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.
Porsche Miles
Professionally, I have dedicated my career to public service, leadership development, and effective communication. My journey began long before my professional career, as I developed a passion for leadership, service, and civic engagement while attending Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan. Read more>>
Lindsay Theisen
As we approach our 10-year anniversary, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey that has brought us to this milestone. Looking back, it’s hard to believe how much has happened over the last decade. There have been countless hours of hard work, long nights, difficult decisions, and moments that tested our determination. Read more>>
Oreste Cardillo
Our story has unfolded across several chapters, each one building naturally on the last. Long before this became our full-time work, baking was already a meaningful part of our lives. We were the people who brought something homemade to holidays, celebrations, and dinners with friends, and over time that habit grew into a serious passion. Read more>>
Barbara Schilling
Art has been a constant thread throughout my life. I have always been creating, studying, and working to grow as an artist. For 35 years, I had a career in art restoration, which gave me an intimate understanding of materials, techniques, craftsmanship, and the ways artists throughout history used paint to communicate their vision. Read more>>
Courtney Sanderson
My journey into the beauty industry started long before cosmetology school. Growing up in California, I was fascinated by all things beauty. I loved watching movies, flipping through magazines, and studying the hairstyles, makeup looks, colors, and techniques that brought characters and stories to life. It was clear from an early age that creativity was where I thrived. Read more>>
Razia Muhammadi
I grew up in a conservative, patriarchal, and abusive household and immigrated to the United States from Pakistan at age six with my single mother, six siblings, and grandparents. Growing up, I never felt like my voice mattered. I learned to pay attention to everyone else’s needs before my own and spent much of my life focused on survival rather than myself. Read more>>
Michael Andrud
It would not be a Michigan story without the auto industry, and my career started with General Motors — there I worked in IT and financial systems for years. That experience gave me a strong foundation in technology, operations and problem solving at scale. From there, I transitioned into banking and financial services, working with organizations navigating major transformations after the financial crisis. Read more>>
Christi Dreese
Art was never a choice for me — it was simply who I was. From the time I was a child I was drawing and painting. There was never a moment where I sat down and mapped out a career path. I just knew. Read more>>
Sheila Burns
My journey into counseling is deeply personal to me. I’ve always been someone who naturally listened to people, cared deeply about what they were carrying, and wanted others to feel safe enough to be honest about their struggles. Read more>>
Imani Thomas
My journey into entrepreneurship started with a passion for storytelling, community, and helping businesses grow through digital marketing. As a Detroit native and graduate of the University of Michigan, I’ve always been interested in the intersection of creativity, strategy, and impact. Read more>>
brotherly 11
Hi how’s it going im Brotherly, a model, stylist, creative-creative director, and film photography. In the year of 2023, I started modeling and walked in my first fashion show at Michigan State with an organization called N(now)crowd. Led by college students and student designers, a perfect way to get an introduction of modeling and runway walking. Read more>>
PAUL SOLTYSIAK
Back in 2019, my friend Andy DeVries and I met each other playing catch at our old neighborhood ballpark – Sullivan (formerly Valley) Field. After reminiscing about all the great memories we had there, we decided to start a Facebook group – Fans of Valley Field, which now has nearly 7000 members. Read more>>
Paige Maurer
I’ve always been drawn to interior design and creative work. Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, who owned a small home décor shop in my hometown. My grandfather handcrafted wood furniture and décor pieces, while my grandmother created everything from wreaths and pillows to other decorative home accents. Read more>>
Pam Talluto
I’ve always loved photography. Even when I was young, I was drawn to capturing moments and noticing beauty in everyday things. But like many people, my career path initially took me in a different direction. I worked a string of clerical and retail jobs that never felt fulfilling. Read more>>
Darshay “Shay Willz” Williams
I’ve always been a creative person at heart, but over the years I realized I didn’t want to limit myself to just one path. My journey has been about building multiple brands and businesses that reflect different parts of who I am while also helping and inspiring others along the way. Read more>>
Heman(Emon) Armstrong
I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and storytelling honestly became my escape before I even realized it could become my purpose. As a kid, I was always filming little videos, creating worlds in my head, and using cameras to express emotions I didn’t always know how to talk about out loud. Read more>>
Shosh Abromovich
My career has always been rooted in growth — growing teams, growing brands, and growing the kind of culture where people feel proud of the work they do. I started in media nearly 18 years ago, and like a lot of people, I began on the ground floor. Read more>>
Nate Seites
I discovered my love for photography while hiking in Oregon and I wanted to share what I was seeing with my friends back home. While I loved landscape photography, I wanted to try and find a different niche. Fast forward a few years, I went to the Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids to see my cousin’s band headline a sold out show. Read more>>
Rodney Hensley
My wife Mindy and I started SoZo Coffee Roasting and Microbakery in 2006 with a simple vision: create a place where people feel welcomed, valued, and cared for while serving exceptional coffee and baked from scratch goodies. What began as a small local coffee shop has grown into a full coffee roasting company, microbakery, wholesale supplier, and community gathering place in Ionia, Michigan. Read more>>
Karen Walker
I’ve realized something while looking back over my working life: my career path has been less like a carefully planned roadmap and more like a series of detours. Every time I thought I had finally found where I belonged, circumstances had other ideas. At the time, those changes often felt unsettling. Read more>>
Nina Pesys
I started my journey in the beauty industry as a Front Desk Receptionist at Gerald’s Salon in Northville, Michigan. I don’t know that my life path would have led me to hairdressing had I had not found myself in the right place at the right time with the best mentor there was- Gerald Haynes. In hindsight, I was destined to be a hairdresser. Read more>>
Andrew Warren
I’ve always loved music. Ever since I was young, music was just something that stuck with me and became a part of who I am. No matter where I was or what was going on, music always had a way of catching my attention, inspiring me, and making me feel connected. Read more>>
Jen Birchmeier
Way back when I took a ceramics class in high school and that’s where I discovered my love for the art form. Fast forward a lot of years and I opened up a photography studio downtown Owosso and one of my nearby neighbors was the Shiawassee Art Center (right next to the Curwood Castle). Read more>>
Michele Howe
I first took an interest in writing when I was employed as an assistant to the owner of a PR agency in Toledo. My employer was the PR manager for the largest trucking industries in the country and he also was the editor of several trucking magazines which he allowed me to proofread. Read more>>
Yasmeen Nagi
Casa 786 Events started from a very personal place in our hearts. When my middle sister was planning her wedding, the cost of decor and event styling was a major challenge. At the same time, every detail mattered to her, and we wanted to make her day feel beautiful and special without spending an overwhelming amount of money. Read more>>
Bryson Steen
I’ve always been creative growing up, whether it was making videos, storytelling, or just finding ways to express myself. For a while I focused on sports, but acting always stayed with me. Over time I really leaned into it, stayed consistent, kept learning, and trusted the process. I’m still growing, but every step has helped shape who I am as an artist and person. Read more>>
Jon Durell
When I started college almost 30 years ago, my plan was to finish undergrad and go right to law school. Things changed, the world changed, and when I finished my degree in fall of 2001, public service was calling. I started out as a police officer about 8 weeks after graduating. Fast forward almost a decade, and I was assigned as a detective. Read more>>
Fatim Traore
My story starts in middle school where I got my hands on my first ever MacBook. I fell in love with iMovie. My school had a focus on the arts, so often times we’d have a video to create for our classes. Read more>>
Pennapa Wichian
I come from Bangkok. As a salaried employee seeking a change in my life, I decided to open a Thai restaurant in Grand Rapids—hoping that my ability to prepare authentic Thai cuisine would transform not only my own life but also the lives of others in this city. Read more>>
Skyline Event Center
Skyline Event Center is a small venue in Northeast Michigan, known primarily for listening room concerts, original and independent artists perform for a very enthusiastic audience and enjoy an opportunity to join in a wonderful community activity. Skyline is operated by a one hundred percent volunteer group of community minded people who believe that music and art are important to keeping a community together. Read more>>
