Truly Texan

Tracy Frank, who's based in Seguin, Texas, tells the story of how she started the Society for Animal Rescue and Adoption.

Jennifer Wilson (AKA Hydra) and Amy Sherman (AKA Electra Blu) discuss how they helped found Texas Roller Girls and pioneer the very sport of roller derby.

Kevin Ivester, owner of both Ivester Contemporary and East Side Picture Framing, shares how the East Austin Arts District movement came to be and discusses the current fine arts scene.

Kenya Rodriguez, a folklorico dancer and A&M student, reflects on her Mexican heritage and shares the time she performed on stage with famous band Pierce the Veil. 

Fernando Palomo, a Texas painter, discusses his art journey, love for biking and current exhibition at an Austin art gallery.

Monica Maldonado Williams, who co-founded the New Philanthropists in Austin, discusses barriers to philanthropy and non-profit leadership boards for people of color.

Christina Hiltscher, owner of Unchained Art Contemporary Gallery, discusses the growing fine art scene in Austin. 

Lisa Doggett, an Austin-based family physician, talks about her life-changing diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and the simple practice that helps her symptoms as well as her experience as a patient rather than doctor. 

Dimitri Staszewski, an Austin-based photographer, talks about his experience documenting a friend's cancer journey only to be diagnosed with cancer himself a year into the project.

Truly Texan is going on holiday break! We'll be back in January!

Mat Hames, an Austin-based filmmaker, shares the behind-the-scenes of his work, including one film that got him knighted by the then-prince of Belgium.

Raeven K. Harris, an Austin-based seamstress and designer, shares her sewing journey and experience winning the 2023 Her Universe Fashion Show at the famed San Diego Comic Con.

Elizabeth Chambers, a San Antonio-born television personality, journalist, and owner of BIRD Bakery, discusses her career, mental health, and her upcoming work with students at UT Austin.

Monte Warden, an Austin-based singer and songwriter, discusses his music career, which includes co-writing one of George Strait's biggest hits, as well as his family's long history in Texas.

Gilbert Tuhabonye, an Austin-based running coach and founder of Gilbert's Gazelles and the Gazelle Foundation, tells his story of survival from a massacre during the Tutsi-Hutu war in Burundi, Africa. 

Joshua Banbury, an Austin jazz singer and opera librettist, discusses his experience as one of the few Black, openly gay men in his field, from encounters with minstrelsy to performances honoring those who came before.

Jorden Halvorsen, a new Texan originally from North Carolina, discusses her career as a female bull rider and shares her near death experience.

Aline Mayagoitia, an actress who spent much of her life in Austin, is currently playing the role of Katherine Howard in the North American tour of the musical "Six." She shares her experience of traveling across the country and preparing to play a historic character whose story has modern relevance. 

Rudy Landeros is a former Austin police officer and United Nations police adviser. He discusses his work as a policeman, which included helping vulnerable undocumented immigrants, as well as his time in Sierra Leone and Afghanistan under the United Nations.