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.
KJ Mensah
I grew up in Tafo, a town in the Kumasi area of Ghana, the youngest of five kids. Being the last one teaches you to watch before you speak, and I think that’s where I learned to read people. That skill has followed me into everything I do now. I came to the US in my twenties with big plans and very little road map. Read more>>
Final Frontier Rescue Project 
Our story really began with heartbreak. We had been involved in animal rescue, fostering, volunteering, and advocating for No Kill animal sheltering for many years, but we kept seeing dogs we loved being killed in shelters. We knew these were dogs who deserved a chance at life, and we couldn’t just stand by and accept that as the way things had to be. Read more>>
Lourdes Torres
The idea dropped in my mind, as I was sitting in my Tulum styled apartment nearing the end of my 1 year stay in Mexico. The idea was to blend blue lotus and rose together. For what? I did not know. Then it all became clear less than 2 months later, right before the Christmas of 2022. Read more>>
Jules Flores 
Back in 2015 I was about to graduate high school & still only 17 years old scrolling Tumblr late at night in my room. I came across an article about one of my favorite SoundCloud rappers, Bones, and how his aesthetic was increasing in popularity. Read more>>
Joel Silva 
More Than a Tattoo Studio Blessed Ink Tattoos is A Family Legacy Blessed Ink Tattoos is a locally owned tattoo studio in Austin, Texas, founded on family, passion, and a commitment to creating meaningful artwork. The story began with Arturo Silva, whose artistic journey started long before Blessed Ink Tattoos opened its doors. Read more>>
Diamond Davenport 
I’m Diamond Dior Davenport, an entertainer, recording artist, and community advocate based in Austin, Texas. I was raised by my grandparents—my grandfather was a pastor and my grandmother was the First Lady, so music was part of my life from the beginning. Before drag, I spent years in cheerleading and coaching, which taught me discipline, leadership, and how to command a stage. Read more>>
Sarah Moss 
My love for photography started at a really young age. I always dreamed of becoming a photographer, but growing up, owning a camera just wasn’t financially possible for me. In high school, I wanted so badly to take a photography class, but because I couldn’t afford the equipment, I ended up taking broadcasting instead. And as it turns out, I absolutely loved it! Read more>>
Pedro Mendez 
Raised in East Austin, an environment that lacked positive role models, I drew my primary inspiration from my mother. Her strong work ethic, dedication, and resilience were instrumental in shaping my professional development. She was raising three kids on her own, she taught me the importance of self-reliance, which is how I started learning to cook from watching her and my grandmother. Read more>>
Julia Barnett
Long before we ever shared an executive producer credit or launched Rolling Reels Productions, Mindy Raymond and Julia Barnett were two Texas moms crossing paths in Dripping Springs, juggling school schedules while running on the unmistakable adrenaline of film people. They started ‘coffee gals’ group that met weekly in downtown Dripping. Read more>>
Zachary Kersey 
All my life i have been traveling, and I feel like my music represents that. I grew up practically playing instruments. I remember in second grade my mom signed me up for violin lessons. We went from public lessons at a school, quickly to private lessons with a teacher one on one. Read more>>
Kathryn Nelson 
My story has never followed a straight line, and I think that’s what makes it interesting! I began my professional career as an educator, spending 14 years teaching in South Carolina and Texas and earning National Board Certification. Teaching gave me a lifelong appreciation for creativity, human connection, and the magic that happens when people learn through experience. Read more>>
Celina St. Hilaire 
This business really started with the first one I ever opened at 19 years old, Refined Rooms. I went into women’s homes and brought order and peace of mind to their closets. That work grew into styling professional athletes as they moved out of their playing careers. I helped them present themselves well in their new professional settings. Read more>>
Sherry Brokus & Jim Patton 
Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus’ Bio 2026 Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus originally met at a bar in Arnold, Maryland in 1979 after Sherry approached Jim during a break in his set and asked if she could sing a song with his band. Jim subsequently suggested that she do Neil Young’s ‘Cowgirl in the Sand,” and the two have sung together ever since. Read more>>
Ana Maria Rojas Melo 
My story in the United States did not begin in Austin. It began in Miami, after making one of the most difficult decisions of my life: leaving Venezuela, the country where I had built my family, my relationships, and more than 25 years of professional experience. Immigrating meant leaving behind much more than a place. Read more>>
Rachel Winbigler 
I grew up with a single immigrant mom who is Armenian and grew up in Ukraine. I wasn’t raised with a lot of money, and I started working at a young age. That background shaped how I approach opportunities: if there’s something I really want to do, I look for a way to make it happen, even if the path isn’t obvious. Read more>>
Zach K 
I’m Zach, co-owner at BZ Tent Rentals. Brett and I grew up on the South Shore. We know this area like our own backyards, so you can trust us in yours. After watching friends and family struggle to book rentals for graduations and other events, we stepped up. Read more>>
Lauren Colletti 
I’m the daughter of a neuroscientist and a nurse, so science and medicine were always around me. I grew up in Houston and spent my summers on Cape Cod. Those summers taught me to adapt and try new things. I was a competitive soccer player, even at 6’1′. I was always curious. I wanted to try everything and do it well. Read more>>
Anastasiia Preston 
My journey into content creation started with a passion for fashion, creativity, and helping women feel more confident in what they wear. I’ve always loved experimenting with clothing, understanding how different pieces work together, and finding ways to make personal style feel more approachable. Read more>>
Anabella Dominguez 
Bella’s Bakery’s story goes all the way back to my childhood, when my parents made the decision to leave their hometown in Mexico and move to Austin, Texas, in pursuit of a better future. I remember my parents waking up at the crack of dawn, Monday through Friday, to begin baking traditional Mexican pan dulce. Read more>>
Elena Guerra 
I become a Twitch streamer in 2017 because I wanted to connect with people. Making friends outside of college as an adult was so hard, and as kid who frequented sites like Neopets or Gaiaonline, I’ve never had qualms about making friends on the internet. Read more>>
Olga Novosselova 
My journey began with immigration from Russia and the courage to start over in a new country. I had to build a new life, find my place, and create something of my own through hard work, determination, and a love for the sewing craft. Over time, I turned my passion for sewing, craftsmanship, and bridal fashion into a specialized bridal alteration business in Austin. Read more>>
Paul Adams 
I grew up in the rolling hills of rural eastern Washington, working in my family’s business. We designed and manufactured diagnostic tests for animal diseases, and we kept a small farm for that work. Growing up, I did a bit of everything: janitorial work, lab work, quality control, inventory, marketing. Read more>>
Allie Cauffman 
FlowStateBox started with the idea of making periods feel a little less stressful and giving women an easy way to prioritize themselves. I wanted to create something that combined everyday essentials with self-care, so we created a box filled with period products, sweet treats, face masks, and other little things that make you feel good. Read more>>
eric bettencourt
I was born in south eastern Massachusetts and my family moved to northern Maine when I was 10 or 11. We lived in a very small town of around 900-1200 people. Read more>>
Zhenya Rock
I’ve been playing music pretty much my whole life, and after all these years I still haven’t figured out how to stick to just one style. I guess that’s a good thing. Back in 2008, I started Flying Balalaika Brothers in Austin. I had this idea of mixing the music I grew up with in Russia with all the American music I loved. Read more>>
Georgia Malone 
My professional creative career started with my education at California College of the Arts, where I received a BFA in Graphic Design. I had always been drawn to music, and during my last semester, I accepted an internship at Pirates Press in San Francisco. Read more>>
Jennifer Bechta 
My story with The Kanine Krew actually began long before I ever picked up my phone to film a video and post it to social media. Years ago, I became really interested in learning about the ingredients in commercial dog food and treats. Read more>>
Lilly Holmes 
As every artist you meet will tell you-the crave to create started young and never stopped. Although my parents pushed hard for me to flourish in academics and sports, what brought me the most “structure” was art. It didn’t matter what it was, I just wanted to make something that once didn’t exist. The feeling was and is…exhilarating. Read more>>
Heather Emerson 
I’ve lived a lot of lives in my 42 years, and some of the most defining chapters are the ones I never imagined sharing publicly. At 17, I enlisted in the United States military. What followed was a traumatic period of my life, culminating in a court-martial and a bad-conduct discharge. Read more>>
Darrion “ChiClopz” Borders 
I grew up in East Austin off of Springdale Road born and raised from the Mason Manor project apartment complexes. I went to Johnston high school from ‘05 to ‘08 and then they close my high school and named it something else. I was transferred to North Austin to complete my senior year at Lanier high school in 2008 to 2009. Read more>>
Robin Altson 
When the pandemic hit in 2020, my usually packed schedule went completely blank. Bored and looking for a fun side project, a friend mentioned her brother’s business setting up surprise plastic flamingo flocks in North Texas. The idea immediately clicked—delivering a yard full of bright pink flamingos felt like the perfect way to bring people some much-needed joy. Read more>>
Maria Slaughter Nuss 
Growing up, I wanted to be a choir teacher and in 2017, graduated from UTSA with my Bachelors degree. I moved to Buda in 2018 to be a middle school choir and theatre teacher. After COVID, I left teaching to follow a new passion – wedding planning. Read more>>
Björn Taylor 
My journey into hospitality wasn’t exactly a straight line. I’m originally from Houston, Texas, where I studied graphic design and eventually worked at a design firm. While I appreciated the creative foundation it gave me, I quickly realized that the traditional agency environment wasn’t quite for me. Read more>>
Chef Ameera Muhammad 
My work began in the kitchen more than two decades ago through private-chef work in Los Angeles. Over the years, I have built a career rooted in food, care, beauty, and meaningful connection, with the honor of cooking for clients including Kenya Barris, Common, Martin Lawrence, and Angela Bassett. Read more>>
Peter Markham 
Prior to my career as author, consultant, and educator, I directed Second Unit for Martin Scorsese on GANGS OF NEW YORK (Nominated for 9 Academy Awards in 2003, including Best Picture), and for Anthony Minghella on THE ENGLISH PATIENT (Winner, 9 Academy Awards in 1997, including Best Picture). Read more>>
Danielle Aubrey Smith 
I grew up being taught that relationships were supposed to look a certain way. There was a proper structure and a ‘right’ way to love, to want, to be a woman. For years, I believed that if I shared my truth, I’d be rejected. Then my marriage ended. When my divorce was final, I was in so much internal agony. Read more>>
Cathy Le 
My story starts in my hometown of Houston, where I spent many hot summer days making all sorts of arts and crafts. I’ve always loved creating things, but it wasn’t until I attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts that I began to really explore my artistic identity and find my creative voice. Read more>>
Aira Juliet 
I’m a middle child who loves attention, so I think I was probably always destined to be creative. I’ve always had a lot of interests, and I’ve never really been someone who could stick to just one thing. I’ve wanted to write, perform, make music, make films, and throw events for as long as I can remember. Read more>>
Kelly Jones 
In 2013 I took a leap of faith and stepped away from full time employment and into full time small business ownership. I am a single mom, and at the time my children were 17 and 12 years old respectively. My soul was longing for real connection and the opportunity to make my own way. Read more>>
Jennifer S 
When Covid hit in 2020, the start-up tech company I was working for was negatively affected. Employees were getting laid-off due to reduced company revenue and eventually, I was laid-off as well. I found myself dumbfounded by the sudden amount of free-time I had while being in-between jobs. Read more>>
