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.
TIM DURANT
I didn’t start Scruff’s to cut hair. I started it to build a place where people feel seen. I grew up in South Texas in the country, where life moved slower and community meant something. From early on I understood that hair was more than just appearance — it was identity. It was confidence. It was how someone carried themselves into the world. Read more>>
Domenica Nino
Flowers became my second beginning. For years, I worked in public health and behavioral science — a career rooted in service, structure, and long hours behind a computer screen. I was deeply committed to the work, but over time, the pace and constant digital immersion began to take a toll on my health. Read more>>
Arika Swank
I grew up in the Midwest with a deep curiosity about health and performance. I ran track in college and studied Exercise Science because I was fascinated by how the body works and how much potential most people leave untapped (which ended up being me for most of my late 20’s/early 30’s). Read more>>
Sabine Countryman
I was an only child and moved around a lot as a kid. As a result I learned to make friends quickly and fit in with all sorts of people so I was always a part of several different cliques. I guess because of that I became the person that people would always talk to. Read more>>
Mechiel Rozas
NYOS Charter School—Not Your Ordinary School—is a free, public charter school founded in 1998 by parents who wanted more for their children and their community. What began as a bold idea has grown into a thriving PreK–12 school serving more than 1,800 students. Read more>>
Amber Baldwin
I’ve wanted to be a therapist from the age of 12 years old. I had my own struggles at that age, and my own experience with therapy was transformative. I felt giving back what I received would be my career choice, and I have always focused my education and expertise in working with marginalized communities. Read more>>
Abby Gasper
I did not set out to start a business. I was simply trying to get through a very isolating season of life. In 2020, I was pregnant, furloughed from my corporate fashion job, and spending most days alone. After my daughter was born, simple outings felt big and heavy, so I looked for small ways to bring light into our days. Read more>>
Estefania Alexandre
I didn’t set out to start a women’s health company. I set out to become a physician. As a first-generation college student and Latina in medicine, I was driven by a desire to serve communities that often fall through the cracks of our healthcare system. Throughout medical school, I became increasingly aware of a pattern: women’s symptoms were frequently minimized, normalized, or dismissed. Read more>>
Joe Fox
Joe Fox is an Australian expat who has called Austin, Texas home for the past three years, building and scaling high-growth technology businesses at the intersection of e-commerce, AI and fintech. Read more>>
Ashley Thiel
My husband and I both grew up in Lubbock, Texas, and after I graduated from Texas Tech in 2005 we were married. We pretty much immediately moved to Austin so that my husband could help start a CrossFit gym, CrossFit Central, with his sister and brother. Read more>>
Matt Woodfill
In March 2002, Matt Woodfill and Tammy Woodfill founded The Way Church of The Woodlands after feeling called to move from League City to The Woodlands, inspired by Isaiah 43:19 — that God would “make a way in the wilderness.” Starting with just one member in an apartment clubhouse, the church quickly grew and moved to Wilkerson Intermediate School. Read more>>
Sarita Mehta
Sarita’s Story – A Legacy of Education and Service Sarita Mehta comes from a family where education is not just a profession — it is a mission. Her grandparents believed that every child, no matter how poor or disadvantaged, deserved access to learning. With courage and determination, they opened an elementary school for underprivileged children, creating opportunities for families who had none. Read more>>
Christina Diya-Bernhard
Business has always been ingrained in me, as I was born into it. Growing up my father was a small business owner in my hometown. He started his business when I was 10 years old and I grew up having exposure to what it took to build a business, sustain a business and grow one. Read more>>
Michael Selman
Tough Enuff came together from me just wanting to meet friends that were into cars. I grew up in Austin and had never had many car friends. I was a person who worked on them alone and really wanted to gain some friendships and learn in some areas I knew that friends would provide. Read more>>
Adrian Viloria
Rejected Three Times, But Never Defeated My entrepreneurial journey didn’t begin with success. It began with debt, uncertainty, and responsibility. I bought my first food truck on credit. It was called Wings & Cakes. I had the passion, but not enough experience. The location didn’t work, and at one of the parks where I operated, I was even robbed. Read more>>
David Khaetzki
I moved to Austin about seven years ago from Jerusalem and started out doing small carpentry and repair projects for homeowners. It was simple work and very hands on, but it taught me what people really want from a contractor: clear communication, clean execution, and someone they can trust in their home. Read more>>
Kate Waldis Dwyer
My “my first camera” story isn’t quite what you’d expect. It wasn’t an old digital camera I found in my parents’ things or disposable camera from CVS. It may be a very niche experience indeed that my first “camera” was the Photo Booth app on the MacBook computer I was given for schoolwork in middle school! Read more>>
Lori Claxton-Anthony
We met 8 years ago while working as massage therapists for a luxury spa in California. The original concept for Bungalow 7 Wellness Collection was to create a space where our guests could spend the day and receive a complete suite of wellness services that would literally leave them transformed when they went home. Read more>>
