We asked some very talented folks to tell us about the most innovative thing they’ve done in their career.

Kait McKay

My business, Kait McKay Photography, specializes in lifestyle portraits, marketing photography and event photography with a storytelling emphasis. The typical expectation of a photographer is to show up, capture images, edit and deliver the final photos. I go beyond the traditional expected photography service to truly tell my clients’ stories including offering strategic public relations services to increase public exposure and promote services, brand values and messaging. With a proven track record for success in the public relations field, in addition to capturing photography for media and marketing use, I offer public relations campaigns from concept to completion. Read more>>

Liz Stevenson

I think in my industry innovation comes from design and it can become even more innovative when paired with sustainability. A lot of my designs are really innovative,I like to think that finding use for every piece of a textile I can or pair something really old with something new is exactly that. Some of my most loved pieces have been created by pairing fabric scraps together and realizing those pieces make something even better. For example i create these blanket cargo pants that originally where just going to be pants with no pockets, ended up having a rectangle of fabric left that I didn’t want to throw away. This piece of fabric turned into 4 cargo pockets and one of the most amazing pairs of pants I’ve ever created. Read more>>

Key Palmer

We were about to open a store front in Leander, Texas and the Realtor decided to go with a pizza restaurant instead of us. It was somewhat frustrating but, 2 months later the first of the Covid Pandemic broke out. Being a Christian Faith based business we took it as a blessing in disguise. We stepped back and made all our coffee available in single cup pods and developed our cold brew. I started seeing food trucks coming into our Leander neighborhood and others. I approached HOAs in Leander, Cedar Park, Round Rock and other surrounding cities. We partnered with a great bakery and started holding pop up coffee shops in neighborhoods. The response was so positive that it opened up opportunities to hold these pop ups in apartment communities as well. We also began holding these events at schools as well. Read more>>

Joya Lyons

Absolutely, I would be thrilled to share a story about something innovative that I’ve done over the course of my career. As a proud inventor and entrepreneur, innovation is at the core of everything I do. One of the most transformative innovations I’ve achieved is the creation of The Enchanted Tooth Box ®. This product came to life when I recognized a real need in the market and a personal struggle – finding a way to make the Tooth Fairy tradition easier and more magical for exhausted and busy parents like myself. Read more>>

Robbie Cabral

Certainly! One of the most innovative experiences in my career was the creation of BenjiLock. BenjiLock is a small yet powerful innovation that disrupted the traditional lock and security industry. The idea for BenjiLock came to me when I witnessed a fellow gym-goer forgetting their keys inside a locker, which sparked a moment of inspiration. I realized that many people, including myself, frequently struggled with lost keys, forgotten combinations, and the need to carry multiple keys for different locks. This problem was not only inconvenient but also a security risk. That’s when I decided to innovate and create a solution. Read more>>

Loren Stephens

The most innovative thing I have done in my career is to establish my companies, Write Wisdom and Bright Star Memoirs. after working in numerous enterprises, some of which had no obvious relationship to ghostwriting. In particular I was a principal in a mortgage banking firm, produced theater and documentary films and then “settled down” as the head of fundraising for a human rights organization. After I wrote my mother’s memoir on a lark, I decided to hang out my shingle as a ghostwriter while continuing my day job for a number of years. Some of my most generous donors became my first clients. They trusted me and we knew one another so well that it was an easy transition to go from asking for contributions to asking them about their lives and their personal goals. Eventually, I cut the cord and went full steam ahead into my business and have never looked back. Read more>>

Orna Feinstein

There have been several things that I have innovated throughout my career, but my most important achievement is in the field of printmaking. In 1999, I began printmaking, and I felt there was a lot of potential to innovate in the field. Over several years of making monoprints, I was able to develop techniques of printing on non-traditional materials besides paper. Starting with monoprints on paper, and fabric, I moved forward with experimenting with printing on wood boards and plexiglass. When these experiments were successful, I was able to create 3D monoprints, utilizing plexiglass and hardware to create the sculptures. These achievements were celebrated with a touring retrospective exhibition in five Museums around Texas. In 2014-2015 works on paper, fabric and plexiglass were shown at the Geometric and Madi Art Museum in Dallas, The Art Museum of Southeast Texas in Beaumont, Galveston Art Center, and more. Read more>>

Sarah Torres

I’ve always thought of “waste” differently. My mother had a floral event business out of our garage growing up. I would drag her buckets of leftover flowers to the side of the road with a sign displaying ” Sarah’s Flowers.” Neighbors would pull up and select stems in exchange for a couple of bucks. This was my first experience of my own business transaction. This notion of making money out of trash continued as I grew older. I showcased upcycled t-shirt dresses in my high school talent show and started my first clothing line made from thrifted garments. Upcycling has always been a passion of mine. Read more>>