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.
Keith Anderson
To understand how we got here, you have to go back to where it all began. Founded in Birmingham England, Harrison helped shape the UK hospitality landscape by designing many of the country’s leading restaurant brands. Read more>>
Hannah Dimock
From a young age, I knew I aspired to own my own business. I have always had a passion for helping others and bringing creativity to every project I take on. My journey, from serving restaurants to bartending, has shaped the business owner I am today. Hospitality is my passion, and I’m equally dedicated to crafting delicious, fresh drinks. Read more>>
Noah Skidmore
My Father and I started working on cars when I was just a little kid, with dreams of one day opening our own shop. A little over a year ago we finally made that come true when we opened our doors to the few customers we had lined up. Read more>>
MIchelle Miles
I’ve always been fascinated by stories. As a child, I devoured movies, and I was just as interested in what happened behind the scenes as I was in the stories themselves. Fantasy worlds captured my imagination early, and I spent years wondering what it would be like to create worlds of my own. Read more>>
Amanda Moriah Henderson
I am originally from San Antonio, Texas, where I was raised by my parents, MaryAnn and Larry Villarreal. I am the oldest of three children and have two younger brothers, Derek and Dylan. My mom was a well-known softball coach and educator in San Antonio, dedicating more than 25 years to shaping the lives of her students and athletes. Read more>>
Synae Javyan
Three years ago, I moved to Dallas, Texas with my son. I had no family or friends here but I was determined to reinvent myself and create space for better opportunities and experiences for my family. I joined Teach For America, a prestigious corps that funded my entire move and propelled me into spaces that would change my life forever. Read more>>
Briana Dinae
I have always been fascinated with photography. I I took a lot of joy scrap booking and putting together photo albums when I was a teenager. I developed an inspiration to take on the profession of photography. In 2014 I decided to put myself in Photography school and graduated with my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from The Art Institute of Dallas. Read more>>
Lolita Allen
Lolita Allen is the President of Divas Read 2 Book Club, Founder of Divas Read 2 Inc, a non profit organization whose mission is to sponsor educational events, literary events and reading programs. Under the umbrella of Divas Read 2 Inc, 2 programs have been established D.O.D.D. (Divas of a Divine Destiny) which provides mentoring, friendship and counseling to tween/teen girls. Read more>>
Nancy Rich
Thank you for asking. My journey into marketing wasn’t a straight line, but it was driven by a lifelong passion for writing, art, and technology. I spent many years in the medical field as an Office Manager. I loved helping people, but my true creative outlet was helping the doctor with his small ads and graphic designs. Read more>>
Audrey Rindlisbacher
For many years I was a stay at home mother of 6 children. While I was grateful to be able to stay at home with them and there were many things that were incredibly rewarding, I struggled with many aspects of life. My marriage was rocky, our finances were unstable, our extended family relationships were strained. Read more>>
Roger Peters
My journey really began in my teens with a love for art, film, and photography. I was captivated by movies and visual storytelling, fascinated by cinematography, and eager to understand the craft from its most fundamental principles through still photography. My first camera was a Pentax K1000, a classic fully manual 35mm film camera from the late 1970s. Read more>>
Gabriel “Spaceboifresh” Moore
Born Gabriel Leon Moore Jr. on December 31, 1990, in Dallas, Texas, Spaceboifresh has built a career around one simple belief: every person is born with a purpose, and creativity has the power to change lives. Raised by his grandparents in Oak Cliff, Gabriel’s foundation was built on faith, discipline, love, and family. Read more>>
Marqueshia Richardson
So growing up I have always been very shy and too myself and very sensitive. I think most of me being sensitive plays a major part in my life though writhing actin. I would always go to school and be too myself and it was once in a blue moon that I made friends because of it. Read more>>
Mandi Zielinski
I’m an advocate of the Montessori approach to learning and teaching, but as a busy homeschooling mom, I encountered many difficulties implementing this methodology outside of the traditional Montessori classroom. As I worked through and found solutions to these challenges, it became clear that other parents were struggling with the same issues. Read more>>
Jamie Taylor
Hi, thank you so much for having me! I am a Luxury Residential Interior Designer based in Dallas,Tx with projects spanning Houston, Dallas, and Austin! I come from humble beginnings. Born and raised in Monroe, Louisiana. I was a creative child from the start. Artist, violinist, praise dancer, anything related to the arts—I’m sure I’ve done it twice! Read more>>
Lonny Green
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be two things: a mom and a teacher. Growing up, whenever we played house, I had to be the mom. If I wasn’t, there was a good chance I wasn’t playing at all! As I got older, my love for children only grew. Read more>>
Jackie Spann
I was five years old the first time I wrote it down. We had one of those ‘what I want to be when I grow up’ charts in school, and while other kids were writing astronaut or teacher, I wrote ‘Fashon Deziner’ although it was misspelled I was five years old and I knew what I wanted to do. Read more>>
Jennifer VNA Godinez
I want to first thank everyone that has contributed to where I am today. Every opportunity has led to this moment in time. It has been a journey that has only emphasized how much love I have for art, and all its forms. Read more>>
Kurtz Frausun
I am Kurtz Frausun – a four-time award-winning experimental documentary filmmaker, black-and-white photographer, and First Amendment auditor based in Dallas, Texas. Read more>>
Christy Reagan
I spent seven years working as an event manager, coordinator, and designer for a Dallas event company. During that time, I gained experience in all the different aspects of the event industry and fell completely in love with the entire process of creating memorable events from start to finish. Read more>>
Vivian Liu
Hi my name is Vivian Liu, and my policy work centers on education. Primarily, I focus on access to science research opportunities for youth. I got started because I believed students deserve a real voice in what gets taught, and I have carried that belief from local classrooms to the national level. Read more>>
NeoQor
To start, I grew up with electronic music being a major part of my life. Read more>>
Lindsey Lynch
My journey began long before I started The PMOS Method. As a teenager, I began experiencing symptoms associated with what was then known as PCOS, recently renamed PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome). One of my biggest struggles was unexplained weight gain. Read more>>
Papa Rico
I’m just a regular guy from the inner city of Dallas, Tx. I have been through a lot in life, but through all my struggles I have always tried to find my purpose, which eventually lead me to music. Music is the only thing that helps me cope with the harsh realities of life. I have been drawn to music as a child. Read more>>
Owen Curtsinger
I grew up in a family of artists. My mom was a painter and my dad had a long career as an underwater wildlife photographer. My older brother and I grew up drawing comics inspired by action and science fiction movies. We would make copies of our comic books and sell them from a folding table at local art openings. Read more>>
Danielle King
Started off being an assistant for Jennifer Hobson productions at age 15. Which is where I started my modeling career from age 15 to 19 , left the modeling industry and went to cosmetology school completed in 2014 from there my passion for both industries grew. I worked behind the scenes as a makeup artist on sets for 3 years felt burned out. Read more>>
Amey DeAnne Stark-Foust
I lived what seemed like an ordinary life. I married at 19, built a career, and spent the next 28 years raising two children who were deeply involved in sports. My husband and I both worked corporate jobs during the day, and our evenings and weekends revolved around practices, games, tournaments, and countless other activities. Read more>>
Angelica Zaragoza
My story didn’t begin in a boardroom—it began in one of the darkest seasons of my life. Years ago, I was incarcerated and separated from my children. During that time, I experienced firsthand the heartbreak that incarceration creates for families. Through a program called Girls Embracing Mothers (G.E.M.), I was given the opportunity to reconnect with my daughter during monthly prison visits. Read more>>
Miguel Martin
I’m a self taught artist, I learn photography and editing by my self watching YouTube tutorial videos, i am also a paper mache artist and i give life to 7 feet tall Catrina’s exhibited all over the DFW. Little by little my work captures the attention of people and interviews came my way. Read more>>
Donte Bean
At Toyota, I learned the value of Kaizen, which means continuous improvement. I loved the structure, the fast pace, and the pursuit of perfection. But when organizational shifts led to my layoff, it felt like the brakes had been slammed on my career. I faced a choice: wait for another door to open, or build my own. I chose to build. Read more>>
Craig Sefcik
Sure! I grew up in the Wichita Falls area, went to high school in Burkburnett and briefly attended Midwestern State University before deciding to pursue other interests and enter the work force. Music was my main motivating factor during those years, I played in a band and we decided to all move together to the DFW Metroplex to chase bigger and better opportunities. Read more>>
Lexi Totten
My story starts before I even thought about going to beauty school. When I was little I was styling my own hair all the time I was walking out of my room with a different hairstyle everyday and I didn’t know yet that it was going to be my career and my passion when I got older. Read more>>
Trent Patterson
My name is Trent Patterson, I started Patterson Window Cleaning during the 2020 lockdown. After 6 years I’m finally putting my everything into the company and it’s showing. I worked for a company for around 5 years and learned a lot! I’m constantly educating myself on new ways to do the job more efficiently and safely. Now in the East Texas area since 2025 Read more>>
Veena Nathan
I never expected my life to become the story I would one day share with thousands of people online. I’m originally from the beautiful teardrop-shaped island of Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon. When I was young, my parents immigrated to the United States after being selected through the Diversity Visa Lottery program, hoping to build a better future for our family. Read more>>
Cynthia Alvarado
My interest in the beauty industry actually started back in high school, when I was involved in modeling and acting during my freshman and sophomore years. After graduating, I had the opportunity to attend Paul Mitchell Dallas, and my love for the game came completely naturally. Read more>>
Janifer Russell
Makeup has always been more than a career for me—it’s been a way to help people feel confident while bringing creative visions to life. I started with a passion for beauty and artistry, and over the years I’ve built my business through dedication, continuous learning, and a commitment to professionalism. Read more>>
Jarod Thornton
My story starts with instability. When I was nine years old, my father was murdered in Columbus, Ohio. After that, my family moved constantly. By the time I reached high school, I had attended thirteen different schools. I dropped out during my sophomore year while struggling with meth addiction, convinced my future had already been written. Read more>>
Shameka Cooper
My journey into cake decorating began in 2014. After ordering birthday cakes for my children from my local grocery store bakeries and being repeatedly disappointed by their quality and appearance, I decided to start making them myself. What started as a way to have creative, memorable fun designing my children’s birthday cakes soon became a true passion. Read more>>
Michelle Hoang
Sure! I started out over a decade ago. What really was just a fun hobby with my cousins turned into others seeing my talent and pushing me to turn it into something more. By 2016, I was getting paid to do something I loved on an everyday basis! What a blessing it is to get paid to do something you love. Read more>>
Caressia Burse
Nature Baddie was created as a love letter to myself. I was in a sad mood at the time so to lift my spirits, I filled my tub with bath oils and Epsom salt, lit a candle, and put on a Big K.R.I.T playlist. After soaking my woes away and moisturizing myself, I entered the bedroom to throw on a cozy onesies. Read more>>
Trestan Howard
I’ve been drawing since the age of 3 years old and loved cartoons growing up, so I would trace my favorite characters from my favorite shows such as Dexter’s Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, and Courage the Cowardly Dog. Read more>>
David Ely
In 2017 I was a regional manager for a food broker that was contracted to pass out free samples of different products each week. I ran the schedule for around 60 employees in 25 Walmart stores around the DFW area. The company I worked for ended up loosing the Walmart contract and I was let go. Read more>>
Wu Zi X
I grew up as a child in Detroit, Michigan. My parents divorced when I was 5 and we left the state when I was 7. I moved around a lot, including 13 different schools. I spent a lot of time alone. I started writing music during lunch because I would eat in the library and it was quiet; no one was around. Read more>>
Kirsten Prater
It all started in 2005 for me when I stumbled upon my grandparents’ simple point-and-shoot camera while exploring Colorado. Little did I know, this discovery would ignite my passion for photography. January 2018 marked a pivotal moment. It was the time I decided to take this photography thing seriously and ventured into the world of entrepreneurship, launching my own photography business. Read more>>
B Lauren Rodriguez
I’ve always been interested in skin. I’ve been blessed with relatively great skin and have always been able to fix any issue I had from home. Fast forward to mother hood and I didn’t have such luck helping my daughter with her skin. Read more>>
Taj “THE MEAT MESSIAH” Leavell
Started off as a backyard bbq enthusiast… I was coaching a little league football team and decided to provide the kids with sandwiches and chips after practice to take some of the work off the parents and a friend of mine asked me to sale him a plate… I’d never thought about selling Bbq. Read more>>
Yvonne Dodson
My first job at 16 years old was working at an ice cream shop and serving people a delicious treat was so fun. Though, after several entrepreneurial endeavors and climbing the corporate ladder for 20 years; it seems I have come full circle in what really brings me joy. Read more>>
Lillian Anderson
For as long as I can remember I’ve always been creative. I’ve always loved colors, and loved the concept of making someone feel beautiful. Growing up, I was taught how to braid, and even taught myself how to color hair. This inspired me to continue to explore a path of beauty based services, growing as I learned more about makeup as well. Read more>>
Joseph Hoffman
Where to begin… If we’re gettin’ technical, my first on-stage acting appearance was baby Jesus in the church Christmas play, and when you start with a role like that, it get’s progressively more difficult to out-do yourself, easily the easiest yet hardest role thus far (ask my Mom, I think I was only months old at this point). Read more>>
De’Airra Belcher
I moved to Texas 10 years ago for my first corporate job. It wasn’t directly in fraud prevention, but it was associated: a disputes analyst. I did that for two years, then took a pivot in a different direction, functioning in a back-office role from 2018 to 2020. Read more>>
Lucine Aghajanyan – Cohen
After earning my Master’s degree in Law, I began working at a law firm, where I was exposed to every aspect of the business. While I learned the legal side of the profession, I became increasingly fascinated by the operational side—how firms grow, how teams are built, and how the right systems and processes can transform an organization. Read more>>
Diane Dowdle
I’ve always had a passion for the beauty and wellness industry, but my journey to creating CherryBottoms Aesthetics was really shaped by the different chapters of my life. I originally have deep roots in the Bay Area of California, which instilled in me a love for fast-paced, high-standard client care. Read more>>
Ashleigh Taylor
I’ve always been a storyteller. A modern-day yapper, if you will. I’ve always been fascinated by people… What makes them tick, what they love, what they avoid, and the stories they tell without ever saying a word. Read more>>
Chasity Jones
Michigan Native, Chasity Jones is a former Model and Video Vixen of the early 2000’s. Read more>>
Art Y’all
Art Y’all started because we kept noticing the same thing from different perspectives: people apologizing for not “getting” art. Michelle comes from a curatorial and art history background, and after years working in galleries and museums, she was tired of watching smart, curious people convince themselves that the art world wasn’t for them. Read more>>
Jonathan Cancel
I’ve been a fan of Super powered individuals all my life. Whether that was reading about Superman in comics, watching Xmen on Saturday mornings cartoon runs, collecting cards of my favorite Dragon Ball characters or ripping packs of Pokemon with my friends. Read more>>
Allen Kopelman
Allen Kopelman is the CEO and Founder of Nationwide Payment Systems, a leading provider of merchant services, payment technology, and business payment solutions across the United States. With over 25 years of experience in the payments industry, Allen has worked with thousands of businesses ranging from small local merchants to multi-location enterprises. Read more>>
Renee Jackson-Smith
I do not describe my story as one of having arrived. I see my life more like a novel that is still being written. Every personal experience, professional opportunity, success, disappointment, and learning moment has become a building block for another chapter. Each day, I am getting closer to the woman, leader, author, speaker, and coach I am becoming. Read more>>
Marie Linne von Berg
When I moved to Dallas, I never imagined I’d leave with a company. I had studied Creative and Strategic Advertising at Virginia Commonwealth University and was eager to begin my career, but instead of following a traditional path, one opportunity led to another. Read more>>
Wreck HanH
Ive had a passion for music since 13, starting by writing lyrics before rapping with friends over industry beats in high school. Wanting to develop my own sound, i began producing original beats, in FL Studio 3. ‘Lil Wreck’ became my name based off of creative freestyle skills and musical talent . Read more>>
Nikki James-Smith
Building Intellect Tutorial Services (B.I.T.S.) was founded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic with one mission in mind: to ensure that learning never stopped. By offering high-quality virtual tutoring, we helped scholars remain academically engaged and avoid learning loss during an unprecedented time. Six years later, B.I.T.S. Read more>>
Kaleb Johnson
I started in 2017 just making skits here and there for fun. I never had a clue about taking it seriously. Until 2020 I was at an all time low. I was lost didn’t know what to do. I watched one of my old skits and I realized how much fun I had creating them. Read more>>
Madalynn Zanoni
When I was in kindergarten we had a small ‘graduation’ ceremony where all the kids stood up in front of the class and their parents and told the crowd what they wanted to be when they grew up. In a sea of doctors, firefighters, police officers, etc. Read more>>
Sean Heaney
Keksi started in 2020 with my mom Jacque’s cookie recipe and a stubborn refusal to walk the traditional 9-to-5 path. Growing up, her cookies were the ones people hoped would be on the dessert table when they showed up — for birthdays, holidays, church gatherings, family get-togethers. For years people told her she should sell them. Read more>>
Jessica Graham
My story is really about choosing not to hide my gifts. I’ve always loved storytelling, writing, performing, and connecting with people, but for years I balanced those passions with building a successful corporate career. Today I work as a Senior Client Success Manager, while also growing as an author, actress, poet, and content creator. Read more>>
Amanda Marcano
I’ve always known I wanted to do hair since I was probably about 12 years old. I got my cosmetology license in high school which I didn’t have a client a human client until after I graduated. My first haircut on a human was my first actual haircut on a human at great clips in Lake Worth Texas. Read more>>
Ahaan, Nickhil, Shaurya Kothari, Earla, Saxena
Finora didn’t start with a business plan; it started with watching my friends make expensive financial mistakes. I remember seeing friends gamble on sports, betting on LeBron James and other games without fully understanding the risks. One friend lost over $100 in a single night. Read more>>
Mckenzie Puente
Hello, My name is Mckenzie and I am the owner of Sweetest Haven. My journey officially began September of 2019 when I finally decided to stop being so frightened and put myself out there as a brand new baker. My passion for baking goes back as far as I can remember! It was always in me without me even noticing it. Read more>>
David Stingley
The ‘big bang’ moment of me wanting to become a DJ came back in late 2001, early 2002. There was a dance music radio show called EdgeClub that came on Saturday nights on (the now defunct/reprogrammed) 102.1 The Edge. Read more>>
Oshin Saini
My journey with calligraphy began out of curiosity and a love for beautiful handwriting. Without any formal training, I started practicing on my own, spending countless hours experimenting with different scripts, tools, and styles. What began as a personal creative outlet gradually became a profession. Read more>>
Christopher Strong
Basketball and music is where it started. In 2016 was playing Division II in the state of Vermont with plans to graduate with a Bachelors in Communication. At the time I had a classmate named Chris ironically who started to mention trading to me. Read more>>