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.
Jonny Mocha
Unhinged Coffee & Co was born from a simple truth: life is messy, people are complicated, and sometimes the best thing you can do is show up, grab a cup of coffee, and be honest about where you’re at. My partner Cody Vaughn and I started it as a mobile coffee cart in Knightdale, and somewhere along the way it became something bigger than coffee. Read more>>
Gary Williams Siggers
Kulture Entertainment started with a vision to create more than just events. It was built from a passion for culture, community, music, and bringing people together in spaces where they feel seen, celebrated, and connected. As a Black-owned entertainment company, our goal has always been to highlight creativity, elevate experiences, and create platforms that represent the richness of our culture. Read more>>
Nadia Meadows
I am a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and community organizer whose work explores identity, memory, culture, and connection through sculpture, installation, and participatory experiences. I work with materials such as hair, fabric, foam, wood, found objects, and textiles to create work that feels both personal and communal. My journey as an artist began with a desire to create spaces where people feel seen and connected. Read more>>
JW Ray
JOLO Winery & Vineyards owner and winemaker JW Ray has built one of the most acclaimed winery destinations in the Southeast. Just last year, Tripadvisor recognized JOLO as one of the top seven wineries in the United States outside of California. Read more>>
PR Brown
My journey has really been centered around one core idea: helping people gain clarity so they can move forward with confidence and purpose. Early on, I became fascinated by leadership, mindset, and the way people make decisions under pressure. I noticed that many talented individuals and organizations were not struggling because they lacked intelligence or effort. More often, they lacked clarity. Read more>>
Iris Martin
I’m Iris Martin, Founder and CEO of Surreal Journeys Travel, and my journey has been anything but traditional. I became emancipated at 15 years old and learned very early how to survive, adapt, and build opportunities for myself. Entrepreneurship wasn’t just a dream for me, it became a necessity. Read more>>
Pradeep Marri
More than just a place to grab a drink, we wanted to create a welcoming space where people could gather with family and friends, share stories, and make lasting memories — which is exactly how the name “Hoppy Tales” came to life. Read more>>
Julie Robertson
It started with a daydream. What if I could do something I loved every day? That question planted itself in my mind and wouldn’t let go. At first I thought big — maybe a retreat, a place where people could come and just escape for a while. But that felt enormous, so I sat with it. Read more>>
Dana Hill
I began performing at the age of 10 as “Trouble the Clown,” using entertainment as a way to help raise money for disabled children in my hometown in North Carolina. What started as a fun way to give back quickly grew into a passion for entertaining and connecting with audiences. Read more>>
Tammi Kornegay
BrainyBuilders was born out of a simple idea and a desire to give young people something different, engaging, and meaningful during the summer. In August 2023, while collaborating with Kingdom Life Church, we began discussing ways to create opportunities for youth beyond the “normal” summer activities. Read more>>
Morre`
The Beginning: I started Hope Stone Home Care Services in 2020 with a mission to provide compassionate, personalized care that allows people of all ages to live with dignity in their own homes. My inspiration came from personal experience as a mother advocating for my daughter Madison. Read more>>
Jasmine Haskins
I started my career in healthcare, where I learned the value of hard work, consistency, and helping people—but over time, I realized that earned income alone wasn’t the path to true financial freedom. Read more>>
Vanessa Asbury
My spiritual journey began in high school, during a time when unexplainable things started happening around me and within me. I would see things, feel things, and somehow know certain events before they happened. At first, I brushed it off as coincidence. But then the dreams became more vivid, the visions became more accurate, and I realized there was something much deeper unfolding. Read more>>
Lydia Saint George
When I was 5, my mom traded an old vanity table for a Yamaha PSR-530. I took a few lessons but ultimately ended up teaching myself piano, then later guitar. Read more>>
Owen McDermott
I came to this country in 1993 with $500 in my pocket. I couldn’t afford the fare to bring my future wife of our two boys so she had to stay behind in Ireland until I could save up some money to pay for her ticket! Read more>>
Sally Lindroos
The story of Savard Beer & Board began over a decade ago when owners John and Michelle Savard moved back to their hometown of Wilmington after college in Asheville. Inspired by the brewing culture they experienced there, they set out to build their own beer scene from scratch. Read more>>
Umi-Aisha Thomas
My name is Umi Aisha Thomas, and I am a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over 18 years of experience in nursing. My nursing journey began in California and later continued in North Carolina, where I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of medical and mental health settings. These experiences have helped shape my compassionate and holistic approach to patient care. Read more>>
Pete Sullivan
Hi, my name is Pete Sullivan, I own and operate RV on Call, LLC, which is a mobile RV service company based in Durham, North Carolina. RV on Call opened for business in 2022, at which time I was performing scattered service appointments on my own, mainly based around Durham. Read more>>
Christelle Wilson
Where should i start, Hmmm My journey started with a passion for helping people feel confident and cared for through hair. What began as simply loving beauty eventually evolved into something much deeper — understanding the connection between hair, identity, wellness, and self-confidence. Read more>>
Cashmere Bentley
I came to StepUp in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic looking for support after my job permanently closed. I went through the employment readiness workshop and received tremendous support in developing employment skills such as resume creation, answering interview questions effectively, and participating in mock interviews. Read more>>
Jake Guild
Guildhall Games was spawned as a result of disability. Co-owner Nicole Frascino was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) shortly before she graduated from UNC with a Ph.D in Epidemiology. She worked for the state producing the COVID numbers we all followed and eventually entered industry until we both contracted COVID. Read more>>
Dillon Drake
I started Designs by Dillon after designing florals for a friend’s wedding. I’ve always had a passion for design, decorating, and gardening, and that experience made me realize I could turn something I genuinely loved into a business. What began as a side project quickly grew through word of mouth and social media. In the beginning, everything operated out of a small 500-square-foot apartment. Read more>>
Tony Wohlgemuth
I started Spookywoods in 1985 when I was 15 years old. The goal back then wasn’t to build a haunted attraction empire; it was to help save the family farm. I needed a way to make the land pay for itself, and a haunted trail through the woods was something I could build with my own hands and a lot of stubbornness. Read more>>
Katihuska Nazario
Hi, my name is Katihuska Nazario, but most people call me Kathy. I studied at Moderns Hair Style Institute in Puerto Rico, and I started my career about four years ago as a licensed cosmetologist and makeup artist. Throughout my journey, I’ve had the opportunity to work in different salons back in Puerto Rico and also freelance with brands like Estée Lauder. Read more>>
Dr. Eldon Peters, DPM
Dr. Peters attended UNC Chapel Hill for his undergraduate studies, where he earned his B.S. in Biology. He then went on to earn his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine from Temple University in Philadelphia and completed a three-year surgical residency in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery at Drexel University’s Hahnemann Hospital. Read more>>
JB Ratledge
It really started in high school. I knew pretty early that college wasn’t my path. That just wasn’t where I was going to figure out my life. So I gave myself a different problem to solve: find something I was good at, something I actually liked, and something people would pay for. Read more>>
Nakeydia Bryant
DreamTravels4u was founded from a passion for creating unforgettable travel experiences for families, groups, and luxury travelers. In 2017, the journey with planning intentional getaways for myself and my three children began, travel created a way to step away from the demands of daily responsibilities and business life. Read more>>
Dj Hunter
I started by just wanting to create content for my music and kids and then it grew into something more as I took courses and expanded my skill set. Read more>>
Sabrina Buckner
I often say that 7 Loaves was born long before I ever touched flour. I grew up in the foster care system, eventually aging out at 20. In those years, I experienced firsthand what it felt like to lack proper nutrition and the stability of a home-cooked meal. Read more>>
Rainey Mangan
I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t performing. As far back as I can remember, I was putting on comedy routines and karaoke shows for my parents and their friends. My dad and I would play music together—him on the guitar and me singing—long before I fully understood what performing meant. Read more>>
Dave French
In 2011 I was in between careers at 34 years old and decided to take a break from the corporate world, so as a life long surfer, I thought,” I should teach surf lessons this summer!”Indo Jax surf school was hiring, the owner, Jack Viorel called be back after seeing my resume, and I started right away with a very cold, but very rewarding Spring Break surf camp for kids. Read more>>
Tara Candice
The Creative Professional: A Journey from NYC to NC I’ve always felt fortunate to come from a beautifully blended family that prioritized both the ‘maker’ spirit and the analytical mind. With a lineage of jewelers, carpenters, and clothing manufacturers alongside professionals in business and psychology, I was raised in a world where creativity and strategy were never mutually exclusive. Read more>>
Mikea Nash
“I got to where I am today through obedience to God’s calling on my life to serve others. I spent half of my career in the medical field, where I learned discipline, compassion, and care for people. After becoming a wife and mother, I realized the demands of the healthcare schedule no longer aligned with the life I needed to build for my family. Read more>>
Cara Yates
Hi, I’m Carolyn (Cara) Yates. As the Chief Visionary Officer of the Bilbo Bash Foundation, I’ve dedicated myself to a mission that is very close to my heart: building supportive, dignified, long-term housing for autistic young adults. My goal is to create a future rooted in person-centered support and true autonomy. Where Advocacy Began My path into this work started at home. Read more>>
Bridgette Clifton
I’ve been an NP for 11 years, an ER nurse for 5 years before that. When I started as an NP, I was very serious, private, didn’t let patients or coworkers into my personal life at all. Read more>>
Leo Rucker
As a little boy at the age of five, my journey began with a little notebook sketchpad using to render stick light figures of a next-door, neighbor husband who fought in war war two that would be my first commission yet not realizing that would later on in life lead to The Artist I am today. Read more>>
William (Bill) Granger
I find it wonderous how each step in life seems to prepare us in some way for the next. I retired from active duty in the U.S. Read more>>
Angela Butler
I started caring for children in my youth group in 1998 in my local church in Florida. It wasn’t until I was the youth leader that actually understood this would be something I would do for the rest of my life. I struggled financially and was in between jobs. Read more>>
Morgan Brady
I have always loved all things wedding, particularly wedding dresses. I dreamed of having my own bridal shop for many years, but it was always a thought for further down the road. In August of 2023, something started to stir in me and it felt like this was the time. Read more>>
Witneigh Ramadani
Dresses have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My first job was working in a local prom and bridal store when I was sixteen, and I immediately fell in love with the industry. Read more>>
Raqasia Siler
My name is Raqasia (rah kay shuh) Siler and I was born and raised in High Point, NC. My passion for music started in middle school when I began playing the flute. During high school, I began teaching private lessons to younger students at the local middle school. Read more>>
John Powell
I’ve been involved in the local commercial real estate landscape for more than 30 years. My father owned a small office building when I was growing up and I got a taste of real estate by working on fit ups a few summers. Read more>>
Shameka Lewis
Safe with God was created from a place of healing, faith, and personal transformation. What started as a journey through some of life’s most challenging moments became a reminder that even in uncertainty, I was still Safe with God. During seasons where I was navigating grief, healing, growth, and rebuilding, I found myself having to fully learn how to trust God again. Read more>>
Lesley Jenks
I started riding horses at 13. What started as a hobby became all consuming, and I ended up starting my own business Finally Farm LLC in 2007 after leaving Corporate America when I had my daughter Finley. Read more>>
Ann Campanella
I was born into a family of word lovers, and I’ve been a reader and a writer for most of my life. In college, I took my first Creative Writing course and quickly declared: “I want to be a poet!” But it wasn’t long before I learned that while poetry fed my soul, it could not pay the bills. Read more>>
