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.
Marcia Perry
My wood sculpting love affair began at 17 when I told my art teacher I wanted to carve an ashtray that would never be used. She said ‘You’re on your own.” So I found where I could buy a set of five little Millers Falls carving tools and then I visited Baker Furniture Company to see if they had any scrap wood available. They did. Read more>>
Barb Birdsong-Horse North Rescue
Horse North Rescue was established in 2005 as a non-profit with a mission to assist struggling horse owners needing assistance as well providing a service to educate horse owners or those interested in equine ownership. It began because there was such a need for assistance for horses who were undernourished, mistreated, abandoned or abused. Read more>>
Alison Martin
My name is Alison Martin, I am the owner of a small business based out of Garden City, Michigan called ChalkWithLove. In 2019, I began a small business making Chalkboard signs for local customers in Metro-Detroit for events such as weddings, birthdays, and special events. Read more>>
Tia Banks
My story is really a story of evolution. I didn’t wake up one day and decide I was going to become an entrepreneur and build a business. It happened through years of experiences, challenges, lessons, and realizing that I had more to offer than I was giving myself credit for. Read more>>
Lynnette Rogers
The Nacho Grill honestly started with me trying to impress my partner. 😂 At the time, I was getting my corporate on! I worked full-time at a law firm as a paralegal/legal secretary and part-time at a staffing agency. My partner smoked a brisket one day, I put it on the nachos I made at home, and we basically licked our plates clean. Read more>>
Alicia Jenkins
I’m born and raised in Detroit, and if there’s one thing my journey has taught me, it’s that where we start isn’t always an indication of where we’ll end up. After graduating from Cass Technical High School, I attended Jackson State University, an HBCU, where I earned my bachelor’s degree studying biology and chemistry. Read more>>
Chip Brown
My wife, three kids and I were at dinner at a restaurant in Mexico and my then 13-year-old daughter called our attention to all the other diners and how they were all staring at their phones. There was a group of a dozen college students on their spring break–none of them talking with each other–they were all fidgeting with their phones. Read more>>
Mark Dockery
I started HQ22 Creatives in 2018 with my business partner, Quenton Thomas. At the time, we really just had a passion for creating and telling stories through video. Like a lot of people starting a business, we did not have everything figured out. We just knew we wanted to create good work and build something of our own. Read more>>
SOPHIA BARNETT
I’m not sure my story has ever had a straight line. I started writing when I was in 1st grade, long before I would have confidently called myself a writer. Over the years, I became an entrepreneur, build organizations and businesses, worked in financial education and community development, became an author and speaker, and eventually co-founded JBM Publishing with my three children. Read more>>
Olivia Weber
My dance journey began at the age of five at my local dance studio, where I initially trained exclusively in ballet. After a few years, I was invited to audition for the studio’s competition team, an opportunity that broadened my training to include jazz, modern, hip-hop, tap, lyrical, kickline, musical theatre, and contemporary. Read more>>
Tania Smyk
I’m from a Ukrainian diaspora family, grown on a suburban midwestern backdrop. I attended public schools, eventually honing in on photographic interests at 14, and somehow was able to finagle my way into two years of independent art study with an ad-hoc curriculum. Bless my teacher– teenage rebellion came with a fine-arts twist, and caused some headaches. Read more>>
Anji Ball
My business really started during a season when a lot was changing in my life. In January of 2020, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I was looking to do something from home that would bring in extra income. Read more>>
Mary Westbrook
For two decades, I have navigated life with multiple food intolerances, which made cooking and eating out with two young kids a challenge. A decade ago, I discovered I am celiac and also lactose intolerant, which made eating out feel like a gamble every single time. I learned to read every label question every kitchen and mostly just go without. Read more>>
Luci Butts
It’s no secret! We started as a lemonade stand June 9, 2020! With 2 little girls who were 6 and 8 at the time! Our stand stood tall and small outside the East Side Unity Church of God In Christ at 5401 Mt. Elliot in Detroit. We had just experienced the greatest lost of our lives! Read more>>
Mary Daniels
ChokeHerSkins became open to the public in 2015. I was encouraged to share my leather wearable art collection on a wider scale by my existing clients that consisted of family and friends. I was hesitant since I knew my collection was not regulated by demand or a custom made platform. My designs were created with uniqueness in mind and only on my timeline. Read more>>
Ebony Jean
I am a beauty influencer, model, and advocate for alopecia awareness. At the age of 4, I was diagnosed with Alopecia Universalis, the most severe case of Alopecia Areata. AU is a common autoimmune skin disease that causes complete body hair loss. Throughout my youth, I was bullied for my appearance and experienced socially uncomfortable situations. Read more>>
Emily Cuozzo
By trade I am an interior designer, and have been one for almost 20 years. Ive always loved everything and anything creative, whether it be interior design, cooking, baking, art, and everything in between. In December of 2024 I took my sister, Gina Lee, and her daughter/my niece, Bellamarie Lee, to a vendor show. Read more>>
Lorna Cheatham
Clera’s Creative Gifts began with a simple search that turned into a bigger purpose. When my son asked me to help him find African American-themed gift wrap for a friend’s baby shower, I visited several stores but couldn’t find anything that represented us. That experience inspired me to create my own. Read more>>
Isaiah Prins
So growing up I was always building stuff. There wasn’t a day that you wouldn’t find me in my parents barn working on/building something. Go karts, tractors, anything with a motor haha I was also very much so into art. I absolutely loved it. Read more>>
Keilon Stewart
It all started with my mother coming from Jamaica. She never really taught us about where she came from or why she came to the United States. Growing up, I spent much of my life questioning who I was and where I belonged. I found pieces of myself through sports. Read more>>
Monica Brown
My journey has never been a straight line, but looking back, every chapter has connected beautifully to the next. I’ve always been both creative and deeply connected to people. Early in my career, I spent many years as a nail technician. Read more>>
Tyson Fergerson
You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like. It’s hard to think about exactly where I started sometimes, mainly because I feel like many things from my childhood are attributed to the discovery of my love, gratitude and appreciation for the gift of photography. Read more>>
Aiden MacDonald-Malcom
I started making music around 2018 or 2019 just for fun, never anything serious. In 2020 when the pandemic had us all inside, me and my boy Kash made one of those same tracks I would make ant the time together and realized this is what we were supposed to do. Read more>>
Kimberley Davis
Sure, it is because both of my children were born with sickle cell disease. My wonderful daughter Mariama Walters born in 1985 in Maputo, Mozambique. My lovely girl passed away from complications of sickle cell at the age of 21 in March of 2007. Read more>>
Geanna Mitchell
Gee’s Creations started in 2002 when i started cosmetology school. I recently retired from doing hair. I started my catering, fruit arrangement and seasoning business in 2019 unnder the the same name and obtained my LLC. Since then I started a meal prep business and have joined a few pop up shops. Read more>>
Michelle Mahira
I’ve always loved to be on a stage, since I was a child. I started dancing, singing, and acting as a very young child, around 6 years old. Started out in tap, jazz and ballet and continued through childhood into my teen years. I even dabbled in modeling. I was in many school productions, dance teams, cheerleading, and a few choirs. Read more>>
Alysia Yvette
I started as an artist at the age of 14. I had gotten in trouble at home and the only thing I had was a sticker. I drew what was on the sticker and that’s where I learned I could draw. I went from drawing to pastels and charcoal. And then I moved to painting and truly fell in love. Read more>>
Meaghan Gietzen
I always knew I wanted to be an artist. I wasn’t sure what field or what medium, but I just knew I was destined for some sort of creative future. Being raised in West Michigan, I was surrounded by all kinds of art. Read more>>
Janet Clayton-Reid
I started dance lessons as a child. As my interest and love for dance grew I began training seriously taking lessons five days a week and began teaching at 16. After graduating high school I began auditioning for professional jobs. Read more>>
Robby Laurain
Our story really starts with the S.S. City of Milwaukee itself. The ship is a historic 1931 railroad car ferry and National Historic Landmark that is preserved by our nonprofit, the Society for the Preservation of the S.S. City of Milwaukee. Read more>>
ILham Mahfouz
Art and Music are my Passion , I went to Oakland Community college in farmington hills, Michigan , where I was fortunate to meet a great professor Mr: Robert Piepenburg He teaches ceramic , i was very fortunate to take his class , He encouraged all the students and guide each students to develop their own style , with His guidance I loved Ceramic he taught Me Raku firing , which is Jappanese style of glazing and firing for decorative ceramic Read more>>
Jesus Ibarra
I started working in construction at an early age and became a finish carpenter, but I wanted to do something different with my life. I envisioned myself writing stories, meeting people, traveling, and transforming my ordinary life with my writings. Literature has played an important role in my life. I’m pretty sure that learning to read was the greatest asset in my life. Read more>>
Jyl Dieter
Ever since I was a little girl I have always loved having a camera in my hand. From my Hannah Montana camera as a kid to now having a variety of camera equipment, it truly has been a lifelong dream come true! Growing up I was always the person taking pictures and sharing them online. Read more>>
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>>
