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.

Kia Smith | Author/ Creative Designer

One day it seem like I was seeing Hello Kitty Designs on every little girl in the airport. I thought to myself, what is it about this Kitty that has little girls so obsessed with the Brand. What does this Brand mean for them. I began to do some research about Brands especially for girls and as a Designer I then was inspired to create a Brand that wasn’t just a fashionable icon, but I wanted to create a meaningful and inspiring brand that would create positivity for young girls especially. Read more>>

Brad Lasker | Chef & Fabricator

From the beginning I grew up around my father’s catering business here in Conroe. Food has always been a huge part of my life so It was easy making my own presence in the kitchen. Meal prep has always been a part of my personal routine for years. It is something that friends and family members were watching me do. My ideal for Iron Table wasn’t something I woke up one morning and decided to do. It actually blossomed from the pandemic. I had several people coming to me when the world was shut down asking if I could prepare food for them. So it is a business that organically grew during a difficult time for everybody. Read more>>

DeMarco Howard | Instructor & Studio Owner

While in grade school, I knew that I wanted to own a business of my own one day. Over the years, that business went from a daycare to a studio. I had a vision that I would run a studio where it would be my mission for every student to have a smile on their face before they left. While in college, I had the best training ever from a wonderful lady by the name of Teri Wilkerson who owned an operated Dance Discovery Studios in Abilene, Texas. Not only was she an amazing mentor, but she was an even better business person. I learned then that not everyone needs to have a multi-billion dollar business to call themselves successful. With the pride and knowledge that she had while running her studio I knew that the dream of a daycare would have to wait. It was now time to shift my focus towards dance. Read more>>