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.

Jasmine Perry | Owner, Girl Home Candles

It’s natural to want to give up when starting something new, but you have to give yourself enough time to learn and continue to remind yourself of why you started. Starting a business can be an overwhelming and fun journey so it’s important to take time to slow down and care for yourself. I think if you commit to something, you should try to see it through because there was a reason you started. I knew it was time to make a change because it was something that was on mind for a long time but, I think deep down inside we all know when our heart is pulling us in a different direction. I’ve also learned not to give up when I’m upset or hungry! Read more>>

Martine Helou-allen | Founder and Executive Director of RIZE Prevention

I have two boys. Currently, both are teenagers navigating their emotions and rapid development in the context of a world of influence that changes its priorities and preferences almost daily. The most important thing I’ve done as a parent is raise them to understand that they have power to put the world in proper perspective. I always encourage them to adopt a perspective that ultimately aligns their choices with their belief in God’s love and purpose for them and every facet of their lives. Read more>>

Ana And Pedro Figueredo | OWNERS OF AREPA SOUTH BY PAELLA SOUTH

my husband and I are from Venezuela and spite we have been for 7 years in the Spanish food industry we wanted to bring a different concept to the city, we saw the possibility to introduce our Venezuelan cuisine since both of us love cooking to our family and friends and also there were not Venezuelan food around and if you want to get it people from Columbia area had to travel to Charlotte. We did some research and contacted Columbia small business office to have a better perspective of what we wanted to achieved and they guided us in performing our project. Read more>>

Phiara Moore | Family Planning Coach, Registered Nurse Educator, MSN-RNC-OB

My business was created to decrease the disturbingly high maternal mortality rates in the BIPOC community. Initially, my thought process was to coach and guide moms on the important components of parenthood (mothers and fathers) that healthcare professionals in the maternal child world have been neglecting. To be specific, postpartum planning, understanding their rights during childbirth, perinatal mental health and serving as a trusted resource for new parents with questions and unsure who to turn to. My initial services ranged from Prenatal Q&A, Partner 101, Unexpected Outcomes Q&A, Labor and Delivery Prep, 4th Trimester, Perinatal Mental Health Boost. Read more>>

Alisha Nesbitt | Co- owner

Rian Harper’s Closet is an online tie dye boutique that specializes in hand made, custom color garments. My daughter Rian and I started tie dying, as a fun activity to do as a family, to celebrate Juneteenth in 2020. At the time, she was 5 years old. We kept it going, as a creative outlet during the quarentine. Rian really did a great job at choosing color combinations and showed an increased level of independence when we would work together on items. I decided to use this moment as an opportunity to teach her about entrepreneurship, money management and as an opportunity to start creating generational wealth. Read more>>