Twinkling opportunities

A gem of an offer: The Vault creates unique experiences for CultureMap readers

If you like your opportunities tailor-made, and believe that life is about prioritizing experiences above all else, you're in luck.

Houston, we have The Vault.

Focusing on special offers, or "gems," CultureMap's The Vault is the whole kit and caboodle. When you opt-in to The Vault's e-mail list, you're offered creative experiences in the areas of entertainment, dining, travel and other luxury lifestyle services that you can only wish for. But they've already been dreamed of and created for you — with a select number available for purchase.

But what are these "experiences"?

"We're packaging things together from retailers and vendors to bring a total experience to CultureMap readers," said CultureMap vice president of sales Chad Miller. "This is about building buzz for community businesses that are not a good fit for the mass market group discount buying model.”

Like the opportunity to create your own blend of Napa Cabernet wine at Vinters Own. Or dine in a climate-controlled labyrinth of Nos Caves Vin.

"These are things you can't buy off the rack, and aren't on the menu," said CultureMap senior account executive Marielle Johnson Sokolowski. "People come to CultureMap to find the best things in the city, and this is a very real way to bring them these things."

And the future holds even more treasures. Sokolowski told us some of the upcoming offers include a combination that involves Hotel Granduca, Sienna Plantation, and the Texas Gulf Coast chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. She also mentioned Lexis Florist and something about "divulging trade secrets." You'll just have to stay tuned to CultureMap to find out exactly what the experiences will be.

But if you don't act fast, the coveted gem could slip away from you. Offers are available in limited quantities for a limited time, so it pays to act early.

Sound good? Sign up for The Vault's mailing list to get started on unlocking a wealth of experiences in our gem of a town.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”