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.
Jenna Longoria
Growing up, I faced challenges like weight gain, irregular periods, PMS, digestive issues, and mood swings, unaware they were linked to PMOS. Doctors only recommended birth control, but the side effects made me miserable. I reached a point where I refused to accept that my only option was to ‘live with’ these conditions. Read more>>
Heidi Barthelme
Photography became part of my life after I had our second baby. We had hired a private photographer for our family and first birthday photos, and during that session I completely fell in love with what she did plus it was done on her schedule. At the time, I wanted to stay home with my kids while still helping contribute to our family. Read more>>
Bill McKibbin
I started in the car business in New Orleans after following my wife there who was still on active duty in the Navy. She was pregnant with our son and was an Air Traffic Controller stationed there. I began in sales eventually moving into finance. Eventually I moved away from the retail side of the business. Read more>>
Andrea Aguirre
The Art of Donut began as a food truck ten years ago, born from my passion for coffee and donuts. At that time, my goal was to bring something unique to San Antonio by creating truly distinctive flavors. Read more>>
Steven Tye
I was working as a high school teacher at a local private school. Part of my job required me to travel with a nationally competitive debate team. My wife and I had just had my (now) second child, and I wanted to stay home more. But giving up the debate coach stipend was going to be tough financially. Read more>>
Casey Allen
My journey into Mahjong started with my mom. She had been playing for years and kept trying to convince me to learn, but I resisted for the longest time. Read more>>
scott warner
I am a preacher’s kid who grew up thinking he would go into the ‘family business’ and be a minister as well. I started college as a ministry major and quickly changed my major to Communications. I have been a plastics salesman, a middle school teacher and a manager for a computer consulting company. Read more>>
Laura Van Prooyen
As a poet, publisher, and educator, I have many irons in the fire at once, but they are all connected. I started Next Page Press, a small, independent poetry press during the pandemic. Being a publisher was never a big dream I had, but the idea sprung from my own challenges as a poet. The publisher of my first book closed. Read more>>
Juli Henderson
Thank you for the opportunity to share my journey! I am a voice teacher and public speaking consultant at JH Voice Studio, LLC, and an author and advocate for families navigating disability, caregiving, and grief at In Our Arms, LLC. Read more>>
Elias Diaz
They call me crazy for living here. Sometimes I understand why. Eagle Pass is the town that bore me. It gave birth to so many of my wounds. It is where I learned early that some places can make a child feel invisible before he even has the language to explain why. Read more>>
Nitya Lohiya
What if life is not just about living… but about discovering how deeply, how fully, and how infinitely a human being can actually experience it? I think that thought shaped me long before I even had the words to explain it. I was never someone who wanted to simply exist inside reality exactly the way it was handed to me. Read more>>
Albert and Casey Luna
My husband Albert and I opened Gruene Tea Haus after realizing our community did not have a dedicated space for tea lovers to gather, learn, and slow down for a while. Both of us come from teaching backgrounds, and we have always loved the experience of learning about different cultures, traveling, and visiting local tea shops everywhere we went. Read more>>
Adam Patesel
I didn’t start out in this field at all. I actually spent 20+ years in banking, which gave me a strong foundation in business, structure, and working with people. Back in 2016, my son Nathan and I started a YouTube vlog called N&A Vlogs: The SA Project. That experience really introduced me to filming, editing, posting, and being creative. Read more>>
Christy Sutherland
I’ve been a professional vocal coach for nearly 31 years. After calling Nashville home for 27 of those years and working with some of the music industry’s finest, I’m excited to be back in my home state of Texas! Read more>>
Pamela Allen
Pamela Espurvoa Allen, the CEO of Eagles Flight Advocacy and Outreach, is a celebrated figure in the San Antonio community, having served for 13 years as CEO of an organization she founded. Read more>>
Melanie Schaubhut
My relatives have lived on or near rivers in Texas all my life, so when I saw a hand written “For Sale by owner” sign on cottage perched high above the Guadalupe River, I thought “this is it! I have finally found my families magical spot on the river. Read more>>
Etna Ortega
My business is a product that I named ‘The MIC-Hanger’ which stands for Miscellaneous Items & Clothes hanger. It’s a 2-piece multi-purpose hanger with 8 appendages. I started this journey with this product at age 67 and I am now 74. Yes, at this age, I feel that it is never too late to do what you feel strongly about while you still can. Read more>>
Nancy De Foster
My story is rooted in the literal meaning of ‘Paniolo’—Hawaiian for cowboy. As a teenager, I worked on a ranch in Hawaii where I first learned the values of hard work and the ‘Aloha Spirit.’ This foundation of service stayed with me throughout a 26-year career with the Honolulu Police Department. Read more>>
Bryant Rutledge
I was raised in North Texas, Frisco to be exact. I come from a great family that helped put me in the best position for success. I was fortunate to play college baseball at a couple different universities (Texas State & Angelo State). The lessons learned through athletics have kept me grounded and driven to be the best version of myself as possible. Read more>>
Melissa Garza
Hi, I’m Melissa of Xochiq (pronounced: So-sheek) Skincare, specializing in facial and back treatments that are both results-oriented and relaxing. The name “Xochiq” comes from the Aztec Goddess Xochiquetzal, who’s associated with beauty and love. My goal as an esthetician is to help my clients feel confident and beautiful in their skin. Read more>>
Mike Crandall
Wallys Watersports and Boat Storage/Crandall’s Ski and Wakeboard School Owner Mike Crandall: About age 10 I learned to water ski in New Mexico at Elephant Butte and Navaho Lakes and snow ski at age 4 at Sandia Peak and Sante Fe, we moved to Dallas where I waterskied on various area lakes including Lake Texoma. Read more>>
Rex Hausmann
Our business at Hausmann Millworks began in the best possible way: rooted in family and an environment of productivity and ‘stick-to-itiveness.’ My parents owned a small business called Hausmann and Hausman Design Company, which ran successfully for 32 years. They completed global projects with firms like Overland Partners Architects, including the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., the St. Read more>>
