Our city is home to so many incredible businesses and so we asked the founders how they came up with the ideas for their businesses and have shared their responses below.

JACQUELINA MORAN | Creative Director

I have always been a person who loves to give gifts to others. There is nothing more meaningful than receiving a custom gift from someone. It shows that person took the time out to find something specifically for you. It also shows that the person listened or knows you well enough to be able to have something customized just for you. The person receiving the gift will feel that extra love it took to get them that perfect gift. Read more>>

Shaleese Smith | Creative

I have loved accessorizing from a young girl. My aunt Verna introduced it to me(She also makes jewelry). Every time she saw us she would make sure we had some. I came up with the idea to begin my own business when I made decided to make the jewelry for my wedding party. I received great feedback. My brother also showed me a bracelet that he liked and he said he needed one in black. I told him “I bet you I can do that!” Challenge was accepted and it took off from there. Read more>>

Victor Salinas | Founder of TRILLVILL HOUSTON & Digital Marketing Specialist

Growing up in the early 2000s, I was a huge fan of sneaker culture and streetwear. I’d frequent the Hypebeast.com forums, subscribe to SoleCollector, and read TheHundreds blog. Basically, I was in love with the entire streetwear culture. At that time there wasn’t many streetwear boutiques outside of Premium Goods and The Tipping Point. So I did a lot of my shopping online when online shopping wasn’t the go to option. I’d collect t-shirts from Diamond Supply, Kanye tour shirts, etc. and marry them with the newest Dunks or Jordans. Read more>>

Corey Jones | Master Barber

Being inspired by so many barbers and stylist around the world. Wanting to be my own boss and have a shop of my character. Appealing to all demographics of Men and young boys. Being around different barbers I was able to adapt a piece from everyone and include my one niche to it. Bring a Barber is one the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life, snd honestly I’m just getting started. Read more>>

Evi Greene | A Nigerian-born wedding planner and photographer with many years of experience and involvement in executing hundreds of high-profile weddings/events within Nigeria, Africa and now the US. Settling in the US, I decided to major in photography. I started of with my personal studio (evigreene studios), a portrait, weddings and events photography company here in the city of Houston.

Over the years, I have photographed a lot of client’s and while trying to get them to book their sessions, I discovered a lot of people wanted good looking pictures but they also did not always want to pay the fees of hiring a professional photographer every time. So, a while, I got thinking of how to bridge the gap and how to create a solution for this need. While thinking and brainstorming sometime early this year, I remembered I had a dream back in 2010 for my studio it’s a very huge project, so I thought to modify it to suit this current need, and that was how I started working on SELFIE 45. Thanks to God for the clear pictures of the modified vision, as soon as I caught it, everything else happened really fast and super smooth. I got a space, signed the lease and began construction immediately. And that was how Selfie 45 Photo Studio came into life in April 2021 and opened to the public on the 1st of July 2021. Read more>>