Hidden Gems: Local Businesses & Creatives You Should Know

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.

Samantha Raj

For the past 15 years, I have gone all-in on my career in marketing. I put it as my “career choice” in every high school presentation, I had fourteen marketing/PR internships throughout my undergrad career, and hustled hard throughout my professional journey, learning everything I could about the agencies I worked at, the clients we serviced, the technology we offered, and how to remain an asset. Read More>>

Raquel Welch

For over 15 years, I’ve thrived as an entrepreneur in the Marketing Industry, 5.5 years owning a Design Firm, and also ventured into Talent Acquisition, where my personality and professionalism felt effortless. In that role, I met new people daily from all walks of life and industries, interviewing them while helping them secure career opportunities. Fast forward to 2023, and I found myself feeling the need to set new personal goals – ones that make me even HAPPIER. That’s when my creative side kicked in, and the idea for a podcast was born—one that connects people from all fields with a unique flair, discussing everything life has to offer. Read More>>

Alaina Leech

When the opportunity arose to buy a wine shop, we took the leap, and in early 2021, along with our friend Michael, we bought Lake District Wine Co. My love for wine deepened from there. For the past three years, I’ve been studying with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, eager to learn all I can about an industry that combines agriculture, history, culture, and geology. I believe in wine’s unique ability to build community, and I love that we get to create those connections in our neighborhood shop. Read More>>

Lauren Lenz

I studied as a music major in college to be an opera singer, but throughout the process I felt a pull to bigger-picture storytelling. After graduating with my Bachelors in Music I went to work at a local opera company as their assistant director, and I’ve been directing and working on operas in different backstage capacities at different companies throughout the US ever since. Read More>>

Edgar Welch

After high school, I worked a retail job to support my festival travels and picked up leather crafting to create unique outfits. In 2018, I attended the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, where I studied fashion accessory design but soon realized I wanted a different approach to break into the fashion world. The pandemic gave me time to refine my craft, leading to my leather work being showcased in New York showrooms and featured in magazine editorials and music videos. Read More>>

David Lieb

It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Making a living in the mountain biking industry is challenging, with better years and worse years, and currently, the industry is going through a tough financial period. Beyond financial challenges, I’ve also faced physical setbacks, like battling a torn ACL after a crash in Australia. Recovering from injuries like that requires both mental and physical resilience, but these challenges have shaped me into a more determined and adaptable athlete. Read More>>

Mike Gotti

Then I started to do some cover art for more local artists around the city. I wasn’t charging much—sometimes for free or just $20. I didn’t really think I could make much of it until I started to practice, reach out, and network. I began making concept covers for my favorite artists, hoping they would see them. Eventually, I started working with artists Los and Nutty, who were also at the beginning of their run. They already had their brand, and I had so many ideas, so it was perfect timing. Read More>>

Tanisha Wynn

I am 33, a mother of 2 girls, from Detroit. A few years ago, during the pandemic, i started a business just like everyone else lol by the name of Little Divas & Women Accessories, making charm bracelets by hand and also selling items such as purses for women and children, lashes, keychains, hats, sunglasses and more. While doing this i really wanted to focus on my passion which was reading and writing. Read More>>

Kassandra Keator

As the years went on, picture books turned into short stories, which then turned into fully fledged novel ideas in high school. The inspiration for my debut novel, “Orchard of the Fox,” the first story within The Absorbism Series, came to me in 2012. I was about 15 at the time, and going through a lot. I sadly cannot recall the exact way I came up with the idea for the story. I just know that it became my escape from many years of hard times that would follow. Eventually, in 2016, I was able to leave Florida and begin my new life in Northern Michigan. Long story short, I am much happier here, and have fallen in love with the state– both halves! This is the reason for the location of the book: a rural town near the Mackinac Bridge of Michigan. Read More>>

Carla Hurd

I started my family young and worked at a roller rink that was about to be sold. My other option was to work at my mother’s bar, which I wanted to avoid as a new mom, but it did help me develop my people skills. Later that year, I attended a candle party and became fascinated by direct sales. That day marked the beginning of a 23-year journey as Carla the Candle Lady, where the flexible hours helped me raise my family. Read More>>

Somali Student Association

Recognizing the unique challenges faced by Somali students, we aimed to establish a supportive space where individuals could connect, share experiences, and find resources. Our mission extends beyond just serving our members; we also focus on educating the MSU and local community about Somali culture and issues, fostering understanding and collaboration. Read More>>

Billy B

My name is Billy, and my wife, Kayla and I run Tree Street Packaging. We specialize in cannabis packaging, UV and foil embellishments and brand design. We offer a wide range of items, such as stickers, labels, pouches, and boxes. We’ve also added some fun trade show essentials like tents and banners to our capabilities. Our mission is simple: to provide top-notch printing and packaging to the cannabis community and to ensure our clients’ brands look their best. Read More>>

Aurelien Bouche-Pillon

I was born and raised in France, and at 26, I took a leap across the Atlantic with only two surfboards and a dream. Those surfboards were stolen not long after I arrived, but the dream was unshakable. I didn’t speak a word of English, and at first, I had to walk an hour through the snow just to get to work. But I’ve learned so much and met incredible people along the way, and I feel immensely blessed and grateful for each step of the journey. Read More>>

Nick Waters

Health, fitness & science were innately something I’ve always cared about and I went this route because it made sense and I put a lot of my purpose on getting to this “doctorate” level and take care of my dad with what I could with my mind and my resources. When he died, it was like I had purpose ripped away from me in a way. Read More>>

Rene Cizio

For a long time, I hoped to be a poet. But I grew up in a blue-collar factory-working family, and it would have made more sense if I had said I planned to raise gorillas on the moon. Eventually, I became a journalist, which seemed like a fair compromise between poetry and factory life. Read More>>

Quinn Vogt

My journey began many years ago as a competitive figure skater. As I grew older, I started teaching Learn to Skate lessons alongside my own training, eventually moving on to private lessons, which I did for nearly 18 years. I’m sure you’re wondering how this relates to illuminated outerwear for dogs… Well during my coaching career, I began designing and creating skating dresses for some of my students. Sewing has always been a part of my life. I learned from my Mom and Grandma, both avid sewers, and I’ve loved it ever since. Sewing and creating are definitely some of my passions. There’s something incredibly rewarding about taking a piece of fabric and turning it into something functional and beautiful. About eleven years ago, my family relocated to Michigan, and I retired from teaching skating and making dresses. Read More>>

Madison Alexis

My husband is a wonderful carpenter, so together, we built a 6×9 canvas from scratch. One motto in design is: “if color is intimidating, use texture!” so why not stand by that that motto for art! That’s how my admiration of “impasto” was born. I started getting orders and it made me realize I had a new found passion and wanted to do this permanently! So, I went to school for Art & Design and never looked back.” Read More>>

Gabby Rosely

I have traveled the world, sailed the seas, jumped in and out of comfort zones, communed with God (in many MANY ways, shapes, and forms) and made lasting memories with incredible humans – young, old, disabled, & able bodied across many cultures and walks of life… My heart is truly with the people I have the opportunity to serve and grow to love. My love for self discovery, developing others, and entrepreneurship has brought me to where I am today as an Authentic Leadership & Communication Coach + Speaker. The dream remains the same: Empower and Equip Others to Lead Fulfilling Lives through Deep Connection to Self & Others. Read More>>

L’vynder Renae

From the moment I got it I was braiding my own hair. People would ask me “Who braided your hair?” when I would tell them I braided my own hair people would always be like “Oh wow you’re talented” or “Really!? You did a good job”. It wasn’t till after high school, I was 19 years old I had moved back home with my mom. I remember going to her and telling her my plan to braid hair. I was like “mom I’m going to get back into braiding, don’t book my little sisters appointments with anyone for braids. I’m going to be their braider” (I have two little sisters on my mom’s side we are 10 & 11 years apart). Read More>>

Ashley Richardson

After extensive research, I discovered a fantastic school right here in Michigan that specializes in makeup artistry. My journey truly evolved there, as I quickly gravitated towards special effects makeup instead of traditional beauty makeup. Eager to expand my skills, I enrolled at Stan Winston’s School of Character Arts, where I built a solid foundation of knowledge. With countless hours of practice on myself and hands-on experience collaborating with fellow filmmakers on short films, music videos, and feature films, my expertise continued to flourish. Read More>>

Krista Arendsen

While I was growing up just south of Detroit in the 80s and 90s, my grandparents had a small outdoor resort with cabins near lake Michigan. Over the years I always dreamed of having a piece of land, a space where I could live close to nature, share with friends and guests, and foster a sustainable lifestyle. At 18, I moved out of state, but this dream stayed with me although I was reluctant to move back to Michigan. I was reminded about how beautiful the state is during visits over the years. In 2020, I returned to be closer to my aging parents. My mother, now 90, still lives in Rochester Hills, and my father, who I was fortunate to spend a bit more time with, passed away in 2021. Read More>>

Paola Marquez-Smith

I pursued my first Master’s degree in Composition at Syracuse University, where I was fortunate to receive the 2008 Heaton Fellowship. Syracuse provided me with incredible mentors like Jorge Pinzon and Dr. Daniel Godfrey, who showed me how to bring my fascination with human psychology into my compositions, bridging art, music, and social issues. Later, I went on to earn a second Master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where I was awarded the Eleanor Cranefield Scholarship in 2014. Read More>>

Melissa Scargall

Where I’d say my story starts is when I became a Mother and knew I felt a need to capture and document (as most) everything that I could. From keepsakes to photography I knew I wanted to keep all the details in my memory. It made perfect sense to me to buy an expensive camera and start learning how to use my new gear to document my own family. This has grown into me now documenting many families and is honestly a dream job that I didn’t even know I wanted. Funny how when life works out that way sometimes. Read More>>

Michael Kane

I’m Michael Kane, a self-taught developer whose path into tech began with a single decision: to rebuild my life after years of health challenges. In my early twenties, I was diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), a rare autoimmune disorder that led to paralysis and required almost a decade of intensive IVIG treatments. As my health began to improve, I found myself ready to start fresh—and I chose to dive into coding. Read More>>

Leeann Nanney

A seed had been planted to build something of my own, a place where clients can treat both their skin and their minds by practicing self care; thus, Bloom Skin Studio was created. That year I started a home studio which I opened to friends, family, and close clients. In 2024, I had my second daughter and I knew that it was time for the planted seed to be nurtured to grow; Bloom Skin Studio moved locations to a suite in Clarkston. I am happy to say that I am now taking new clients, while still being able to be close to home to take care of my girls. Read More>>

Sophia Sarti

I took extra courses to become a certified acne specialist in 2022. With my advanced knowledge on acne it became more and more evident that skincare on the market that was targeted to those with acne was extremely trying and over exfoliating. This increases inflammation therefore increasing acne. I began working with skincare labs and created my own skincare line, SartiSkincare. SartiSkincare is free from pore clogging ingredients and actually focuses on hydrating and lowering inflammation, not just drying your skin out. My acne business has flourished since Read More>>

Jenny Stewart

I began to see how a few basic signs could empower children and ease their frustration by giving them a way to express their needs and emotions. So, I launched Signing Courses, which provides a propriety method of implementing Simple Signs in a way that encourages speech and language development. We provide Simple Signs materials such as curriculum guides, ASL posters, flashcards, and courses to early childhood programs and schools across the U.S., promoting a more inclusive and supportive environment for all children. Read More>>

Daniel/Zachary Easterly

Our journey with WeCannBe and the 40 Acres app is rooted in the vision of transforming communities through social finance and tech innovation. My brother, Zachary, and I, as co-founders, make up half of each venture, bringing our combined expertise and passion to create opportunities for underserved communities to access ownership and financial growth. Read More>>

Sean Milavec

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset, and knew I wanted to run something of my own that I could grow and be proud of. 8 years into my professional career, I started to realize i could take everything I learned from my contracting background and apply this to my fathers business. The business I was so motivated to leave, suddenly spoke to me later in life. While my father had been in business since 1992, he had never grown from working IN the business to ON the business. This was something that I was motivated to accomplish. Read More>>

Staci Rogers

Flash forward to her being a little over a year old, my husband gifted me my first camera, and eventually I built up enough courage to start taking photos of people rather than just nature shots. And here I am a little over 2.5 years later doing photography full time! I’ve enjoyed furthering my education in photography, travelling with it and sharing those photos, and now even down to my single senior sessions and family sessions. I absolutely love what I do, and I love being able to give people tangible memories and moments that they can hold in their hands! Read More>>

Catie Eovaldi

My poor camera sat in my closet for years untouched. During this time I started dating my now-husband and I worked in insurance. I needed a creative outlet from the stress of the job and tried so many things outside of photography, but eventually I picked up the camera again. This time, I let it stick and decided to start a business on the side- which quickly grew. I made the switch from photographing seniors and families to engagements and weddings. My husband really encouraged me to go full-time with photography, so I left insurance for good in 2023. I haven’t looked back since! Read More>>

Amie Carter

Honestly, it’s kind of a long story. My journey actually started in 2006 when my son was born. He had seizures as a baby amongst other things and was finally diagnosed at 2 1/2 years old with autism, ADHD and oppositional define disorder. My son was very violent and aggressive, and I had to fight the mental healthcare system for every service. I realized how broken the mental healthcare system is. I became very involved serving on different boards and utilizing lawmakers to help me navigate the resources that could help my son.  Read More>>

Robin Dibble

Having children at a young age, experiencing divorce and then going back to college was a challenge. Growing up in an alcoholic home and struggles as a young person has allowed for a deep understanding, compassion and empathy for others. (especially young people) Developing an open mind, and ability to forgive have been a huge take away. Self work and supporting others on their journey has been a big part of her awakening. Read More>>

Cara Chanel

Specializing in décor photography has allowed me to tell stories through my work, and it’s been especially rewarding to break barriers as a woman in spaces that aren’t always open to female photographers. I’m proud to be a published photographer, leaving people in awe of the images I create. I take great pride in not only delivering exceptional photos but also in providing outstanding customer service throughout the process. Read More>>

Sarah Stein

My name is Sarah Stein and I am a Co-creator of Ecstatic Dance Lansing! What got me here, will take us back about 2 years! This is quite the long story, so bear with me! It was spring 2022, I started feeling extremely overwhelmed, frustrated and angry with my life, so i decided to get help and started therapy at LiveWell, where I found Meaghan of The Goddess Goals LLC’s movement medicine classes! Her somatic therapy techniques changed my life, and helped light up my spark again! At the time, I was a full time childcare teacher, and realized I was burnt out, drained, exhausted from the 9-5 life! Constantly pouring into others, and not myself. After going through some online coaching programs (Vocal Activation & Juicy Feminine Leadership) I had made the hard decision to leave that life behind.  Read More>>

Eric Hemker

Since then, I have taken dozens of road trips to various blacksmithing and bladesmithing events around Michigan and the US and taken and taught multiple classes. I’ve been a Michigan Artist Blacksmith Assoc. member since 2017 and the American Bladesmith Society since 2018 with an apprentice smith rating. Most recently, I became a Forged in Fire champion on season 8 episode 22 “Fire and Water” where I built a Hwando in rounds one and two and a Woldo in the finale. Read More>>

Caitlin McCarthy

I dabbled in lecturing at a local college in Biology and Chemistry but missed medicine so I left teaching and began a career in clinical research at the University of Michigan hoping that being back in medicine would fulfill me. After leaving the flexibility of college academia, my health rapidly declined as the rigours of a career in medicine quickly became too much for my brain to handle post injury. I struggled balancing work and life and focused solely on work for years because my brain could not balance both. Read More>>

Megan Sarmento

The first official step toward making my dreams a reality came in June of 2022 when my sister-in-law asked me to lead a 25 person workshop creating floral arrangements for Metta + Moxie (check them out!). I decided to go all in and created an official name, social presence, and register as a business! Here we are more than 2 years later with over 50 events under our belt, including weddings, showers, parties, styled shoots, workshops, and more! Read More>>

Claire and Oliver Oden

At the end of the school year, my photography teacher sat me down, her expression softer than I’d ever seen. She explained that her intense critiques weren’t meant to break me, but to challenge me, because she genuinely believed in my potential. “I see something special in your work,” she said, her eyes sincere. “I pushed you because I truly want you to succeed in this journey.” In that moment, I felt a rush of gratitude, realizing that every tear had been worth it, and her faith in me ignited a newfound determination to pursue my passion full time. Read More>>

Yaniv Segal

My story starts with my parents, who emigrated from Poland (mother) and Israel (father). They met in New York City. My father is violin maker and my mother is a now-retired violinist – who was the sixth woman to be in the New York Philharmonic! Though my sister and I were born in the US, my parents spoke their native tongues with us at home and maintained some of their cultural identity in our household. We learned English in school and spoke English with our friends. Read More>>

Manda Noorzad

Painting is not a reflection of a feeling, I am interested in what is presented to the world by publishing a statement. Thousands of coincidental events happen every day and sometimes several times a day, but I do not see a painting as if it does not pass.” Read More>>

Patrick Duggan

Coming full circle to today, some of the original DWD people were able to successfully reacquire the brand in summer of 2024 and relaunch just recently. So, we’re back at as Down with Detroit! We’re the official unofficial hype factory & merch shop for Detroit city & the great state of Michigan. Read More>>