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.

Monica Quintero Cedeno | Actress and Teaching Artist

At some point, when I started doing theater, my vocation and especially my need to act were what drove me to move and make decisions. Later, when I was more immersed in the craft, there was really no separation between my actress universe and my life as a person. I began to notice that life outside the craft was, if not more, almost equally important to nurture because at the end of rehearsals, filming days, and performances, I returned to real life, and if real life is not equally rich, there is a great void. Read more>>

Fabian Lacroix | Audiovisual Specialist

Since I was 16 years old, I have been inventing things that align with everything I love to do. From the creativity of my early days with music, I created my own guitar pedal brand, which allowed me to explore my manual development skills. I then went through an entrepreneurial phase where, at a very young age, I had a shoe factory. Read more>>

Destinee Small | Estate Planning & Business/Real Estate Attorney

I want people to remember these three things:Be kind to EVERYONE. Be service-forward. And rest when you’re done. Be kind to EVERYONE. Our world is mean. As humans, we lack understanding. We are rude to, talk bad about, don’t try to understand, or are explicitly hateful to people who look/act/think/believe/dress/grew up differently than us. And everyone is a part of the problem. We need to stand up for others. Being “not hateful” is not good enough. Read more>>

Shirah Benarde | CEO & Co-Founder of NightCap

Most people don’t think drink spiking happens much or at all. The reality is that drink spiking goes unreported because victims are accused of drinking too much and hospitals don’t have the resources to prove they’ve been drugged. Everyone that I’ve spoken to about NightCap, has some kind of a story about being drugged or knowing someone that has. Another misconception is that it only happens to young women. Read more>> 

Helen Blondel | The Singing & Belly Dancing Recording Artist

Singing has always been my passion since I was in elementary school. The arts was and still is the rawest form of expression. As I eventually learned belly dance, my goal is to mix my passion for singing and dance together through my music. Read more>>

Lanny Vahlis | Woman In Construction

I am a woman working in the construction industry, mother of two handsome boys, wife and practicing martial arts, Balancing my professional and personal roles has been an evolving journey, shaped by changing priorities and the need for adaptability. In the beginning, my focus was heavily on establishing my career in the construction industry. As a woman in a male-dominated field, I had to work hard to prove my capabilities. Read more>>