story with my three Dobermans really happened naturally. I never planned on having three, and I definitely never imagined that one day I would be creating content around our life together. Each of them came into my life in a different way, and somehow we became this little family that has completely changed my life. I’ve always had an athletic background. Read more>>
Swarna Mohan 
I did not set out to build a company. I set out to become the kind of person my family already was. My grandfather started with very little and built a tea plantation, but that is not what people remembered. They remembered that he helped them. More than two thousand people came to his funeral, and they were not there out of duty. Read more>>
Penny Cagney 
I always wanted to be an artist. The funny thing is that it took me a very long time to actually become one. My path was anything but direct. Some unexpected personal circumstances led me into arts administration, fundraising, museums, and education. Read more>>
Rose Vargas 
Hi! I’m Rose Vargas, owner of The House of Roses. I started my shop and participating in San Antonio markets in the Fall of 2023. I’ve just celebrated my shop’s 3 year anniversary and am still very grateful for the opportunities, new customers, and people I’ve met along the way. Read more>>
desiree Gutierrez 
I grew up in a home with doors wide open. People of all ages, from all over the world, gathered around our table, often in the middle of major life transitions. My family offered love, food, faith, and a place to be heard. Our home was grounded in the life-giving teachings of Yeshua, Jesus, and I’m deeply grateful for that. Read more>>
Sorangel Garcia 
Hi! I started embroidery this summer. Loved customizing gifts and thought i should buy and embroider my own. One day i just went down to Austin Sewing and asked about a 6 needle brothers machine and a few days later purchased it! It was a fast decision but felt so right. Since then I’ve had over 50 orders between personal & my Etsy shop. Read more>>
Bonno Taylor 
I was first introduced to the glass industry when I started working for smoke shops the day i turned 18. I immediately became infatuated with the products, the culture, and the artists behind them. I decided early on that I wanted to dedicate my work to helping small businesses that supported local and American glass artists. Read more>>
Maria Gil Lucientes 
I was born in Spain and grew up with a strong connection to both art and science. Drawing and painting were a constant presence from an early age, but mathematics and physics also came naturally to me, and I eventually studied Mathematics in Spain before moving to California and earning a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Stanford University. Read more>>
Sejal Patel 
I didn’t grow up around boats, but my name (Sejal – like sage and angel, minus the n) means pure water, so ending up as a yacht charter broker feels a little poetic. I didn’t know the first thing about yachting until a friend who was sailing around the world invited me aboard. Read more>>
Julia Hatfield 
I don’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t play an instrument. I told my mom when I was five that I wanted to learn to play guitar. She convinced me taking piano first would be a better foundational step and she was right. Read more>>
chinonye nduaguba 
Nonye Hair Braiding will be celebrating 20 years in business in less than a year. When I look back at how it all started, I’m amazed by how different the journey has been from what I originally planned for my life. When I moved to the United States in 2007, I had no plans of starting a business. Read more>>
Audrey Kroot 
When our oldest was two years old we started getting very aware of what was in certain products as we tried to transition over to healthy alternatives, that didn’t have the same problems with plastics, chemicals, etc. Our daughter loved doing things herself and when she saw me painting my nails of course she wanted to do that too. Read more>>
Lissette Martinez 
Creativity and working with children have always been two major parts of who I am. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts from William Paterson University, where I also became a member of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Incorporated. Read more>>
Matthew Shearer 
My professional background has been in construction safety and leadership. I’ve spent many years working in Environmental, Health and Safety, eventually becoming a Safety Director here in the Austin area. That career has taught me a lot about leadership, responsibility, building teams, solving problems and, most importantly, taking care of people. Read more>>
Jonah Dillon 
I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember. I started at six years old doodling superheroes and Dragon Ball Z characters, and by high school I was painting watercolor trees. I was born with muscular dystrophy, and near the end of my senior year my strength started to fade. Read more>>
Gina Baker 
During Covid, I wanted to paint my laundry room and now I own a construction company! During Covid, I spent a lot of time renovating my own house. Lots of time, nothing to do, and an old house in need of repairs. I enjoyed the process so much that I moved on from my kitchen to my bathroom and then a second bathroom. Read more>>
Jazz Collins 
From an early age, I’ve always had a passion for film. I loved movies, theater, dance, and music, and I was fascinated by the way visual storytelling could bring ideas and emotions to life. In 2019, during my senior year of high school, I decided it was time to learn how to operate a camera. Read more>>
Tianna Jones 
During these times in my life I have realized that the most important thing is to tell my story. I started when I was a child making rap battling at the bike stands in middle school. Read more>>
LuAnn Dickson 
I’m a floral designer, entrepreneur, and floral software developer. From 2006 to 2018, I was the owner of Verbena Floral Design, a boutique floral design and retail shop in Austin, Texas. I’ve produced hundreds of weddings, handled thousands of customer orders, and managed so many corporate events I’ve lost track! Read more>>
Emma Montero 
Yes, you’re right. The answer needs to actually tell the progression of your story first. The personal growth message should come naturally from that story instead of becoming the whole answer. I’d write it more like this: I started my journey in the nail industry after moving to Texas and deciding to go to nail school. Read more>>
Jordan MacDonald 
At this point, it is really insane to think about how and where I started and where I am now and everything that I have experienced in between. My main foundation truly is comedy. But I started with my focus more on acting. I studied theatre while I was in college at Texas State University in San Marcos, Tx. Read more>>
Jordan Skilken 
I am a former Division I diver for the University of Texas at Austin. Between being in the chlorine for hours, trying to balance a hectic practice and school schedule, meets, and travel, my skin was really struggling. My sister, Blake, was also a diver in college at The Ohio State University. Read more>>
Shelley McKann 
For as long as I can remember I’ve held deep appreciation for authenticity, connection, and creative expression. In my teens and early 20s, I made a living working in the restaurant industry and began playing music and writing songs. Read more>>
Chavelita DeLuz 
I was a hairstylist for 25 years. A color specialist most of that time frame. A color corrector was a big part of my business specializing in vivid pure tones. I also am a reiki practitioner. A costumer reached out to me who was my tattoo artist over 20 years ago for a reiki session. Read more>>
Whitney Scott 
After writing a research paper on landfill waste in college I was horrified about the amount of waste we as a society produce on a daily basis. So many incredible things wind up in the landfill daily because we don’t take the time to rehome items. Growing up the majority of my wardrobe came from thrift stores and second hand sources. Read more>>
Valerie Rocio 
I’ve always had a very entrepreneurial career path. In 2018, at 24, I started a marketing agency in Dallas and grew it into a six-figure business. Building that company gave me hands-on experience in branding, client acquisition, team leadership and creating systems that could support growth. Read more>>
April Holsey 
My love for fashion actually started when I was 11 years old. I auditioned for a visual and performing arts school in Gary, Indiana, formerly known as Emerson VPA. Read more>>
Rochelle Corona 
My journey really started during COVID, which makes this story even more meaningful to me. It was such an uncertain time, and nobody really knew what was going to happen next. Meanwhile, I was just beginning to build something of my own. I started in body sculpting and I was learning the business side as I went. Read more>>
Sandra Boskamp 
I was born in Eindhoven, Netherlands and at a very young aged moved with my family to the United States, a brief spell in Connecticut, and then most of my upbringing in Wisconsin. I had a huge passion for the arts even as a small child, making my own dolls out of origami paper or painting figures onto wood blocks. Read more>>
Susie Smith 
I have always been someone who enjoys traveling. When I began my career as an educator, I quickly discovered that travel was more than just a vacation for me, it became a way to relax, release stress, reset, and return to everyday life refreshed and ready to take on whatever came next. Read more>>
James H. Ruiz 
Like many other creatives, I took a very non-linear career path to professional photography. After graduating from UT Austin’s film school, I held several roles at various small businesses in town–including social media assistant, digital media manager, and editorial intern. In each of those roles, I was collaborating with small teams, crafting visual stories and producing content however possible. Read more>>
Imani Waterfield Payne
I grew up in a house that took portraits seriously. My parents taught me early that a family photo isn’t just a picture. It’s a record of who we were and who we loved at a moment we’ll never get back. That lesson stayed with me, and I’ve carried a camera for most of my life. Read more>>
