HOUSTON — This Pride Month, KHOU 11 News is highlighting people and businesses that support the LGBTQ+ community.
Kym Adams knows what it's like to be an openly gay business owner in Houston.
She wasn't looking to move to Houston when she headed west about 20 years ago.
"We were evacuating for Katrina and thought we would be here for three days ... packed three days worth of clothes," she said.
She sought refuge in the city and never left, so it was serendipitous that her first project after re-establishing her company -- "The Business Team" -- involved Hurricane Harvey relief.
"Our big push as a business was working with the City of Houston on working on the Hurricane Harvey recovery project, so talk about coming full circle," she said. "For the reasons that we left New Orleans, our experience really allowed us to shine in that space."
The Business Team has become part of the fabric of Houston, helping businesses with logistical and operational support whether they're expanding or relocating to Houston like Adams once did.
"When they don't have a staff in place, we are their face and their profile until they get here. So, when Day 1 happens, their team can walk in fully operational," Adams said.
Her team has worked on major events, such as helping secure the tens of thousands of volunteers needed for the Super Bowl, which Houston hosted in 2017.
She credits many of her professional highs to having the support of the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
But, it's taken many years to get here -- Adams said the corporate environment hasn't always allowed her to be her authentic self.
"It's hard to be a woman, it's hard to be Black, it's hard to be gay. I never want to be the "wah, wah" person ... look at me, I am who I am and that's just hard to hide sometimes and I don't want to do that," she said.
With the support of her wife, two grown sons and her grandkids, Adams wears her rainbow colors with pride.
"It always feels great to represent who you are in a positive way and if that is encouraging for somebody who is struggling, I've done my job," she said. "So, if I get to go kick down doors, not necessarily to force people to think how I think, but to help them understand that it's not OK to make somebody feel less than."
With roots in both Louisiana and Texas, she wants her business to continue to thrive while helping others do the same.
"I am a New Orleanian who has relocated to Houston and I will probably be in Houston for the rest of my life," she said.