Thrive & Inspire: Creating ’Something Bigger Than Ourselves’ Drives Gooch and Pappas of RYDE
Mar. 7, 2023
Ashley Gooch and Andrew Pappas, Co-Founders
WHAT INSPIRES YOU as you grow RYDE? The RYDE community and our team inspire us every day. The goal from the start was to create something that is bigger than ourselves — our community is just that. We want to push the limits of what a fitness experience can be. Our new Heights studio is a testament to that commitment, offering a high-energy indoor cycling experience in a stunning space. RYDE Heights opens in April, exactly eight years after our first location opened on West Gray in River Oaks.
What’s special about your team? The RYDE team is the core spirit of who we are and what we do. Our instructors, studio team and management are constantly raising the bar, and are passionate about building authentic relationships with clients inside and outside the studio. We have the best team in the city — and it is a privilege to work with such a talented and hardworking group of people.
RYDE has taught more than 20,000 spin classes since opening in 2015. To what do you attribute the success of your brand? Every aspect of RYDE is crafted with purpose, and our core principles remain steadfast as we grow. First is quality and consistency: Our team strives to earn and retain our clients’ trust and loyalty every day.
Second, we put people first: We invest in our team through comprehensive training programs and dedicated management support to ensure that our most valuable assets are always put first.
Third, we embrace uniqueness: We invest in our product and talent to ensure it is the best in the industry, while constantly innovating. Our athletic edge appeals to men and women equally, and we’ve paid close attention to this balance from the start.
Fourth, we cherish the details: Every physical and digital detail has been carefully considered and refined by our team, and is an integral part of the RYDE identity.
And the final core principle is giving back: The RYDE team and community are deeply committed to making a difference, and are proud to have donated over $160,000 for local and national philanthropic causes.
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Iconic Grocer Rings in 30th Anniversary, Renews Its 'Wows' to Customers with Delicious Ways to Celebrate
Sep. 9, 2024
FAVE FOODIE DESTINATION Central Market is renewing its commitment to customers Sept. 11-24, promising a journey of taste and discovery in honor of its milestone 30th anniversary. Join Houston’s one and only location for the delicious series Let’s Renew Our Wows featuring in-store events, foodie strolls, cooking classes and more.
Festivities kick off this Wednesday, Sept. 11 starting at 6:30 pm with the Central Market 30th Anniversary: A Taste of Houston. At the sip and stroll, guests will sample creations from beloved local chefs including Victoria Elizondo of Cochinita & Co., Erik Cruz with Artisans, Chase Reid from Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Masaru Fukuda of Pasha Nikkei, David Cordua with The Lynbar, Jason Kohler of Central Market, and more.
Stroll around the upstairs mezzanine and cooking school complemented by music and chef tables or enjoy the outdoor patio, also with music. Included are samples of wine, Saint Arnold’s beers and an array of desserts. For more details and to RSVP, click here.
30th Anniversary Foodie Stroll
Central Market locations will host a Foodie Stroll for guests on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 2-5pm. This immersive culinary experience will celebrate three decades of memories with food displays, interactive events and general sampling for all to enjoy! Elevate your foodie experience for $10 and receive exclusive swag that includes an anniversary wine glass and a $10 coupon. Don’t forget to stop by the Customer Interactive Wall and enter your dream dinner party drawing for a chance to win a $50 Central Market gift card.
Future Foodie Stroll (for Kids!)
Kids are invited to take a bite of the excitement at the Future Foodie Stroll on Sept. 21 from 10am-1pm. This free event is designed just for young foodies, offering a variety of engaging activities. Each child will receive a free chef hat and a passport to be stamped at each station along the stroll.
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In Colorful New Book, a Houston Illustrator Invites Young Readers to Visit the ‘Night Market’
Sep. 9, 2024
“IN A LOT of Nigerian cultures, there is this idea that nighttime is the time when spirits come out and are alive,” says first-generation Nigerian-American illustrator Briana Mukodiri Uchendu. “The nighttime is when crazy things happen.”
The nighttime is the setting for The Night Market, a new picture book for readers ages 4-8, written by Seina Wedlick and beautifully illustrated by Uchendu. The book follows the adventures of a young girl as she discovers the sights, smells, and sounds of a traditional, pre-colonial Nigerian night market “full of wares and treasures, old things and new things, marvelous objects and strange relics.”
Uchendu, 25, was born and raised in Houston and is the daughter of a Nigerian father and a white mother. Each summer, Uchendu’s family traveled to Nigeria and stayed with her father’s sisters and “aunties,” who would help look after the children. One summer evening, an auntie took Uchendu to a night market for the first time to get her hair braided and some clothes fitted for an upcoming wedding.
“I remember sitting there for hours getting my hair done and food flying all over the place,” says Uchendu who, like the little girl in The Night Market, was around eight years old at the time. “That’s the first time I had abacha, and I was thinking, this is really good!” (Abacha is a salad recipe that originated with the Igbo people in southeastern Nigeria.)
At one point, the young girl in The Night Market encounters a joyful, communal celebration, depicted across four full pages of artwork inspired by the drumming and dancing that distinguish traditional Igbo weddings (Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa are the three major tribes in Nigeria). “At weddings, they’re constantly playing live music,” says Uchendu, who was also inspired by the modern sounds of Nigerian musical icon Fela Kuti while illustrating this scene. “I’m just imagining non-stop drumming and horns coming in and out.”
Throughout The Night Market, Uchendu’s illustrations are informed by her childhood memories of Nigeria and a wide range of West African cultural influences, including Yoruba textiles and architecture. The nighttime skies at the beginning and conclusion of the book are filled with constellations in the shape of spirals, fish, and birds. “I wanted to place this story in a time and place where there is magic,” says Uchendu.“The symbols in the sky are there to express the consciousness of the people in that time.”
Uchendu’s previous projects include her picture book debut The Talk, by Newbery Honor-winner Alicia D. Williams, a powerful age-appropriate book about a young boy’s growing awareness of race relations and police brutality; and We Could Fly, a dream-like celebration of African folklore and resilience inspired by the song, “We Could Fly” by Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell. The Night Market goes on sale Sept. 10, and will be available locally at Brazos Bookstore and Kindred Stories.
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