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.
Heather Royal
I’ve aways been a creative person and dreamt of a career in the arts since I was a kid. Then in high school I found part-time work at a bridal salon and fell in love with that world- it was higher stress and more emotionally charged than my tutoring job, but full of beauty, hope, excitement, ritual and tradition. Read more>>
Eric Louviere
I grew up not having much, in South Texas so I always wanted to be someone special, or do something meaningful. I wanted more than a cubicle-day-job in my life and I felt I was on house money without much to lose. I started taking business risks in my mid 20’s with start-up business ideas. Read more>>
Melly Rodriguez
It all began with the need to adapt and find my community. It had only been a couple of months since I had immigrated from Mexico to the United States to begin my married life. I had left behind my job, my support network, and even my independence. I felt the need to rebuild everything I had left behind. Read more>>
Paloma Alexandre
I was born and raised in McAllen, Texas, where growing up near the Gulf of Mexico gave me a deep appreciation for the ocean and sparked my passion for creating more sustainable fashion. Read more>>
Eric Gomez
We started out like most tour companies here, offering tailor-made trips all over Costa Rica. But around 2010, we noticed a massive blind spot: the entire industry was hyper-focused on the rainforests, ziplining, and rafting, completely ignoring the city of San José. There were virtually no walking tours or immersive market visits. We saw the city differently. Read more>>
Bridget Hauser
I began my journey into the arts, and ceramics when a young girl. I traded baby sitting for art lessons with the artists next door Bill Farrell and his wife Pat. I studied Painting, sculpture and ceramic art in high school and then in college at Indiana University. Read more>>
Mark Englebrecht
My story starts with giving as much as myself as I can, I started as a streamer on the platform Twitch, and on Youtube as well. The stories of my success can be summarized into the people I have in my life and how they have given me the push in the accomplishments in my life from my faith in God. Read more>>
Josie Sokoloff
I grew up in the Texas Hill Country and moved to San Antonio in 1999. That move is really where my journey in the wedding industry began. Read more>>
Christopher Townsend
Well, I was raised primarily by my grandparents in Laredo TX. And one summer I asked my grandpa if we could get something, I think it was a nintendo. He laughed and said ‘I am not buying that, but Ill teach you how to’. I must have been about 9-10 years old. Read more>>
Tanya Schilling
The genesis of Goen South was as a “mom-and-pop” company. In 1992, Morris was working as a newspaper photojournalist and Terry was a microbiologist for the state. They knew that, eventually, they wanted children and saw that neither of their current positions would guarantee financial success. Read more>>
Paulina Escobar Cotera
Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Mexico, I had my first exhibition with a painting of a turtle, and looking back, I realize I was always drawn to drawing and painting—especially animals. After moving to the U.S., my first exhibition here was in middle school, where I exhibited a painting of a lion. Read more>>
Jacquelyn Bustillos
I have been planning and coordinating events for over 10 years for family and close friends. In 2023 I got my first event and it took off from there. While being a single mom and working FT I’ve managed to still build my business from the ground up, although it hasn’t been easy, it’s rewarding being able to assist couples with their special day. Read more>>
Morgainne Campos
My name is Morgainne and ever since I was five all I wanted to be was an artist. I grew up in the Navy and had the opportunity to live in Italy from 5 till 9 years old. Art was everywhere and my dad loved to take us to all the museums and sites. Read more>>
Edith Ortiz
Klever Brow Studio was founded 5 years ago, Getting here was not easy! I worked multiple jobs to sustain ny business for the first 2-3 years. Permanent makeup was not something I had planned to do. In 2021 I moved to San Antonio from El Paso TX. I came here looking for more opportunities but PMU never crossed my mind. Read more>>
Willa Burke
My passion for fashion design began at a young age and eventually led me to pursue a degree in the field. From there, I built a career, including running a successful business creating soft mannequins for major retailers such as JCPenney. Later, I transitioned into education, earning my certification in Family and Consumer Sciences, where I taught Fashion Design, Child Development, and Culinary Arts. Read more>>
Keesha Odom
I am the developer of Hye Springs Ranch, a 120-unit luxury residential community located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country wine corridor between Johnson City and Fredericksburg. Before entering real estate development, I built and operated a successful freight brokerage company that grew to more than $35 million in annual revenue before being sold to Berkshire Hathaway in 2018. Read more>>
Gianella Feoli
My journey has never followed a straight line, but it has always followed creativity, courage, and reinvention. I never imagined that one day I would be making jewelry and accessories for women and girls. I had spent many years teaching languages, and at that time I knew nothing about jewelry, accessories, or fashion. Read more>>
Arturo Vasquez
I alway had the love of cooking i was working from pay to pay check .I didn’t really knew how to smoke any kind of meat til one day my wife mayra vasquez told me follow your dream and and see how it goes with no experience with not much money to start with so we decided to use our little savings we had to buy our little food trailer with no client we give it our all. Read more>>
Heather Victoria Galindo
When I launched Little Texas Dreams, I wasn’t trying to build a following. I was trying to build a platform dedicated to filling other people’s cups. I’ve always believed that life is about leaving people better than you found them. Encouraging them. Celebrating them. Supporting their dreams. Helping them see the beauty in themselves and the world around them. Read more>>
Fran Trachta
Music has always been a part of my world and my outlet ever since I can remember. When I was in elementary school, I used to sneak into my older sister’s room and listen to her albums on headphones while immersing myself in the imagery and artwork on the album sleeve and cover. Read more>>
Victoria Valdez
The name Victoria’s Nail Room itself comes from a personal place. my sister and I as teenagers doing our nails, hair, and just enjoying girl time together in our room. That memory is the heart behind my salon: creating a space that feels like comfort, connection, and that same kind of “girl time” energy for every client who walks through the door. Read more>>
Roman Casimiro Jr
My story started with a strong interest in design first in 2016, then I began picking up photography in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, and later moved into visual films in 2023. Anything that told a story without needing words. Read more>>
Mary Tejeda
My story is rooted in a fundamental desire for freedom—not just financial, but the freedom to own my time and build something with a lasting impact. I’ve always been driven by a passion for excellence, and I realized that my skillset was perfectly positioned to solve a major challenge I saw in the dental industry: the gap between clinical expertise and operational success. Read more>>
Alicia Couch
Professionally, I started my career in banking, where I developed skills in Process Improvement, leadership and problem solving. Over the years I had opportunities to grow, take on new challenges, and learn how to lead teams to improve operations. At the same time I had a dream of owning a business of my own that involved my personal passions. Read more>>
Roman Cortez IV
I started playing piano at a young age and quickly developed a passion for music. Over the years, I trained in classical piano, performed at venues and community events across San Antonio, and spent countless hours refining my skills. My only piano teacher was someone who classically trained me for eight years and pushed me to take music seriously. Read more>>
Victoria Bartlett
I began training in Tae Kwon Do in 2012 at the age of seven in Laredo, Texas, at Kugar Taekwondo under the direction of Master Jesse Kuhns. As I progressed through the belt ranks, I also became involved in competitive running at both the elementary and middle school levels. I believe the two disciplines complemented each other extremely well. Read more>>
Heaven Henderson
Growing up I struggled with my identity and who I was going to become. It felt as if everyone around me knew exactly what they wanted. To be nurses, to be psychologists, or dermatologists, my friends and my peers had it all figured out. Throughout my highschool years, i spent a lot of time learning how to do make up. Read more>>
Celso Barrientos
Absolutely! I was born and raised in Del Rio, Texas and growing up there played a huge role in shaping who I am today. It taught me the value of family, hard work, and looking out for one another. Read more>>
Oscar Martinez
I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, and from an early age I was drawn to both service and problem-solving. I attended Central Catholic High School and then Georgetown University, where I earned a degree in Economics and initially worked in business consulting before realizing that medicine was where I felt most called to make an impact. Read more>>
Kim Beechner
My story really began in the restaurant industry. Long before I founded Embark Marketing, I was working in restaurants and bars while trying to survive some very difficult personal circumstances. I lost my mother when I was 17 years old and suddenly found myself balancing high school, multiple jobs, bills, and a mortgage on my own. Read more>>
Adriana Sanchez
“Owning a business was always something I envisioned for myself. I grew up watching my parents run their own business, so entrepreneurship was instilled in me early on. Professionally, I’ve spent nearly 20 years in franchise marketing, learning how to build brands, create customer experiences, and grow businesses. At the same time, I’ve always had a deep love for animals — especially dogs. Read more>>
Margaret Blomstrom
My journey into the world of interior design happened organically. In 2017, my husband and I unexpectedly found ourselves undertaking a complete renovation of our primary bathroom after discovering a leak behind the shower wall. What began as a necessary repair quickly evolved into a full-scale remodel. Read more>>
Amber Alvarez
In 2016, after leaving my third salon in one year, I walked into what was still a fairly new concept at the time: salon suites. I was 22 years old, didn’t have a big business plan or a savings. I pawned a designer bag to pay my deposit, took a chance on myself, and opened Luna Hair Studio in central San Antonio. Read more>>
Logan McDowell
Seven years ago, I started McDowell Media with a camera, a lot of ambition, and honestly not much of a roadmap. What started as a creative outlet quickly became an obsession. Over the years I’ve photographed and filmed everything from models and brands to local businesses, events, and entrepreneurs. Every project taught me something different, and every chapter helped shape the creative I am today. Read more>>
Koby Morris
I started actively marketing and advertising Southern Standard Elevated Bar Services in July of 2022. After facing some adversity and growing into a new brand, we focused extremely hard and were very intentional with our orders of operation and consistency of service. Read more>>
Nathan Teague
In 2007 I was performing at Six Flags as a singer/dancer/actor in multiple stage shows. This was my 10th year doing this kind of work at theme parks, cruise ships, and the like. Because of this performance background, my father asked me if i could host a karaoke night at his friends bar. Read more>>
Lem Luck
Learned how to read right before 3 years old, Spent majority of my childhood between San Antonio, TX and Tri Cities, Washington, grew up around both parents, known as a class clown in high school where I first started doing talent shows, getting into acting classes, after high school, music started to spark my interests, shortly after highschool, went to the Navy for 4 years (2 years active, 2 years reserve), started to sharpen my skills in music making Read more>>
Laura Gonzales
Hi my name is Laura I was born in Honduras the oldest of six children, low income family. I move to the U.S.A and 1985 with big dreams of one day return home and help my fellow Hondurans. we started the foundation in the middle of covid- 19. also we had two mayor hurricanes that devastated Honduras. Read more>>
Jo Ann Ahmadi
I was in my early 20’s when my husband and I bought our first house. I truly loved shopping for our house. I felt I’d be a great realtor. So now over 30 years later, I’m still in selling homes and continue to love my job! In February 2006, I was very busy working and and had listings and buyers I was working with. Read more>>
Vivian Ruiz
Vivian Ruiz: Turning Challenges into Opportunity During the pandemic, when the world seemed to come to a standstill, I chose to take a leap of faith. As a mother of two children with autism, I faced daily challenges that required strength, patience, and unconditional love. Instead of allowing those obstacles to define me, I used them as motivation to build something meaningful. Read more>>
Anthony Campney
I started drawing when everyone does, around five or six years old. But it was probably second grade – so I would’ve been seven or eight – when I read Superman #78, the Death of Superman issue, that I knew I wanted to tell stories through comics and art and prose. Read more>>
Kelly Wade
I am a landscape photographer, but, I love photographing just about anything, but my true passion lies in capturing landscapes from the places I’ve traveled with my family and local landscapes here in Texas. I bought my first camera in 2007 and had no idea what I was doing. I am 100% self-taught. Read more>>
Krystal Deleon
My name is Krystal DeLeon, and my brow journey started long before I ever knew it would become a career. Growing up with a single father, I learned how to do my own brows in middle school. As I became more confident, my friends began asking me to shape and tweeze theirs as well. Read more>>
Connor Tyra
I began playing music from a young age, starting on piano and eventually moving to guitar and beyond. My dad was the musical one in the family and definitely inspired my love for playing. I grew up on classic country music from greats like Ray Price, Johnny Rodriguez and others. Read more>>
Matthew Salay
I’ve always wanted to paint but with my job at the time it was impossible to have any spare time to do it. So I would always talk my self out of it. Until one day I got hurt haha. I slipped and fell while delivering into a customer’s freezer and I dislocated my left shoulder. Read more>>
Sarah Rivera
I am a born-and-raised San Antonio, Texas native and a proud first-generation college graduate—thanks, Mom and Dad! From a young age, I knew exactly what I wanted to do: help people through the counseling profession. After graduating high school, I pursued that calling and earned my Master’s degree in Counseling from UTSA before beginning my career in community mental health and later private practice. Read More>>
Gianella Feoli
My journey has never followed a straight line, but it has always followed creativity, courage, and reinvention.
I never imagined that one day I would be making jewelry and accessories for women and girls. I had spent many years teaching languages, and at that time I knew nothing about jewelry, accessories, or fashion. Read More>>
