Micah Starkey

By David Buice

Micah Starkey grew up in San Angelo, Texas, surrounded by strong women and equally strong men who were not threatened by determined women. Consequently, when Micah wanted to do something, she was always told by family members, “Yes, you can do that. Go for it.”

That unfailing encouragement and her energy and drive have led her to success in three different careers. Initially, she worked in music as a concert engineer at multiple venues, including production manager for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She later found a second career in aviation, one she still pursues, as a Director of Owner Experience for one of the nation’s largest private aviation companies, supporting a team of account managers based in Dallas. Finally, propelled by a life-long love of food, she purchased a Little Greek Fresh Grill franchise in 2016, actively managing its operation while also continuing her leadership role in private aviation.

Her restaurant flourished until the onset of the pandemic when the business went, as she says, “from fabulous to crickets.”

Refusing to quit, she laid off no employees, paying them out of her own pocket, and gradually, business is returning to a semblance of normality.

Complicating things, Micah underwent successful cancer surgery earlier this year, and while recovering, still manages her restaurant remotely.

Summing up her Texas grit Micah says simply, “Do what your heart and gut tell you to do.” And she adds, “What goes on in your head determines how you come out on the other side.”