Every day we have a choice. We can support an up and coming podcaster, try a new family-run restaurant, join a boutique gym started by a local fitness champ or we could keep giving away our money to the handful of giants who already control so much of our commerce. Our daily decisions impact the kind world we live in; if we want a world where small businesses are growing and artists and creatives are thriving then we should support them with our time, money and attention. We’re proud to highlight inspiring creatives and entrepreneurs each week in Hidden Gems series. Check out some of our latest local gem features below.
Constance Miller
My story has always been rooted in helping people. I’ve spent years working in the insurance industry, especially Medicare, where I’ve learned how important it is to listen, educate and make people feel like they have someone in their corner. Outside of my career, I’ve always had a creative and entrepreneurial side. Read more>>
Brittanee Brown
My journey in fitness started long before BFITBWELL Fitness Studio ever had a physical home. I graduated from Old Dominion University with a degree in Exercise Science, and I’ve been working in the fitness industry for over a decade. What started with me teaching classes and helping women feel stronger and more confident eventually grew into something much bigger than I originally imagined. Read more>>
Nakia Coates
My journey into the beauty industry started long before I ever imagined owning my own business. I became a teen mom at 15, but through every chapter of my life, my love for doing hair remained. Read more>>
Charisma Matthew
Before Hookahholic Luxury Hookah was ever a business, hookah was already a part of my young adult social lifestyle. In 2022 and even before then, whether I was going out with friends, hosting something at my house, planning brunch, or organizing an outing, I was always the person asking, “Where’s the hookah at?” My line sister, Maya, and I were especially known for asking that. Read more>>
Mariah Fisher
I’ve always been drawn to creativity, fashion, and visual storytelling. I started by studying art and design before earning my degree in Fashion Design from Moore College of Art & Design, where I was recognized for both Best Collection and Best Eveningwear. Read more>>
DJ BIG LEEK 🎧🎧🎧
Started the music business in Pleasantville NJ as lead singer of an R&B group called 4 PLAY. With writers from Multi platinum Production team DarkChild. I went on to Managing many Artists & Groups like my Son Young Leek to whom Jay Z signed to Def Jam. Read more>>
JNicole Corley
My journey started with a strong desire to help people and create opportunities. I spent years working in healthcare, building a career through roles in patient care, emergency medicine, phlebotomy, medical assisting, hospice, and home health. Those experiences taught me resilience, compassion, leadership, and how important it is to show up for people. Over time, I realized I had another calling—building something of my own. Read more>>
Courtney Brown
I was poured into this work in a roundabout way. I completed my undergrad in Physical Education with a concentration in Physical Therapy at Morgan State University, and went on to work as a clinician assistant supporting physical, occupational, and speech therapists. Read more>>
Robin Fortune
Before The Organized Path, I spent 25 years working in mortgage, real estate, title, and banking. My last position was with a real estate title company, where I spent about 10 years. I loved many aspects of my career, but I was always the person who organized everything—processes, businesses, homes, and, honestly, the lives of the people around me. Read more>>
Sara Bardin
I began my artistic practice in 2009, initially turning to portraiture as a way to ground myself from the overwhelming demands of work and motherhood. However, my creative path was transformed in 2013 by a visit to the U.S. Botanic Garden. Read more>>
Julian Quander
I’m Julian Quander, a singer, songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur from the Washington, D.C. area. Music has been a major part of my life from an early age. I studied voice at Montgomery College and Towson University and competed in both jazz and classical music, including winning first place in the Cab Calloway Jazz Vocal Competition twice and the N.A.T.S. Classical Voice Competition. Read more>>
Alecia Hawkins
My path as an artist has never been particularly linear. I’ve always been drawn to creating, but over time I began to realize that my creativity could exist across many different mediums and environments. My name is Alecia Hawkins, though I go by STORM. I’m an interdisciplinary artist from Chicago, creating immersive visual experiences through painting, installation, and design. Read more>>
Abi Fapohunda
I’ve always been creative. Drawing, making things, coming up with ideas, and experimenting visually were things I naturally gravitated toward growing up. My path into design wasn’t completely straightforward, though. I’ve worked different jobs, explored different creative disciplines, and spent a lot of time figuring out where my strengths actually fit. Read more>>
Karla Mostachie
My story has always been shaped by creativity and communication. From a very young age, I found different ways to express myself through theater, music, dance, and even arts and crafts. Over time, I realized that something that came so naturally to me could also become a career. Read more>>
Crystal Timus-Jenkins
My story with Glow in Peace Skincare really started long before there was ever a business, a website, labels, or even a name for it. I’m a mom of five, and two of my children have dealt with eczema, with my son having severe eczema since he was an infant. Read more>>
Katie Muldoon
Promise Landing Farm was founded in 2019 by Rob and Kathy Taishoff. Rob’s daughter, Jackie, has Down Syndrome and had been enjoying riding at a therapeutic equestrian center when the opportunity to turn the Promise Landing Farm property into an inclusive equestrian center presented itself. Read more>>
Magnolia Cook
I always say my story started long before I ever became a business owner. I’m a Maryland girl, and so much of who I am was shaped there—my faith, my family, my work ethic, and my desire to serve people. I actually started preaching at 16 years old. At that age, I had no idea where life would take me. Read more>>
Ja-Lyn Burton
AJ’s Creationz was born from something I’ve always loved—being creative and bringing people’s ideas to life. What started as making personalized items for family and friends became a passion that I knew I wanted to turn into something bigger. I started with the basics, learning through trial and error, investing in my equipment, and teaching myself new techniques along the way. Read more>>
Oluwamumisorire Moradeyo
My story as a creator began when my dad complained that I was using my phone too much and spending money on data when other people were making money off my doomscrolling. His message was I should use my phone less but what I got from it was to find a way to make money with my phone. Read more>>
Ajah Perry
I’ve had an oddly amount of good and bad dating/life experiences…as the average person sure but have always been alot more introspective about it. Turned that pain into purpose through social media and started speaking on my experiences, within months people resonated with my advice and stories and here I am today. Read more>>
Peter Kamenik
In 2001, I told my wife I was retiring. I was a Safety Engineer at the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (TECOM) at Aberdeen Proving Ground. She told me, ‘You’re not going to sit around and do nothing.’ So I asked her, ‘What should I do?’ I got a blank stare. Some time later, we were headed on vacation to the beach. Read more>>
Terrina Russell
I was 17 years old when a friend asked me for a ride to the recruiting station. Once I was there, the recruiter started talking to me about joining the Navy. It was never anything that I intended on doing, but in that moment, it just felt like if I didn’t go, I wouldn’t grow. Read more>>
Kayla Lewis
I first started Kaylas Kakery when I was 13 years old, in my last year of middle school during COVID. I have loved baking for as long as I can remember; I watched endless YouTube videos about baking, just for fun at first. Read more>>
Joy Tappen
My art is an exciting second act for me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share it with you. My grade six teacher, Miss Crossley, was an inspiring woman who introduced me to, among other things, the fascinating hobby of bird watching. Read more>>
Kevin Murchison
I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but my journey began far beyond the place I was born. At the age of two, my mother moved my sister and me to Tampa, Florida, where I began experiencing life from a different perspective. A few years later, our journey continued to California, where we lived with my grandfather in Altadena before eventually making Pasadena my home. Read more>>
Samantha Michelle
I come from a musical family. We all sing and/or play instruments. I’m talking, my grandparents, my parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, all of us. I started singing at the age of two. However, it wasn’t until I was around 18 that I actually became serious about my craft. I began studying, practicing, and investing in myself. Read more>>
Vire Alexander
The story of Vire Alexander starts with trauma. The Covid pandemic shifted the way that I was living my life. At the time I enjoyed it and the freedom that was able to be experienced alongside so much pain. But the pains that were marinating in that time started from much earlier in my life. Read more>>
Tesha Davilmar
My journey as an artist began somewhat unexpectedly. I have always been drawn to creativity, but my professional path initially centered around medicine, public health, and community work. While pursuing that path, I continued making art as a way to explore my own experiences, identity, relationships, and connection to my Haitian heritage. Over time, painting became more than a personal creative outlet. Read more>>
Darlene Parks
LeneNicole began with a passion for creating beautiful, meaningful fragrances that bring comfort, warmth, and intention into everyday life. What started as a creative vision has grown into a brand built around thoughtfully crafted scents and the rituals they inspire. Today, LeneNicole continues to evolve through the support of customers who choose our fragrances to be part of their homes, routines, and special moments. Read more>>
Derrick Offei- Awuku
Music has always been part of my life but i released my first official single in 2017 titled ‘Let it go’. Over the years i have had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest act on the continent such as Patoranking, Kwesi, Arthur, Kelyvn Boy and Ayo Beatz. Read more>>
