We were fortunate to catch up with some brilliant artists, creatives and entrepreneurs from throughout the Houston area and they share the wisdom with us below.

Mahlon Tillotson

Design Logistics kind of just happened. While I have always been in leadership roles, my original intention was to have a truck running as a contractor through a broker so I bought the truck, as a passive income sort of situation. Read More>>

Raquel Tavares Gunsagar

Honestly? It all started with a month in Paris and Bordeaux, under the noble guise of “learning

French.” (Spoiler: I came back fluent in spritzes, not french.)

What really struck me was how effortlessly the French drink—light, casual, chic, like they were
born knowing how to pair a citrus peel with existential dread. Their cocktails weren’t just
delicious; they were stylish, sophisticated, and had this je ne sais quoi that made me go, Read More>>

Arden Teresa Lewis

I was taking film classes at LA City College when the first Women’s March happened in 2017. It was an empowering experience that I brought fully into my filmmaking at the time. I no longer felt that I had to wait for someone to give me a greenlight or permission to make my own films. I gave myself my own greeenlight basically. Read More>>

Vanessa Reyes

I’ve always possessed a creative spirit, and growing up I constantly explored new crafts and ways to express myself. I will always be drawn to mixed mediums but right now I’ve found that creating handmade Jewelry collections and Cyanotype photographic art is my current calling. I knew that if I wanted to take myself and my practice more seriously, I needed to create my own business, and that is how Combine & Create Studios was born. For me, art is more than creating a single brand and a single product. I continually strive to find a balance between business and play, making sure that I never loose my artistic freedom, while still being able to pay the bills. Read More>>

 Leopoldo Juan Treviño

My thought process was 100% in the “Do it Yourself” (DIY) ethos. Before I get started and to give some relevant foundational information, my father was one of two founders of the Coachella Valley’s very first Spanish newspaper El Informador del Valle; before that he was heavily involved in the migrant farm worker union United Farm Workers of America and was very hands on in the implementation of negotiations that would end up assuring farm laborers like himself and my mother had the housing, safety and labor rights that they deserved… so DIY runs in my blood. Read More>>

Anthony Garcia-Muñoz

My thought process with opening up Panorama Studios was “F**K IT!! Let’s do it!””

A friend let me know about the space, we were going to go in it together but when the time came he had some things come that prevented him from moving forward so i decided to go at it alone. Read More>>

Nikki Neal

Starting my own business was never just about being my own boss—it was about building a platform where creativity, culture, and community could thrive. I saw a gap in the event space for experiences that felt personal, elevated, and deeply intentional, especially when it came to cigar culture and hands-on activations like custom hat bars and cold brew branding. Read More>>

 Samantha Balaam

Personally it comes down to the freedom to be creative. Being able to be creative with my time, energy, and truthfully where I put my focus – these were the biggest driving factors and thoughts behind starting my own business. You aren’t able to be as creative when you’re under the umbrella of a company as an employee. Read More>>  

Tyler Nollenberger

Higher Grounds was started because I was ready to start my own thing. I had worked in food and beverage for about 15 years. I had done pretty much every job including executive chef, bartender, server. When I found a coffee cart for sale on Craigslist I thought why not? I love coffee and I can cook so let’s give it a shot. I had a daughter on the way and my wife loved the idea. A couple of years later we have a brick and mortar restaurant, a busy catering branch, and a great coffee program. Read More>>

Nathan Trucks

My thought process behind starting my own business was that after years working as an assistant camera in IATSE that living a freelance lifestyle of waiting for the phone to ring and for the jobs to come can become exhausting. Then once the jobs do arrive they can be wild cards in the creative industry on working conditions and professionalism. In creating my own production company which also provides “boots on the ground” production services has made it to where I can create my own opportunities to navigate my career more towards my goals and able to create a safe working environment for myself and crew. Read More>>

Amber Zubkov

Originally, we were still in the midst of Covid when we were throwing out ideas on what my husband (Fiance at the time) and I could do, to have some sort of income coming in while we were short on work. Both of our jobs at the time had cut our hours to almost nothing due to only being open for a minimum time during Covid. We had a lot more free time to work on a few ideas and the one that seemed to stick, was the picnic and bonfire business. Read More>> 

Ashleigh Moberg

When I first started my business, I initially just wanted a place to have a portfolio, where I could share the photos I’ve taken. I viewed my business as a hobby. Just a few short years after starting, my “hobby” turned into an actual business. Little did I know that would then turn into a career that would support my family and I for over 10 years. Read More>>

Matt Elson

My driving thought was simple: Get it right. I had a deep creative vision and a body of work I believed in, but I knew that talent alone wasn’t enough. I wanted the business side to be as strong and intentional as the art itself. That’s why I enrolled in the UCLA Anderson Executive Program — to gain a strategic overview and build a solid foundation. It helped me step back, look at the big picture, and begin to structure my ideas into something sustainable. For me, starting a business wasn’t just about selling work — it was about creating a vessel that could carry my values, vision, and future. Read More>>

Vanessa Torres

I spent many years in the hospitality industry, gaining experience on both the venue side and in planning and coordination. Throughout my career, I had the opportunity to work on a wide range of events—including sports, corporate, non-profit, and weddings. While each type of event brought its own excitement, I found myself consistently drawn to weddings and personal celebrations. There’s something incredibly meaningful about helping bring someone’s special day to life. Being part of a moment that people will remember and cherish for the rest of their lives is what truly fulfills me—it never feels like “work.” Read More>>

 Andrew

When I first started my business, I had no idea what I wanted. I had a few ideas tossed around for a name, brand, and location. The name was picked by verbally randomly saying different names while I was driving, and Cafeina sounded nice. I did a quick Google search, and it was available, surprisingly. My birthday is on November 2nd, which is Day of the Dead, so my thought was to create a brand that wrapped the idea around sugar skulls and the holiday. I had no intentions of anything except that I thought it was “cool.” Granted, I was only 24 then, young, and had zero business, marketing, and branding experience. Read More>>

Kristin Rachelle

I bought my first DSLR when my middle child was born, and from the moment I began taking photos, I was hooked. I ate, slept, and breathed photography. As my skills grew, I began to realize that this wasn’t just a hobby anymore, it was a calling. With a degree in Business and a passion that lit me up, it felt only natural to turn my love for photography into a professional path. Today, I get to blend creativity with entrepreneurship, doing what I love every single day. Read More>>

Amanda Abruzzo

At the time, I was going through a divorce and felt pretty isolated, like I didn’t have many close friends. So I started inviting people to join me for simple things—going to the park, the beach, or doing fun activities together. Before long, people began reaching out to me, asking what I had planned for the weekend or when I was organizing the next outing. One day, the group grew so large it became more than I could manage on my own. That’s when I realized it had evolved into something bigger—a business. Now, I’m just focused on helping it grow! Read More>>

Clinton Gorham

In all honesty, The Gorham Agency was born out of a season where I felt like doors just were not opening for me, or at least that is what I believed at the time. It was 2012. I was young, eager, and extremely ambitious, but also unaware of myself in many ways. I knew I was talented, but opportunity felt scarce. However, as time passed and life offered its lessons, I realized that purpose had always been woven through everything I did. I have always carried a deeply purpose-driven mentality. When environments or opportunities no longer align with my drive for life and impact, I naturally shift away from them. Read More>>

 Ally Raye

After graduating with a degree in psychology, I landed a job as an administrative assistant at a therapy practice. I loved the work – many of the therapists were wonderful, and I loved to help connect people with therapists who could truly support them. But the environment encouraged a pace and work ethic that was ultimately unsustainable and led to burnout. Read More>>

Ellen Geer

After many years in repertory theatre around the country, the family all came back to Topanga Canyon. Our home during the years my father was blacklisted. We made our money in TV and film, and spent our weekends developing Theatricum, which now houses a professional repertory theatre and many education programs that serve the Los Angeles and outlaying areas. We wanted to pass on our many techniques we had acquired one needs to do the classics. We wanted to encourage Americana programs and Shakespeare for LA schools. Read More>>

Z Smith

During the pandemic, Betsy and I decided to shake things up and combine our passions. Betsy’s been a hairstylist for years, leasing a chair at a local salon, while I was running my own creative agency. When COVID hit, like everyone else, both of our businesses were hit hard. It made us realize that maybe it was time for a change—something fresh, something that could bring both of our worlds together. Read More>>

Aoi

I love science and after learning a lot of knowledge on data science and computer science, they empowered me. I have a respectful job as a data analyst in Tokyo Japan and have been working as a data scientist in the US. I always want to be truly independent and apply science to create values to the market. This is the true motivation behind my startup journey. Also as we know America is a capitalist country, as a new immigrant coming to the US by myself with two suits cases I can not rely on any company, and at the same time the immigration law is very behind the time, it all require immigration workers sponsored by companies, which leaves no freedom of moving or planning life living in some place we choose. Read More>>

Lauren Johnson

LeadHER Coaching stemmed from the deep belief that women deserve to lead with clarity, confidence, and authenticity — and that leadership should never require us to lose ourselves in the process.

I spent over 15 years working across industries like finance, nonprofits, and tech startups, steadily moving into leadership roles. I went from an individual contributor to a Director role in a fast-growing startup almost overnight. I was leading big initiatives and navigating rapid change — and like many high-achieving women, I poured everything into my work. Read More>>

Fiona Gonzalez

My journey to becoming a teacher-author began during my first year teaching. As a high school/transition special education teacher, my curriculum primarily focuses on functional academics, life skills, and vocational training. This includes teaching essential independent living skills like cooking, cleaning, financial literacy, community and meal etiquette, making purchases, staying informed with current events, job readiness, social skills, and exploring recreational and leisure activities. Read More>>