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.

Maranda Morgan

I started my brand PINK GANG in North Carolina about 10 years ago. It started off as a fashion blog with local boutique fashion and model spotlights. I took that and moved to Atlanta and expanded my brand to model casting where I casted models for events and videos/photoshoots and model portfolio building. In which led to PINK GANG Magazine. I just released the 13th issue in the winter of 2023 in Charlotte, NC. Read more>>

Brett Beasley

This life of an artist is not for the faint of heart. One must persevere or you’ll perish! Just because you make good quality art, have wonderful photographs of them and apply to the fancy festivals & art shows… DOES NOT MEAN YOU’LL GET ACCEPTED! That was the one thing I learned early on, getting used to rejection. Furthermore, even if you do get accepted, that does not guarantee any sales… Diversify your income streams with online sales, teaching, part time jobs, whatever it takes to make artwork. Sacrifice for what is important and you’ll be happy. Read more>>

Micheal Taylor

Unexpectedly Moving to Charlotte after finishing Culinary School. I got my first Job at the Omini hotel in uptown. I found myself moving to Job to job trying to find what really fits me but unfortunately I did not. I started selling wing plates. I held Tasting to get my name out there in 2019. COVID happened believe it or not that’s when things started to take off for me. Cooking for NBA/NFL Clients. Flying across the county to cook for individuals. Here i am Stilling continuing my journey ! Read more>>

Sujitra Chubthaisong

As a chef, Sujitra is committed to sharing the rich culinary heritage of Thailand with the world, whether through her acclaimed restaurant or local culinary events. With each dish she creates, Sujitra invites diners on a gastronomic journey through the vibrant and diverse flavors of Thailand, leaving them craving more and eager to explore the wonders of Thai cuisine further. Read more>>

Crystal White

I always was a brow girl and liked my brows done right. I had a bad brow experience and I then learned how to do my own brows which later blossomed into doing other women’s eyebrows. I always had a passion to help others and loved beauty, and self-care. I started my career as a permanent makeup artist when I moved from Atlanta, Ga to Charlotte, NC in 2020. I practiced on my craft day and night. In 2021, Lush Brows by Cris was born and I never looked back since. I absolutely love what I do and I finally feel like I am walking in my purpose. Read more>>

Anita Scott

Hi, my name is Anita Dereen CEO and Founder of Zamariya Spa of Africa located in Charlotte NC. I’ve worked over a decade in the wellness industry and I wanted to create a space that represented our culture, heritage and the beauty of our people. While having a safe space for us to holistically thrive. Zamariya creates an environment where you feel at peace, while talking with your best friend. Read more>>

Imani Dorsey

What started as a personal creative escape quickly turned into something much bigger. I began making earrings—bold, unique, and unapologetically beautiful pieces that felt like an extension of myself. When I shared them, I noticed something unexpected: other women saw themselves in my work. My designs spoke to women who, like me, were on their own journey of self-love, confidence, and rediscovery. Read more>>

Ceshele Childres

As my clients became more interested in my unique offerings and the uses of crystals, herbs, and oils outside of the treatment room, I saw an opportunity to help educate and provide guidance to those in desire of harnessing this Earth magic for themselves. Through the years I delved deeper into alternative therapies and energy healing. This was the start and what eventually blossomed into Gem Fusion Holistic. Read more>>

Tracey Holmes

I worked under two women, one was a tough cookie who I didn’t really care for much, the other became a mentor for me over the next few years. During this time, I realized the leader part of this job was something I really strived for, and I sat down with the Assistant Principal and asked her if she would be interested in writing a referral for me for grad school. She looked at me and said “what do you want your master’s degree in? and I said I figured Education. She quickly retorted that Read more>>

Dr. Lindsay Ruiz

Born and raised in Venezuela, I grew up defying family and societal norms, driven by a relentless pursuit of survival and finding my place in the world. Education became my foundation, and I fast-tracked my way through school, earning my undergraduate degree by 19. This drive carried me across borders, from Venezuela to the U.S., where I navigated the complexities of adapting to a new culture, language, and professional landscape. Read more>>

Che Ramos

My passion for flavor was ignited in the warm, fragrant kitchen of my Antiguan grandmother, Ucilla. Spending summers with her, I absorbed the art of crafting meals that were both nourishing and bursting with life. Though I grew up in the bustling streets of Brooklyn, those visits to my father’s home near my grandmother’s were pivotal in shaping my appreciation for culinary creativity. Read more>>

Sesha Jackson-Woodard

After a couple years, I transition to work within various companies that supported preclinical research and development. I always loved the sciences. My mother was a dynamic leader within her medical field. She served as an internal medical doctor and I grew up attending the medical meetings. As a young girl my mother would bring me and my sister along as well. I grew up around many black physicians that had a passion and purpose to close health disparities and educate the black community. My dad worked in the mental health field and was a herbalist. My parents also had their own business where they worked together to see patients. Read more>>

Jennifer Merlin

My story is one of transformation and finding purpose. For 17 years, I worked in restaurant management- a career that demanded long hours and required me to sacrifice time with my family. I missed countless dinners, bedtime routines, school events, and even holidays. While I was grateful for the stability my job provided, I couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling that I was losing out on moments I’d never get back. Read more>>

Adrian Robinson

I began by simply taking pictures of my family during our gatherings. Over time, I immersed myself in learning about the history of Black artists and photographers. One particular series of interviews documenting the legendary photographer Gordon Parks truly piqued my interest. As I continued to grow, I realized that capturing the world through my lens was my form of art. This passion led me to see myself as a documentarian of African American culture. Read more>>

Sophonie LaFortune

One of the most exciting initiatives I’m working on now is SIS Dandelion, a program for young girls aged 11 to 16. The dandelion symbolizes resilience, growth, and self -love, values I want to instill in these young women. This program will meet monthly and culminate in a weekend summer retreat focused on personal development, emotional healing, and self-worth. I believe these young women deserve safe spaces to grow and thrive, but we are still working on securing funding to launch and sustain the program. My hope is that SIS Dandelion will soon be a reality, providing mentorship and guidance for young girls who need it most. Read more>>

Chris Corridore

I was nervous and not very confident that I was even talented enough to step foot into Manhattan as a designer. I hooked up with a recruitment agency, and two weeks later, I was commuting to 30 Rock and working for NBCUniversal. I felt like a fool. I had put working in Manhattan on such a large pedestal, that I thought it was out of reach for me. Over the next year, I worked on projects big and small for some major brands, including a packaging project for Target that is still on shelves today. Read more>>

Tiffany Banks

No, it has not been a smooth road. Personally, my life became undone, but it was necessary. I left my job of 5 years, went through separation and divorce, and really had no choice but to dive in deep with inner healing. Note that healing is a continuous journey, however, I had to really work through the heavy stuff that could no longer be avoided. But the biggest thing was believing in my gifts and being vulnerable enough to put myself out there. I don’t think people realize how intimidating it can be as an intuitive healer and medium to share your gifts with the world when there are those who view you and what you do as evil or wrong. But it’s more empowering to trust yourself and receive confirmation from clients that you have helped them in their life’s healing journey. Read more>>

Lu Bennett

While I absolutely love making music and being immersed in the arts, I have definitely encountered struggles throughout my journey. For starters, it can be difficult to remain motivated at times when you are not receiving a consistent return on investment. There are times when things are great and happening back to back, and other times it is sporadic. Additionally, creating and producing quality music is expensive. After finding and paying for beats, paying for studio time, audio engineering, cover arts, and marketing, things can begin to take a toll financially. My “why” is what truly keeps me going. Read more>>

Anwar Jr.

I’ve been in the arts, dancing, and fashion since I was a child. My parents were always fresh and kept us fresh. I’ve been designing since I was a youngin. Always expressing myself aerodynamically, sounds crazy but that’s literally how I am. I used to bootleg clothes that I couldn’t afford, while also making “fast fashion” pieces better. I was brought up in retail, we had a shoe man in the hood, I’ve managed stores, I’ve met people who were in places I wanted to be, looking back on that now; it’s put the craziest battery in my back to achieve more than what I could imagine when I got into it. That just shows you what the prophecy really is. Read more>>

Ashton Ferrazzo

From a part-time side gig in the backyard to annoying the crud out of my family and needing to switch to a warehouse, then a bigger warehouse, and then an even bigger warehouse, the Freedom Fitness Equipment organization has come a long way. We love the people we serve because we came from humble beginnings. Read more>>

Joanna Nisbet

The difficulties I have experienced aren’t what I’ve created, it’s how to get them out there. I previously mentioned that I have four finished manuscripts, all of which are in limbo. Finding a publisher that doesn’t want an expensive hybrid deal is tough for a new author. It seems as if that’s the only response I receive. Finding a literary agent is next to impossible these days. However there will always be obstacles to face and I won’t let it detour me, I will one day (I pray) have all of my novels published, and possibly some art to sell as well. Read more>>

Christina Canuto

From years of processing my own trauma and re-organizing my relationships to reflect my new sense of self, I am passionate about helping others piece together their own sense of navigating the world. I don’t pretend to know anyone’s life but my own. I know the strategies I developed were decades in the making of doing the hard work of therapy and relational healing. I meet people where they are and help them uncover their own intuitive pathway to change. Everyone is inherently resourceful, and I simply see myself as a mirror to reflect back their unique uncovered solutions. Read more>>

Sharifa Ahrendsen

Thanks to groundbreaking AI technology I find myself at the intersection coding and talk therapy. I play daily with the dilemma of getting humans to pay attention to themselves and the world around them. My solution is to offer tools that empower individuals, reconnect humans to nature, organize mutual aid, collect ethical data and deliver hope for the inevitable rest that comes with restoration. Using technology as a bridge back to life IRL (in real life), a compassionate application of the web is a powerful tool to help vulnerable people, specifically anyone who suffers from poor social determinants of health. Read more>>

Vanessa Dean

Before all this, I worked in biomedical engineering, fixing medical equipment. But everything changed when one of my sons was diagnosed with ADHD. That moment sent me down a rabbit hole of research. I kept running into the same discouraging stats about ADHD and money—impulsive spending, debt cycles, lack of financial stability. Those numbers stuck with me. They sat in the back of my mind as I raised kids, managed my household, and eventually trained as a financial coach. Read more>>

Latoya Murchison

How did I get started that is a very interesting. I began writing after they thought I was having a heartache in 2014. I remember asking the nurse for a bible and she sat it at my feet. Once I was released I started to research different ways to pray to God. Up until that point I really didn’t have a prayer life and I wanted to get closer to God. What started out as a learning something new turned into my first published book. In the past I wrote poetry and shared some online but never officially publish them. Since then I have self-published 13 books which includes short stories, devotionals, and poetry. I am an Amazon Best Selling Author. Read more>>

Stacy Eleczko

I specialize in strategy-backed research and an understanding of buyer psychology. What I’m most proud of? Using those skills to ethically write copy. I believe that marketing at its core should be about empathy–helping your audience feel seen, understood, and know that you get what’s keeping them up at night. Read more>>

Jamelle Sanders

The business started to turn around, major doors started to open and I learned a very important lesson. I learned that without clarity you will cripple the success of your business. When you operate with clarity you will attract the right customers and clients, find the problem that your business solves, and become profitable in your industry. Now, Jamelle Sanders International is a management consulting firm serving clients in the public and private sectors and bringing world-class solutions to complex global problems. Read more>>

Yasmaneka Bush

This road for me has been everything, but smooth. When first baking from home, I was in Raleigh,NC, and I found myself in a toxic relationship. Most of my customers were my boyfriend , at the time, friends. I was making his friend’s custom cakes for $20-$30, they were getting a dozen gourmet cupcakes for $12. I wasn’t even breaking even, I was definitely in the red all around. The worst part about it all was he wanted half of my business, and even though, “Timeless,” was not what it was going to be, that was a risk I could not take. So, instead of splitting MY creation with someone that I knew could and would be malicious, I let the name go, stopped baking, and no one heard about, “ Timeless,” or seen any products that were being created for years. Read more>>

Terry Whitworth

I became an entrepreneur in 2004 by starting my own family childcare home. I own Kids Cabin LLC. The biggest thing that I love about being a business owner is being able to use it as a platform to work in my community. This gives me the opportunity to network with other professionals, build culture, and positively impact the community. This is all part of my mission and core values as a childcare owner. I have been honored to work with hospice, veteran services, outreach ministries, health fairs, pop-up shops and more. I teach my students to be kind and give back. I have to be an example for them. Read more>>

Debbie Vu

The stigma of mental health plagued me starting in high school, people throwing the word, “crazy” around. I’ve been told I’m crazy all my life and no matter what I do, I’ll be seen as crazy. But honestly, I’d rather be crazy than insane because the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I am always trying something new and coming up with fun configurations of different types of hangouts with different friends and family members. Read more>>

Yvonne Cano

Before this revelation, I struggled with anxiety and felt trapped in a cycle that no longer served me. It became clear that what I truly needed was not just a pause but a complete career change. Although I had always possessed an entrepreneurial spirit, it was often clouded by doubts about the safety of investing in myself and my unconventional ideas. My aspirations of embarking on a personal adventure were frequently dampened by pessimistic voices focused on potential obstacles and expenses, with no guarantee of success. Read more>>

Jane Jaskevich

I had some early skips in the roads. In college I originally was seeking a degree in Drawing and Painting because that was the “artist” degree. After one especially difficult critique and getting a grade of B instead of A I changed my degree…still in the art area but specializing in teaching art . I was very hard on myself. I graduated with a graduate degree and was able to get a college position teaching pottery/drawing and painting and photography. It was a challenge but helped me grow as an artist. Read more>>

Brittany

I’m a Leadership Coach and Trainer at my own company, Hello Velocity. My origin story starts back in 2019 when I was working in Corporate America and had my ‘quarter-life crisis.’ I was working my way up the corporate ladder but felt unfulfilled and knew something was missing but didn’t know what. So I worked with a life coach for the first time and learned so much about myself and found the experience really life-changing. I knew then that if I could help one person the way she helped me, that it would be more fulfilling than anything I could do in Corporate America in the next 30 years. Read more>>

Aleshea Harris

Our journey and connection! Working in a Franchise Industry and Corporate America for many years providing mentorship, leadership and training to so many in the childcare industry for over 25+ plus years has pushed us to own our own business. We started with a Substitute program called The Connections where we connected with local universities, high school seniors and other teacher colleagues to start the process for a teaching career in Early childhood in a daycare setting or family home setting. We walked fellow teaching professional through the process hiring from personnel files to inside/outside of what a classroom setting looks like to state and local governing polices that governs rules and regulation in a Early Childhood setting. Read more>>

Katrina Williams

I’m a family photographer and filmmaker based in Durham, North Carolina, specializing in lifestyle family photography and family films. My work is about more than just taking pictures—it’s about capturing the in-between moments, the real, raw, and beautiful connections that make up a family’s story. I believe that the most meaningful images are the ones that feel like home, the ones that take you right back to how it felt to be in that moment. Read more>>