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.
Daneé Haynes
My personal journey of both pregnancy loss and carrying full term pregnancies was the catalyst that led me to become a birth doula. I really became a “birth nerd” during that time and wanted to be for others, what I wanted for myself. I ended up having a doula and she told me I would make a great doula… that was the confirmation I needed to hear. I trained with a few organizations but ended up certifying with the National Black Doulas Association. Read more>>
Curtis Shepard
My name is Curtis Drake Shepard, and I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Raised by my aunt, I grew up in the communities of Avondale and Walnut Hills. I graduated from Hughes High School where I met my first love, the STAGE! I tried college several times and eventually I surrendered to my inability to confirm to the structure and rules of higher learning. Read more>>
Jennifer Thurston
Hi there! I’m Jen… also, Miss Jen, Mrs. Thurston and Mom. I began teaching art 25 years ago and continue teaching grades 5-8 at a public middle school today. Most days inside a middle school can turn upside down, sideways, backwards and inside out! You have to go with the flow and always expect things to shift. Read more>>
Erin Simic
My business all started when I found myself too sick to work and unemployed. In 2022 I got Covid and never quite recovered in the process of figuring out what was going on. They also found out that I also had something called Elhers Danos syndrome which is a connective tissue disorder and causes severe pain and joint issues as well as many other symptoms. Read more>>
Margaret Moody
I am a survivor of narcissistic abuse, from childhood, and marriage. After my divorce, I was struggling with everything. Narcissism is a word that is thrown around a lot now, but if you have been raised by a person with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or spent time in a long term relationship with one, you know that it leaves you depleted. Read more>>
Kelsey Takitch
My mom and I had talked for years about doing something together — something creative and meaningful that we could build side by side. When the opportunity came along to open a business in my city, right in the heart of our uptown area, it just felt right. Read more>>
Katherine Bement
Integrative Counseling and Wellness began as both a leap of faith and a long-held dream — a blend of circumstance, intuition, and a deeply rooted vision to create a space where traditional, evidence-based counseling meets holistic, integrative approaches to mental health. Before founding my practice, I worked in a variety of clinical settings, including inpatient, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs. Read more>>
Leslie Roach
I began my hairstyling career 26 years ago, right after graduating from cosmetology school. My first job was as an assistant in a large salon, where I learned the fundamentals — from mastering the perfect blowout to delivering exceptional customer service. Read more>>
Rita Amonett
Rita Amonett’s career spans many years and roles in the design industry. Before founding Amonett Design Studio, she worked in well-established design firms, contributing to retail, corporate, mixed-use, historic, and institutional design. Rita Amonett Over that time, she honed not only her design skill, but project leadership, coordination with architects & contractors, and deep understanding of how space affects people’s behavior, needs, and well-being. Read more>>
Kalyani Veturi
My journey with Kuchipudi began almost three decades ago, but the dance has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. As a child, I was drawn to the rhythm, the grace, and the stories told through movement — each step felt like poetry in motion. What started as simple curiosity soon became a lifelong devotion. Read more>>
Jonathan Heard
Born Favored Ministries is a ministry that has moves in the spirit of unity, our Main focus and goal is to share the love of God at such a level that those who have always felt rejected and unloved, feel his love through all of us at Born Favored Minsitries. Read more>>
Malcolm Marshall
Malcolm Marshall, creatively known as Malccs, is a producer, mix engineer and creative director based in Columbus, OH. Drawing from over 15 years experience, he bridges music, storytelling and strategy to build authentic, resonant sounds that stand the test of time. Read more>>
Donna Hruz
I have had a love of music for as long as I can remember. My father brought me up on classic rock, playing the guitar and the piano and taught me how to play keyboards as well. My parents enrolled me in Fine Arts programs throughout my schooling years, which included, dance, drama, voice and musical instrument lessons. Read more>>
Timothy (Tim) Loomis
I began martial arts at the age of 8. From the moment I stepped on the mat, I knew ‘this was for me!’ In those days (the late 60s) most kids were doing baseball, basketball, and football while I was on the mat earning my first Black Belt at the age of 12. Nearly 60 years later, I co-own a studio in Twinsburg, OH. Read more>>
Frank Deets
After Covid I wished to start a new career path. I started at the culinary training program at the Citylink community outreach center to start developing my culinary skills and career. I loved it and could not stop learning. It ignited my hunger for more knowledge and growth. Read more>>
Elizabeth Jay
I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic by a mother whose strength, warmth, discipline, and faith shaped everything about who I am today. She taught me early that beauty is not just how we look — it’s how we care for others and how we show up in the world. Read more>>
Erin Bosley
My journey into entrepreneurship has been driven by a passion for helping others bring their ideas to life. I founded Project Management by Erin in June 2024 after recognizing how many aspiring business owners and organizations had strong visions but needed support turning them into actionable plans. Read more>>
Brandon Jones
I was raised on bluegrass and folk music. My dad was an amateur banjo player and two of his brothers were guitarists. Every family get together was a bluegrass pickin’ session. My dad also surrounded himself with friends who were musicians, and I spent many a night in our living room or around a campfire listening to live music. Read more>>
MARC CARR
I was born in Wooster Ohio. My father was a college professor teaching French. Because of this I lived in France and learned French. This also propelled my interests into travel and seeing the world! As a young man I married a woman from Canada. Here I taught French and my wife Linda taught 2nd grade. Read more>>
Damara Patterson
My story started with me having no idea what I wanted to do with my life in college. I remember sitting in my advisor’s office and saying, “I want to be a wedding planner!” and she told me, “There isn’t a major for that.” Ugh! Read more>>
Margaret Lipp
I went to college at The Ohio State University and had studied Exercise Science. After college I had a short stint of a customer service job until I was able to secure a position as an entry level personal trainer for a local training studio specializing in biomechanics and rehabilitation. Read more>>
Laurel Bansek
It all started with a Brownie Hawkeye camera for Christmas in 1949. That camera went everywhere with me. I like non-animate objects…people pose too much! As years went on and camera improved, I took some casual lessons at the Lorain Arts Center. I began more exact in my focusing and considered new objects. Read more>>
Kristen Lee
I originally got inspired after seeing another local officiant posting about their work, something about it just clicked for me. I decided to get ordained, and when I performed my very first wedding, I was so nervous! But once I stood there with that couple and felt all the love and excitement in the air, I knew this was something truly special. Read more>>
Olivia Radcliffe
I built my business while working a full-time job from home as a single mom during the pandemic — no childcare, no extra hands, just nap times and a lot of determination. There wasn’t a lot of sleep, but there was a lot of clarity: I didn’t want to choose between being a present mom and being successful. I wanted both. Read more>>
Alyssia Daley
As a child I was in foster care, I received a lot of mental health services but do not feel that anyone treated me as a person, this made me want to do things differently. I became a social worker because I wanted to help people feel like they were people not just a case number or file on your desk. Read more>>
Kristina Plekhanova
Our journey began over 14 years ago, when yoga first became a part of my life. Back then, I had no idea how profoundly it would shape me, guiding me through life’s challenges and helping me grow into the person I am today. Yoga wasn’t just about movement – it was about healing, discovery, and empowerment. Read more>>
Chris Murphy
In 2017 my husband came up with the idea to open a creperie and design it like it was owned by a little old lady. At first I wrote it off as a crazy daydream but eventually came around to the idea and Brewella was born! So we found a storefront in Lakewood, the town we live in, and began to build it all out. Read more>>
