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.
Santiago Dietche
I was born and raised in Austin and have played music here since around age 15. My dad is a pianist so I always grew up around music, but could never pick up the piano myself. Singing and guitar were always my favorite instruments as a kid and that continued into forming my first band in High School. Read More>>
Frank Herbertson
I moved to Austin in the late 80s when the city was still relatively small and ‘weird’. After a decade in the US military, mostly serving in Wiesbaden and doing little more than drinking bier and guarding pretzel stands, I decided to take advantage of the GI Bill and enroll at the University of Texas at Austin. Read More>>
David Aguilar
I started out as a coffee roaster, of all things. Part of my job was running the Instagram for the company I worked for, and that turned into a real interest in the craft behind it. The photography, the cameras, figuring out what actually made people stop scrolling. Read More>>
Megan Pinchback
I first became interested in becoming a Certified Academic Language Therapist while I was working as a Resource Teacher at Matthews Elementary in Austin ISD. During my clinical training, I spent two years working with my own students both diagnosed and undiagnosed with dyslexia, and I was amazed by the transformation I saw in those children. Read More>>
Sarabjit & Davinder Sawhney
My wife, Davinder ‘Bunty’ Sawhney, has always been the visionary behind our entrepreneurial journey. Both Bebe’s All Natural and South Amboy Kitchen were born from her ideas, determination, and desire to create something meaningful—not only for our family, but for our community as well. Read More>>
Kimberly Mandell
My journey into aesthetics actually began more than 20 years ago when I worked at a dermatology and plastic surgery practice while earning my degree in Communications. Being surrounded by cosmetic medicine sparked a passion that stayed with me for years. Read More>>
Maria Alexandra Barboza
My journey began in Maracaibo, Venezuela, where I earned my law degree from Universidad del Zulia (LUZ) in 2013. From an early stage in my career, I developed a passion for helping people navigate legal processes and find solutions during challenging times. In 2017, I moved to the United States in search of new opportunities and a better future for my family. Read More>>
Shannon Ling
I grew up in Sugar Land, Texas, where I was always involved in art classes and anything creative I could get my hands on. I stepped away from art for a while in college, but when I moved to San Francisco, I realized I needed something that got me away from a computer screen. Read More>>
Jennifer Bray
Like many women, I spent years pouring myself into family, business, and caring for everyone around me. In the middle of building a full life and raising three boys, I discovered something many women quietly experience: after years of giving to everyone else, it can become difficult to remember who you are outside of the roles you’ve played. Read More>>
Holly Latham
In her prime, mother was a tattooed dancer, bikini model, and motorcycle model. My father was in the navy, a tattoo artist, a biker, a guitar player/song writer, and bar owner. My great grandmother made ceramics, sewing, crocheting, and many other grandmaesque crafts. Among others in my family are musicians, make up artists, designers, entrepreneurs, etc. Read More>>
Gabriella Castro
Craft & Yap started when I gathered people together for the Cupid Project, where we created Valentine’s Day cards for seniors in nursing homes. The event was so much fun that I decided to start throwing monthly craft events with a different theme each month. Read More>>
Tiffany Lohmar
I grew up around construction, so building has always felt familiar to me. I initially studied interior design and spent years exploring different careers before finding my way back to the industry. About eight years ago, I fell into remodeling and quickly realized it was the perfect combination of creativity, problem-solving, and relationship building. Read More>>
Chanze Ashorn
Photography has been tagging along with me for most of my life. When I was younger, I begged my mom for an Olympus DSLR. Back then, spending $600 on a camera wasn’t exactly a casual purchase, so I never expected to actually get one. But on my 13th birthday, I opened a gift and there it was. Read More>>
Ashley McCormack
Ellie Bar Co. was born out of determination, not convenience. As a mom of three, I was looking for a way to create additional income for my family while building something I could truly call my own. I’ve always believed that when opportunities don’t present themselves, you create them. Read More>>
Kendra Smith
Since I was a kid, I have always wanted to photograph the world around me. I would beg my mom to buy me disposable cameras, but I didn’t have much access to cameras until much later. My first real camera was given to me by my pattern drafting professor at fashion school in LA. Read More>>
Raelynn Deaton Haynes
I am a trained scientist (fish ecology, marine biology) – turned yogi and entrepreneur. I hold both MS and PhD degrees in Biology. A former athlete (competitive cheerleader and swimmer) from the mountains of eastern Kentucky, I found yoga in my mid-30th when my knees began hurting from running, racquetball and other high impact activities. Read More>>
Jo Rae Di Menno
I’m an Austin-based music publicist with experience handling projects involving local, regional, national, and international media. I began my career as a secretary in Houston, frustrated with being overlooked by my bosses. Read More>>
Chris Saenz
I never envisioned working in post production. I graduated with an art history degree, and then taught middle school math and science for 10 years. When my son was born in 2014, I started making videos of him, and it grew from there. Cameras, drones, editing, I used summers to learn new skills and grow my network. Read More>>
Kasey Scott
I grew up in a musical family and I have been surrounded by music since before I was even born. My grandfather used to perform once a week with his chicken picking buddies and my dad was the lead singer and bassist for a pretty popular country cover band in my hometown of San Angelo, TX. Read More>>
Dare Goodspeed
When I was about 12 I discovered there was a job that I could design, plan, and coordinate weddings. Although I didn’t really understand what all went into planning and making a wedding happen, I knew it sounded like my dream job. I had always loved weddings. The romance, the flowers, the dance party. It was all so dreamy and beautiful to me. Read More>>
Jonas Wolf
We met in 2021 in France, we were both volunteering for the same project. Even though it might sound cliché and cheesy (but it’s the honest truth haha!), the love and the music just kind of sparked at the exact same moment.—even if the duo LEBIOT itself didn’t officially come together until a bit later. Read More>>
Keely Hall
I have always adored weddings. When I was ten years old, I picked up a mega copy of ‘The Knot’ with my best friend Georgia, and the wedding obsession began. I loved the big dresses, fun color schemes, and the beautiful flowers. As I grew older, my interest in weddings remained steady. I attended the University of Texas at Austin and majored in Public Relations. Read More>>
Anne Shackelford
Creativity has always been part of my life, but my path as an artist evolved gradually through years of exploring yoga, meditation, sound, and personal growth alongside my creative work. Those experiences continue to influence the way I see the world and the way I create. Read More>>
James Urias
I am a sixth generation Texan, with roots in Austin dating back to the late 1800s. Learning my history has always been difficult since it was never written down and legal documents are scarce, but stories were always a plenty. Read More>>
Sara Nelson
I started studying cello at nine years old in Houston, attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, then moved to Austin for a cello performance degree at UT — and never left. Part of my life followed the classical path: I joined Austin Opera in 1997 and the Austin Symphony Orchestra in 2002. Read More>>
Brandy Burrow
I always had a deep fascination with psychic work. I’d watch mediums and intuitive readers on TV and wanted to help people like they did. About 14 years ago I moved from Tulsa to Austin and enrolled in psychic development classes. My abilities turned out to be completely natural. Read More>>
Christa Peyton
After my father’s untimely passing in 1977, my family moved to Austin where my world transformed from military bases to civilian life overnight. Urban Cowboy, designer clothes, punk rock, and neon pink ruled my new world in my new hometown. The creative influences of Austin and my early days exploring my new world outside in nature have become the foundation of my work. Read More>>
Ann Flemings
I started my professional life in graphic design, where I was drawn to the balance of composition, form, and visual storytelling. Over time, I found myself increasingly interested in the human side of that work—what motivates people, how they connect, and how meaning is made—so I went back to school and earned a master’s degree in sociology. Read More>>
Ashley King
I got sober at 22 years old and fitness became my passion. After being a stay at home mom for 6 years to my three boys I started my private personal training business. I train client privately in their homes! I love motivating clients. Read More>>
Marco De la Mora
It all started one day after school when I realized that I had miserably failed an exam. I was so angry that I started desperately looking for an alternative way to live because I thought I was never going to graduate. That happened a long time ago, and my schoolwork eventually picked up, but that moment was the beginning of my business journey. Read More>>
Connor Michalek
It started in a village classroom in Thailand, chalk in hand, teaching kids who didn’t speak my language but taught me everything about patience and community. That led me all over. Construction sites in Australia, mountain climbing in Nepal, eventually back to the U.S. for a decade in corporate sales and leadership. Read More>>
Genevieve Daniell
My path into photography wasn’t a traditional one. I first picked up a camera while living in Tokyo, Japan, where photography began as a creative hobby and a way to explore the city. What started as a personal interest quickly became a passion, and I immersed myself in learning the photography by taking classes with local photographers and studying under a commercial and street photographer. Read More>>
Lauren Himes
As the daughter of an architect and an avid lover of playing The Sims as a child, I always understood and appreciated the design world, but didn’t think to pursue it as a career until later in my 20s. Read More>>
Kelly Green
This is our 10th year together as a band. We’ve been reflecting a lot this year on how this all started. We should mention here we are a real family band. Jace Cadle (rhythm guitar/vocals) is married to Kelly Green (lead guitar/vocals) who is the sister of Kody Lee (drums/vocals) who is married to Violet Lea (bass/vocals). Welcome to the Family! Read More>>
Yitzchak Pierson
It’s definitely a long story, but I’ll try to keep it as short as possible. I grew up off the grid without a birth certificate or Social Security number. My family operated several businesses, including a pottery business, a wrought-iron and furniture import business, a construction company, and a farm and ranch. Read More>>
Cerria Chadwick
My photography journey began about four years ago while I was working full-time in the corporate world. My background is in accounting, project management, and procurement, so photography started as a creative outlet that allowed me to connect with people and preserve meaningful moments. Because I worked a traditional Monday-Friday schedule, weddings naturally became my primary focus. Read More>>
Mechel Lewis
My story starts long before I became a chef. I grew up in Alexandria, Louisiana, where food was at the center of everything. Some of my earliest memories are standing on a stool in my grandfather’s kitchen, watching him prepare Sunday breakfast for our family. Read More>>
jarred/Eugene(some people call me Eugene, my middle name) Wellington
My journey started in Chicago, where I was born in 1994. When I was four years old, my family faced the loss of my mother to cancer, and we moved to Texas to be closer to family and build a new chapter together. Read More>>
Weston Carls
I was never supposed to be a photographer, but somehow it found me. After graduating from The University of Texas with a multimedia journalism degree I set off to work in the magazine business. Seven years into being the creative director for the local fitness magazine, I was mistaken as a photographer by a local gym. They wanted me to take their staff portraits. Read More>>
Daniel Hernandez
I grew up in Taylor, Texas, and I’ve always been drawn to learning how things work and how to improve them. My dad coached me in football growing up, and one of the biggest lessons he taught was hustle. He always emphasized running to the ball until the whistle stopped. Looking back, that mindset carried over into every area of my life. Read More>>
Isis Bryant
I started my fitness journey about four years ago and a lot of people were inspired. Read more>>
Mark Boriskin
I moved to Texas from California 20 years ago. I always loved cooking, especially Italian food since my wife’s family is Italian, but about 5 years after moving here, I told myself I had to figure out this smoking thing! Read more>>
