Carla Lyles

Community Leader & Entrepreneur

Carla Lyles is a community leader, self-taught crafter, and entrepreneur from Houston, Texas. Carla first shared her passion for community service by creating The Haven, a grassroots organization that empowered the youth through the arts in 2002. Providing free arts activities to her hometown of Alief and local shelters in Houston and surrounding areas. Currently, Carla's drive to support the community has manifested in Keep Houston Dope, a movement started during Hurricane Harvey to help strengthen the city and encourage togetherness.

By combining her desire for self-expression, love of community, and her professional experience in project management, she created her flourishing and colorful business Carla Sue LLC. A bold greeting card brand that encourages radical self-love with the hopes to destigmatize mental health one greeting card at a time. You can find Carla Sue products in stores nationwide. Carla's work has been featured by Refinery29, Houstonia Magazine & Arianna Huffington's Thrive among others. She has been honored with Pop Shop America’s Maker Awards in the Best Prints and Paper Goods category. In 2019 she was named one of the Top 10 Entrepreneurs Who Turned Their Hobbies into a Successful Career by Entrepreneur Magazine.

She was awarded 2021's Game Changer of the Year by She Said. She Led. She is. Organization and is currently in partnership with Vistaprint and Pepsico.