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.
Kimberly Battle
After spending 19 years in the accounting field, Kim began to make candy apples as a hobby. This hobby grew to selling them at local markets, which grew quite the following. When a layoff happened in July of 2019, Kim decided to take the leap of faith and open a storefront selling her amazing candy apples and other candied seasonal fruit. Read more>>
Kwesi Holloway
I started skateboarding at the age of 7. I got to where I am today through hard work , love for the sport, Blood , sweat ,tears and lots of dedication. Read more>>
Ellie Nieves
I grew up in a hardworking Puerto Rican family in the Bronx, where service, faith, and determination were core values. My parents modeled resilience: my father worked as a security guard at Rockefeller Center and my mother was a community activist who served her community with heart. They planted in me a deep belief in education, integrity, and using your gifts to lift others. Read more>>
Rachel Johnson
My path really began long before I ever planned to do this work professionally. I’ve always been fascinated by the mind and human behavior, which is why I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hofstra University. That’s also where I was first introduced to hypnosis and the idea that the subconscious mind holds the key to real, lasting change. Read more>>
Portia Hargrove
Soymilk & Hope was birthed long before the non-profit organization was launched. As a young girl, I grew up in a community where everyone helped one another without the expectation of repayment. A village of mothers, fathers, and grandparents that nurtured and trained up the neighborhood children; that shared resources and encouraged us to do the same with their actions more than their words. Read more>>
Eunisa Street
We’re two sisters (Eunisa and Turonne) who have always shared a deep love for crafting and creating meaningful pieces for ourselves and others. Growing up, making things together was our way of expressing creativity and spending quality time with each other. But we also grew up surrounded by a strong legacy of entrepreneurship. Read more>>
Mia Concepcion
Recognizing that my purpose sits at the intersection of community, dance, and therapy took some trial and error. I explored a path that wasn’t quite right for me, but it taught me a lot. Read more>>
Phillip Duddy
Grace Provisions is a group of church members who work together to meet the financial needs of our local church, Grace Baptist Tabernacle. We are an independent church, which means that we are unaffiliated with any outside convention or board of directors. As such, we are responsible for raising our own funding. Read more>>
Kelly Allsup
Ronnie’s Berry Farm is a 30-acre family-owned and veteran-operated farm located in Angier, North Carolina. The farm’s mission is to deliver fresh, farm-to-table foods while embracing innovative agricultural practices that prioritize sustainability and environmental stewardship. Ronnie & Linda (3rd Gen) Ronnie, a farmer with a deep love for the soil, and Linda, a caring nurse, made quite the pair! Read more>>
Jonathan Harris
I started AutoMed with a simple goal: create the kind of automotive repair shop I wished existed when I was a customer — honest, transparent, and truly focused on helping people. I didn’t come from a big corporate background or a family of shop owners. I built this business from the ground up, one customer, one repair, and one long day at a time. Read more>>
Margaret Hall
I grew up in Western PA – between Pittsburgh and Erie, and about 5 minutes from the Ohio border. I was fortunate to live in a small town, among a cluster of small towns, surrounded by my mother’s family. My maternal grandparents migrated from South Carolina to PA, each with multiple siblings, sometime between my oldest uncle and my mother being born. Read more>>
Mia Jones
My path into faith based coaching began long before I realized it. I’ve been in healthcare for over 10 years and later became a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. After a work injury forced me to slow down, God used that season to redirect me from traditional nursing into mental health and, ultimately, life coaching. Read more>>
John and Aurora Flanagan
Raleigh Cakes is a custom cake studio with our commercial kitchen space based in South Raleigh. Not a retail bakery or storefront, our main focus is on scratch made to order custom cakes for celebrations on any occassion, weddings and catered events. It is owned and operated by Aurora and John Flanagan with a small but passionate staff. Read more>>
Donny Sill
Music’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I picked up the guitar at a really young age — I was one of those kids who couldn’t put it down once I started. Movies like School of Rock definitely lit the spark, and then I fell deep into the sounds of Green Day, The Beatles, and Elvis. Read more>>
Carrie Ward
I grew up in Florida, where my love for Disney began at an early age through countless visits to Walt Disney World Resort. After moving to North Carolina, I continued that magical tradition with my husband and our four daughters. Disney has always been special to our family, and we’ve made so many wonderful memories there. Read more>>
Dallas Collins
I’ve always been the person people come to when they’re lost in the details. This includes paperwork, housing issues, forms, deadlines, all the things that can stop you in your tracks. For my family and the people around me, I’ve always been the one who could look at a situation, break it down, and guide them through it. Read more>>
Daniel Lancaster
Short Sleeves Coffee started really simply: we just loved coffee and loved people, and we felt like our little town deserved a spot that made both feel special. What began as a small idea — “what if we created a place that felt fun, honest, and totally unpretentious?” — slowly turned into a real shop with a real community around it. We started scrappy. Read more>>
marquette Leach
My path into nursing and mental health has been anything but linear, but it’s been deeply meaningful. Read more>>
Harper Leich
A lifelong art lover, I graduated from Denison University with a degree in art. After graduation, I moved to Philadelphia for an internship with the mural arts program there. At the end of that summer, I moved to Asheville and have been here 21 years. Read more>>
Catherine Cole
It all started with a road trip and a dream. After graduating college I headed to LA to work in the garment industry. After a few years working in the Junior market, I set out on my own. Initially I designed embellished t-shirts and peddled them door to local boutiques in southern LA. Read more>>
Kristi Pollum
I grew up in Michigan, as part of a large family. I was the baby of both babies, and being the youngest, I had the privilege of taking part in many family events, like cousin’s weddings, baby showers, and the like while growing up. Read more>>
Stanley Jacobs
I’ve been cleaning cars since I was a kid it’s something I’ve always done for money fast forward to 25 I got a job at a dealership work there for a few years which is where I learned to cleaned the dirty stuff. Then I left the dealership had a few other jobs but maintained detailing on the side just for extra money as always. Read more>>
Afshan Qadir
I am a self taught artist. Art has been part of me since my early childhood. I remember vividly spending hours with my sketch book after coming back from school. At that time my art was mostly cartoon characters, flowers, fruits or anything simple or appealing to 7 years old. Read more>>
Day Coker
I got started in the Hvac industry back in 2010 after deciding not to go to law school. A local Greensboro company took a chance on me and trained me as a maintenance technician. From that point on I knew this field would be my career. It took years of learning from mentors and studying to become who I am today. Read more>>
Santa Bartholomew
I am a pediatric critical care physician with 39 years of experience. When I retired from academic medicine in 2020 my husband and I opened a Pediatric Forensic Review company. Read more>>
Alfrederick Coleman
So I started my business 4 years ago because I wanted more of a work life balance after being in the industry for 10 years now. I’m a recent graduate of the Art Institute of Raleigh Durham with my bachelors in culinary management. Read more>>
Cynthia Navarro
I began my business to provide another source of income during a time of financial hardship. I wanted to build something I could pass on to my children in the future. By nature, I’m a problem solver and had to come up with a solution to my dilemma. So, I sat back and thought about all the skills I had which could potentially generate income. Read more>>
Courtney Blake
My interest in bartending actually began years ago when I was working as a server in college. I was always fascinated by the creativity behind cocktails—the way flavors, presentation, and experience come together. Even though bartending was something I wanted to pursue, I procrastinated on taking the next step for a long time. Read more>>
Christopher Batts
My story in this industry started earlier than most. I was thrust into the wedding world at just 18 years old through dessert catering. It wasn’t something I planned, but it opened the door to a completely new life. I met incredible planners, vendors, and couples, built relationships quickly, and before long I started making a name for myself. Read more>>
DR. CEANDRA DILLEY
Inspire for Purpose was not born in a boardroom or even started as a business. It was born in moments of frustration mixed with fear, confusion, and imposter syndrome, which tried to suffocate my dreams and drain life out of me. I kept thinking: How many more women are out there sitting on gifts they haven’t activated? Read more>>
Amanda Starnes
it all started about seven years ago when I had a deep desire to find out who and what I was on a soul level. I wasn’t living in authentic life and I wasn’t happy so I was looking for something deep and meaningful. I was in need of a deeper purpose. Read more>>
Angail Wiley
I was always a kid who loved a camera. When I was in middle school, I asked my grandma to buy me a digital camera for Christmas and that was the birth of a Photographer. I always loved documenting things so that you can relive them. Read more>>
Lisa Esquivel-Clark
I started my journey with almost no knowledge of skincare. Growing up, I didn’t get facials, waxing, or professional products — I used whatever was available at the drugstore and never imagined I’d one day build a career in beauty and wellness. Read more>>
April Paige
From The About Page On My Website: Hi, I’m April Paige — the artist behind the work. Originally from Sarasota, Florida, I come from two vibrant cultures — Cuban and Spanish — that continue to inspire my art and design. After spending most of my life in the Sarasota/Tampa area, I relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina in December 2019. Read more>>
Jessica (‘Stormy’) Weather
I moved from Florida to North Carolina in 2006, ostensibly for a masters in linguistics at UNC-CH… that I ended up not completing. My little ‘quarter-life crisis’ (we all have one!) led me to change both my future career AND my shade of blue — I ultimately graduated from the Duke Physician Assistant Program in 2012. Read more>>
Natasha Ford
Welcome to our story! Nearly a decade ago, we embarked on this entrepreneur journey with big dreams and unwavering determination. Chef John (my husband) & I began by focusing on catering for small backyard parties and weddings, slowly making a name for ourselves. We were hungry for opportunity, so we reached out to venues, cooked for them, and gave it our all. We eventually landed spots on many of the area’s Preferred Vendor lists. Read more>>
Kay Lynn Hernandez
I grew up in the country in Cabot, Arkansas, where I spent all my free time exploring woods, pastures, creeks, and ponds—developing a lifelong love for the outdoors and wildlife. My dad, a self-taught naturalist, taught me everything he knew about the animals around us. He gave me the opportunity to study turtles, snakes, and other wild creatures while also caring for domestic farm animals. Those early experiences shaped the way I see the world. Although I lost my way for a time in my early twenties, I found my roots again when I discovered biology and wildlife management at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Read more>>
Shannon Lesane
While my professional life has been deeply fulfilling, writing has always remained my constant. In March of this year, I achieved a longtime personal goal by publishing my first book, Jagged Edges: A Journey Through Love, Reflection, and Forgiveness. I continue to write in my free time and am currently working on additional projects that reflect my love for storytelling, growth, and connection. Each chapter of my journey, both personally and professionally, has taught me that purpose and passion can coexist when you stay true to who you are. Read more>>
Kaitlyn Foster
I founded Queen City Doulas with a mission: to build a team of exceptional doulas who shared my commitment to evidence-based, judgment-free, and heartfelt support. Today, we’re a thriving agency, known for our high standards, professionalism, and warm approach. We’ve expanded our services to cover comprehensive birth and postpartum care, education, and much more, all while maintaining that initial, intimate focus on the individual family’s needs. Read more>>
Shawn Klein
Learning by trial, and mostly error how to rightly disassemble and reassemble devices so that I didn’t cause more damage than good, was also a struggle in the beginning. Fortunately, I was able to find some resources online to mitigate those trials and errors. Some of the unique repairs I’ve done have been a projector, a remote controller for a boat crane, and an Insta-pot, though most of what I do is smart phone and tablet repairs. Read more>>
Cat Pearce
Needless to say, after much reassurance and inspiring words from him, I took what he said very seriously. I started hand-delivering my résumé to breweries across town, and within a month, I landed a job in beer sales. It quickly became an all-hands role—sales, deliveries, bartending, event planning, social media—you name it. Along the way, I fell in love with fermentation science, sensory analysis, and the community that forms around sharing a pint. Read more>>
Raynique Janielle
By 2021, I had transitioned out of the service, no longer the same woman I was when I went in, but more determined than ever to live fully and authentically. While rebuilding myself, I simultaneously pursued my degree in Business and Marketing Analytics to strengthen my foundation as a CEO. Balancing school and business, I poured everything into growing MELABUTTA with intention and vision, and in September 2023, the brand officially launched. Read more>>
Karen Latta Cain
I concentrate on the artworks and frames that need restoration or conservation. We have experience of over 40 years, and the three of us love what we come to do everyday, and can frame absolutely anything that wants framing, and restore any frame to it’s beauty, while the paintings and works on paper are repaired, cleaned and given all they need for another lifetime. Read more>>
Vance Bynum
My journey really started in college. I played football and spent about three and a half years studying pre-med because I thought I wanted to go the traditional healthcare route. After school, I worked as a scribe in the emergency room for a year, and honestly, that experience shifted everything for me. I kept seeing the same people come in, get treated, and leave… but never actually get healthier. That’s when it clicked: I didn’t want to be part of the reaction. I wanted to be part of the prevention. Read more>>
Kimberly Anderson
Loved Hands was created by the end of October 2017. I became a Traveling Wedding Officiant Business. Website was created and then Begin to advertise. Loved Hands offers Pop-up Weddings, Wedding Officiant, Wedding Day Coordinator, Event Planing and we make wedding bouquets and wedding center pieces. We also host New Small Business Networking Events Read more>>
Chandra Mayne
I’ve been licensed since 2010, but my journey with nails really started long before that. I was always the girl drawing, painting, coloring, or playing pretend salon with my friend’s. Obsessed with the tiny details and how something as simple as polished hands could make someone feel cared for. Read more>>
Adam Mathews
Sure. I’ve always been fascinated by relationships—how people connect, how they disconnect, and what helps them heal. That curiosity is what brought me into the therapy field in the first place. My career began in juvenile justice. Early on, I worked with an incredible team focused on keeping kids in their homes and out of the system. I loved that work. Read more>>
Pamela Kinter
Not sure exactly what your are looking for, but I will give it a go! I’ve worked in the Washington D.C metropolitan area and Chicagoland area. After a few years trying to get acting roles and arts related jobs in Chicago, I began directing and fell in love with the art. Read more>>
Callie Murray
Callie Murray was born and raised in Charlotte, NC. Callie began her career journey in the restaurant industry as a Hostess, Server, and Trainer through college. Murray used her restaurant experience and bachelor’s degree to work in corporate marketing for various local restaurant groups. Read more>>
Tanya McCarn
Our small business originally started as a kitchen table hobby under a different name. My daughter and I started making jewelry to pass the time during COVID quarantine in 2020. Very quickly, we realized that we loved making jewelry and even more, we loved seeing people wear the items we made. Read more>>
Jason Watson
Cross Pointe Church has a rich history in our community, originally founded in 1933 as East Laurinburg Pentecostal Holiness Church. What began as a small congregation with a big heart has continued to grow and evolve over the decades. Read more>>
MICHAEL GUNTER
Born in Hawaii and raised all across the USA. Father was a senior Medic in the Air Force. Mother was a Korean War Vet. All of my life I have had strong interests in Rockets, Electricity and things that go BANG. Small model rockets as a young person and flying with friends was always a great afternoon. Read more>>
Holly Michelle
I started coding and building websites when I was 10 years old. It was always the dream… little me knew this was what I wanted to do when I grew up. Something creative. I loved all things art! I taught myself everything I could, which eventually turned into coding Myspace layouts for my friends (yes… I’m that old, haha). Read more>>
Whitney Zoghby
If you would like to focus on me personally, I always knew I wanted to work with animals from a young age. I majored in animal science in college and grad school. I became a scientist for an animal health company that created vaccines for cats, dogs and livestock. Read more>>
Amy Stanley
I didn’t get into real estate because I loved houses — I fell in love with the people. Before I ever started Stanley Premier Properties, my life was already centered around Johnston County. My family, our businesses, our schools, our churches — everything that mattered to me was rooted here. Read more>>
Kimberly & Horacio Mayomona
Over the years, Kizomba RDU has grown into one of longest running Kizomba dance schools in the US and a premier destination for Kizomba and Semba in North Carolina. It is our mission to represent, teach and facilitate the proper learning of Kizomba and other cultural dances. Through group classes, social events and workshops with visiting instructors, Kizomba RDU will help nurture the growth of the dance and music in the area. It is our hope to continue the legacy of this beautiful cultural dance, to teach its history, to cultivate its growth. Read more>>
Tim Emmert
The history, politics and economics of beer and breweries, the lore and practices of breweries both still standing and long gone, the modern efforts to understand how to brew the best beer now alongside knowing how the earliest brewers of beer practiced their trade – all these and much more were on the table for lifelong learning. Read more>>
Kate Naik
Power Couple Spotlight: Prasad & Kate Naik – Building Dreams, Empowering Entrepreneurs, and Designing Happiness In the heart of North Carolina, Prasad and Kate Naik are redefining what it means to be modern entrepreneurs. Together, this visionary couple has built an empire that spans beauty, design, and community impact — inspiring others to dream big, build boldly, and create meaningful change. Read more>>
Patrick Gibson
My path into photography wasn’t traditional. A few years before I got sober, I bought a camera on a whim and then packed it away, never imagining it would matter. After getting sober, I was looking for an outlet that felt grounding—something that gave me purpose and a way to express myself. Read more>>
Sushrusha Arjyal MD
I was born in the beautiful country of Nepal. After completing medical school, I came to the United States in 2008 with big dreams and just a few hundred dollars in my pocket. After years of tests and training, including a one-year fellowship in Sleep Medicine, I graduated as a board-certified Sleep specialist and Psychiatrist. Read more>>
Retta Timmons
There was a time when silence was my language. I smiled on the outside, but inside I was a storm no one could see. Imagine being a child who feels unseen, unloved, and unheard by the very people who should have been your safe place — your family. Read more>>
Kendra Parkis
I’ve always been a creative person, but my journey as an artist has never been a straight line. I started tattooing about five years ago, mostly as a way to combine my love for drawing with a career that allowed freedom and flexibility. Read more>>
John Boone
We had just drove across country (dad, brother and me) in a 92’ suburban about 6 months prior from the bay area of CA and this was my first year of public school from being home schooled. Read more>>
Katie King
It all started in 2010 with a pottery class at the Arts Center in Carrboro. A the time I was working as a speech-language pathologist in Durham Public Schools and I wanted to do something for me to balance out the tedium and stress of my job. Read more>>
Vanessa & Gavin Owen & Stewart
We met dancing in Kansas City in 2011 and pretty quickly discovered a shared creative spark. A year later we moved to Virginia, dancing for Richmond Ballet and Washington Reflections, and that’s where we first started choreographing together and producing our own work. In 2014 we joined Company E in Washington, D.C., which was hugely formative. Through cultural diplomacy tours with the U.S. Read more>>
Katie Hart
I grew up in Sunset Beach, North Carolina but moved to Durham to attend the North Carolina School of Science Math for my junior and senior years of high school. I attended undergraduate and graduate school at UNC-Chapel Hill where I met my husband, Tom. Read more>>
Gwendolyn Lee-Cooper
I was born and raised in Upstate New York and moved to Sanford in 2016. My professional journey spans 17 years in nonprofit work, 25 years of volunteer service, and five years in government healthcare, and it has given me a sharp understanding of both community needs and the systems that shape access to care. Read more>>
Lisa Williams
I started my work in mental health with a deep belief that healing happens when people feel truly supported and understood. I wanted to give people the space to find how to overcome their life’s struggles, and become the person they were meant to be. Read more>>
Robert Weidenhamer
Sesh by Sherlocks Glass & Dispensary: The North Carolina Brand Redefining THCa Flower & Solventless Craft If you’ve been watching the rise of the THCa market in the U.S., one name continues to appear at the top of every discussion: Sesh by Sherlocks Glass & Dispensary. Read more>>
John Boone
We had just drove across country (dad, brother and me) in a 92’ suburban about 6 months prior from the bay area of CA and this was my first year of public school from being home schooled. Read more>>
Jasmine Brummitt
My story begins in 2019. I was stationed in San Antonio, Texas, with my husband-who is still active duty-and our two kids children. This is the year my mental and physical health began to take a turn for the worse. I remember it like it was yesterday. My mind felt cluttered with thoughts, and my feelings felt like a shaken-up soda bottle, ready to explode. Read more>>
Michelle McKenney
My journey into esthetics is woven through every chapter of my life — the challenges I’ve faced, the work I’ve done, and the woman I’ve become. I didn’t start in the beauty industry. I started as a young woman navigating real life, real pain, and real transformation. Read more>>
Jay Vics
Hey there! My name is Jay Vics, and I’m a serial entrepreneur—though I’ll be honest, that wasn’t exactly the plan. Growing up in New Jersey, life had its share of ups and downs. High school and the years after were rough. Read more>>
Chris Gorges
I grew up in New Bern, NC, studied business at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, and spend the first five years of my career in Washington, DC, in management consulting. In 2011, I moved to New York City to attend the NYU Stern School of Business, and pivoted my career into the overlap of the startup / venture capital world, and creative services. Read more>>
Robin Duffy
I began my career as a licensed massage and bodywork therapist (LMBT) in metropolitan New York in the early 2000s. My initial intention was to do massage as a side hustle, but while attending massage school at The Swedish Institute, I was downsized from my job as Assistant Director of The Center for Japan-US Business and Economic Studies at New York University. Read more>>
Abram Bryan
With all entrepreneurs, it began simply with finding out what I enjoyed and would love doing everyday whether it was watching and critiquing films, reviewing food spots, or even finding simple joy in reading a variety of genres. Read more>>
Nicolette Leigh Yates
Art has been part of my life since childhood. Growing up in rural Stokesdale, I spent hours outdoors staring at nature, tracing the edges of flowers, grasses, barns, tree limbs, and fields with my eyes, finding images in clouds, and making up stories…moments that still fuel my intuitive process today. In second grade, I won a haunted house drawing contest and received a Hello Kitty stationery set as my prize. Read more>>
Tina Boykin
I love being in the kitchen (it gets me out of my head) creating beautiful boards or grazing tables for others special occasions. I love learning what the occasion is for and making their board/table to reflect it. Seeing people smile and enjoy their food makes my heart smile. Read more>>
Jonese Pipkin
“Like many of us, the foundations of my identity were established at an early age. I was born into a family that valued education, spending time with loved ones, and being of service to those outside of yourself. Some of my earliest memories revolve around finding interest in a thing and spending all my free time practicing or exploring that new love of mine. Read more>>
Ashley Acosta
I’ve been in the beauty industry for 8 years and have always been passionate about helping people look and feel their best. Throughout my career, I’ve managed and mentored stylists, built long-term relationships with clients, and developed a love for creating transformations that go beyond just hair. Read more>>
Frederick Surgeon
My story begins with a deep belief in entrepreneurship and hard work. From an early age, I sought out ways to create opportunity and add value to my community. After earning an accounting degree from North Carolina A&T State University and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, I began my career as an auditor with Ernst & Young and later served as a Chief Financial Officer in behavioral health. Those experiences taught me discipline, attention to detail, and the importance of sound financial management. Read more>>
Lilia Becerra Hatcher
The road has definitely not been entirely smooth, but every challenge has shaped my journey. Returning to school and advancing my career later in life came with its own set of obstacles—balancing family, work, and studies, and facing the doubts that often come with pursuing something at my age. Transitioning across multiple specialties from ICU to Med-Surg, Emergency Department, psychiatric nursing, and leadership required constant learning and adaptation. But each experience strengthened my skills, resilience, and commitment to providing compassionate, patient-centered care. Those struggles made the achievement of opening my own psychiatric practice this year even more rewarding. Read more>>
