Black Business Realities Female entrepreneurs confront challenges in capital access
SPORTS
NEWS
J.W. CRAWFORD
WHEATLEY EARNS TEA A
TSU President selects new athletic leadership.
HISD Superintendent Mike Miles celebrates Wheatley’s major turnaround.
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Volume 95, issue 44 August 20, 2026
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A $25 million gift will expand financial education and career support for first-generation and lowincome Rice University students. Credit: Rice University.
Message from the Reporter illness. Harris County Public Health reported more than 7,600 heat-related illness cases Southwest Houston communities will between 2019 and 2023. receive a $500,000 federal investment to The giveaway also comes as Salinas pushes identify contaminated properties and prefor stronger cooling requirements in rental pare them for redevelopment. Congressman housing. In July, she introduced a “Right to Al Green helped secure the Environmental Air Conditioning” ordinance that would Protection Agency Community-Wide Brownrequire landlords to provide and maintain fields Assessment Grant for the Hiram Clarke/ working air conditioning and eliminate a Fort Bend Redevelopment Authority. loophole allowing window screens to serve The funds come nearly 13 years after Housas a substitute for cooling. ton created Tax Increment Reinvestment Tannistha Sinha Residents can apply for a portable A/C unit Zone 25 to encourage investment in Hiram through an online application form. Those Clarke and Fort Bend Houston. who need assistance with the application can contact Council The grant will fund property inventories, environmen- Member Salinas’ office at 832-393-3012. tal assessments, redevelopment planning, and community engagement, per a statement released by Green. The authority $25 million gift expands support to Rice University plans 21 initial assessments and more extensive testing at up students to five properties. Rice University has received a $25 million gift to expand Brownfields are properties where actual or potential con- support for first-generation and low-income undergraduate tamination can hinder redevelopment because cleanup can students, the university announced. be costly. Green said the federal program helps communities The donation from Rice trustee James “Jim” Whitehurst and return such properties to productive use. his wife, Lauren Whitehurst, will establish the Sallyport Fellows The 6,077-acre redevelopment zone spans two counties Program, which will provide resources like career development and funds infrastructure and economic-development proj- and financial literacy education for students. ects, including roads, sidewalks, drainage, lighting, parks, and The gift also includes $1 million for Rice’s Gateway Projpublic facilities. ect, a $120 million development that would create a pedestriEPA awarded more than $9.4 million in 2026 Brownfields an-friendly path between the campus and Rice Village. grants across Texas, with the Hiram Clarke/Fort Bend RedeBeginning in fall 2027, every incoming undergraduate idenvelopment Authority receiving $500,000. The authority says it tified as first-generation and/or limited-income will become a is the only Greater Houston recipient of this particular Com- Sallyport Fellow. munity-Wide Brownfields Assessment Grant for the current During their first two years, students will meet weekly with grant cycle. professional advisers trained to support first-generation and low-income students. Juniors and seniors will transition to Council member Alejandra Salinas launches free cohort-based advising focused on academic and career interests, A/C giveaway with access to alumni mentors and professional development. Houston City Council Member Alejandra Salinas has The gift will also expand Owl Access, Rice’s three-day pre-malaunched a program providing 125 free portable air-con- triculation program, including limited travel assistance and help ditioning units to vulnerable residents as extreme summer purchasing essential room items. temperatures persist across the city. The initiative comes as Rice expands financial aid through The giveaway is open to eligible Houstonians, including The Rice Investment. Starting in fall 2027, families earning seniors age 60 and older, low-income households, disabled $100,000 to $200,000 will qualify for grants that cover full tuiveterans, people with disabilities, and families experiencing tion, while students from families earning less than $100,000 financial hardship. will receive grants that cover tuition, mandatory fees, and room “In Houston, access to air conditioning can no longer be a and board. luxury,” Salinas said. She added that the units will provide immediate relief ON THE WEB to residents who may otherwise face dangerous indoor • Beauty trends that need to go. temperatures. • Deric Muhammad: Activist, ‘Truth Trafficker,’ and more. The initiative comes amid concerns about heat-related • More than basketball: Ma’Ryiah Alfred is building her future. $500,000 EPA grant targets southwest Houston revitalization
August 20, 2026 |
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DN News
Congratulations to Dr. Alex M. Johnson on being selected as the new pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church.
Wheatley HS earns historic ‘A’ HISD takeover nears turning point
The clip drew nearly five million views and national attention, arriving just as the campus prepared to celebrate its A. Miles didn’t dispute the substance of Williams’ claim when reporters asked about it at the ratings press conference. “Is that new information? I don’t think that’s new information,” he said. “Four years ago, there were many more students who could not read at grade level or do math at grade level. Where was the outrage? If there’s outrage over that video or post, where was that in 2023?” At a school board meeting, Miles elaborated on it further. “We’ve always had this. Four years ago, it was worse... So it’s serious business.”
By Tannistha Sinha
For the first time in its history, Wheatley High School has earned an “A” accountability rating from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The milestone carries weight in Houston, since it was Wheatley’s seventh consecutive failing grade in 2019 that triggered the state’s takeover of the entire Houston Independent School District. Three years into that intervention, the Fifth Ward campus’s turnaround is now central to the case that state control could be winding down. “Wildcats, we have something big to celebrate,” Wheatley Principal Crystal Blanchard told students at a gathering in celebration of the new grade. “Getting an A is an incredible accomplishment, but our next job is to stay there and go even higher, because at Wheatley, excellence is the standard.” Overall, HISD received a ‘B’ grade, the same as last year. A campus that defined the takeover Wheatley’s F rating in 2019 set off a legal process that culminated in 2023, when the state replaced HISD’s elected board with a board of managers and installed Mike Miles as superintendent. The school clawed back to a C in 2022, slipped to a D in 2023, then a ‘B’ in 2024, and an A this year. North Forest High School, annexed into HISD in 2013 after its own district was shut down by the state, also earned its first-ever A rating this year. District-wide, HISD says it has more than doubled the number of A- and B-rated schools since 2023, from 93 to 205, while the number of D- or F-rated schools has fallen from 120 to 13. Every HISD middle and high school is now out of D/F status, and the number of A-rated secondary schools has more than tripled, from 16 to 49. At a press conference addressing the ratings, Miles put the district’s overall accountability score at 85 points, up from 72 four years ago. That 13-point gain, he noted, outpaced peer districts like Dallas.
Houston ISD superintendent Mike Miles used Wheatley’s turnaround to defend the district’s progress amid criticism. Credit: Tannistha Sinha/Defender.
I get a lot of criticism, but I only get mad about one thing. I get mad when people do not celebrate the success of Black and Brown kids.” MIKE MILES
Something to celebrate? Blanchard framed the achievement as the product of three years of academic growth. When Miles took the stage, he addressed criticism he’s drawn as the state-appointed superintendent.
“I get a lot of criticism, but I only get mad about one thing,” Miles said. “I get mad when people do not celebrate the success of Black and Brown kids.” He credited the results to raised expectations. “We raised expectations. We made it more rigorous,” he added. “But guess what? All of you rose to the level of expectation…And there are some people out there, despite your success will still not believe in you. And I’m sorry about that.” A viral video complicates the celebration Days before the ratings were announced, Wheatley career and technical education teacher Darius Williams posted a video that went viral. “I simply don’t know where the problem is,” Williams said in the video. “This is only day two, and I have seniors who simply cannot read and seniors who cannot write.”
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What does the grade mean for the takeover? Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said that the state takeover should be resolved “relatively soon,” suggesting a return to local electoral control could come before his previously stated 2027 deadline. To exit state control, HISD must clear three benchmarks, including no multi-year “academically unacceptable” or failing campuses, better board governance focusing on student outcomes, and compliance with special education requirements The district is not quite there. Four elementary schools, Benavidez, Foster, Highland Heights, and Mading, received F ratings this year, a step back after HISD eliminated failing schools in the 2024-25 cycle. Morath said the state’s real concern is multi-year failure, not occasional stumbles. Special education remains a more complicated variable as HISD is under a federal civil rights investigation over its reorganization of services for students in self-contained classrooms. “The key is, regardless of how that goes, we want to see special education services improve in Houston, so this will be one of the primary goals for them over the course of this school year,” Morath said.
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DN News Houston advocates expand Black breastfeeding support By Laura Onyeneho
Black Breastfeeding Week returns Aug. 25-31, and in Houston, home to the nation’s highest Black maternal mortality rate, a growing network of local advocates is working to close longstanding gaps in breastfeeding support. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 73.6% of Black mothers initiated breastfeeding in 2019, the lowest rate of any racial group and about 17 percentage points behind Asian mothers, who had the highest rate. Public health experts view this statistical gap as a concern because breastfeeding provides significant, documented health advantages for both parents and infants. Breastfeeding rates affect mothers and babies, leading to missed health benefits. Research indicates that breastfeeding reduces risks of asthma, ear infections, Type 1 diabetes, obesity, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) for babies, while mothers experience lower risks of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. Black Breastfeeding Week Black Breastfeeding Week was founded in 2013 by Kimberly Seals Allers, Kiddada Green, and Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka to address that gap and its roots, which trace back to slavery, when enslaved Black women were forced to nurse the children of enslavers while their own children went without. Dr. Charlee King is a doctor of public health whose dissertation examined breastfeeding disparities among Dr. Charlee King non-Hispanic Black women. She is building LactaTrack, a breastfeeding support app launching this Black Breastfeeding Week. The app lets mothers log feeding and pumping sessions, track how long stored milk is safe to use, locate lactation consultants, and generate shareable reports for pediatricians. “Mainly with Black mothers, they did not get any assistance,” King said. “They didn’t know where to look. They didn’t know what
RESOURCES Muscle Up Mommy IG: @muscleupmommy customersupport@ muscleupmommy.com Pregnant and Black www.PregnantandBlack.com rayna@pregnantandblack.com The Mommy Room www.mommysweettreats.com IG: @the_mommyroom
Black Breastfeeding Week is a campaign that raises awareness about systemic racial disparities in healthcare and lactation support. Credit: ChatGPT.
an International Board of Lactation Consultant was, and when they did find out, they didn’t know exactly how to find them.” The app also outlines mothers’ workplace rights, since many employers are unaware that Texas law requires a private, non-bathroom space for pumping. King runs a separate business, the Mommy Room, that audits and builds out lactation spaces for companies found out of compliance, noting that many provide the room without a chair, sink, or refrigerator. Engineering a better pump Muscle Up Mommy founder Mykel B. Davis approached the same gap through hardware. Davis started the Houston-based brand in 2016 as an online postpartum fitness community after struggling to find support following the birth of her twin daughters. In 2023, she launched the J35, described as the first Black-owned wearable breast pump, after her own breastfeeding journey with her twins lasted just three and a half months without cordless equipment. “That’s not conducive to my lifestyle,”
Davis said of traditional pumps that require mothers to stay near an outlet. “I wanted to create a completely cordless option that was not on the market.” With her youngest daughter, born after the J35 launched, Davis breastfed for more than two years. She said funding remains the biggest barrier for Black-owned femtech brands, particularly as diversity-focused corporate investment has declined. Muscle Up Mommy remains fully self-funded and has shipped to all 50 states and Puerto Rico. She also hosts MomFest, an annual Houston festival connecting mothers with doulas, lactation consultants, and pelvic floor therapists. Advocating beyond the feed Rayna Reid Rayford, fou nd e r of Pregnant and Black, centers her advocacy on the broader maternal health system that shapes whether breast- Rayna Reid feeding is possible at Rayford
all. Rayford is a Houston-based lawyer and journalist. She was 30 weeks pregnant when the emergency room sent her home despite severe pain. She returned at 31 weeks with acute necrotizing appendicitis and needed emergency surgery. Five family members who are doctors happened to be in the waiting room and pushed for the testing that ultimately saved her life and her daughter’s. That experience led her to found Pregnant and Black, a free platform connecting pregnant women with trained healthcare advocates. Rayford went on to exclusively pump for a year, logging more than 1,500 hours around a rigorous overnight schedule. “Whether a mother is able to initiate breastfeeding, continue, or meet their own feeding goals is influenced by everything that comes before it,” Rayford said, pointing to prenatal care, trust in providers, postpartum support, paid leave, and child care as compounding factors. Black Breastfeeding Week is more than just breastfeeding for many maternal healthcare advocates. “It’s about looking into why Black mothers face additional barriers and what we as a community can do to remove those barriers,” Rayford said. “Lactation consultants matter, doulas matter, midwives matter, OB-GYNs, nurses, pediatricians, community organizations, it does take all of us.”
Publisher | CEO Sonceria Messiah-Jiles
Content Manager Terrance Harris
Special Assignments Reporter Tannistha Sinha
VOLUME 95, NUMBER 44 - AUGUST 20, 2026
Strategic Alllance Clyde Jiles
Associate Editor Aswad Walker
The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender News- paper Inc. and audited by Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). Only digital subscriptions are available at: www.defendernetwork.com/subscribe No paper subscriptions available. All materials covered by 2025 copyright. No materials herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher. 713-663-6996 | P.O. Box 8005, Houston, TX 77288
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DN News
Black Houston voters say trust will decide Senate race
By Tannistha Sinha
As Texas’ U.S. Senate race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton intensifies, Black voters say their support will hinge on more than party labels. At a Houston community forum, attendees shared what will determine their vote and whether either candidate has done enough to earn the trust of Black Texans ahead of the midterms in November. Question: What will be the deciding factor behind your vote in the Texas Senate race? ELENE GILLARD: “One deciding factor is that it’s important to flip Texas blue because I don’t think we’ve had any good representation since Ann Richards left. The Republican Party…I can’t remember anything they’ve done for the people of Texas. Especially nowadays, they all just side with Trump.” DARA LANDRY: “...looking at the policy of all the candidates on the ballot, what they’re gonna do about education and small businesses in America.” LANDY WATLEY: “The economy. As a Black woman who was fired by the federal government as a result of Trump’s DOGE cuts, this system is not working. Not only do we need protection for Black women like myself, but we also need more opportunities.”
Elene Gillard
Dara Landry
RENEE WASHINGTON: “Someone that I feel like could really articulate what the issues are that are pertaining to the Black community, not something general in the sense of improving housing or education. I want it real detailed…mortality rate, lack of sustainable employment, lack of adequate community infrastructure…not something with a few tweaks that could be said to an Asian, Latin community, rural communities, with a little bit of sprinkle of some Black vernacular.” Question: Between James Talarico and Ken Paxton, who has addressed the Black community more? RENEE WASHINGTON: “Neither of them. I don’t think he [Talarico] understands the Black community… you’re both just white. It fails to address a Black person; you’re not Black. I don’t care
Landy Watley
Jordan Wilson
if you’re Republican or Democrat. I don’t believe when it comes down to it, you’ll really truly consider my needs. Ken and James look more like two brothers fighting than necessarily somebody ideologically politically, morally different.” JORDAN WILSON: “James Talarico has done a small number of things, but Ken Paxton has done nothing for Black people except denigrate us. At this point, let’s keep him [Paxton] a Texas problem and not a national problem.” LASHANA WALTERS: “I don’t think it’s been addressed on either side with the two candidates. What I would like to know is how Talarico is going to address voter apathy. If he can get people out of their homes, then he can win this election…We have not seen enough candidates who want to address things dealing with the Black community.” BRITTANY LITTLE: “Talarico.
Lashana Walters
Brittany Little
He’s not a perfect candidate…but to come in here, have those hard conversations, get yelled at, that’s important.” DARA LANDRY: “James Talarico. Ken Paxton doesn’t care about Black people at all. If Talarico only said one thing, he said one more thing than Paxton will ever say. There’s always more work to be done, but I appreciate the effort he’s making, and I hope that he continues to reach out to Black Texans. He cannot win without our vote, but we need to give him our vote.” LANDY WATLEY: “I don’t think Talarico is perfect. Today was a down payment. From here, we need to take his answers and hold him accountable for action. I hope he sticks to the promises he made today, investing in the Black vote and Black media. Ken Paxton is not even an option in my mind. People’s track records speak for themselves.”
Hurricane Beryl insurance payments challenged By Gregory Stevenson
A proposed federal class-action lawsuit alleges thousands of Texas coastal homeowners may have been underpaid for Hurricane Beryl damage after insurance estimates were substantially reduced without the knowledge of the adjusters who inspected the properties. The lawsuit targets the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), outside adjusting companies, and individuals involved in processing claims. The allegations haven’t been proven, and a federal judge has not certified the case as a class action. Major claim reductions The lawsuit was filed by homeowners Ernestine Bell, Alicia Stuart, and David Mohun. Their attorneys say field adjusters inspected their properties and prepared initial estimates before other individuals allegedly altered the estimates. Stuart’s estimate reportedly fell from about $90,948 to $30,817, a 66% reduction. Mohun’s allegedly dropped from $55,406
to $31,013, while Bell’s was reduced from $22,464 to $10,389. “What they got was not what they bargained for,” said attorney Shaun Hodge. Digital trail Attorneys say Xactimate, the estimating software used for the claims, contains digital records showing who accessed and changed estimates. In Bell’s case, records cited in the complaint allegedly show David R. J. DeVilbiss changed an estimate from $26,235.85 to $10,111.03, a 61.5% reduction. Attorney Craig Eiland said the original field adjuster, Lee Olivares, provided an affidavit saying he neither knew about nor approved the changes. “The good thing about Xactimate is it has digital fingerprints,” said Eiland. The lawsuit also alleges DeVilbiss was the brother of a high-ranking TWIA claims executive. Plaintiffs say that relationship raises questions about TWIA’s oversight of Leading Edge Claims Service, an independent adjusting firm hired to assist with Beryl claims.
Tim McKoy, 68, looks at damage out of his front yard after Hurricane Beryl swept through his neighborhood on July 8, 2024 in Houston. Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images.
Thousands potentially affected The plaintiffs’ attorneys say their review found that more than 80% of estimates from the same field adjuster were subsequently changed. Hodge estimates that 20,000 to 25,000
homeowners could have been affected, with damages potentially reaching hundreds of millions of dollars. “We believe this impacts tens of thousands of homeowners who filed a claim after Hurricane Beryl,” Hodge said.
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DEFENDER NETWORK
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DN InFocus
Black Business Realities
“Because they do check credit, even if you’re going for a grant or a small business loan. And start small. Don’t bite off more than you can chew,” Casey advised. The financial tightrope was also echoed by Joy Davenport, founder and CEO of the Davenport Foundation Foster Care and Adoption Agency, who described waiting eight months for her first government reimbursement after launching her business. She added that she had to self-finance almost $600,000 in that period. “That can cripple you as a small business,” Davenport said. Redefining what success looks like
Despite those structural pressures, some women entrepreneurs described a vision of success that goes well beyond revenue. For Glenda Taylor, founder of Taylor Love & Care Disability Service, success looked like opening her own facility after working in foster care agencies. Taylor was driven by market opportunity and her daughter, who has an intellectual developmental disability. “I wanted something different for her,” Taylor said. Two years in, her business now serves 25 clients, taking them out into the community to build socialization and daily living skills. “I never want my clients to feel like they can’t go out into the community and be normal,” she added. Nicole Simmons, co-owner of Alijah House Children Services, which operates multiple residential care homes in Houston’s Acres Homes neighborhood for children in foster care, described her work as requiring inherent compassion. When a seven-yearold girl in her care was finally reunited with her mother in Amarillo after nearly a year at the facility, Simmons ordered clothes, a bed, a dresser, and bedding out of her own pocket and had it shipped to the family. “I didn’t have to,” Simmons said. “This is more than the government paying me to take care of these kids. This is a ministry for me.”
Female entrepreneurs confront challenges in capital access By Tannistha Sinha
Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in America. They launch businesses at a rate higher than any other demographic group in the country, according to a 2026 Wells Fargo report. Yet, the numbers behind that headline tell a more complicated story, one of ambition running headlong into systemic barriers that have persisted for decades. In Houston, a city whose Black business community is as vast and layered as the metropolis itself, a new generation of founders is pushing back by operating businesses and rewriting the ‘success mantra’. Tamanisha Casey-Mayberry, a Houston-based CEO and financial expert, believes that entrepreneurship cannot be pursued alone and that Black women need to support one another to thrive. Casey-Mayberry designed the HerGov Summit in Houston for this specific purpose, a gathering that connects Black and minority women business owners with government contracting opportunities. Women business owners account for less than 1% of contract opportunities, Casey-Mayberry said, while the government spends more than $700 billion annually. “There was not enough information out there for women business owners to try to obtain these contracts,” she said. “It is important to connect business owners to government entities for them to talk about certifications, learn what they need in their business in order to get certified, but also
learn about current contract opportunities. It might be something in their industry they know about, and they can bid on it and possibly win.” Underlying issues
For Casey-Mayberry, a federally certified minority, woman-owned, and disadvantaged business owner since 2017, she says she has lost contracts in the wake of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) rollbacks, although no official explanation was ever given. “They don’t have to tell you why,” she said. “I just assumed that that’s what [DEI rollback] was because it is a group of women business owners who are dealing with the same thing. They don’t say it. But if we’re still doing the work, we’ve done the work, and the contract is still continuing, they’re kicking certain people off of it.” Federal policies have created a ripple effect that many Black women business owners in Houston are still absorbing. Texas’s HUB, the Historically Underutilized Business certification program, which has been a pathway for minority business owners to access state contracts, is now facing pressure to limit eligibility exclusively to veteran-owned businesses. “That will dismantle business owners from getting those certifications and also contract opportunities,” Casey-Mayberry said. “We as business owners need to find a way to fit our business and still go out for certifications. There are still contract opportunities. But we need to learn how to pivot
Read on at DefenderNetwork.com
our business so that we can still be skilled.” Houston’s infrastructure is there, if you know where to look
The good news, for those willing to navigate the landscape, is that Houston’s institutional infrastructure for small and minority-owned businesses is real. Murray said that METRO spent a significant percentage of its contract dollars to minority business owners in 2025, despite not having “that type of program”. According to B2G Now, METRO’s race-and gender-neutral Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
Debra Casey emphasized credit readiness and sustainable growth for entrepreneurs.
Program achieved over 90% M/WBE participation on contracts with a Small Business (SB) goal. Harris Health has seen similar gains. Tamala Austin, the agency’s business equity outreach manager, said that after launching their MWBE program, Harris Health increased its participation rate for small and minority-owned businesses from 0.09% in 2021 to 26.8%, awarding over $623 million to MWBEs over three years. “Networking is how you build your network,” Austin said. “You’ve got to be in the room. You’ve got to be intentional.”
The autonomy advantage
The capital problem
Access to capital remains a significant obstacle for Black women entrepreneurs, regardless of industry or business model. Dr. Marieka Thomas, a hospitality strategist and organizational management expert, pointed to business strategy myths that prevent women from operating businesses. “It’s a mistake to think that you need your own personal money to start businesses,” Thomas said. “There are grants and many opportunities where people will give you access to funding and income so that you can start your business. But many of us think it
relies on our own money. We take our own money and then might not make the smartest decisions ‘cause we don’t know exactly what to do…You should always get your funding first.” The cycle of spending personal savings, damaging credit, and then becoming ineligible for the very grants meant to help is also familiar to Debra Casey, who owns Casey’s Compassionate Care, a non-emergency medical transportation company she is working to revive after COVID-19 forced it to a halt. Casey suggested being mindful of a business owner’s credit health.
Choosing entrepreneurship over traditional employment comes with its perks. A few businesswomen cited freedom as a major incentive. “Having your own business, you’re able to write your own hours,” Casey said. “You could probably make more money than with corporate.” But it is not so easy. “Everybody doesn’t have the entrepreneurial spirit,” Davenport said. “People don’t realize that you actually work more, and it’s harder because we don’t clock in or out. There is no traditional 9-to-5. I tell people I work 25 hours a day and 72 hours a week.”
Joy Davenport shed light on the cash-flow challenges facing small businesses reliant on government reimbursements.
Glenda Taylor built her business to create opportunities and independence for people with developmental disabilities.
Sharonda Murray highlighted how race-neutral programs in the Houston Metro can expand minority participation.
Tamala Austin focused on Harris Health’s opportunities for minority-owned businesses.
8 | August 20, 2026 |
DEFENDER NETWORK
DN Profile WANDERSTAY BOUTIQUE HOTEL FOUNDER
Deidre Mathis Defies odds in hospitality
By Laura Onyeneho
When Deidre Mathis sat down with city officials to begin the permitting process for her Houston hostel in 2018, she ended up doing something she had not expected. She educated them. No one in the city had ever opened one before. “I felt like I was teaching them a course,” Mathis told the Defender. “I had to answer questions that they just didn’t know because they had never worked on a project like that before.” It was an early signal of just how far ahead of her time she was. That same year, she opened Wanderstay Houston Hostel, becoming the first Black woman to own and operate a hostel in the United States. In 2023, she followed that milestone with Wanderstay Boutique Hotel, a 10-room adults-only property in the city’s vibrant East End neighborhood, making her the first Black woman to own a hotel in Houston. Together, both properties anchor Wanderstay Hospitality Group, a multi-concept brand that Mathis is growing not just for herself, but for the generations that will come after her. “I’m building a legacy,” she said firmly. “This will be here for my kids. This will be here for hopefully their kids’ kids.”
Deidre Mathis, founder and owner of Wanderstay Hospitality Group, is inside the Wanderstay Boutique Hotel in Houston’s East End neighborhood. Credit: Jimmie Aggison/Defender Network.
Planting the seed
Born and raised in Florida, Mathis relocated to Houston in November 2014, drawn by a recruiting role that placed college students in study-abroad programs. The move followed her time in Australia, where she fell in love with hostel culture, the instant sense of community, the global mix of strangers who became friends, and the understanding that meaningful travel did not require deep pockets. She arrived in Houston, looked at the city’s size, its diversity, its two major airports, and the millions of travelers cycling through annually, and recognized exactly where her business belonged. “I quickly decided I’m going to quit my job and focus full-fledged on opening my hostel,” she said. “I don’t know if I would be who I am or would be as successful as I am if it had not been for Houston. This city really welcomed me.” Funding the vision required a strategy as unconventional as the business itself. In a single year, Mathis entered roughly 18 pitch competitions, winning more than $205,000. She combined those winnings with an SBA
Wanderstay Boutique Hotel is a 10-room, adult-only themed hotel in Houston’s East End. Credit: Jimmie Aggison/Defender Network.
One of the ten rooms located at the Wanderstay Boutique Hotel in Houston’s East End. Credit: Jimmie Aggison/Defender Network.
loan to launch her first location, a pairing she said almost never happens for a firsttime operator. “I am what I consider a unicorn,” Mathis said. “I received an SBA loan, and then I paired that with my pitch competition and the money from my book.” That book, “Wanderlust for the Young, Broke Professional,” opened conference stages and speaking opportunities before the hostel ever welcomed a single guest. But Mathis is candid that the financial ecosystem she once relied on is eroding. DEI-focused pitch competitions that gave her a real shot at capital are being scaled back or eliminated altogether. “When I was starting in 2017 and 2018,
there was a pitch competition released every single day,” she said. “Now, not so much.” Business fundamentals
Nini Gutierrez witnessed that early grind firsthand. As director of small business at BakerRipley’s Entrepreneur Connection program, Gutierrez coached Mathis through the process of shaping her concept into a fundable business plan. She said what distinguished Mathis was not any single quality, but the combination of all of them. “She had determination, passion, persistence, and patience,” Gutierrez said. “Sometimes things didn’t go how they were supposed to, and there were some challenges, but she learned, and then she
just kept going.” Gutierrez added that Mathis’s willingness to be coached made the difference. “She really listened to what I would tell her. She would do it and come back,” added Gutierrez. Now eight years into running Wanderstay, Mathis is steering two properties through one of the most turbulent stretches the hospitality industry has faced since the pandemic. Tariffs, tightening consumer budgets, and political instability have reshaped travel patterns nationwide. The pressure is felt most at the hostel, where nightly rates range from $30 to $60, and the guests are among those hit hardest when the economy tightens. “Those are the travelers who are hit the hardest,” Mathis said. “At the hotel, we’ve been pretty stable. But I can definitely see the change from this administration.” When Travel Security Administration (TSA) operations were thrown into uncertainty earlier this year, the phones at Wanderstay filled with anxious guests questioning whether it was safe to travel at all. Looking ahead, the 2026 FIFA World Cup represents one of the most significant hospitality opportunities Houston has seen in years, and Mathis is positioning Wanderstay to capitalize on it. But she is watching the visa landscape with measured concern. “International travelers are eager to fill these rooms,” she said. “But they cannot book because they cannot legally travel to reach. There is so much anxiety over this.” Through it all, Mathis runs a business she has deliberately designed not to depend solely on her presence. Documented policies, trained staff, and a leadership structure built to function through her absence, including across three pregnancies, are what she calls the backbone of Wanderstay’s sustainability. Her advice to any entrepreneur is non-negotiable on this point. “Delegate to elevate,” Mathis said. “You have to have people helping you. You cannot do this on your own.” The road ahead includes a third Wanderstay property outside of Texas, with groundwork beginning around 2028 and a targeted opening in 2029, followed by two franchise opportunities that would bring the brand to five total locations. Mathis is not yet 40. “I opened two locations in less than eight years,” Mathis said. “Hopefully, I’ll be retired by 45. We’ll see.”
August 20, 2026 |
DEFENDER NETWORK
| 9
DN Feature BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE
Houston Theater Week returns By Laura Onyeneho
Houston Theater Week returns Aug. 24-30 with Buy One, Get One Free tickets to nearly 400 performances across 21 local arts organizations The fifth annual promotion, presented by Huntington Bank, is produced by Houston First Corporation, the city’s destination marketing organization. Since its 2022 launch, the program has sold more than 118,000 tickets and raised nearly $5 million for local performing arts groups, according to Houston First. Holly Clapham, chief marketing officer at Houston First, says the numbers only tell part of the story. Theatre Week began as a way to help performing arts groups recover after the pandemic, she said, and to keep artists working and culture “pumping in the market.” “It’s a value driver, really,” said Clapham, describing the appeal to first-time theatergoers and lifelong arts patrons alike. “People who regularly attend one type of performance, like opera, may never have experienced smaller companies or different disciplines that Theatre Week exposes them to.” Participating organizations offer BOGO deals on select performances, at no cost to the groups themselves. Houston First covers all promotional costs. The only requirement to participate, Clapham said, is that a company must be a professional operation that pays its actors, ensuring the initiative delivers real economic benefit rather than just exposure. That structure has kept The Ensemble Theatre involved since the beginning. The theatre, now celebrating its 50th anniversary season, has participated in all four previous Theatre Week years. This year, Ensemble is bringing “A Raisin in the Sun” to the Theatre Week lineup. The Lorraine Hansberry classic draws its title from Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem,” which asks what happens to a dream deferred. The Ensemble Theatre’s artistic director Eileen Morris said the play’s themes, generational aspiration, the pursuit of homeownership, racism, and gentrification, still resonate with Houston audiences today, even though the story is set in 1950s Chicago. Morris said Theatre Week consistently brings new faces into Ensemble’s audience, along with regular patrons who use the discount to see productions they might otherwise skip. She said the exposure also helps convert first-time visitors into season ticket holders and word-of-mouth ambassadors for the company. “I want them to walk away feeling that the Houston community has a culturally specific, Black institution that tells stories
Houston Theater Week is an annual, week-long promotional event, held in August, that offers Buy One, Get One FREE (BOGO) tickets to hundreds of live performances across the city. Courtesy: Houston First Corporation.
that are reflective of mankind,” Morris said of first-time patrons. “Though those stories are being told from the African American perspective, there are stories that are relevant to them as well.” Houston First is intentional about keeping Theatre Week’s lineup reflective of the city’s full arts community, from large institutions like Houston Grand Opera and the Alley Theatre to smaller and culturally specific companies. This year’s slate also includes Performing Arts Houston’s presentation of choreographer Harrison Guy’s “Dear Prairie View,” a title with ties to the historically Black university. Theatre Week offers a chance to plan out an entire season of experiences at once, from holiday shows to date nights, birthdays, and family outings, all at reduced cost. Interested organizations can reach out to join in future years, though space is limited each season. Tickets for Houston Theater Week go on sale Aug. 24 at HoustonTheaterWeek.com using promo code HTW26. The BOGO offer runs through Aug. 30.
The Ensemble Theatre’s production of “A Raisin in the Sun” is among nearly 400 performances discounted during Houston Theater Week, running Aug. 24-30 across 21 local arts organizations. Credit: Ensemble Theatre.
10 | August 20, 2026 |
DEFENDER NETWORK
DN Sports
TSU Board approves Ashley Robinson, Corey Lowery hires By Terrance Harris
In moves that were anticipated for a week and also heavily debated, the Texas Southern University Board of Regents voted to approve the hires of Ashley Robinson as vice president of athletics and Corey Lowery as the new men’s basketball coach. Both were voted in by a 5-2 count after the recommendation of TSU President J.W. Crawford. Both men received five-year deals believed to be worth $350,000 annually, which is high for TSU. Robinson and Lowery were introduced to the public at a press conference after the vote. But anger and disappointment were expressed before, during, and after the hybrid special session called by the Board of Regents and held on the fifth floor of TSU’s Library. The TSU basketball players and alumni are upset about the hiring of Lowery, who has raised concerns following a lawsuit he faced while serving as a high school principal in Pennsylvania. There was greater frustration due to the timing of the hiring, days after the students arrived on campus, and because the alumni and players almost unanimously favored keeping interim coach Shyrone Chatman at least through the school year. Players in the room stood holding protest signs, while alumni stood in solidarity as Interim Vice President for Human Resources Dr. Ronald McKinley presented Lowery’s case before the Board. The players and alumni presented, then stormed out of the room with some vowing to withdraw their financial support. The protests against Robinson weren’t as loud or as pronounced, but the tension was palpable in the room because most favored
TSU President J.W. Crawford (middle) received approval from TSU’s Board of Regents for the hiring of Corey Lowery (left) and Ashley Robinson as the school’s new head men’s basketball coach and athletic director, respectively. Credit: Seton Hall/TSU/Jackson State.
hiring longtime NFL executive and TSU alumnus Tony Wyllie to replace the departed Kevin Granger. Robinson, who was also previously the AD at Prairie View and Mississippi Valley State, leaves behind an athletic department that was more than $800,000 in the hole last year and reported three consecutive years of financial losses. But none that mattered to the Board of Regents, which voted overwhelmingly for both candidates. The only Regents to vote no for both were Marilyn Rose and Richard Johnson. “Alumni and students are major constituencies, and as we move forward, we should
TSU alumni, including Bert Simmons (center), along with TSU men’s basketball players, showed their displeasure with the TSU Board’s decision to approve the hiring of Corey Lowery as the school’s new men’s basketball head coach. Credit: Aswad Walker/Defender.
make sure that alumni are well represented, particularly when we are looking at critical leadership positions for the university,” Johnson said during the meeting. TSU hired a search firm to identify and vet candidates for both positions, but all indications were that Crawford had his candidates in mind and made the ultimate decision. “The searches for these two critical leadership positions have been thorough and deliberate,” Crawford said in a released statement. “We appreciate the dedication and hard work of our search committees and the many individuals who contributed to this process. I look forward to presenting my recommendations to the Board of Regents later this month.” But there was plenty of drama and emotion surrounding the hires of Robinson and Lowery, but Lowery more so. The TSU players demonstrated on campus and then met behind closed doors with Crawford later in the day. According to a source who was in the room, Crawford invited the student athletes into his office and opened the floor to them. All but one of the players is said to have expressed themselves during the closed-door conversation. The players, especially the ones who were recruited by Chatman this past spring, are in favor of keeping the coach who brought them in. Crawford apparently listened and then informed the players that he is sticking with his choice of Lowery as the next head coach. The players felt Crawford was being less than honest about the timing, his personal knowledge of Lowery, and whether Chatman always knew he wasn’t getting the job that he had interviewed for with Crawford.
Chatman, who has been in charge since Johnny Jones left for LSU this past spring, will likely be left without a job despite having gone above and beyond to keep some of the players after Jones left to become an assistant coach at LSU this spring. Chatman also restocked TSU’s men’s basketball roster with eight new recruits, worked the players out all summer and put together a revenue-generating non-conference schedule that will net the school nearly $800,000 and with a rare six home games. This has all become messy due to the timing. TSU student-athletes arrived on campus as school started and found out that Chatman would not be coaching them as they and their families had expected. Naturally, emotions have been high as the parents and players have sought answers from the president’s office. The players and their families, especially of the eight new recruits, feel betrayed because they felt Chatman would be their coach this upcoming season, even though he carries the interim tag. In the meantime, there has been continued conversation about Lowery and the likely NCAA violation he committed by contacting TSU players after being offered the job by Crawford but before his hire became official by Board vote and while he was still employed by Seton Hall. The Defender obtained an email exchange between TSU player Karris Bilal and Lowery from Sunday, Aug. 9 where Lowery wanted information about the players currently on the roster. That is considered tampering which could be a secondary NCAA infraction.
August 20, 2026 |
DEFENDER NETWORK
| 11
DN Sports
Brandon Hebert Chooses Princeton over 21 other offers
By Jimmie Aggison
Brandon Hebert had plenty of options. The North Shore senior offensive tackle received 22 scholarship offers from programs across the country, including Harvard, Kansas State, Mississippi State, Houston, UTSA, and Oregon State. When it came time to choose his future, the 6-foot-7, 282-pound lineman committed to Princeton, believing the Ivy League school offered the best combination of elite academics, trusted relationships, and a pathway to life after football. “Princeton gave me everything I was looking for,” said Hebert. “I wanted a place where I could compete at a high level, earn one of the best degrees in the world, and build relationships with coaches I genuinely trust. Football doesn’t last forever, so having a Princeton degree opens doors for the rest of my life.” When Hebert narrowed his choices, relationships, academics, and long-term development were most important. “I wanted to be somewhere that believed in me as a person, not just as a football player. I also wanted to know I’d leave school prepared for whatever comes after football,” said Hebert. While his commitment made headlines, years of dedication in the classroom and on the field transformed Hebert into one of Texas’ most sought-after recruits. He didn’t just dominate between the lines; he also excelled academically, maintaining a 4.8 GPA. “It takes discipline and time management and long nights to maintain such a rigorous GPA,” said Hebert. “I’ve always believed that if I’m going to do something, I’m going to give it my best effort. I stay organized, handle my work before I relax, and surround myself with people who hold me accountable.” That same commitment to preparation and accountability has become the foundation of his success on the football field, where coaches see the same disciplined approach in every practice and game. “Brandon’s size is the first thing people notice, but it’s not what makes him special,” said North Shore head football coach Willie Gaston. “What separates him is his athleticism, football IQ, and consistency. He moves like a much smaller player while maintaining the physicality you want from an offensive lineman. He’s coachable, plays with great technique, and competes every snap. Just as important, he’s a high-character young man who leads by example and makes everyone around him better.” Those qualities don’t disappear when the lights come on Friday nights. According to Gaston, Hebert’s greatest strength is the consistency he brings every day, long
North Shore senior offensive lineman Brandon Hebert during North Shore’s championship ring ceremony, where the Mustangs were honored for winning the UIL 6A Division I state title. Credit: Mary Hebert.
Football doesn’t last forever, so having a Princeton degree opens doors for the rest of my life. BRANDON HEBERT
before kickoff. “Brandon is the same person whether coaches are watching or not,” said Gaston. “He puts in the extra work in the weight room, studies film, and is always looking for ways to improve. He doesn’t need someone pushing him because he’s internally motivated. His preparation and discipline are a big reason he’s become one of the top offensive linemen in the country.” That combination of talent, discipline, and
character quickly became evident to college recruiters, who saw Hebert as far more than just another highly rated offensive lineman. “Brandon has elite physical tools, but he also brings maturity, character, intelligence, and a tremendous work ethic,” said Gaston. “College coaches know they’re getting someone who will represent their program the right way on and off the field. His ceiling is extremely high because he’s committed to continuous improvement.” For Hebert, the challenge wasn’t finding a school; it was choosing the one that best aligned with the future he envisioned beyond football. “Princeton has the complete package,” said Hebert. “The education is second to none, the coaching staff made me feel like family from the beginning, and they showed me a clear vision for my development both as a player and a person. I never felt like I was just another recruit there.” Watching former Princeton offensive tackle Jalen Travis be selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft reinforced Hebert’s belief that he wouldn’t have to choose between earning a world-class education and pursuing an NFL career.
“Seeing Jalen Travis get drafted proved that if you’re willing to put in the work, Princeton can prepare you for both the NFL and success long after playing,” said Hebert. While Princeton’s ability to produce NFL talent validated Hebert’s football aspirations, its unmatched academic reputation ultimately made the university impossible to pass up. “A degree from Princeton is recognized everywhere,” said Hebert. “I wanted to challenge myself academically just like I challenge myself on the football field. Knowing I’d graduate with one of the best educations in the world made the decision even easier.” While football has opened doors, Hebert knows the game won’t last forever. That reality played a major role in his college decision, and he plans to study mechanical engineering. “I’ve always enjoyed figuring out how things work and solving problems, so mechanical engineering felt like the perfect fit,” said Hebert. “Preparing for life after football has always been important to me, and I wanted a degree that would give me opportunities no matter where life takes me.” That mindset has shaped more than his college decision. It’s also the example he’s setting for the next generation of North Shore athletes.
12 | August 20, 2026 |
DEFENDER NETWORK
DN Profile Patrick ‘Mr. Healthcare’ Collier Delivers more than housing for seniors
By Aswad Walker
An improbable hooper provides an invaluable service for seniors. Patrick “Mr. Healthcare” Collier didn’t pick up a basketball until he was 14, an age when many young athletes had already spent years playing organized ball. During tryouts, he was so out of his element that his coach pulled him aside and suggested he stick with the snare drum, which he played in the school band. But Collier had other plans. That summer, he tied his right hand to his body every day from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., forcing himself to strengthen his left-hand dribbling and shooting. The next year, as an eighth-grader, he stunned everyone at tryouts and made the team—only to be sidelined because his grades weren’t high enough. By the time he reached Pasadena High School, however, Collier was playing and thriving. His basketball journey eventually took him to three colleges, including two years at Chaminade University in Hawaii. He never made the NBA. But Collier found another calling—one that has allowed him to help hundreds of families navigate one of life’s most difficult challenges. From hoops to healthcare Collier spent over a decade helping connect patients with skilled nursing facilities. But the job exposed him to a problem he couldn’t ignore. “I was a clinical liaison marketer for skilled nursing for almost 11 years,” Collier said. “Patients would be referred from hospitals but couldn’t be accepted because they lacked a home discharge plan. Those patients still needed physical or occupational therapy, or wound-care services. Some called
Patrick Collier, seen here at his 2003 high school graduation, played college and semi-pro basketball before entering the healthcare industry. Courtesy: Patrick Collier.
After witnessing patients struggle without proper discharge plans, Patrick Collier built a service helping seniors find care that meets their needs. Credit: Aswad Walker/Defender.
me even after I couldn’t place them, crying, begging for help. “Typically, the hospital will send them to a shelter, knowing that these individuals still need physical therapy or skilled nursing care itself. That just didn’t sit right with me. It didn’t sit right with my spirit.” Collier prayed about it and began imagining a company that could connect patients with personal care homes or group homes capable of meeting both their clinical and financial needs. Healthcare as ministry That vision became Placement with Care Senior Service Placements, where he’s able to make successful placements regularly. But Collier’s mission extends beyond placements. His company also connects families with caregiver services, home health, pharmacy assistance, and information regarding Medicare, Medicaid, and SSI. “Basically, I want to be the one-stop shop,” said Collier, for whom the work he does is more than business. “I always say healthcare is ministry,” he said. “To work in this field, you have to be called.”
His approach has also helped him build a business through relationships rather than traditional advertising alone. Referrals have come from hospitals, social media, moments out shopping, elevators, and even hospital parking lots. “Placements are everywhere,” Collier said. “It’s not just at the hospitals; they’re everywhere.” Removing a financial barrier One of the most significant aspects of Collier’s model is that families don’t pay him for placement services. “It’s a free service to those who are looking to have their loved ones placed,” he said. Collier is compensated by personal care homes with which he contracts after successfully making a placement. That arrangement allows families already facing the emotional and financial pressures of caring for an aging or ill loved one to receive assistance without adding another bill. Starting the business, however, wasn’t easy. Collier launched without savings or loans. “My quote is, ‘I didn’t step out on faith to step back in on fear,’” he said. “But it was definitely not easy.”
Over 300 families and counting For Collier, success isn’t simply measured by the number of placements. “Knowing that I was able to put someone in a place clinically and financially, so that it doesn’t break the barriers of the family, is what matters,” he said. In his first year, Collier has made 311 placements. “I have lifelong relationships with whoever I place,” he said. “And I still am close with all 311 family members.” That commitment has earned the trust of people who have witnessed his work firsthand. “The tragedy of healthcare today is the lack of trust in the system,” said Carol Doe Porter, RN and co-founder of Kid-Care Inc. She praised Collier’s compassion and willingness to make personal sacrifices, saying he approaches each situation with the question, “What if this were my mother?” “He’s the real McCoy,” Porter said. For Collier, the answer to that question appears to be the foundation of his work: Treat every senior, every patient, and every family as though they were his own.