In 2024 ‘Cool 100,’ CityBook Ranks Key Players of the Moment. Did You Make the List?

AS WE PRODUCE our second annual “Cool 100” list, we’re reminded of our thoughts as we debuted this feature last year. We acknowledged that deciding who and what is cool is not only a moving target but also entirely subjective. And that attempting to “rank” the coolest people in Houston is a fool’s errand, one that will leave us immediately open to criticism. “You think she is cooler than him? You included this person?! You left off that one!?"

Well, of course that’s right. But, then again, these aren’t the Nobel Prizes. As we’ve said before, this is a lark, a fun way to fill some magazine pages. But, then again, it’s not not important. It’s our way of commenting on Houstonians drawing our attention right now.

We’re interested in highbrow, and low. We like fun and sexy, and cerebral and poised. We like people who have made it to the top, and those striving to get there. We like the rich and famous, and those doing their thing quietly their own way, outside the limelight. We have a bias, we admit, for young, beautiful and artistic. We’re not necessarily honoring the legends of Houston or the most generous philanthropists, and we’re not ranking the saints. (That’s another list.) However, we are impressed by maturity — and accomplishment in all fields. And kindness is always cool.

Also, as before, to be on the CityBook list, you must live and work primarily in Houston.

Those named to the 2024 Cool 100 — graciously sponsored by Le Tesserae, Exclusive Furniture, Jackson & Company, Bentley Houston and Insólito Tequila — stood apart for their aesthetic and impact, their attitude and intrigue. We love what they’ve been doing lately, and we’re genuinely curious about what they’ll do next.

1. Jeffrey Louis

Photo by Jhane Hoang at Select Studios

For the first time, breakdancing is an Olympic sport, featuring 16 “B-Boys” and 16 “B-Girls” in solo battles — performing combinations of specific moves and improvising to the DJ’s tracks. The one to watch? B-Boy Jeffro, the Hatian native and FitBreak gym owner who’s honed his craft in H-Town.

2. Michelle Alozie

Photo by Phoebe Rourke at The Laura hotel

Mornings are spent training with the Houston Dash. Afternoons are spent in the cancer research lab at Texas Children’s. Summers are spent … in Paris? The former Yale footballer and Dash forward represents her native Nigeria at the Olympics this summer.

8. Vaishnavi Patel

Her novels — NYT best-seller Kaikeyi and the brand-new Goddess of the River — bring a feminist perspective to ancient Hindu myths. The author, who is also a clerk in the federal district court of Texas, counts her storytelling Indian grandma as both her inspiration and her biggest fan.

10. Catterina

The indie-pop singer-songwriter known as Catterina brings some Brooklyn coolness to Houston. She just wrapped her Heart of Texas tour, and earlier this year stole the spotlight in a group show called Americana: Women’s Voices at New York’s Lincoln Center.

11. Leonard Botello

The pitmaster behind Truth BBQ who’s been name-checked by all the top foodie pubs — most recently Garden & Gun and NYT — Botello lives part-time in Round Top, where his main mission is to carry on the legacy of the late Godfather of Cool, Lee Ellis.

12. Bun B

Photo by Jhane Hoang; Assistant photographer Andrew Danna; styled by Leslie Rivas; makeup by Bianca Rivas; photographed at The Park HTX

Also known as Bernard James Freeman, the UGK rapper-entrepreneur brought Drake and Nelly on stage with him at his sold-out Rodeo show, and his cult-followed Trill Burgers brand is still smoking hot, having recently added smashburger tacos to the menu.

13.  Gin Braverman

Photo by Emily Jaschke

The Gin Design Group honcho has the Midas touch when bringing top chefs’ vision to life. The design guru dazzles guests with her eye-catching restaurants including hotspots Nonno’s, The Lymbar and, most recently, Late August, Jūn and James Beard-winning Street to Kitchen.

15. Aaron Bludorn

Photo by Lauren Holub

We’d be hard-pressed to leave out the proprietor of three of Houston’s coolest restos in the making of the Cool 100. Bludorn has one more on the way: Perseid, inside the Bunkhouse Group’s Hotel Saint Augustine, opens in Montrose this fall.

16. Benji Cooksey

He owns ComedySportz, Houston’s longest-running comedy show and improv troupe. Lately, the affable Cooksey has taken his talents to a new arena: hospitals. He runs Houston Methodist’s Arts & Empathy program, guiding physicians and staff to have better bedside manner.

18. Casey Barbles

The Feel Good Group founder knows how to throw a party everyone digs. From upscale boutique farmers markets to family-friendly fests, she coordinates myriad vibrant events across Houston. Her latest to bloom is Autry Park’s Fresh Finds farmers market.

20. Brian Ellison

Not only is MFA grad Ellison a stellar artist, he’s the founder of The Black Man Project, which advocates for the mental health of Black men. He partnered with the MFAH to provide morning meditations and group therapy sessions in conjunction with the Kehinde Wiley exhibit.

21. Monica Gomez

Photo by Jhane Hoang at The Park HTX, photo assistance by Sarah de la Rosa

Cuban native Gomez arrived in the U.S. at age 19 with nothing but a dream. Now she’s a first soloist at the Houston Ballet — she danced the iconic role of Juliet last year — and the entrepreneur behind successful dancewear brand Habanza.

23. Andrew Geisel

Photo by Becca Wright

The cofounder of Australian café chain Citizens selected Houston over Austin for its first Texas outpost — and for his own home. The jazz aficionado and turntable enthusiast also designs and outfits the diners himself!

25. Nina Magon

Photo by Jay Marroquin

The design powerhouse behind glam spaces worldwide, Magon boasts product collaborations with Cosentino, Studio M Lighting, Balmain and others. Closer to home, crystal-bedecked Cocody on West Gray is her newest masterpiece.

27. Jennifer Mathieu

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

The author of several young-adult novels, including the smash-hit Moxie which became a movie, Mathieu makes her adult debut in July. The Faculty Lounge is set in a Texas high school, and celebrates dedicated teachers navigating today’s controversial school issues.

28. Brett Ishida

The Japanese-American beauty, a lifelong dancer and former teacher to those with special needs, was commissioned to choreograph a new piece for the Houston Ballet next season. And her must-see Ishida Dance troupe performs in June at Asia Society.

29. Jason Mok

Photo by Marco Torres

New sports bar PKL Social off Washington offers pickleball for players of all skill levels. But operating partner Mok is a former Rice tennis player and plays the trendy hybrid of ping-pong and tennis professionally.

32. ShaWanna Renee Rivon

Award-winning playwright and comedic cultural curator Rivon creates shows for all the big theaters in Houston. Commissioned by the Alley, Rivon’s newest play is about Houston’s “wild man of the tenor sax,” jazz master Arnett Cobb.

33. Sergio Trevino

Photo by Steve Visneau

Trevino may be the busiest man in Houston music. He’s the frontman for long-beloved Houston group Buxton … and the very hip bluegrass mashup Ancient Cat Society … and the electro-folk project Guess Genes … and indie rockers Vodi.

37 & 38. Alex and Reagan Bregman

Photo by Steve Visneau

The hits keep coming for the Astros star and his model-entrepreneur wife. The pair relaunched their salsa brand as Wild Sol, and Reagan’s new jewelry line, With Love, is chic and stylish. (Their kid is pretty cute, too!)

43. Lebrina Jackson

An entrepreneur since childhood — she sold homemade popsicles to her Fifth Ward neighbors — she now owns couples-fave Escape spa in Cypress. Her personal life is cool, too, with a happy marriage to NFL pro William Jackson, as she still pursues a lifelong passion for equestrian sports and raising horses.

45. Steve Radom

Photo by Gittings Photography

Radom Capital honcho Steve is the force behind transformative projects like Montrose Collective, M-K-T and Heights Mercantile. Up next? Redos of the Westheimer tract that includes the 1930s-era Tower Theater, and the Heights’ Swift Building.

50. Pooja Jesrani

A flight director at the Johnson Space Center, the Montrose resident and young mom is only the fifteenth female (out of more than 100!) to hold the title. Her job is to ensure the safety of the crew and vehicle and achieve “mission success.”

51. Jastin Martin

Photo by Jhane Hoang

The Def Jam Records trap-soul-R&B artist released her first full length album recently, and is touring this summer with Omarion.

53. Austin Waiter

This summer, executive chef/partner Waiter will bring the refined tastes of London to Montrose with The Marigold Club, an upscale British dining club from Goodnight Hospitality (March, Rosie Cannonball, Montrose Cheese & Wine). Waiter and wife Shannon recently welcomed their first bundle of joy, a baby boy named Terry!

54. Jack Freeman

Photo by Cory Dixon

Frequent collaborator with artists like Lil Keke, Freeman bills himself as “your favorite rapper’s favorite singer.” He just dropped his full-length album Nina, produced by hitmaker Bryan-Michael Cox.

55 & 56: Greg Gatlin and Michelle Wallace

Photo by Phoebe Rourke at Private Client

It’s not uncommon for Houston chefs, especially accomplished ones like James Beard-nominated Gatlin and current Top Chef contender Wallace, to be friendly and collaborative. But these two pitmaster pros share more than a career path: Wallace helped run Gatlin’s BBQ and Fins and Feather for years before launching her B’Tween Sandwich Co. popup — a dream Gatlin himself encouraged.

57. Lily Barfield

Photo by Fernanda Varela

It’s been said that if it exists in the world, there’s an influencer for it. Enter Lily Barfield, the antiques influencer behind the Lily’s Vintage Finds Instagram page — and a newly minted bed-and-breakfast owner, having purchased a neoclassical Montrose mansion that will soon be The Marlene.

62. Livia Eberlin

Photo by Phoebe Rourke at Hamsa

The Baylor College of Medicine physician and researcher won a prestigious chemistry award in December for her development of the MasSpec Pen — a handheld tool that can detect the presence of cancer cells during surgery.

63. Nishita Parekh

Photo by Jhane Hoang at the author's home

Sheltering with family during Harvey was the inspiration for Mumbai-born Parekh’s debut novel The Night of the Storm, a classic “locked-room mystery” with a South Asian spin. It’s already a best-seller.

64. Katie Stone

Determined to carry on her mom’s legacy — Cleverley Stone founded Houston Restaurant Weeks in 2003 and passed away in 2020 — the younger Stone has launched sister event Eat Drink HTX, and also has a new show, Foodies & Friends, on Fox 26.

65. Kris Larson

Previously at the helm of L.A.’s Hollywood Partnership, Larson was named the President of Central Houston, Inc., Downtown’s economic-development group, tasked with helping the district recover and thrive post-pandemic. He’s a champion of pedestrian spaces and affordable housing — cool and cool.

68. Erica Luttmann

Photo by Kelli Durham

Her modest upbringing has informed her outlook and disposition, which happen to align with the name of her business: Lovelykind Beauty. With a hair and makeup studio in the Heights, the mom — who is also a competitive Brazilian jiu-jitsu athlete — recently added a rentable photo studio and expanded her menu to include services like microneedling and dermaplaning.

70. Adam Ross

The Suit Boss, handsome tailor to movie stars and sports pros, continues to build his rep for making fabulous threads for the coolest dudes — in a fun, boy’s-club space with a bar and games. And now Ross is expanding the operation to Dallas.

71. Brittany Hebert Franklin

The founder of Sky High for Kids, which funds pediatric cancer research, hosts a half-dozen mega fundraising events annually — and that’s just in Houston. Her org has expanded to New Orleans, Tulsa and four other cities.

72. Emre Ozsut

He looks like an international man of mystery; Turkish-born Ozsut and fiancé Jordan Khalil make a dashing pair hitting up the performing arts performances and fundraising galas they love to support. But there’s not much mystery to it: Ozmut is the hardworking director of sales at The Lancaster Hotel, happily celebrating a decade as a grateful, civically engaged Houstonian this year.

73. Adam Krall

Photo by Phoebe Rourke at Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts

The Houston-born tenor just made his HGO mainstage debut as Rolf in the sold-out smash The Sound of Music. Only 21, Kral is an old soul, inspired by the golden age of musical theater. Catch him in The Wizard of Oz at West Houston’s Queensbury Theatre in July.

75. Tim Reading

Photo by Ashkan Roayaee

During Covid, the Boston-reared Reading found himself without a job and began gigging as a private chef. His biz picked up steam, and after a stint as exec chef at Underbelly Hospitality’s GJ Tavern, he’ll man the kitchen at the forthcoming Leo’s in River Oaks.

76. Thy Mitchell

Her globally inspired resto Traveler’s Table, which she runs with her husband, is a hit. And in 2023, she launched Foreign Fare, a clothing brand designed for travelers that’s as functional as it is stylish. Her next course will be Traveler’s Cart, opening soon and serving street food from around the world.

78. Casey McNeill

Chocolate and alcohol — sold! The creator of Case Chocolates, which has a tasting room in EaDo, fills chocolate truffles with Maker’s Mark, Bailey’s and more. He also pairs the treats with top-shelf liquor and cocktails.

79. Johann Fitch

Photo by Jhane Hoang with styling by Angelique Gioldasis, styling assistance by Andrew Aguilar; grooming by Hannah Breshears

After actor Fitch’s daring turn in the smash Netflix special-forces sendup Obliterated in the fall — he played a stripper and went full-frontal and can we say, just wow — he’ll appear as a lovelorn suitor in streaming romcom Say a Little Prayer later this summer. Then the newly minted UH grad, 23, is off to Hollywood to pursue his acting dream full-time.

87. Demola

Viral TikTokking violinist Ademola Daniel Babafemi serenades partygoers at some of the city’s most glam galas, but will skew a little more hip-hop in his August show at 713 Music Hall.

89. Tay Powers

A graduate of HSPVA and NYU’s Clive Davis Institute, DJ Powers spins Afrobeats and Amapiano tracks at late-night events and festivals all over. She’s just back from Afro Rosé fest in D.C.

90. Jaison Oliver

The Yale grad, educator and community organizer finds unique ways to, in his words, “make things better.” He hosts Wikipedia Edit-a-thons to create, update and improve articles about Black artists.

91. Travis McShane

He somehow managed to open Montrose’s Ostia restaurant in the peak of Covid madness in 2020. Ever since, chef McShane — a Kingwood native who made his bones at big restaurants in New York and Nashville before coming home — has seen his star quietly but steadily rise. Folks love the breezy vibe of his patio-savvy space, and of McShane’s effortlessly cool Mediterranean-inspired menu.

92. Tommy Ralph Pace

Photo by Emily Jaschke

He helmed Houston’s quirkiest cultural org from 2020 until just this spring. As Orange Show’s executive director, the champion of contemporary art ushered forward plans for its seven-acre campus with plenty of parking — for visitors and for Art Cars.

95 & 96. Abigail Henningson Haley and Ally Ondazara

The co-owners of Avant Art Gallery bought the biz from former artist-gallerist Christopher Martin, and made it their own. Between attending some of the social scene’s most exclusive events and uncovering the art scene’s next big stars, these two keep busy.

99. Yue Bao

The Shanghai native has an astounding four degrees in music, including two in orchestral conducting. Now an assistant conductor with the Houston Symphony, the globetrotting musician values collaboration with her instrumentalists.

100. Ashley Gooch

Photo by Kelli Durham

A serial entrepreneur, Gooch helped usher in the city’s boutique fitness obsession with her Ryde spin studios. And now she’s helping fellow parents with her new magnetic-babygear line — think bibs and, soon, onesies — called Babynetic.