The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below.
Pedro Lujan
I’ve always been surrounded by dogs. I grew up on the edge of town, which unfortunately meant a lot of strays or abandoned dogs showed up at our door step. Okay, most of them I walked home, against my mothers wishes. I was that kid that wandered down the dirt alone, but would often come back with a new pet. Read more>>
Cory McRae
My path into the arts wasn’t traditional, and in many ways, it found me before I fully realized how much it would shape my life. Growing up, I wasn’t deeply involved in the arts. It wasn’t until high school, after a football injury, that I was unexpectedly pushed onto the stage. I was cast in Oedipus, and that experience completely changed my perspective. Read more>>
Lindsay Oxford
My first trip to fish in Rockport took place in 2019, with a man I was dating at the time, who I now call my husband. I absolutely fell in love with bay fishing, the community, the water, everything. I developed friendships in Rockport and surrounding areas that pulled me down there more and more. Read more>>
Dr. Nick Wilkens
A significant number of couples don’t come to therapy to fix their relationship—they come trying to decide if it’s over. I’ve been a marriage and family therapist for over 25 years, helping people navigate relationships and major life transitions. 15 of those years I was also senior lecturer at St. Read more>>
Renee Ambrose
I started my business to create a better life for my daughter and support moms like me—proving family and career don’t have to compete. I was a single mom to my 2-year-old daughter, who has faced serious medical challenges since birth, including seizures and autoimmune encephalitis. When she was 16 months old, our circumstances changed, and I became her sole caregiver. Read more>>
Jim & Jenny Hinojosa
Our story really began during COVID, when both of us were laid off from the oil and gas industry. Like many others during that time, we were facing a lot of uncertainty and just trying to figure out how we were going to provide for our family. That’s when Jim fell back on what he knew—carpentry. Read more>>
Susana Lozano
My career has been full of hard work, challenges, goals and high rewards. I was born in Los Angeles CA but raised in Monterrey N. L. Mexico. In Monterrey, I became a secretary/bookkeeper at the age of 15 in 1972 and began working immediately in an accounting office as a typist. Read more>>
Aracely Salazar
My love for hair started as far back as I can remember. As a little girl, I was coloring my Barbies’ hair with Kool-Aid and giving them bangs. My mom noticed how much I enjoyed it and started teaching me how to style and braid, which really sparked my passion. As life progressed, so did my interest in all things beauty. Read more>>
Duane Roundtree
After 20+ years in the corporate business development space, I began driving part time on a rideshare platform to fund my muscle car addiction. This led to developing a following of passengers who appreciated the way they were being treated which continued to grow through consistent repeat business and referrals. Read more>>
Melody Chang
My name is Melody Chang, and I am originally from Taiwan. After high school, I moved to the United States to pursue my passion for nutrition and healthcare. Read more>>
Kristina Zachary
My story really began with a commitment to intentionality. I didn’t want to just be another Realtor in San Antonio; I wanted to redefine what it meant to help people find ‘home.’ I started with the belief that a living space should be a sanctuary, and that philosophy has guided every step of my career. Read more>>
Zak Cardenas
My name is Zak Cardenas, I began my journey very very early in middle school theater class, after graduating high school in 2010, not knowing where to go to use my creative juices, I went to college as an undeclared major. In 2011 I begin taking actors training for 2 straight years non stop. Read more>>
Monica DeLaCruz
My name is Monica DeLaCruz. I taught in public education for 17 years. I was a preK teacher, a first grade teacher, a fourth grade teacher, a campus administrator, an adult education teacher and a district level employee. After experiencing many levels and at one point being on track to become a principal, I realized that early childhood education was my passion. Read more>>
Franklin Dusserre
My business partner, Dylan Petrich, and I share a history that began long before we realized it. We were born in the same hospital in Paris just a year apart, but our paths didn’t cross until we were in college in Philadelphia. Read more>>
DAVID LOVE
Dave Love began his journey in the music industry as a teenager, fueled by ambition and a deep love for sound. After honing his craft at North Texas State University, founded his own recording studio, management company, and booking agency in Flower Mound. In 1988, he launched Heads Up International, a record label that would become a powerhouse in contemporary jazz and world music. Read more>>
Caesar Kavadoy
I didn’t start with a grand plan. I started with exposure. I grew up watching my dad work two full-time jobs. White collar during the day, blue collar at night. There was no speech about work ethic. I saw it and lived in it. Read more>>
Paul Carter
How did I get here? It’s not exactly a straight line—but the scenic route tends to make for better stories. My first career was on stage. I spent more than 20 years performing, including a stint as a singer at Opryland USA in Nashville. Read more>>
Shelby Hayward
Before we opened the cafe we were doing a lot of catering and private chef events and we just felt like we could offer more. We wanted a place where people could come everyday and enjoy a fresh, scratch made, healthy meal. So we started dreaming up the idea of what a menu would look like. What would we serve? Read more>>
BLAKE BIRKELAND
Been in the RV Park industry for the last 20 years love the outdoors and working with people. My passion is people and the outdoors. Ran and operated B2 Hideaway CanyonLake for many years Read more>>
Danielle Budnik
I have always wanted to be a teacher. God put it on my heart as a little girl. I followed His lead and went to Texas State University graduating with a degree in education. I taught various grades 1st through 3rd in Austin ISD and Seguin ISD before leaving public school due to having children. Read more>>
Stacy Trieu
I didn’t set out to open a dental practice that felt different. I simply wanted to become the kind of dentist I once met—the one who changes how people feel, not just how they smile. It started on a quiet afternoon at a nursing home. While volunteering, I noticed an elderly woman sitting alone, her hand gently pressed against her cheek. Read more>>
Dennis Moore
The Buggy Barn Museum was started by my love for authentic western carriages, buggies and wagons. This love started when I was just a young boy as I dreamed of the old west. Over the past few years, that dream turned into a reality. My passion for preserving our western heritage led to establishing the Buggy Barn Museum in 2011. Read more>>
Geri Russell
After many moves (corporate and personal) we bought an old house in Connecticut. Prior to that we had built, restored and remodeled every home we lived in, and always sold without difficulty, due to the work we did. After getting settled and finishing up the restoration of said old home, my husband suggested I attend the local university that offered interior design. Read more>>
Suzie Boneau
I began my Pilates journey in February 2021, during one of the most difficult seasons of my life after losing my mother to dementia. In the midst of grief, I was searching for something that could help me feel grounded again. What I found in Pilates was more than just movement. It became a space to rebuild—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Read more>>
Emily Wang
I’m a mother of three whose journey into education began with my own children. While living in South Korea, my oldest son started learning through Kumon at the age of three. In Korea, it’s common for families to provide Kumon learning at home, with instructors visiting regularly, and with the help of my Korean friends, my son was able to begin his learning journey early. Read more>>
Michelle Liggett
My husband Jim and I have been in the adventure industry for nearly four decades. It all started back in the 1980s when Jim worked summers at camps in Michigan and began building ropes courses, zip lines, and climbing walls on the side. The demand grew quickly, so in 1989 he founded RCI Adventure Products (originally Ropes Courses, Inc.) in Allegan, Michigan. Read more>>
Kenny Anshewitz
Utilyze started from a very personal and very practical question. While I was working at a utility payments and analytics company that focused on water leak detection, I also experienced something at home that kept bothering me: in one year alone, I smelled gas in the house eight different times because someone had accidentally left the stove knob on. Read more>>
Areli Gutierrez
Hi! I’m Areli Gutierrez and I am a Mexican American Registered Dietitian and have a board certification as a renal nutrition specialist. I am from the Rio Grande Valley where I had a wonderful chemistry teacher in highschool that got me interested in the subject. I especially found the chemistry of food and nutrition fascinating. Read more>>
Cassandra Fauss
My journey with yoga began as a deeply personal path of self-discovery—a way of coming home to myself. Through my practice, I realized that yoga was so much more than postures on a mat. It became a powerful lens for understanding how I show up in my life and how I relate to the fullness of the human experience. Read more>>
