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.
Merissa Anderson
My path into real estate wasn’t a straight line, but every part of it prepared me for where I am today. Buying my first home at 21 confirmed that I didn’t simply love homes, I wanted to understand the process and help people navigate one of the most important decisions of their lives. Read more>>
Eleanor Phillips
I’ve been a dentist for over 50 years, but my career has never followed a very traditional path. I trained as a dentist in England and began my career working with children. Over the years, I practiced dentistry in England, Switzerland, and the United States. Read more>>
Henry Roberts
I am an Australian-born restaurateur, entrepreneur and farmer. I moved to New York and founded Two Hands in 2014, opening a small café in Nolita inspired by Australia’s café culture. Over the following decade, I grew Two Hands into a multi-market hospitality group, with restaurants across New York, Texas, Tennessee, Colorado and Kansas City. Read more>>
Chelsea Reyes
Whew… where do I even start? 😂 My story definitely wasn’t a straight line to becoming the woman I am today. I became a mom at 20, and honestly, that version of me had no idea what life was about to teach her. Read more>>
Adele Hauser
I grew up in Austin and I’ve always imagined myself as an art person. I remember a worksheet in 2nd grade where I had to draw a picture of myself as an adult- in it I was wearing a beret and held a paintbrush and palette. Read more>>
Jeremy Miller
We first opened our doors almost 17 years ago, in December of 2009. After spending six years in the Air Force, I left the military and moved to Austin with the intention of pursuing my MBA at St. Edward’s University. Read more>>
Ross Branch
I started riding at the age of 4 years old, My dad and i rode every weekend and thats where i fell in love with bikes. I started racing at the age of 5 and my dreams of becoming a world champion started. Read more>>
Alana Woolf
I took my first cycling class in August of 2013 and I was instantly intrigued. It took me two months to come back, as I started doing cardio in my apartment gym in order to gain some stamina for cycling. I took at class in LA a few months later with a coach who really inspired me to be my most wild version of myself. Read more>>
Chandra Moschina
Here’s a polished version that keeps your personal story and warm, creative voice, while making it flow more smoothly and professionally: **From Garage Beginnings to a Thriving Business** I started this business in my garage in April 2020, installing yard balloons for those bittersweet drive-by birthdays during the height of social distancing. Read more>>
Kristie Whites
If you had told me several years ago that I would trade technology, startups and digital marketing for teacups, scones and a tearoom in my hometown, I probably would have laughed. But looking back, the path from tech to tea makes more sense than you might think. I spent much of my career in Austin working in marketing, technology and the startup world. Read more>>
Jessica Love
I started the first iteration of my design firm, Love Designs, after graduating from college with a degree in interior design. What began as a small, independent practice has evolved over the past 22 years into what is now Urbane Design, a full service design firm specializing in full home remodels and new construction. Read more>>
Matthew Teifke
I got into real estate at 18. Just a stubborn idea that if I put myself in front of enough people, eventually one of them would give me a shot. That’s been the entire strategy for seventeen years. I’m 35 now and I own four companies. Tejas PM manages single-family homes. Teifke Real Estate is our brokerage. Our Deal Partner is our mentorship group. Read more>>
alex bradley
How I started and how I got where I am today When I was very young, I had the opportunity to go through several injuries in my life, ranging from a shattered ankle and a broken growth plate, a broken arm, and several other issues, such as two broken vertebrae and three herniated discs. Read more>>
Betsabe Esparza
Black Widow MMA started in 2019 kind of by accident. I was an assistant instructor and my partner at the time was the head coach. It was a small program shared with another Jiu Jitsu school and we maybe had 12 students at the time. Read more>>
Lexie Secrest
I’ve been dancing for as long as I can remember (literally since I could walk) but my formal training really took off in middle school when I was around 10 or 11. Everything clicked for me at Wiley Middle School when I made my first big team, the Silver Spurs. Read more>>
Sukjoon ‘SJ’ Yoon
My journey into the golf industry is a blend of strong academic backing and hands-on business experience. I studied Professional Golf Management (PGM) and Business during my undergraduate years, which laid a solid foundation for my passion for the game and the industry. In 2011, I moved to the U.S. Read more>>
Alison Sauter
I started out studying graphic design at Washington University in St. Louis, thinking I might eventually go into architecture. That didn’t quite work out, so I moved to San Francisco, worked at an architecture firm, and eventually decided to do something that felt a little crazy at the time: I moved to the Netherlands. Read more>>
Leesalyn Koehler
During my work as a health & wellness educator for the past 25 years, I’ve witnessed an increase in chronic illness, as well as the cost of care – with my clients as well as my family. I had also noticed a decrease in the quality of food that we eat in our SAD – Standard American Diet and the soil that provides it. Read more>>
Isaac Neyra
Music has always been the ultimate outlet for me. My journey as an artist started with a deep love for sound design, late-night songwriting, and the drive to create music that actually hits home. Operating as Ike Celso, I wanted to build a signature sound that seamlessly blends elements of smooth R&B, Hip-Hop, House, and Trap. Read more>>
Steve Sanders
My passion in life is film! I wanted to be a filmmaker since I was about 6 years old and that goal inspired me to forego college and attend film school in California in 2007. I enrolled in The Los Angeles Film School, a one-year immersion program and the biggest and greatest takeaways from that time were the connections and friends I made there. Read more>>
Mauricio Castillo-Martinez
The Treehouse Park started with the idea of creating something that felt like more than just a place to grab a meal. We wanted to create a space where people in the neighborhood could come together, enjoy good food, spend time outside, and feel connected to their community. Read more>>
Amber Soberón
I’ve spent more than 20 years in the wellness space, with a background in fitness, yoga, breathwork, sound, and Reiki. Today, I own Olé Santé Holistic Arts, where I work one-on-one with clients and have seen firsthand how important the time between sessions can be. That experience inspired my newest venture, Daily Spark Practice—a software platform created for Reiki practitioners, therapists, and other wellness professionals. Read more>>
Sapana Prajapati
I’m a first-generation American, and my story really started with my parents, who came to this country with very little but a strong belief in education, hard work, and creating opportunities for the next generation. I built my career in forensic science and spent more than 15 years working as a forensic DNA scientist, eventually becoming a Senior Forensic Scientist. Read more>>
Elena Diaz
I started singing publicly when I was six and professionally by thirteen, so music has been part of my life for a very long time. I began studying piano at eight, and when I was nine I joined the Houston Children’s Chorus. That was a formative experience for me. Read more>>
Bryon Bowers
My story is complicated. Much of what made me me I have only written in poems and used ai tools to vocalize into song. Birthdays bring me pain and large gatherings of people make my skin crawl. Mirrors make me want to look away and the eyes of others exhaust me. Read more>>
Natas Mann
I was born in the Bronx and raised in Boston, Both of my parents were creative. My mom loved color and interior design and my dad was heavily into Graffiti and art. Growing up, the energy of originality and striving to be unique and stand out was everywhere around me from my household to the Graff on walls in my neighborhood. Read more>>
Mi Young Lee
I was born in South Korea where as a child I was steeped in the philosophical and artistic traditions of my culture. During my early years, my progressive parents saw to it that I was also introduced to philosophies and concepts of art as they have developed in other cultures around the world. Read more>>
Haley Drane
I started acting at Caster Studios when I was three years old. My mom reached out when the studio was just getting started and inviting families from the community to get involved. Earlier that year, I had filmed a Better Bites commercial and received a lot of cookies, so I was very motivated to keep acting! Soon after, I joined Gus Plus Us. Read more>>
Julie Slattery
We are a husband and wife whose paths kept crossing back in Chicago. We started playing together after the band Julie was in broke up and Jim offered to fill in on guitar. We got married and continued to play after moving to Austin. Read more>>
Nate Williamson
I started off as a journalist in the print reporting industry before transitioning into sports reporting and broadcasting. It was during this time I realized that I had seen so little of the world, and desperately needed a transition. My new career in multimedia marketing took me to Austin, where I began venturing out (thanks to remote work!) to far away places. Read more>>
Muy salsas LLC
Muy Salsas started with a very simple idea: we wanted to create a place that felt like us. We wanted to serve Mexican food with the flavors, dishes, and traditions that we knew and loved, while creating something that also belonged to the community we were becoming part of. From the beginning, this has been a family business in every sense of the word. Read more>>
Irina Peicu
Hi! This is Irina, former Spanish teacher turned content creator 😉 I started posting on Instagram as a mere hobby. At the beginning I thought it was only an editing app. With time I started posting more and more, joined Instagram challenges and built a community. Read more>>
Laura Neill
I started working with polymer clay as a hobby in 2011 right before I graduated high school. I remember seeing miniature foods that people were making online and immediately going to a craft store to buy my first packs of clay and some basic sculpting tools. Read more>>
Allison Wojtowecz
I was born in Austin and raised in Round Rock, and have lived here my entire life. I spent my childhood in theatre productions through school and outside of it, singing, dancing, and playing music. After high school, I went on to attend The University of Texas at Austin and received a B.A. in Acting and a B.S. in Kinesiology. Read more>>
Jordan Cordel
My name is Jordan Cordel Washington, and my journey in music started when I was 8 years old singing in church back home in Port Arthur, Texas. Music has been my passion ever since. About seven years ago, I decided to pursue it seriously, which led me to move to Austin in 2020 to chase my dreams while continuing my education. Read more>>
Bichlien Tran
My health and wellness journey began long before I ever became a practitioner. I started as an active participant—someone learning through my own aches, pains, injuries, recoveries, and the emotional and spiritual challenges that come with them. Every breakthrough I’ve had, every setback I’ve navigated, has taught me firsthand the value of healing, self‑awareness, and resilience. Read more>>
Dave Kapur
Looking back, my path into real estate wasn’t something I planned from the beginning. It was shaped by a series of experiences, some intentional and some completely unexpected. I’ve come to believe that the things we struggle with—and the moments that force us outside our comfort zones—often influence our lives more profoundly than the plans we make. Read more>>
Chris Sparks
Hello there, I’m a neurospicy tattoo artist in South Austin, Texas. I started tattooing shortly after joining the military in 2005 and kept tattooing after I got out.. while in the military is part of the presidential honor guard, working at the White house, Pentagon, capital while performing over 1000 funerals at Arlington cemetery and 200 drill team performances around the country. Read more>>
Niko Fitz
I started as a young boy in the church playing piano. I grew up later to love music and start my own studio. 360skylinestudios. After finding the correct people and team we prospered through Austin and started to become more of a hub for artist than I could have ever imagined. Read more>>
Miriam Hejazi
I’ve always loved everything beauty-related, hair and makeup especially. Even as a kid, I noticed there wasn’t enough representation for different hair textures and skin tones, and I knew I wanted to be an artist who could make everyone feel seen and beautiful. I started working with different wedding teams in 2020, which is how I got into the bridal industry. Read more>>
Elizabeth Minger
Growing up, I always knew I wanted to help others. As I got older, I explored different helping professions, unsure of exactly where my future would lead. Then, during an adolescent psychology class, I was introduced to counseling, play therapy, and expressive arts, and I was hooked! I was thrilled to discover a career that combined so many of the things I loved. Read more>>
Christopher Barboza (Call me Justice)
Hello, I am Justice, a drag queen here in Austin, Texas. I’ve been doing drag now for about 8 + years. When I first started: I moved here in 2017 to attend UT Austin in pursuit of a journalism degree. While attending, a friend named Luca brought me to my first ever drag show hosted by Kelly Kline at Oilcan Harry’s on 4th Street. Read more>>
