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.
Cody & Reva Atkins
We started selling vintage clothing and home goods in 2015, when our living room and spare bedroom doubled as our warehouse and photo studio. In those early days, most of our sales were online but the plethora of online selling platforms did not exist yet. Read more>>
Charlie Peterson
I relocated to Austin from Chicago at the beginning of 2026 to build a new career in the world of music teaching. I’ve always been a musician and graduated college with a music industry degree, and then began teaching students about 3 years ago. I love educating in music almost as much as I like music itself, and I believe music is an art you can see shine through other individuals through it’s engagement process. Read more>>
Angela Simpsom
My journey started about ten years ago when I packed my bags in Colombia, said goodbye to everyone I loved, and got on a plane to California. I had just graduated with a degree in environmental engineering, and my plan was simple: learn English, gain some experience, and go back home ready to build the career I had worked so hard for. Read more>>
Albert Gonzalez
My story starts in a house where there wasn’t always a lot, but there was always food. Growing up in Chicago, helping out in the kitchen wasn’t a chore — it was how I participated in family life. Read more>>
Brian Boyce
B Flat Dueling Pianos was founded in 2022 after beginning performances under different names in 2021. Created by myself, with support from my wife Kori Boyce, and help from friends Sean Robertson, and Michael Carrandi, the company was built on the idea of making live music more personal and meaningful for both musicians while presenting professional for all different audiences. Read more>>
Lucas Prado
We are Lucas and Nicole, founders, engineers, a couple on a mission to revolutionize high protein snacks using only real food. Read more>>
Merisa Martinez
Growing up, I was surrounded by dieting culture and unhealthy relationships with food. Family members would call me “fat,” and at just 12 years old, my dad put me on a 500-calorie diet because he believed that was how I needed to lose weight. That mindset followed me through much of my childhood and early adulthood. Read more>>
Natasha Byas
I started my journey long before I officially launched my business. I moved to the United States 10 years ago from the Dominican Republic, where I earned my degree in Economics. At the time, I never imagined that life would lead me into the creative world or that I would eventually develop an artistic talent that had been part of me since childhood. Read more>>
Mia Sims
Mia Sims didn’t just grow into the world of events—she was shaped by it long before she ever knew it would become her life’s work. Read more>>
Maria Padron
The Austin Coffee Collective started 11 years ago! It started with a few coffee people gathering to share their love for coffee through latte art competitions. In these 11 years the organization has been through many phases depending on who is on the board and what they feel is needed for the community. Read more>>
Ferlise Nolan
My family(myself husband Eugene and two children Rebecca (20)Nathan(17) have been in Dripping Springs for 3 and half years, originally from Cape Town South Africa.. Read more>>
Katie Blackshear
I started cosmetology at 16 because they offered at my high school. I’ve always been into fashion and art since a young age, back in the day before cell phones my mom would make me go draw or do something when I was bored so I would practice different looks all the time in my room and then in middle school years I would do hair at formals and events to make money. Read more>>
Deborah Antich
The Traveling Psychic Supper Club began when I saw that my clients were connected by their information – the energy that is around us all. I would read someone on a Friday and the following Wednesday I would see a client who was dealing with similar life issues and I began to see – I’m the connecting factor. Read more>>
salila travers
This market was started over 25 years ago. It has changed names several times, and is located in the north east overflow lot at Barton Creek Square Mall. It has enough parking for everyone, and the live music and cafe is set against the beautiful Austin cityscape! The mall even installed a cement pad to use for photos. Read more>>
Hunter Levy
I am a musician and former audio engineer turned photographer. I grew up in Austin and worked in the local music scene in the mid to late 90s for a company that owned three different venues in Austin. Read more>>
Fuzhou Sisters
As childhood friends, we grew up together in Fuzhou, China, surrounded by the flavors, traditions, and stories that shaped us. Our connection to this culture runs deep. After reuniting in New York City in 2023, we founded Fuzhou Sisters as a way to share it with the world. Read more>>
Alyssa Lubbers
My name is Alyssa, and my Husband’s name is Marcus. We’re originally from Michigan, where we both grew up boating on the Great Lakes. Being on the water has always been a huge part of our lives, and when we moved to Austin about two years ago, we quickly fell in love with the boating culture here on Lake Travis. Read more>>
Ben Naughton
I got into the large format print industry back in Omaha, NE working as a shipping clerk for a great company called Renze Display in 2008. I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do as a realism artist and commercial digital graphics and displays seemed to be the most secure direction to go for a stable career where I could use my talents. Read more>>
Carolyn Wells
Ms. Carolyn opened DbD Studios in 2014 after learning she was going to have a little girl; she actually signed the lease when her daughter was just 3 days old. Read more>>
Rachel Skalisky
My journey into entrepreneurship honestly came from two very different parts of my life colliding together: grief and passion. Read more>>
Cinthia Padilla
My journey in aesthetics has been built through passion, resilience, and a genuine love for helping women feel confident in their own skin. Over 23 years ago, I began this career with a simple goal: to create beauty experiences that go beyond appearance and truly impact how someone feels about themselves. Read more>>
Sara Rubio
“Since that first day on set (nearly four years ago now), I’ve trained extensively in different acting studios, read dozens of books on acting techniques, and tried to constantly improve my craft by pushing embarrassment to the side.” Read more>>
Ash O’Rourke
Stories have been my whole life for as long as I can remember–not an original line, I know, but true. I grew up reading voraciously, then writing when I temporarily ran out of books I wanted to read (don’t worry, I found more). Flash-forward to college and my predictable degree in English Literature, during which time I also self-published a series that wasn’t anywhere close to publishable. Read more>>
David Kosin
Started playing guitar at 14. Found a passion for songwriting and storytelling. Released my first album under KOSIN in 2017 back in Seattle Washington. Moved to Austin in 2020. Read more>>
Dre Popow
I am the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Veterans Rebuilding Life. I was born and raised in New York, Dre enlisted in the Marines after September 11th, 2001 and served combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Read more>>
Clarita Montes
I’m Madame Clarita, and tarot reading has been part of my life since childhood. My knowledge and spiritual practices were passed down through generations of my family — from my grandmother to my mother, and then to me. Read more>>
Abby Senger
I grew up in northern Minnesota surrounded by nature, and that connection never left me. I moved to Texas about eleven years ago, but the pull toward plants, clean living, and holistic wellness stayed with me the whole time Read more>>
Fatima Bani Zamani
My journey into photography didn’t start with a camera, but with a screwdriver. As a child, I was relentlessly curious. I would take all my toys apart, not to break them, but to understand their inner workings, to see how the pieces fit together to create something functional. Read more>>
Breanna Jackson
The foundation of Foreign Dreamhouse began with research, testing, and a clear mission: to provide premium, long-lasting hair that women could rely on. Every bundle, every unit, and every product offered was carefully selected with durability, texture, and performance in mind. I focused on sourcing hair that not only looked luxurious but maintained its integrity through styling, coloring, and daily wear. Read more>>
Phil Tran
Locating a trustworthy attorney for my pending custody battle. Every time I needed a service provider, it felt like I was on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — burning through lifelines just to make a basic decision. Phone a friend, family member or coworker, ask the audience on Facebook and Nextdoor, or 50:50 chance by scrolling through Yelp and Google reviews and hoping for the best. Read more>>
Clarence Enochs
A turning point for me came after the passing of my mother. Before she passed, I made a promise to continue my education, and I felt a strong responsibility to follow through on that. I returned to Texas A&M University–Central Texas, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology, and later my master’s degree in Management and Leadership. During that time, I was honored with several awards recognizing both academic achievement and service, but more importantly, it strengthened my perspective on leadership and community impact. Read more>>
Ana Cortez
That belief carried me through every obstacle. I graduated in the top 10% of my class with honors and went on to attend the University an accepted in their honors course. But life didn’t slow down for me—I became a single mother while pursuing my education. That moment could have easily been labeled a setback. Instead, it became my reason. My motivation shifted from just building a future for myself to breaking cycles for my child. Read more>>
Janelle Caldwell
Shrunk3D Austin creates custom-made 3D figurines of your family, pets, friends, and more. Shrunk 3D offers a unique mobile photo booth experience that transforms your image into a 3D replica, perfect for creating memorable keepsakes at parties and corporate events. Based in Dallas, TX, we bring innovation and fun to every occasion. Read more>>
Nicole Brule
Our first family pony came to us by way of a very long story that involved an auction house, a bidding war because he was just so dang cute, and a dear friend that decided my daughter needed to grow up with this sweet little soul of a horse, Rolo. (Also lovingly referred to as Rolito and Rolo Polo). When this same dear friend was planning her wedding in 2025, she asked if we could bring Rolo to her cocktail hour to serve drinks from baskets that he would carry around on his back. Read more>>
Jayne Whisnant
I was born and raised in Austin. After college, I took a job at a leading nonprofit organization, thinking it would be temporary while I figured out which graduate program I wanted to pursue. Instead, I fell in love with nonprofit work. More than 10 years later, I’ve turned that passion into a career. Read more>>
Misty Krant
In 2015 I originally opened Tarver Hill Salon with a business partner . Along the way, we experienced a lot of ups and downs, from navigating different brand partnerships to the challenges that came with operating as a hybrid salon model. Over time, we experienced a slow walkout of several independent contractors, which forced me to really reevaluate the kind of culture and business I wanted to build long term. Read more>>
Jan Mirkin-Earley
I started hand-sourcing vintage textiles one piece at a time. No factories. No mass production. No trend forecasting. Just instinct, connection, and deep respect for craftsmanship. I spent time with artisans, listening to family histories, sitting on wooden floors drinking tea while women carefully unfolded textiles they had protected for decades inside cedar trunks and cloth bundles. Many of those pieces had never left their villages before. Read more>>
Joshua Melching
After serving 20 years in the Air Force — including a decade in Special Warfare as a TACP and JTAC — I returned home carrying the weight of combat, loss, and transition. Like many veterans, I struggled with identity, anger, grief, and the invisible wounds left behind from deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Kuwait. I faced the loss of close friends to PTSD and addiction, the passing of my mother during my transition out of the military, and even my own personal failures and rock-bottom moments. Read more>>
Faith Daniel-Deal
Faith Daniel-Deal was hired on to do consulting had taken over staffing, scheduling, and finance. when the original owner intended to sell, we were given the opportunity to purchase the business turnkey. Our parents/in laws Kim and Ben Daniel were excited to retain business in the rustic small town and offered to go in as a four way partnership. Since taking over last year, the family has worked hard to maintain and increase business for Florence. Read more>>
weldon.fulton@guitarcenter.com Fulton
In 2018 I went back to school to complete a Bachelor’s in Jazz Guitar Performance in 2024. Since then, I’ve remained passionate about improvisational music and gained a passion for education. For the past 2 years I have been slowly establishing myself as a respectable jazz, and experimental guitarist, as well as a high-quality passionate educator. I’m currently running a moderately successful lesson company, a jazz band and as of June 2026 the triumphant return of my passion project, Carl. Read more>>
Geneva Might
I traveled extensively with that position and met so many people everywhere I went. It fit my personality well because I have never met a stranger, and taking clients to nice restaurants was really my style. I got to work the High Point show twice a year, which is such an experience!! Buuuuut, I can’t quit Austin, so I moved back in 2007, just in time to buy a condo before the huge sub-prime crash, which almost immediately got me laid off from my textile sales job. Read more>>
Faten Baassiri
I have always been a creative person, naturally drawn to art, design and the way environments can shape how we feel and experience everyday life. I started my design journey studying Interior Architecture at the Lebanese American University in Beirut, then later earned my Master’s degree in Design from Domus Academy in Milan, which greatly expanded my perspective on design as both an emotional and functional experience. Read more>>
Christopher Hitchcock
My father was a petroleum engineer, and my mother worked as a nurse. In my playroom, I would spend hours building homes and entire cities out of Legos, imagining one day I could create something big enough to house the people I saw on my way to school. Their own little homes made of Legos. At the time, it felt like imagination. Looking back, it was the beginning of something much deeper than I could have ever imagined. Read more>>
Paola Charry
For many years, I worked in social work and dedicated my life to supporting people through trauma, crisis, displacement, emotional pain, and life transitions. Holding space for others during some of their most vulnerable moments deeply shaped me and taught me the power of compassion, presence, and human connection. Read more>>
Jen Graf
Drawn to more tactile forms of artistry, I began painting custom murals for interior designers while also exploring furniture design and fabrication alongside a college friend. Years of experimenting across a variety of artistic mediums eventually led to a long-held curiosity about pottery. Eight years ago, a class at East Side Pot Shop sparked an immediate connection with clay that quickly grew from a creative hobby into a full-fledged passion and business venture, Five By Five Creations. Read more>>
Beth Coffey
Texas is not merely a geography; it is a rhythm, one that has pulse-beat through eight generations of the Coffey family. Born in San Angelo and raised amidst the vast horizons of West Texas and the family ranch in Marfa, Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Coffey was an heir to a specific kind of cultural shorthand. Read more>>
Rick Soto
My path into this business was anything but linear. After graduating from the University of Texas, I moved to New York and worked in advertising, where I was exposed to a level of style and tailoring that completely reframed how I saw clothing. It wasn’t just about aesthetics, it was about presence, confidence, and how someone carries themselves in a room. Read more>>
