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.
Tiffany Ferrari
Relocating 1,000 miles, raising three active kids, and establishing myself in a new market has been no easy feat. My oldest now plays college softball at Denison University, my middle child is headed to Carnegie Mellon in Fall 2025, and my youngest is deeply involved in sports. Balancing family and business is demanding, especially for mothers, but I’ve navigated it all—school events, sports, college visits, and everyday life—while keeping my business thriving. Read more>>
Stella Compiseno
Stella’s journey began in the corporate world of New York City, where she thrived in Institutional Equity Sales & Trading. A place known for its stern suits, high-pressure deals, and relentless pace, the environment was far from the creative space Stella had secretly longed for. Beneath the suits and ties, she had a passion for fashion—something that often felt stifled in a world that valued numbers over nuance. Read more>>
Greg Deegan
The company produced books on the history of Cleveland and as I edited manuscripts I couldn’t believe how little I knew. When I would share my insights, my students realized they didn’t know anything either. So I began teaching a course on Cleveland, its history, and the connections to the present. For the final project, students had to come up with original ideas trying to address real community challenges after having researched and interviewed stakeholders and public officials. Read more>>
Matt Hoffman
To be honest, a lot of the turbulence in my life has been superficial and probably could have been avoided. I’m a creative person who gets caught in dreamland sometimes and I forget to manage the cogs. I’ve gotten better and those things as I’ve gotten older, but I don’t know that it’ll ever truly be a strength of mine. No matter how stressful work gets, or how tight money gets, or how tense relationships can get, I’ve just always had faith and believed that everything would work out. Having a perspective that’s focused forward and upward has allowed to keep a pretty level head in tough times. Read more>>
Sarah Beirne
I decided to leave teaching after my daughter was born in the Spring of 2018. While in the beautiful cloud of motherhood, along with (what I realized later was) undiagnosed postpartum depression, I felt lost. Even though I made the decision, my career and everything I worked toward for so long was suddenly stripped from me. I was in the middle of an identity crisis! I realized in order to be the best mom I could be, that meant I also needed to fill my cup in other ways. So that fall, I opened my LLC and slowly started to build up my clientele, trying all different types of photography. Read more>>
Charles Wilkerson
I have started my journey doing photography for senior in college then moved to Connecticut and was a photo director for a boys and girls camp. After that I picked up a job in New York for a small family business providing services throughout the 5 bureaus that makes up New York City. After Covid, I was forced to return home to Cleveland and began my journey in my hometown. I have now grown through 3 studios and now located in Maple Heights with a new studio and prolific real estate photographer. Read more>>
Karen Johnson
It wasn’t until my third child developed epilepsy at the age of two that I began my current business venture. My daughter was put on a strict medical Ketogenic diet in the hopes that it would stop her 50 plus daily seizures. Miraculously it did, but the four and a half years of maintaining the diet were difficult ones. I began volunteering through the Epilepsy Association of Northeast Ohio counseling other families who were considering the same course of treatment in the hopes of controlling their child’s seizure. Read more>>
Tannah Adams
I have had steady increases but I have by no means blown up or started getting paid yet and sometimes it’s hard to keep going when it feels like it’s all for nothing. And since we only have one income right now it can be a challenge to come up with ideas that don’t cost money or much money but I love being creative with it and I love my husband and all the people on my accounts and in my real life that truly believe I can do it and I’m doing this for them as much as me I want to be able to take care of those I love and not have to have my husband be away from our little family everyday he never complains and is the sweetest man in the world supporting me through everything. Read more>>
Madeline Yankey
At this point in November of 2022, I was working full time, managing a large estate hours away, and attending law school at night. This was a hard year, but I closed the estate and graduated Magna Cum Laude in December of 2023. I proved myself capable of hard things. I currently work full time for the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office. My primary responsibility is expunging criminal charges from the records of those that are having troubles with housing, education, employment, or all three. Through the Safe Haven project, we were also able to expunge the full record of three human sex trafficking victims in the county. I also perform research and writing on the appellate level in the First District of Ohio. Read more>>
Stormy Sage
My journey may seem wild to you when you read this, but as you feel into the energy, you might be surprised how much you see yourself in this story, too. I remember asking my mom in middle school, “What are we doing here? What is the purpose of us being on this planet?” I know; it was a loaded question to ponder in your teens. As long as I can remember, I felt a longing to understand “what is going on” and “what am I here to do.” I searched high and low, from looking to religion, science, spirituality, travel, and my inner guidance system. I started with a career as a cardiac nurse, thinking this was my purpose: to help people physically heal. In 2018, I found myself working as a Cardiothoracic ICU Nurse in New York City, and it was in 2020 when things began to crumble. Read more>>
Shelly Svonavec
In 2017, I moved back to Cleveland and immersed myself in the small business and artistic community. I found my work as a teaching artist within the non-profit, Center for Arts Inspired Learning, where I still work as an independent contractor teaching integrated art programs and consulting on building curriculum and professional development programs. Much of my work focuses on Social-Emotional Learning and cultivating a lasting impact with the youth through art. Read more>>
Livia Weingarten
Since I operate as a Cottage Food business, I still bake out of my home kitchen. My first apartment oven wasn’t ideal for large batches, so I first had to scale back on bagel pickups. I also had to adapt my business model from delivery to pickup since Cincinnati is structured differently than Cleveland. Once I switched apartments and had a better oven, I didn’t do much promotion besides posting sporadically on Instagram until 2024, when my friend Chase helped me brainstorm a complete rebrand, including a new logo and fun teaser videos for the business. This helped grow my following, which went from just over 500 to 1,800 engaged followers, organically and primarily from Cincinnati! Read more>>
Lynn Townsend
TGBG stands for To God Be the Glory. It has been my motto and hash tag since mid-2011. It came about during a time in college where I felt I lost my way and those 4 letters helped me find another way. Between 2010 & 2011 I was a student-athlete at Kent State University, which shocked most people who knew me prior to college, even myself. I didn’t have much of a high school football career, but was determined that I was not done. As a walk-on I was dropped into a very high level and had to hit the ground running. I picked up on things quick but frequently doubted if I really could compete. Read more>>
Abbey Cummins
When launching a business, earning the trust of both businesses and the community is crucial. Little by little, we focused on building brand awareness and demonstrating the value of Everything Cincy. I knew the platform could be a game-changer for local businesses, but it took time to establish credibility and prove our impact. Through persistence, collaboration, and genuine support, we were able to create a trusted resource that continues to grow and make a difference. Read more>>
Amber Cheatham
I started sharing my personal style, hair transformations, and beauty finds online, and it wasn’t long before my content gained traction. My TikTok grew quickly, and I found that people really resonated with my authentic approach to fashion and hair care. That led to my first brand collaborations with companies like Fenty Hair, Sephora, and VIVAIA, and from there, things started falling into place. Read more>>
Emma Dobbertin
I worked at animal sanctuaries, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, the Cleveland Animal Protective League, and even a vet clinic. After winning a Halloween costume contest my husband (strongly) urged me to use the prize winnings to buy a professional camera and start a business. 8.5 years later and I’m still going strong. We started a family a few years into starting my business and it has allowed me to quit my previous job and work full-time for myself. Although I loved working with animals, beginning my own business has been lifechanging for both me and my family. I still find ways to work with animals through volunteering etc. but I do not regret taking this path. Read more>>
Robert Wright
Being a deaf artist situates me in a unique experience. I am a lip reader, and my 90% loss of hearing leaves me sensitive to body language and the implications of gesture since I rely on visual cues. My disability makes me to look for meaning in the way people move. I prefer observing and drawing from dancers because they are less inhibited. My inner dance world is important to me. I communicate my deaf self through these marks. I feel the way we move reflects our identities. By capturing the odd angles and juxtapositions I see in life, I create an abstracted world of human energy and unspoken meaning, as well as works reflecting beauty, grace, strength, balance, and rhythm. Read more>>
Amanda Zolna
Running a small business alone will always come with struggles. The biggest one is the constant worry if you’re good enough still or creative blocks that stand in your way. I deeply struggled to find balance once becoming a mom but after a year I got my work process down and now have the best support system and flow than I ever had! Read more>>
Dylan Buell
When I reached college, I pursued a degree to become a high school history teacher, but still loved photography, so I spent my free time working for the school’s newspaper. I loved the work and the camaraderie of a newsroom, so on a whim during my last semester, I applied to a couple newspaper jobs, and ended up landing one at the State-Journal in Frankfort, Kentucky a month before I graduated. I put a teaching career on pause and started working at the State-Journal two days after graduating. Read more>>
Aysia Amore
Growing up having a light either people will help you keep it aflame or try to put it out. Unfortunately growing up I was bullied and picked on by my peers for being myself and was outcasted and scapegoated by what I would call my community, which lead to alot of mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression. This lead to me isolating myself but this is also what lead me to create, create, and create! I got the chance to introspective and be my own friend, my own shoulder to cry on, my own community! Which doesn’t exclude or take away from those who were there for me, family, friends, and loved ones! Read more>>
Megan Hardesty
Early in my career I had realization that I could use my unique set of skills to create something special—something that combined my love for artistry, my expertise in leadership, and my desire to help others feel confident in their own skin. For me, weddings represent one of the most intimate and important days in a person’s life. I’ve always felt that makeup should enhance a person’s natural beauty, not mask it. With that in mind, I made it my company’s mission to help brides feel radiant, confident, and most importantly, true to themselves on their special day. I’ve worked with countless brides to craft looks that reflect their personalities —without compromising on comfort or authenticity. Read more>>
Sarah Dankhof
Wildfire opened seven months before Covid, so it absolutely has not been a smooth road. I look back and see that I learned by fire – no pun intended. I don’t have a business background or accolades that most believe equip someone to open a business. I am just a girl with a dream and a whole lot of grit. I learned many lessons the hard way and with my livelihood on the line. I don’t wish to relive those years, but I know they made me a stronger and more resilient business owner. Read more>>
Anthony Kraschinsky
My most fond memory is hanging out around the campfire with all of our family and friends. My worst memory is watching my favorite shirt combust into flames while it was drying on the back of a chair after we had played in the mud all day. We always had the best time there, and now I am able to take my son every year to enjoy the show from an entirely different perspective. We’re business owners now! It’s become a family tradition! Read more>>
Joe Dybala
Married for 12 years and together for 16, we make a great team. Our journey started with a focus on dog training, helping dogs of all breeds and temperaments become well-balanced companions for their owners. But as we worked with more clients, we realized our services went beyond just training—we were creating experiences that brought peace, confidence, and joy to both dogs and their owners. Read more>>
