Vol2_N5

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

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FROM PERU AND TURKEY TO KATY, A FAMILY PRACTICE TAKES SHAPE

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2026 BEST OF HOUSTON LATINO AWARDS

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HOUSTON CHRISTIAN RESCUE MINISTRY RACES TO HELP AFTER VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES

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SOCIALS EVENT

28 Cover credits: Photography: Gabriel Roldan @gabrielroldan_photography

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ummer edition

Celebrating Excellence, Community, and the Best of Houston Latino

There is something special about recognizing those who make a difference.

This Summer Edition of Houston Latino Family Magazine is one of our most anticipated publications of the year because it celebrates the winners of our Best of Houston Latino awards—individuals, businesses, and organizations that have earned the trust, admiration, and votes of our community.

These honorees represent much more than success. They represent dedication, resilience, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to serving others. Behind every award is a story of sacrifice, passion, and the desire to make Houston a better place for everyone.

We are honored to showcase the remarkable people and businesses that continue to elevate our city and strengthen our Latino community.

Their achievements remind us that excellence is built every day through integrity, hard work, and genuine service.

To every winner, congratulations on this well-deserved recognition. May this achievement inspire you to continue growing, leading, and making a positive impact.

To our readers, thank you for supporting local businesses, uplifting one another, and being part of a community that believes in celebrating excellence. Together, we continue to build a stronger, more connected Houston.

Congratulations to all of the Best of Houston Latino 2026 winners. Your stories inspire us, and your success is a reflection of what our community can accomplish when passion meets purpose.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful summer.

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Photos Courtesy: @gabrielroldan_photography

Ney grew up in Peru. Ozge grew up in Turkey.

Their paths crossed in California, at UCLA, where both were completing orthodontic training. They became friends first. Over time, that friendship grew into a long-term relationship, then marriage.

By the time they opened Smiles On Orthodontics in Katy, they were not only two orthodontists starting a practice. They were husband and wife, new parents and two doctors trying to build the kind of office they would want their own family to find: personal, reliable and run by people who knew their patients by name.

This year, Ney and Ozge welcomed their daughter, Daphne. They say becoming parents has made their work with children and families feel even more personal.

“As orthodontists, we treat our patients like family,” they shared. “That’s why we decided to start our own practice. We’ve built a place where both we and our patients feel at home and are cared for with compassion, trust, and personalized attention.”

Before opening their own office, both had already trained as dentists and orthodontists outside the United States. They came to the U.S. hoping to continue in the field they had chosen, then spent years in advanced training before moving into ownership.

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The practice grew out of their educational and professional backgrounds, but also out of their blended home. Ney brought his Peruvian background, while Ozge brought her Turkish upbringing. Their cultures are different, but they say that difference has been part of the relationship from the beginning.

“We have always believed that exploring different cultures broadens our horizons and helps us become better human beings,” they shared.

From the time they met, Ney and Ozge enjoyed learning each other’s traditions, perspectives and experiences. They say those differences strengthened their relationship rather than separating them. At home, they embrace both cultures.

At work, they try to bring that same openness into the way they care for patients.

In Katy and the greater Houston area, where many families know what it means to appreciate and blend more than one culture into the same household, Ney and Ozge want their office to feel welcoming in that way. They believe patients should feel understood without having to fit into one mold.

Smiles On Orthodontics opened after years of preparation, but the decision still required risk. Ney and Ozge had to decide when they were ready to move from training and planning into ownership.

“The biggest challenge was knowing when to take the leap and open our own practice,” Ney said. “It was a decision that required faith, sacrifice, and confidence in our shared vision.”

The practice they opened is private and family-owned.

For patients, that means they are treated by the same doctors throughout care rather than moving through a high-volume system. Ney and Ozge say they wanted an office where families could ask questions, understand the recommendations being made and feel comfortable with the plan before moving forward.

Photos Courtesy: @gabrielroldan_photography

That is especially important in orthodontics, where treatment can last months or years. Braces and clear aligners are common parts of the work, but the couple says their goal is not to make treatment feel routine or rushed. They want each plan to be specific to the patient.

“We want every family to feel seen, heard, and genuinely cared for, not like just another appointment,” Ozge said.

Working together as a married couple brings its own challenges. There are schedules, treatment decisions, business responsibilities and the pressure of running a practice together. There is also the reality of being married outside the office.

For Ney and Ozge, one of the biggest challenges has been learning how to separate the two.

“Like every marriage, ours has had both good days and challenging ones,” they shared. “The biggest challenge has been not letting our personal lives affect our professional responsibilities.”

Once the office doors open, they say their attention has to be on their patients. That boundary matters to them. Whatever is happening at home, the families who walk into Smiles On Orthodontics still deserve their full focus.

The reward is trust. Ney and Ozge say working together means knowing the person beside them will care for patients with the same seriousness and attention they would.

“We have absolute confidence in each other,” they shared, “and we know that our patients are always in caring, capable hands.”

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That trust is also part of how they manage life as business owners and parents. Their advice to couples who want to build a business together is to expect the difficult days, especially at the beginning of a startup.

Obstacles and setbacks, they said, are part of the process.

Having someone close who can encourage you through those moments makes the work easier to carry.

At the same time, they say couples have to step away from the business and make time for family.

That time helps them recharge and return to work with clearer minds.

Their daughter has changed the way they think about their work. Since becoming parents, Ney and Ozge say they have become more focused on children’s long-term health, not only how teeth look in the short term.

That is part of why Smiles On Orthodontics uses what they describe as an airway-focused approach.

Along with straightening teeth through braces or clear aligners, they look at breathing, facial growth and overall development. The point, they say, is to look at the whole child, especially when early orthodontic care may support healthier growth.

The couple speaks about orthodontics as health care, not solely cosmetics. They aim to educate families on what may be happening underneath their child’s smile.

For parents, that can mean asking different questions: Is my child breathing well? Is facial growth developing as expected? Is this treatment plan only about appearance, or is it also supporting long-term wellness?

Ney and Ozge say they want those conversations to happen in a setting where families do not feel rushed.

They also emphasize fair and transparent pricing, so parents can make decisions with as much clarity as possible.

For the Houston and Katy community, they hope Smiles On Orthodontics is remembered as a familyowned practice that listened to patients, treated families with kindness and respect, and put health first through airway-focused orthodontic care.

Beyond creating beautiful smiles, Ney and Ozge say they hope their work helps patients breathe better, live healthier lives and feel more confident when they smile.

Their story began in two different countries, continued at UCLA and is now rooted in Katy, where they are raising their daughter and building a practice around the same idea: families should feel known, cared for and respected.

FOOD & DRINK Latino Cuisine Core

Best Mexican Cuisine * Ferso’s Mexican Cuisine Best Tex-Mex Restaurant * Lupe’s Mexican Cafe Best Latin American Restaurant * Arepas Don Carlos Best Colombian Restaurant * Made in Medellin Best Venezuelan Restaurant * La Mora Restaurant Best Cuban Restaurant * Rincon Criollo Best Caribbean Restaurant * San Eatery Best Italian Restaurant * Ciro’s Best Steakhouse * Gauchos Do Sul Best American Restaurant * Federal American Grill Best Sushi Restaurant * Kokai Sushi & Lounge Best Greek Food * Pappa Gyros Best Asian Restaurant * Madame May Best Seafood Restaurant * Pier 36 Seafood Restaurant Best Café * Pappy’s Cafe Best BBQ Restaurant * Midway BBQ

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Food Specialties

Drinks & Nightlife

Best Tacos * Tacos El Gato Best Tamales * Habana Mix Foods Best Empanadas * Pastel Pizza Best Hamburger * Fusion Grill

Best Margarita * Ambriza Best Michelada * Alicia’s Mexican Grille Best Latin Bar * Asere Sportbar & Grill Best Live Music Venue * Da Silva

General Dining

BEAUTY, COSMETIC PERSONAL CARE

Best Family Restaurant * Jimmy Changas Best Fine Dining * Pearl & Vine Best Casual Dining * Local Table Best Brunch * Astor’s Table

Hair & Grooming

Best Hair Salon * Meninas Salon Best Barber Shop * Uptown Hair Best Hair Stylist * Karla Castillo

Quick & Popular

Cosmetic & Aesthetic

Best Food Truck * Don Pollo Burger Best Bakery * Giuseppe Bakery Best Desserts * Only Cookies Best Ice Cream Shop * La Argentina Gelato & Coffee Best Coffee Shop * The Coffee Pot

Best Cosmetic Surgeon * German Newall Best Plastic Surgery Clinic * Elite Aesthetic Center Best Med Spa * Le Chloe Med Spa Best Laser Hair Removal * By Claudia Carquez

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Beauty Services Best Nail Salon * Glamour Nails Salon Best Eyelash Extensions

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* Naty Beauty Lashes Best Brow Specialist * Cristiano Martins Best Makeup Artist * The Miss Alice Studio Wellness & Spa Best Day Spa * Piel Saludable Best Massage Therapy * Fuzion Massage Best Facial Treatments * Swan Skin & Body Best Skin Care * AlphaBelle Wellness

HEALTH & MEDICAL Best Family Doctor * Dr. Javier Sosa Best Pediatrician * Pediatricz Now Kingsland Best Pediatric Dentist * Kids Healthy Teeth Best Family Dentistry * City Smile Dental Best Oral Surgeon

* Dr. Raymond Wiggins Best Orthodontist * Smiles on Orthodontics Best Cosmetic Dentist * C & C Dental Best Eye Care Center * Eye Site Best Chiropractor * Dr. Guadalupe Lee Best Optical Center * Optica Houston Best Physical Therapy Clinic * Viva 3 Physical Therapy Best Urgent Care Clinic * Zion Urgent Care Best Hospital * Houston Methodist West Best Hospice * Blue Star Hospice Specialists Best Cardiology Group * Memorial Katy Cardiology Associates Best Podiatrist * Total Foot Care Specialists

Best Dermatologist * Nikko Dermatology Best Gynecologist * Dr. Rafael Campos Best Mental Health Clinic * In My Heart Counseling Best Veterinary Clinic * Texas Republic Veterinary Best Dog Trainer * AJ’s Waggin’ Train Wellness Best Weight Loss Clinic * Hotze Health & Wellness Best Wellness Center * Hotze Health & Wellness Best Alternative Medicine * SOS Natural Best Home Health Care Agency * Homewatch CareGivers of Katy Best Senior Living Community Watercrest at Katy

FAMILY & COMMUNITY Best Daycare * Redeemer’s Learning Center

Best Preschool * Spanish Learning Castle Best Private School * Berean Christian Academy Best Charter School * Calvin Nelms Best After-School Program * Spanish Schoolhouse Best Tutoring Service * Spoken Learning Best Summer Camp * Katy Art School Best Family Entertainment Center * Home Run Dugout Best Indoor Playcenter * Kanga’s Indoor Playcenter Katy Best Kids Activity Center * Play Street Museum Best Church * Powerhouse Church Best Pastor * Pastor Jorge Cardenas Best Youth Program * Kingsland Baptist Church Best Ministry * Lo Vamos a Orar Best Nonprofit Organization * Family Hope Best Community Leader * Laritza Garcia Best Family-Friendly Event * ImagineNation Expo Best Latino Cultural Festival * Venezuelan Cultural Festival

* Somos Latino Mortgage

HOME, REAL ESTATE & SERVICES

Best Used Car Dealer

Best Real Estate Agent * Iris Regueira Best Real Estate Agency * Tricia Turner Group Best Mortgage Company

Best Home Builder

* Perry Homes Home Services Best Roofing Company

* Roofer Supreme

Best HVAC Company

* Eddie’s Heating & AC

Best Plumbing Company

* Katy Plumbing Company Best Electrical Company

* Cruz Electric

Best Remodeling Company

* Romo Remodeling

Best Maid/Cleaning Service

* Westside Maids

Best Landscaping Company

* JMAS Landscaping Best Pest Control

* BUGCO Pest Control Best Flooring Company

* Flooring Land Best Pool Builder

* Costa Maya Pools

Best Computer Repair

* Primary Computer Solutions

AUTOMOTIVE Best Car Dealership

* Toyota of Katy

* Aleman Diamond Motors Best Auto Repair Shop

* Auto Helpers

Best Auto Body Shop

* Mac Rod Collision Best Car Wash

* Ocean Express Car Wash

SHOPPING & RETAIL Best Boutique

* Luxo Boutique

Best Boutique Online

* KK Fashion

Best Western Wear Store

* Gomez Western Wear- Katy Best Jewelry Store

* Amber’s Jewelers

Best Quinceañera Shop

* Valencia Couture Design Best Bridal Shop

* Fiancee Bridal Boutique Best Shoe Store

* Catha Designs

Best Latin Market / Grocery Store

* Mi Querencia

Best Furniture Store

* Super Nova Furniture

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Best Insurance Agent

* Jonda Marshall

Best Insurance Agency

* Vargas Agency

Best Life Insurance Agent

* Martin Curiman

Best Health Insurance Agent

* Reina Romero Best CPA

* Medrano & Associates

Best Tax Preparation Service

* SR Global Multiservices Best Accounting Company

* Toro’s Taxes

Best Notary Public

* Alejandra Barreto Marino Best Immigration Lawyer

* Jesus Suday Best Attorney

* Erin Swanson

Best Family Lawyer

* Daniel Ruiz

Best Personal Injury Lawyer

* Orlando Zambrano

Best Business Consultant

* Burcaw Consulting

Best Marketing Agency

* Church Marketing Group Best AI Marketing

* Marketing Dynamics

Best Social Media Agency

* Marcas Brillantes Best Photographer

* Gabriel Roldan

Best Event Entertainment Company

* Musical Eventos Houston Best Event Planner

* Mariana Cefaratti Best Travel Agency

* Cerveza Travel Group Best Interpreter

* Katherine “Katty” Navarro

EVENTS, WEDDINGS & QUINCEAÑERAS Best Event Venue

* Grand Venue

Best Wedding Venue

* Agave Estates

Best Quinceañera Venue

* Palacio Maria Best DJ

* DJ Samu Best Band

* Shekere Latin Band Best Live Entertainer

* El Chamo Norteno

Best Catering Company

* Kater Catering Best Florist

* Katy Flower Shop Best Cake Designer

* Imperio del Pastel FITNESS, SPORTS & WELLNESS Best Gym

* Breathe Fit

Best Personal Trainer

* Leida Fit

ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA

* CrossFit GonZstronG

Best Radio Station

Best CrossFit Gym Best Yoga Studio

* HoliYogui

Best Zumba Instructor

* Ligia Henriquez

Best Self Defense School

* Level 6 Krav Maga Best Dance Studio

* Stylus Dance Academy Best Soccer Club

* La Juventus

Best Sports Program for Kids

* Pure Soccer

EDUCATION & CAREER Best College / University

* Houston Christian University Best Trade School

* Texas State Technical College Best ESL Program

* Houston Community College

* KRBE 104.1

Best Streamer

* Lester Ceffaratti

Best Spanish Radio Station

* La Mega 101 Best Influencer

* Valeria Charrabe

Best Content Creator

* Claudy Morales

PEOPLE’S CHOICE & CULTURE Best Latino-Owned Business

* Rami Group LLC Best New Business

* CachitoHaus Bakery

Best Woman-Owned Business

* Patty Olivera Hair Salon & Spa Best Family-Owned Business

* FRANCO

Best Business School

* UH CT Bauer College of Business

e Best of Th Best Nonprofit Organization

Houston Christian Rescue Ministry Races to Help After Venezuela Earthquakes Heroes For Humanity founder Dennis Price shares firsthand accounts of faith, devastation and lifesaving rescue efforts.

In Venezuela, families are still standing outside collapsed buildings, waiting for a sound from beneath the rubble. Some are praying for good news. Some are waiting for closure.

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Photo: A rescue worker speaking to the team members searching for survivors alongside him in the Tanaguarena area.

(TIKTOK)

Dennis Price, founder and CEO of Heroes For Humanity, said that is the part national news coverage cannot fully capture in an exclusive new interview with Katy Christian Magazine.

“What it doesn’t fully capture are the families standing outside those buildings refusing to leave because someone they love may still be inside,” Price said. “Disasters are not measured by buildings. They are measured by broken hearts.”

Price, who is now back in Texas, has been coordinating with Heroes For Humanity teams deployed in Venezuela after two massive earthquakes struck the country June 24. The Houston-area Christian rescue ministry has been supporting search-and-rescue operations alongside local responders and partner organizations as Venezuela faces one of the deadliest disasters in its recent history.

The back-to-back earthquakes, reported at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, left buildings collapsed, hospitals strained and thousands of families searching for loved ones. Reuters reported Tuesday that the official death toll had reached at least 1,750, with thousands injured and tens of thousands still missing, according to opposition figures.

The World Health Organization also warned that Venezuela’s health system is under significant strain, with damaged medical centers, overwhelmed hospitals and disease concerns among displaced survivors.

In Venezuela, some major challenges have included damaged infrastructure, aftershocks, communication problems, limited access to affected areas and the sheer scale of the disaster.

For Price, the numbers only tell part of the story.

“The news shows collapsed buildings,” he said. “You see mothers waiting. Children searching. Neighbors risking their own lives to help complete strangers.”

“Our teams are reporting an urgent need for urban search and rescue capability, emergency medical care, trauma supplies, clean water, food, shelter, communications equipment, heavy rescue tools and logistical support,” Price said. He added that sustaining the responders is also a major concern.

Heroes For Humanity is a registered nonprofit, but Price is quick to describe it as something more personal and more spiritual.

“We are a ministry,” he said. “We believe every person is created in the image of God and has immeasurable worth.”

The organization’s teams include veterans from special operations, first responders, search-and-rescue personnel, medical professionals, law enforcement officers, chaplains, pastors and humanitarian volunteers. Many have spent years working in disaster zones, conflict areas and rescue operations. Price said those backgrounds matter in places where conditions can change by the hour.

Every deployment, he said, requires flights, vehicles, equipment, medical supplies and on-the-ground support.

Heroes For Humanity is volunteer-driven, and Price said every mission depends on supporters who make it possible for trained responders to reach people in crisis.

The group drew national attention after Fox News aired footage of a 9-month-old baby and her mother being pulled alive from the rubble. Price appeared on “Fox Report” to discuss the rescue efforts and the broader response in Venezuela.

In response to Katy Christian Magazine, Price said Heroes For Humanity personnel were serving alongside local responders and trusted partner organizations at the time.

“Our team assisted with rescue efforts, coordination, and support as victims were safely removed from the collapse,” he said. “No single organization deserves credit for moments like that. Those rescues happen because many people come together with one goal, saving lives.”

Based on reports from his deployed team, rescuers had been working through unstable debris, listening for any indication that someone was still alive. After locating the mother and baby, crews worked methodically through the collapse to remove them safely.

“Every movement required patience, precision, and teamwork,” Price said. “Watching life emerge from what many believed had become a graveyard is something none of our team members will ever forget.”

Photo: Dennis Price removing Mother Mary statue from rubble following a tornado in Louisiana.

In disaster work, those moments are rare enough to change the atmosphere around a rescue site.

“Every life matters,” he said. “Every family deserves answers.”

Price said responders carry the devastation long after the mission ends. He has seen that in other disasters, including Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, the 2025 California fires in Los Angeles and flood recovery efforts in Kerr County, Texas.

That shift from rescue, which is more probable immediately after a disaster, to recovery, which is more likely as the days tick by, is one of the heaviest emotional burdens responders face. The work becomes slower, quieter and more painful. Families continue to wait outside damaged buildings. Some refuse to leave. Price said hope is often the last thing a family is willing to surrender.

“You carry the sights,” he said. “You carry the smells.

You carry the silence after the cries stop.” That is why a successful rescue can move through a crowd like a shock of hope.

When a mother and baby are brought out alive, Price said, exhausted rescuers remember why they keep digging.

Families who have been waiting for hours or days see that survival is still possible. For a few moments, the rubble is no longer only a graveyard of loss.

Still, as days pass, the mission becomes harder. Rescue teams continue searching anywhere there is a reasonable chance of finding survivors, Price said, but recovery operations are becoming more common as crews search for those still missing.

For Heroes For Humanity, faith is the entire reason its volunteers are able to keep going. “Without Christ, I honestly don’t know how anyone carries the weight of this work,” he said. “He reminds us that every person has value.”

Price said his faith guides the way his teams serve people in crisis, regardless of who they are or where they live. The ministry’s work can look different from one mission to the next. Sometimes it means search-andrescue. Sometimes it means medical care, food, clean water or logistical support. Sometimes it means sitting beside a grieving family and praying.

Photo: Venezolana de Televisión, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

“We never force our faith on anyone, but we never hide it either,” Price said. “The love of Christ is the reason we serve.”

Price said churches there have opened their doors to families, provided food and shelter, organized volunteers and prayed with survivors.

“The Church is often one of the very first places people turn during tragedy,” he said.

For Houston-area readers, the disaster may seem far away. Price said the connection is closer than it appears.

Houston has become home for his family and for much of the work Heroes For Humanity does. The organization is based in Texas, and Price said many of its volunteers, supporters, churches and partner agencies operate throughout the greater Houston area.

A significant amount of the organization’s work also happens in Texas and across the United States through disaster response, humanitarian aid and precision personnel rescue operations. Price said Houston has become a place where Heroes For Humanity builds partnerships, trains volunteers and serves the community before those teams are ever sent overseas.

“While people often see our international missions, a significant amount of our work happens right here in Texas,” he said.

Venezuela is in an immediate crisis, but Price said the organization’s broader mission continues across disaster zones and rescue operations around the world. Heroes For Humanity has also been involved in responses to flooding, hurricanes, fires, human trafficking cases, Americans trapped behind enemy lines and other humanitarian crises.

The work, Price said, does not end when the most dramatic rescues are over. While some may forget about a disaster as days and weeks go by, affected families and communities will continue to need food, water and medical care. Displaced individuals will still require shelter, and hospitals will still need supplies. Churches and relief workers will still need physical and monetary support, and the missing still need to be recovered.

Price is asking Christians in Texas to pray first, then give if they are able.

“Prayer has carried our teams through some of the darkest places in the world,” he said.

Financial support, he added, allows the ministry to deploy trained responders, purchase medical supplies, transport rescue equipment and sustain volunteer teams in the field. He also asked readers not to forget Venezuela once national attention moves elsewhere. “Disasters don’t end when the cameras leave,” Price said.

For the families still standing beside collapsed buildings, that truth is painfully clear. The work in Venezuela now moves between rescue, recovery and long-term survival. The cameras may capture the blatantly shocking details of destroyed buildings and a baby being pulled alive from the rubble.

However, they cannot capture every mother waiting, cuer listening, every church opening its doors or every prayer whispered over a place of ruin. Price said that is where Heroes For Humanity intends to keep serving.

Price said that is where Heroes For Humanity intends to keep serving. “The people of Venezuela need more than sympathy,” he said. “They need hope, prayer and people willing to act.”

For Price, the mission remains rooted in the same conviction whether his teams are responding to earthquakes overseas, floods in Texas or rescue operations closer to home.

“To rescue the oppressed. To care for the hurting. To love people well. To point people toward the hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ,” he said. “That is why Heroes For Humanity exists.”

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