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.
Ardif
I studied architecture and started my career as an architect 15 years ago. But during my studies, I became interested in street art because, for me, it was a link between architecture and artistic intervention. I started looking at the art in the streets of Paris and thinking that I would like to begin my own journey in this urban landscape. Read more>>
Samm LLanos
I am the founder of Events on Purpose ATX, a community-based event company dedicated to bringing together nonprofits, small businesses, artists, and musicians through collaborative efforts that create meaningful community impact. Read more>>
Jazz Jones
My journey in music started at just 5 years old. My mother passed away when I was only 2, and as I grew older, I realized music was her dream. In many ways, I feel like I picked up the dream she never got the chance to fulfill. Read more>>
Millen Haile
I can seriously write a book about my life LOL! Hello: My name is Millen Haile I am from Eritrea (East Africa) I came to the US when I was nine years old. Read more>>
Isaiah Buchanan
It all started with my older brother. As long as I could remember he had been calling me the name, “Zaybeezy” and introduced me to freestyling. He would only play christian rap around me and that was my introduction. Read more>>
Hauke
I started my career as a hairstylist, eventually growing those skills to the point where I did my first tour in 2018 as a travelling hairstylist. I always took photos of the haircuts I did and found a passion for that, using the connections and friendships I made on that tour to take photos when their bands would come into town. Read more>>
Carlos Adán Castro
I’ve been making/creating/coming up with things for as long as I can remember. I was born in Viesca, Coahuila, a very small town in northern Mexico, and moved to San Antonio when I was six. I think moving that young gave me an outsider’s perspective that I’ve carried with me ever since. Read more>>
Forest Cazayoux
I was born and raised in New Roads, Louisiana. There wasn’t much music being played in my family, but somehow I fell in love with drumming from a really early age. Like a lot of kids, I started out banging on pots and pans when I was probably two years old. Read more>>
Tahn’Zhay Easter
My name is Chef Tahn’Zhay Easter, and my journey in the culinary world started from a genuine love for food, creativity, and bringing people together around a table. I’ve always believed that food has the power to tell a story, create memories, and make people feel cared for. Read more>>
Laila Khater
It all started about five years ago, right here at home. I began making handmade items and machine embroidered pieces just for my girls, nothing more than that at first. I make bags, gifts, and apparel, and I’d use the pieces myself and put them on my daughters. Read more>>
Destini Hill
My Story: In God’s Hands My name is Destini Hill. I am a 29-year-old wife, mother, registered nurse, Bible study leader, and, most importantly, a follower of Christ. I grew up in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and moved around quite a bit as a child. I graduated from high school at just 17 years old and received a full academic scholarship to Lake Michigan College. Read more>>
Tori, Sophia and Tiffany {The Tiarras} Baltierra
Growing up, music was always around us. From family parties, to our parents playing their favorite songs in the car, to following our Dad around at his DJ gigs, to then picking up an instrument of our choice. Through individual music lessons, we learned the logical and tactile parts of music. Read more>>
Stormy Caldwell
My journey into the world of lymphatics began in 2020, shortly after graduating from nursing school. As I began researching the lymphatic system more deeply, I was struck by how little attention this remarkable network receives within modern medicine and the broader conversation around health and wellness. Read more>>
Courtney Eoff
I come from a long line of hard-working agriculturists in West Texas. Both my mom’s and dad’s sides of the family were farmers, and you know what that means—when you’re taking life at the speed of a tractor, you have plenty of time to listen to music. In our family, that music was primarily country. Read more>>
Norma Prado
My husband and I both studied Business Administration and we have a Master in Finance, when we got married, we decided to take a chance on ourselves and open our very first business, a small pharmacy in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.That was just the beginning. Read more>>
Darius Sanders
I was born in Germany — my dad was in the Air Force — and we moved to Texas when I was six. Even before I picked up an instrument, I was drawn to instrumental music (specifically funk, jazz, R&B and Hip-Hop) and beats — from around age 5, that’s what I gravitated toward more than anything with lyrics. Read more>>
Geoffrey Ellis
Inspiring Stories: Meet Geoff Ellis of Mum FoodsToday we’re thrilled to introduce you to Geoff Ellis, the culinary visionary behind Mum Foods. Read more>>
Jocelyn Goldman
Finding sewing has given me the creative outlet I had always been searching for. It is a place where I can constantly learn, experiment, and bring ideas to life with my own hands. I’ve always been surrounded by creative people, but I hadn’t quite figured out where I fit into that world. Read more>>
Haddie LaRue
LaRue Photography started from a simple love for photography and capturing real moments. What began as a hobby slowly grew into something I wanted to take seriously and build into a business. As I gained experience, I started photographing a variety of subjects—from people and pets to cars, events, nature, and special moments. Read more>>
Lori Reeves
I grew up in Austin, Texas, and spent nearly 30 years in marketing and brand strategy, eventually running my own company. That background is exactly why I built Ageless with Lori the way I did — as a real platform, not just a passion project. Read more>>
Kelsey Hudgins
My grandfather was a musician who taught me to play several instruments when I was young. I started bands in 1999 when I was 13 in my hometown of Bennettsville SC. I continued to play and record albums with local bands until graduation when I wrote several songs, and released my debut solo album at 18. Read more>>
Terrence Ogden
I was 31, out of options, out of time. Living in a world I’d created for myself through heroin, jail, and homelessness. I wasn’t living, I was existing. There were three ways that life was going to end: death, getting locked up, or getting clean. I’d already hit two of the three. I got one shot at detox. Read more>>
Lillian Connell
I was born and raised in Vero Beach, Florida, a small, sleepy beach town, but I was born with a dream for so much more. I was always a people person over a books person, and from a young age I fell hard for singing and acting. I performed all through school, and being on stage made me feel more alive than anything else. Read more>>
Jeff Hortillosa
I started playing music at a young age growing up in Kentucky. I first learned drums, then taught myself guitar. I played in bands in high school and college. I was also very passionate about acting, creative writing, and was a huge nerd for school. Read more>>
Mateo / Juan salazar / Varela
Our story really started years ago when Juan was living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He always found something intriguing about the ice business—such a simple, everyday product, but something that so many people and businesses depend on. Years later, that curiosity led us to our first step into the industry: an ice vending machine. Read more>>
Taylor Kroff
I grew up in California. I started piano lessons at age 7, focusing primarily on classical music. I played through my teenage years, during which time my passion for music and the piano grew, and I started practicing 3-4 hours every day. In addition to Classical Music, I began learning to play Blues and Rock’n’Roll as well, jamming with my friends whenever I could. Read more>>
Christina Boudreaux
I’ve been in some type of marketing role for nearly fifteen years now. For the most recent five, I worked for alcohol brands as an event and brand manager. This is where I discovered that my truest passions are community and finding ways to bring that community together. Read more>>
Jennifer Norris
Floral design is my third career, as I started as a Registered Interior Designer, and then a commercial photography prop stylist for a few years. I loved working in a studio setting and collaborating on ideas with others to create a setting – whether it was a room or entire home, or a styled set for a catalog shoot. Read more>>
Davi Smith
It’s actually pretty simple. I always really enjoyed nails as a kid, I would paint designs on nail tips and eventually on myself in middle school. When I started high school I joined the cosmetology program, originally wanting to do hair. But when we started learning acrylic nails, that quickly became my favorite thing, and what I was best at. Read more>>
Melissa Knight Andee Kinzy
HOT: Monthlies grew out of HOT: The Exhibit, a month-long arts and community project we created in 2025 exploring peri/menopause through visual art, performance, workshops, and conversation. HOT: Monthlies is co-hosted by Melissa Knight and Andee Kinzy. We’re both multidisciplinary artists, and we came to the project from different creative backgrounds. Read more>>
chappell moore
Damn Good Cookies started during COVID, and I never imagined it would turn into the business it is today. Read more>>
Andrea Flores
Art has been my compass since childhood and my way of expressing myself. Southern Chile was my refuge during those early years and, in its own affectionate way, it also pushed me out into the world in my youth. In April 1998, at the age of 20, I spread my wings, filled my backpack with oils and brushes, and set off for Mexico. Read more>>
Emma Celeste
It feels like my hands have always known what to do with a brush. As children, my brother and I were encouraged to follow our art. My dad’s a musician, so our home was filled with instruments and art supplies. Read more>>
Stanislav Pronin
Stanislav Pronin – Short Biography Stanislav Pronin has performed as soloist and chamber musician at many festivals including Verbier Festival, Interlaken Classics, Banff Festival and Kronberg Festival. Read more>>
Libby Leahy
I’m from a small town in IL, I went to colleague at the University of Washington in Seattle and, after graduating, moved to New York City in 2005 to start my career in real estate. Read more>>
Aracely Cornejo
My photography journey started with a gift from my husband in 2021. He knew how much I loved photography and surprised me with my first DSLR camera. I’ve loved photography since the days of disposable cameras, and I was always the person taking photos of family and friends. Read more>>
Zach Auerbach
I dropped out of college at age 19 in pursuit of something bigger than classroom learning. I bought a Sprinter van, built out the inside to be a livable camper and hit the road with the goal of visiting as many of the 63 US national parks as I could. I spent two years on the road traveling to 50 of the national parks. Read more>>
Lauren & Lindsay Oakley & Dupont
The Tile Edit really started with a shared love of mahjong, design, and the experience of gathering around a table. Read more>>
Jennifer Salgado
Growing up in Houston, Texas, I was always exposed to the strong art culture embedded in the city. My mother constantly took me and my older sister to art museums, experimental film screenings, community theaters, the symphony, art classes, ballet lessons, and spent days reading and making arts and crafts. Read more>>
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>>
