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.
Michelle Gimbutis
I started my journey to business ownership as a client of The Barre Code Metro Detroit in 2014. At the time I was a new mom looking for a workout that kept me engaged and motivated, and that also gave me time to focus on myself. Read more>>
Patricija Kasteckaite
When I was six years old, I auditioned for Čiurlionis School of Arts in Vilnius. I went to the audition thinking that I will follow my brother’s footsteps and play the violin. Just as the interview part started, the teacher auditioning me, showed a cello and said that I have great fingers for it. Read more>>
Matteo Bruno Bellesia
I started out in the late ’90s as a food and still-life photographer, with the occasional detour into fashion. Then, in the early 2000s, I somehow found myself behind a camera directing commercials for food brands like Ferrero, Lavazza, and Barilla — and I’ve pretty much been mixing photography and filmmaking ever since. Read more>>
Brian Nelson
I am the youngest of four kids from a small town called Coldwater, Michigan. From early elementary school I became interested and encouraged to draw, and paint. In third grade I won the Michigan Fire Prevention Poster contest. I think that solidified in my young mind that I could be an artist. Read more>>
Britney Slater
My journey really began after my husband, Chris, and I graduated from Central Michigan University. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and went on to teach for six years. While I loved education, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial and creative side that I wanted to explore. In 2012, while I was still teaching, Chris and I started our marketing company, Initial Brands Incorporated. Read more>>
Kimberly Johnson
My name is Kimberly Johnson and I am the lead photographer and owner of Three Ten Studios. I started my journey over 10 years ago, doing photography as a hobby; I would take my camera to every event I went to with my family, capture all of their milestone moments and every beautiful view I could get my hands on. Read more>>
Paul Michael Peters
The Rhythm Is Going to Get You’ (Owl Club Media Group) is a science fiction story about an intimate apocalypse. If you’re looking for explosions and fast zombies, I can recommend so many great books, TV shows, and movies — this isn’t that. Read more>>
Bailey Samp
My farming journey started in 2017 when I told my partner I wanted to start a farm with him, even though farming was very different from anything I had grown up around. I had fallen in love with his small market garden farm, and I knew I wanted to build something of our own. Read more>>
Belinda Gaines
My story is a little different than most photographers, while I loved photography, it was not my dream. My dream was to be a pediatrician but instead, I got pregnant with twins when I was 19 years old which shifted everything. Even then, photography was not on my radar. Read more>>
jenner tomaska
I grew up in the southern suburbs of Chicago, and I actually started working in restaurants when I was 14, as a cook and dishwasher at a local restaurant. I didn’t necessarily know at that age exactly where it would take me, but I fell in love with the kitchen and the pace, creativity, and camaraderie that came with it. Read more>>
Dr. Andrea Thompson
My story begins in Detroit, long before I fully understood that the lessons I was learning as a little girl would one day become the foundation for my life’s work. I grew up spending weekends and summers with my father and grandparents, who were Black business owners in Detroit. Read more>>
Cassandra Gibson
My journey has been shaped by a passion for service, education, and community impact. I was born in Florida and spent my formative years in Liberia and Texas. Those experiences gave me a broad perspective and a deep appreciation for community. Later, I established my career in real estate in Maryland before relocating to Michigan. Read more>>
Joseph Tompkins
I’m Joseph R. Tompkins, a Detroit native, entrepreneur, author and founder of the Black Success Association. My journey has been built on discipline, persistence and a commitment to creating something bigger than myself. I served eight years in the U.S. Army, where I developed the discipline and leadership that would later shape my career and entrepreneurial journey. Read more>>
Cristobal Flores
As a child growing up in southwest detroit i always had a love of making people laugh. I would watch a lot of t v shows when coming home from school. Little by little I perfected, changing my voice, too different sounds. I thought it was interesting and entertaining at the same time Being a voice that wasn’t me naturally. Read more>>
KP Nimphie
My love of art started early, and is equally tied to my love of travel. I recall checking out a book from the Breton Downs Elementary library, about Da Vinci. It made me obsessed with traveling to Italy, which spawned years of language courses, many visited countries, and countless visited museums, galleries, and more. Read more>>
Julie Van Dyke
Lake-living experts We’re Dann and Julie Van Dyke, owners of Cottage Works since our beginning in April 2009. After being cottage-owners and weekenders in Mason County for five years, and living full-time on Lost Lake (Custer) and Hamlin Lake (Ludington) for the past 20, we’ve learned a lot about lake-living that we like to share with our clients. Read more>>
Rachael Grossman
I started cooking in my grandmother’s kitchen as a little girl. She taught me everything from classic french techniques, mother sauces, homemade cakes with intricate decorating, homemade candied violets, perfectly clarified consomme’ soup and much much more. I always loved cooking and sharing food and always knew that cooking was going to be my life and livelyhood. Read more>>
Susan Clayton
After dancing professionally for many decades in professional concert dance companies, touring reviews and teaching dance, at 56 I wondered what professional dancers who do not want to retire ‘do’. Read more>>
Andrew Kyte
I was introduced to forged metalwork while working for a local jeweler and studio silversmith — the direct metal processes drew me in, but jewelry-scale work felt too limiting. Realizing I was more inclined toward larger-scale work like fabricated candle holders and raised vessels, my eyes turned toward forged ironwork in architecture. Read more>>
Nicole Myint
My journey in DJing has always started with one thing: a genuine love for music. I grew up in the ’80s, and my parents introduced me to music from every decade and virtually every genre. I naturally loved it all. Read more>>
Steve Taylor
My journey with woodworking began long before this shop opened—it started when I was 15 years old in a custom cabinetry shop, learning the fundamentals of the trade. Life took me on a detour at 21 when I enlisted in the Marine Corps, deploying to fight in Operation Iraqi Freedom. After being medically retired, I spent several years building tech startups in California. Read more>>
David VanHoof
My father was a career US Navy officer. As a youth, because of his assignments, we traveled all over the country. Everywhere we went, my siblings and I were constantly exposed to the history and beauty of the United States. Read more>>
Nicholas Pope
As a kid I was always writing but it was never in the form of music. My parents were going through things and I never wanted to ‘add’ extra stress, so and pen and 5 star notebook was my ‘friend ‘ in a way. Read more>>
CFE Roasters
There are so many people who deserve credit for what CFE has become because, at its core, our story has always been about family. Klaudio’s parents immigrated to the United States and put their entire life’s savings into opening their first restaurant in 2003. They spent dawn to dusk working there, which meant Klaudio grew up there too. Read more>>
LaShawnta Amos
Hey I’m LaShawnta Amos the oldest on my mother side and the second oldest but first girl on my dad side if you get it you get it Dedra Henderson/ Walker was my mom she was a great mom she had to grow up so me and my siblings grew up with her Read more>>
Chelsea Maple
I grew up surrounded by the Great Lakes, and I think that has shaped so much of who I am. There’s something about life in Michigan that makes you slow down, gather around a table, appreciate good food, and make time for the people you love. I’ve always had a deep love for food, flavor, and the way a beautiful meal can bring people together. Read more>>
avery r young
I am a poet who uses various materials to create poems. Those materials include sound, music, visual works and I also perform. I started performing or learning to have conversation with people inside the Baptist Church and applied those lessons at the open mics and then later into my performance style. Read more>>
Ashley Wichman
I was never really good in school, struggled with ADD and Dyslexia. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school when I stated the cosmetology program at the career center. I found my love and passion for hair. I had perfect attendance my senior year until I delivered my daughter a week before spring break. I graduated top of my class with a 98%. Read more>>
Kisstina ‘Kissy’ Francis
My story definitely wasn’t a straight line to business ownership. I’ve worked in the medical field since 1999 and have spent more than 12 years specifically in dermatology and aesthetics. I loved the medical side of what I did, but I also fell in love with helping people feel more confident in their own skin. Read more>>
Mike Floyd
The concept for The Whiskey Wagon began like all great ideas… at a local establishment over one too many ginger ales and iced teas. A friend of mine had just returned from a holiday trolly ride and said what a great time it was. Read more>>
LaTyra Murray
I started Trinity Support Group Services in 2017 with very little experience, just a vision and a lot of faith. Before launching my own agency, I worked for other home-care companies, watching, learning, and realizing I could create something better. At the time, I was a young mother of two, depending on myself to provide and build a future for my family. Read more>>
Brandy Penny
MY JOURNEY — MORE THAN HAIR Five years ago, I made one of the biggest and most frightening decisions of my life. After 11 years in a career earning over $100,000 a year, I walked away from the security of a six-figure income to pursue something that had become much bigger than a career—it became my purpose. Read more>>
Scott Pellegrom
I’m going to be using voice to text so apologies for any errors. When I was still in the womb, my mother claimed that I would be a drummer or a soccer player. The first article of clothing given to me from my mother‘s teaching assistant was a onesie that had a snare drum on it. Read more>>
Kelvin Ateman Jr
I come from a hustling family—one built on hard work, sacrifice, faith, and finding new opportunities in this thing we call life. When I look back at where I come from, I realize that every person in my family played a role in showing me what it means to keep going, even when life doesn’t go according to plan. Read more>>
Sarah Allbee
Our beautiful property has been in our family for decades and was a childhood home. In 2019 everything changed when we lost our father, who resided there. The cleanup took several years, but in 2024 we decided it was time to give it a purpose again. Read more>>
Jennifer Krieter
I started out helping children from other countries who had medical disabilities. We had one child, Laudys, who lived with us and had spina bifida and clubfoot. I loved seeing his progress—from being unable to walk to walking unassisted and flourishing. He received a lot of physical therapy, which inspired me to pursue a degree in physical therapy at Oakland University. Read more>>
Julio Wagner Tearney
Like many aspiring photographers my start came from the family camera, a simple point-and-shoot film camera that came to my use frequently around the house and on neighborhood adventures. This was during the early 2000s when film was still used out of familiarity rather than the unique and creative use it carries today. Read more>>
Katie Kirgan
When I was young I remember my mom hanging these impressive drawings in frames on the walls of our home. When I asked her who drew them I was surprised when she told me she drew them herself. So, naturally I gave it a try and although for my age I had some skill, that was not the creative path for me. Read more>>
fallon jenkins
My journey began with a desire to build into a career that felt meaningful, authentic, and aligned with who I am. My background is rooted in the corporate healthcare space. This is where I developed my experience in communication, administration operation and supporting different people and mindsets on all levels. Read more>>
Logan Mario
I started out as a fan and student of music. Each song & artist I fell in love with was teaching me something: writing styles, genres, dynamics, vocal techniques. When I was 16, I wrote my first song and never stopped. Here we are, 5 projects later. Read more>>
Bora & Darko Todorovski
In 2020, I (Bora) left my previous job during the pandemic because I wanted to be home with our three kids instead of missing out on their childhoods. But with three little kids, we knew we couldn’t financially get by on one income. Read more>>
Molly Lipton
I knew from the time I was a teenager that I wanted to be an educator, coach, and really just have a positive impact on young people. I was fortunate enough to have an incredible high school basketball coach and English teacher who both had a tremendous impact on teenage Molly. Read more>>
Amy Dailey
My baking journey started right out of my home kitchen five years ago, fueled by a love for baking and a creative outlet that quickly turned into something much bigger. What began as a passion for experimenting with decorated sugar cookies and custom cakes for family and friends naturally blossomed into a full-fledged cottage food business. Read more>>
Mike D
My journey with Wrestling from the 313 started from a lifelong passion for professional wrestling and a desire to give independent wrestling a bigger platform. Growing up in Metro Detroit, I’ve always loved the sport and appreciated the incredible talent we have here in Michigan. Read more>>
Noelle Frye
I started a cheesecake business called Noella’s Cheesecakes in January of this year. My mother is a baker and has had a bakery for over 30 years called Go Go’s Bake Shoppe. As a kid, I had to be at the bakery everyday and I was never interested in baking. Read more>>
Teemaree
I’m an artist, coach, and healer who has spent much of my life learning how to take up space again. My work was born from a very personal journey of learning how to reclaim the parts of myself that life, responsibility, loss, and expectations sometimes made me quiet. I know what it feels like to have dreams while trying to take care of everyone else. Read more>>
Lindsay Berishaj
My path to becoming a therapist and practice owner wasn’t necessarily a clear one right away. Early on, I knew I wanted to work in a field where I could help people, but it took me some time to figure out exactly what that looked like. Read more>>
Cailin Williams
Underdog Rescue Ranch is a 501c3 foster-based dog rescue committed to providing a safe haven for homeless, neglected, and abused dogs in need of a second chance at life. We protect and advocate for every dog in our care, provide animal welfare education and awareness to the community. Read more>>
Meghan Merkey
I was fortunate to grow up in a house where creativity was encouraged and nurtured. I always had a fun creative project to work on and when my family moved to Michigan, we ended up in Houghton where there happened to be a great Art Center. My parents enrolled me in a clay class and I was hooked. Read more>>
