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.
Paul Monrial
Customers tend to panic on issues that occur but all I do is assist the situation and find a answer and give the customer options, recommendations and get the problem solved. I believe the fact that know one who has ever worked for me can say anything bad about me other then the fact that I ask for only top notch quality that there isn’t any other option. Subs leave with a new perspective on there own quality of work which makes them better and more successful. Read more>>
Josimar Rodrigues
What started as a simple hobby has now become our main mission. As foodies, our goal is to explore and showcase Austin’s hidden culinary gems, from food trucks to restaurants and local businesses. We understand how challenging it is to start and grow a business, which is why we dedicate our free time to supporting and highlighting local talent. Read more>>
Christopher Rhodes
I’m transgender and I have been transitioning for 10 years, sharing my journey attracted a large audience and it became something I enjoyed. I love taking photos, writing captions, coming up with creative solutions to how to tell a story. If something is creative I want to be doing it, I grew up as an artist, my degree is in graphic design, I have worked day jobs as in the corporate world as both a designer and a social media specialist, and even last year my first book of poetry, ‘ablaze’ (available on Amazon), was published. Read more>>
Monica Baumgardner
This proved to be exceptionally difficult given that we didn’t have social media in the capacity we do today, and I knew absolutely ZERO about running a business. I stuck it out for over a decade, learned any and everything I could about behavior change, our relationships with food and exercise, true strength training, and now teach group fitness classes at various gyms, train remotely as well as provide remote nutrition coaching, and I of course have 1:1 clients and get to see people get stronger and better EVERY DAY! It is an absolute joy! Read more>>
Mateo Cornejo
Growing up, Blake, Mitchell, and I were more than just childhood best friends—we were always thinking up new ideas and pushing each other to dream big. As we got older, one thing became clear in our relationships: deciding where to eat was always a struggle. Every night, we found ourselves in the same conversation with our girlfriends, endlessly debating food options. That’s when Mitchell had a lightbulb moment—what if choosing a restaurant was as easy as swiping on Tinder? Read more>>
Lahana Vigliano
That led me to functional nutrition, where food, lifestyle, and personalized care play a major role in wellness. I started Nuvitru in 2015 with a simple mission: to help women uncover the root cause of their hormone, digestion, and metabolism struggles instead of masking them with medications. Over the years, Nuvitru has grown into a top-rated practice serving women nationwide through a concierge model that includes practitioner visits, lab testing, customized wellness plans, compounded supplementation, and a supportive community. Read more>>
Trevor Lewis
With nearly a decade of digital marketing experience, my main goal was to assist and enable my peers and other colleagues in their own entrepreneurship endeavors through social media marketing. I am also very passionate about supporting minority-owned and local businesses as they attempt to navigate the murky waters of social. Over the past year, my clients have consisted of two local coffee shops, one local hair stylist, an influencer-founded fitness brand, and a local therapist. It is has been my distinct pleasure to provide value with my services to each and every one of these clients, while they have also shown me their grace as I learn and grow professionally. Read more>>
Trina Berks
Fast forward, I got into tech and built a solid career as a Technical Program Manager, but I’ve always been the person people come to when they feel stuck. Whether it’s friends needing help staying on track with their goals or coworkers trying to get more organized, I’ve always loved helping people figure things out. I also just love learning new things. DIY projects, new tech, productivity hacks—if there’s a way to make something better, I’m all in. Read more>>
Lauren Lowe
We struggled with having our business sales take a big dip after Covid. Many of the retail stores that carried our candles closed during Covid, or were also suffering and taking a step back from buying. We had recently moved into an awesome big studio space and ralized we needed to downsize after a few years since our business had less needs for that space. We’ve had an awesome team that helped us with all of those moving and changes. Read more>>
Christina Austin Lopez
I chose to go to Baylor because it has a great acting program and graduated with a BFA in Theatre Performance with a Musical Theatre Concentration. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to have worked at some of the best Regional Theaters including The Alley Theatre in Houston, A.D. Players in Houston, North Carolina Theatre in Raleigh and, of course, the ZACH Theater in Austin. I am currently a proud member of the acting company at Dallas Theater Center. Read more>>
Gui Campos
I feel incredibly fortunate to do what I love every day—teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and making a positive impact on my students’ lives. Jiu-Jitsu isn’t just about the sport; it’s about life lessons like discipline, resilience, and perseverance, which help people grow both on and off the mat. Along the way, I’ve had the honor of winning several tournament titles, including the 2020 IBJJF World Champion title at black belt, but what I value most is seeing my students grow and succeed. I’m proud of the community we’ve built here, and I’m excited to continue contributing to it. Read more>>
Mika Muramatsu
Life took a turn when I got married in 2010 and had my daughter in 2011. My priorities shifted—I wanted to be present for her as much as possible. My husband and I balanced work and childcare, leading me to transition from full-time work to part-time jobs, including waiting tables. In 2013, we moved to Austin, and I continued this balance, but in 2015, my husband and I decided to part ways. This was a defining moment for me—learning to navigate single parenthood while maintaining a strong bond with my daughter and finding financial stability. Read more>>
Amber Bauer
In 2014, I took a job managing events a local wedding venue, and that’s when everything fell into place. Seeing weddings from behind the scenes made me realize how much I loved the photography side of things. A local wedding photographer offered to mentor me, and from there, I dove headfirst into the world of wedding photography. It’s fast-paced, emotional, and challenging—but I love every second of it. Read more>>
Karen Bodu
After ten years of working in accounting in corporate America, I decided to make a change and follow my love of interior design. My mom was the one who floated the idea of me starting a home staging business. We worked together to research and with the support of my husband, we launched the business in 2019. It has grown year after year, and we now have enough inventory to stage 20-25 houses. Read more>>
Alex Pasternak
I, along with my husband/best friend, had the dream to create something that expressed and represented our talents, our family and the beautiful property that we owned…essentially to allow other people to experience all of that with us! We quickly realized we had all the pieces of the puzzle within our family to take the leap and start the brewery (accountant, marketing, engineer/brewer). To us it was always about more than being just a brewery. We are now six years in! Still having fun, working too hard most times, but learning great life lessons and meeting lifelong friends along the way. Read more>>
M (Mary) Wood
I’m trying to combat unethical product sourcing by connecting with fellow vendors and having what I don’t make myself, made by other local artists. I sell stunning coffin cut rings by ElytraSilver handmade by Vale who lives up in Houston and loves silversmithing. I sell Stephanie from Shabby Ducklings intention oils and body care products. Sarah from Fearless Fools Cloaks made me stunning cloaks you’ll see at any of my full tent setups. Read more>>
Nicholas Fong
I am a vinyl DJ, guitarist, bassist, songwriter and vocalist. I also play a little harmonica here and there. My band Loteria has been at it awhile in Austin. We have released 2 albums with a third on the way. I think what stands out about Loteria is that, because of the nature of our influences, we can play a honky tonk with with a bunch of country bands and also play the rock club with loud, high energy rock bands. We can do both. Often sometimes in the same set. I’m proud that I’ve been able to maintain good friendships with my bandmates, old and new. Read more>>
James Hall
As a kid I was always doodling. Generally to calm my mind, or escape the boredom of unengaging school driven routines. I was never encouraged in art as it generally a passive class, as well as an underfunded journey with no clear destination . Unless you played sports, which I did at a championship level, your focus was the core studies and what you do with that as a job. Read more>>
Lisa Crawford
I’m most proud of my Bisaya flash card deck. It started as a personal project during the pandemic and inspired me to launch my business. It makes me so happy when people discover my deck and get excited—whether they’re learning their family’s mother tongue or helping their kids/grandkids learn. There aren’t many artful learning resources for Bisaya (most focus on Tagalog), so I’m thrilled to be a resource for others. Read more>>
Masako Sullivan
In April 2011, I learned that temporary shelters were being set up in the same prefecture where we lived. I called the shelters to find out their needs and visited them with donations. Friends and I got together, created a group on Facebook called “Helping Hands for Tohoku” where military spouses could share the supplies requested by each shelter. We started collecting and delivering donations to these shelters, with Navy families working together to help those in need. As we continued, more military families and local Japanese volunteers joined us, and our group grew to over 250 members. Read more>>
Brad Locke
Over the last ten years or so, I’ve been fortunate to have found opportunities that let me focus in these areas, working to accelerate growth and profitability of early stage companies in high-growth segments in the natural space. And given my love for nature, I’m driven to support innovative companies that are working on solutions for consumers and the planet. That’s why I’m thrilled to be in the leadership role at Wondercide, a company that empowers families to protect the ones they love with effective, plant-powered pest control. Read more>>
Brandon Guinn
My story is one of transformation—both personal and shared. For a long time, I lived with my own struggles, using drugs and alcohol in ways that could have been destructive, but I always felt I had control. That illusion of control made it difficult for me to understand my son’s addiction when it took hold of his life in ways I hadn’t experienced. Watching him battle something I couldn’t fix forced me to confront my own misunderstandings about addiction and recovery. Read more>>
Amy And Melissa Segal
So what was the relevant idea to us? We have always loved fashion but have had our own struggles with it as well. As petite women, we had challenges with finding the styles we loved to fit our petite stature. As we continued to shop at boutiques, we turned our frustrations into inspiration. Creating our own independent clothing label for petite women was a relevant idea to us. It was personal. The first year was living out a creative dream and it very quickly turned into a business opportunity to help other petite women. Not only do we care about fit, we care about quality, thoughtfulness, comfort and style and have really enjoyed building out our petite community of very loyal customers across the US over the last five years. Read more>>
Zohara Smith
My career started in banking, but I craved something more creative. I worked at the University of Guadalajara, started small businesses, and eventually joined an insurance company—my last job before moving to the U.S. In 2019, I came to the United States for what was supposed to be a one-month visit. I was at a difficult point in my life, facing financial struggles and heartbreak. Without a plan, I decided to stay a little longer to rebuild myself. Read more>>
Da’kota Gaines
I am a manicurist who specializes in acrylic nails and nail art, with a particular passion for pedicures. These areas will always be my niche. What sets me apart from others in the industry is my flexibility and availability. I offer appointments starting as early as 5 a.m., with my last appointment of the day at 9 p.m., making it easier for clients to find a time that fits their busy schedules. Read more>>
Conner Dorrance
I was grateful enough to have a friend, Lizzie, down the street that taught me how to use her sewing machine and the rest was history. I began sewing custom styled fabric onto blank T’s and soon landed on a name – Thrive. I am a firm believer that were all here on this earth for a reason. Were all here to flourish and prosper. To become the best version of ourselves, Naturally Thrive felt like the perfect fit. I saw quick success around campus and launched my own website. In fall 2014 after graduation I moved to Los Angeles, However by Spring the following year I had tabled my business to pursue my full time career. Read more>>
Leeanna Benavidez
Between the ages of five and thirteen, I bravely fought acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), aka cancer, even experiencing a relapse during this time. While those years were filled with medical appointments and struggles, they opened doors for personal growth. I developed invaluable skills—from conducting interviews and fundraising to contributing to the creation of an inclusive, accessible camp ground—that enhanced my confidence and ability to adapt under difficult circumstances. Read more>>
Daniel & Jenna Watters
Smooth is definitely not the word we would use. Consistently bumpy perhaps. We love writing and recording songs and we love playing live shows, but it feels like every new release is harder to get people to hear it. I remember a time when Facebook and Instagram were incredibly helpful tools to spread the word on our music, now it feels like there are digital walls up everywhere and if we don’t let down our personal walls and let people in our our everyday, every moment in some voyeuristic fashion, than our art has no place or purpose. We have tried so many different ways to release our music from hiring high priced PR agents to Radio campaigns, and nothing seems to really help any more than just doing everything ourselves. Read more>>
Karolina Barwinski
We were living in Portugal at the time that I quit my job in Public Health. It was the first Summer in years, maybe since my childhood, that I let myself play. My son and I and my husband would spend hours at the beach, hanging with friends, eating delicious fresh food from the local markets. It finally felt like this is how life should be! That Summer I started to tap into my creativity again and co-created a fun Waldorf and Astrology Inspired Days of the Week Wheel for Kids. Read more>>
Kaila Macmillan
I feel like my photography was meant to be and I’ve been very blessed, with the success of my business! That being said I’ve had my slow seasons for sure but been able to have made up for it in busy season. Being a stay at home wife/mom and a homeschool mom at that, my business comes second to being a wife and raising my kids. That comes with trying to find balancing between not letting my business overtake my priority, which is my family. Which can be daunting at times I’m Blessed enough to have a very supportive husband and family to help me! Read more>>
Jess Bernstein
As demand grew, I officially began offering my services, and thanks to my amazing customers—many of whom I now call friends—the business has been thriving since. Based in Elgin, Texas, La La Balloonza specializes in creating affordable, fun, and fancy balloon decor for every event, celebration, and milestone. From stunning balloon arches and walls to vibrant garlands and elegant columns, we bring the wow-factor and your vision to life. Read more>>
Kelsey Gordon
From a very early age, it was clear to everyone that I loved to talk (I am a certified yapper). When I turned 7 years old my parents had me audition for my first musical, and just like that I was hooked. I absolutely loved getting into character and telling a story to the audience. Although I didn’t continue with musical theatre, my love of storytelling never faded. I became involved in journalism and went on to pursue a degree in Communication at Cornell University and after obtained my law degree at Duke University. Read more>>
Olivia Rains
I was born deaf with a very rare condition and birth defects to my palate and ears. Spending most of grade school in speech therapy and a mainstream school setting without accommodations led me to not only learn to adapt alarmingly fast but equally feel more and more isolated from the world. Later in high school I had a reconstructive surgery in one ear but still needed accessibility and support. It wasn’t until after my other surgery on the opposite ear that I felt comfortable enough to really start to sing. And now here I am. Read more>>
Yoori Koo
It’s definitely been a huge learning curve. I’m finding that the key is to find your niche and also your style. I am not a contractor per se, but more a designer who executes. So getting clear about that and being clear in my communication has been very helpful. Being a female it sometimes feels a little intimidating being in a field that’s male dominated, e.g. going to the lumber yard, meeting metal fabricator. So that took a little getting used to. Read more>>
Julianna Chung
Starting this business has been an exciting journey. Like any new venture, there are challenges, from financial planning to expanding my client base. My focus is on providing exceptional service while adapting to the evolving market, making sure I bring my best to my clients. Cheers to learning something new each day. Read more>>
