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.

Sierra Siler

I started drawing in 2011, with a focus on people, portraits, and semi-realism. In May of 2020, I graduated cum laude, earning my bachelor of arts degree from Tuskegee University in three years. I was the University’s first student to obtain a Visual Arts degree since their founding in 1881. Read more>>

C’anna Wells

I’ve been in love with wedding since I was a kid. I started out with another company and gained only more love for the industry from that. I branched out and started my own company. Read more>>

Jeannie Jeffers

I’ve worked most of my life as an accountant for public broadcasting and Community Action in Nashville, TN and in fundraising for Public Broadcasting in Athens Ohio, my home town. While recovering from spinal surgery, I needed something to do from home so I ordered a candlemaking kit. Having something tangible that you have created is really satisfying so that’s how it started. Read more>>

Axton Mitchell

I’ve always been drawn to the space where different forms of creative expression overlap. Think of places where real personal reflection meets structured storytelling. My journey really took off when I began treating writing not just as a casual pastime, but as an intentional, daily practice. I started publishing multi-layered articles, poetry, nature essays, and creative prompts online. Read more>>

Amanda Rienerth

Here’s a version that sounds much more like your voice while keeping it polished for a magazine. :::writing{variant=’document’ id=’64821′} Donut Land was founded by my grandfather, Bill Rienerth, in 1972. Before opening Donut Land, he worked at Mister Donut beginning in 1960 when he was just 19 years old. Read more>>

Kim Dalton

I did not set out to be a headshot photographer. I started in the non-profit world, then stayed home once my kids came along. When my youngest hit kindergarten, I figured it was time to make money again. Read more>>

Racheal Foradis

My trade is a cosmetologist, my love is music! It’s been 20 years since I stepped into The Ohio State school of Cosmetology. I’ve worked in salons and traveled. Hair competitions let me show my artistic side. Performances led me to step onto the stage for a different art, music. I love to make songs and get a crowd engaged! Read more>>

Nay Reynolds

I founded Lavish Vixenz Model Agency (LVMA) with a vision to create opportunities for aspiring models who wanted more than just a photoshoot—they wanted education, guidance, and real industry experience. Early on, I noticed that many talented individuals had the passion to model but lacked access to the knowledge, mentorship, and professional development needed to navigate the industry with confidence. Read more>>

Adam Jones

Our store started in 2009 with a different owner and we purchased it from him in March of 2014. Started hosting more tournaments and working more with our Parks and their courses. Both members of our local DG Club, GCDGA, and I have served as President and VP for several years. Read more>>

Renee Matthews Jackson

I started young. My journey as an artist began long before I knew what the word artist meant. Growing up in Cleveland, my brothers, sisters, cousins, and neighborhood friends transformed our backyard into a stage. My father hung bed sheets from clotheslines to create backstage curtains, and together we wrote plays, performed talent shows, sang, danced, and entertained anyone willing to watch. Read more>>

Andrea Stalnaker

Before this, I was a maker. I made chunky knit blankets and did events and markets for 4 years. I had thought about owning my own brick and mortar, but it was expensive. The next best thing felt like putting my items into stores dedicated to vendors. I quickly realized that this option was very expensive. Read more>>

Nicole Dietz-Hunt

As the Sales & Marketing Director of a large, NE Ohio catering firm, I wanted to branch out on my own. I knew that I didn’t want a full-service restaurant (initially). A small downtown Cheese Shop with elevated deli vibes, great service and unique offerings were just the ticket. We opened on October 4, 2019 and have been a Canton-favorite ever since. Read more>>

candace gasper

I started Digital Candy in 2019 after losing my remote job at a startup based in Charlotte, North Carolina. I didn’t want to do the whole writing a CV letter, resume refresh, etc. So I decided to just make up my own job, haha. I knew I loved being on my phone, scrolling on social, and engaging online with people. Read more>>

LaTisha Sanders

Ever since I was young, I’ve always been artistic and loved drawing, and painting. My Mom enrolled me in an elementary school that really helped bring out my creativity and encouraged me to explore that side of myself even more. What started with drawing and painting eventually expanded into other creative outlets like music, poetry, modeling and storytelling. Read more>>

Izabella Razook

Choosing to go solo immediately after beauty school was one of the biggest leaps of faith I’ve ever taken. I knew it wouldn’t be the easiest path, but I also knew I wanted to build something that was truly my own. Instead of waiting until I felt “ready,” I decided to trust my vision, put in the work, and grow through every challenge. Read more>>

Cordell Walker Sr

My story ain’t perfect, but it’s real. In 2015, I made a decision that changed my life. I ended up spending eight and a half years in prison. While I was there, I had a lot of time to think about who I was, who I wanted to become, and what I wanted my life to stand for when I got another chance. Read more>>

buttcoffin

I started drawing when I was really young and pretty much never stopped. It’s how I made friends early on in kindergarten through high school. Without drawing I think I would’ve just been some strange cinder block of a person, I graduated college with a Bachelor of Fine arts in printmaking at Ohio University. Read more>>

Micayela Kinsey

My journey to entrepreneurship began with a simple act of obedience. After three years at the Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits Call Center—where I was honored with the Eagle Award, trained new employees, served on cultural committees, and traveled out of state for leadership opportunities —I was still being overlooked for promotions. Read more>>

Jason Baker

While attending Bowling Green State University from 2008 to 2012 as a Telecommunications major with a focus in television production, I was also heavily involved with Film/Theater and Music courses. The combination of these three separate fields introduced me to all of the building blocks of storytelling in nearly every capacity that still resonates with me to this day. Read more>>

Allie Cohen

Ever since I was 13 standing in line at the grocery store with my mom, I saw a body mod magazine. I begged her to get it for me. I was fascinated with extreme body modifications, from the lizardman (Erik Sprague), Rolf Buchholz and María José Cristerna Méndez known as the vampire woman. Read more>>

Ginger Marie Corwin

In my mid-twenties, I was going through the motions of life, but I wasn’t really living. Almost every day, I would cry on my drive home from work. I was unhappy in my career, kept getting passed over for promotions, and found myself attracting unhealthy relationships. From the outside, everything looked fine, but inside I knew there had to be a better way. Read more>>

Jennifer Alexander

My journey into the beauty industry started with a simple passion for helping people feel confident. I was always drawn to beauty, but what inspired me most was seeing how even a small service could completely change someone’s confidence and the way they carried themselves. Read more>>

Abe Robinson

I’ve never really taken the traditional path into this industry. I started Blind 7 in 2007 with a camera, a love for Macro work, and absolutely no idea how far it would eventually take me. Read more>>

Zaria Wilson

My journey as an artist has never been about chasing fame—it has always been about transformation. Music became my way of processing life, healing childhood wounds, and finding purpose in experiences that once made me feel lost. I grew up facing instability, loss, and constant change, and for a long time I felt like I had to carry everything on my own. Read more>>

Shelena Omokaro

My journey began during one of the most meaningful seasons of my life. While I was pregnant with my second son, I became aware of how many conventional children’s skincare products contain harsh chemicals and ingredients that many parents would rather avoid. As a mother, I wanted something better for my children, especially for their sensitive skin. Read more>>

Natalie Lorber

My journey with yoga really began in 2005 when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). At the time, I was looking for something that could help me both physically and mentally. I was also hoping to improve my overall health and lose weight, but what I found through yoga was so much more than exercise. Read more>>

Allen Harrington

I always wanted to open a comic book store. I grew up reading comics and loved them. About 7 years ago I was getting ready to graduate from college. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do after graduating. It was my wife who suggested I star my own shop. Read more>>

Hadassah Holbrook

I’ve been to stay at home mom for six years now and I knew that I wanted to stay home and raise my children instead of someone else raising them. I have quit my day job when my first baby was born and I have been working part-time as a mother helper with my child, and it was hard at times, but we managed. Read more>>

Eman Ewais

I’ve always been passionate about healthcare and knew I wanted a career where I could make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. After earning my bachelor’s degree in Biology, I originally planned to attend medical school. But as I reflected on what truly excited me, I realized I was most interested in helping people improve their health through nutrition and lifestyle. Read more>>

laurie clements

I have been a creative all my life from constructing elaborate cardboard architecture to fancy stick people. After graduating from Columbus College of Art and Design, serving as Director of Admissions then teaching there and raising a family, I finally found the time to truly start digging into my own art. Read more>>

Jordan Carter

My name is Jordan Carter. I am an artist from Columbus, Ohio that loves the pure essence of art. Since I was a kid, I always imaged being a creative in some facet. Whether that was making stoves out of paper and tape or doodling in every notebook I owned, creativity lived in me. Through elementary to high school, I maintained that curiosity. Read more>>

Mike Blose

I didn’t set out to become an entrepreneur—I simply followed a passion for helping people grow. For more than 20 years, I’ve been an educator, where I learned that lasting change comes through accountability, consistency, and meaningful relationships. Read more>>

Beso Gavasheli

My passion for cycling started at a very young age in the country of Georgia. What began as a hobby quickly turned into a professional career, and over the years I became a seven-time Georgian National Mountain Bike Champion, a two-time National Time Trial Champion, and had the opportunity to represent Georgia internationally, including at the 2015 European Games. Read more>>

Michael Howard

I’ve had the entrepreneurial bug for a long time. I started my first company while I was still at the University of Cincinnati, doing marketing consulting for small and midsized businesses around town. That work is how I met Khalil El-Amin, who became my cofounder, and I met Steven Brown in classes at UC. Read more>>

Jonathan Yates

It was writing that led me into standup comedy, as it had done for so many other endeavors. Writing is my passion; and has, many times, been my profession. I was working on a script that had a comedy scene. I wanted to try out the jokes before a live audience. At that time, November 2021, I was living in Chapel Hill, NC. Read more>>

Darius Chambers

I’m Darius Chambers, a podcast host, producer, entrepreneur, and creative from Akron, Ohio. I’ve always been passionate about giving people a voice and creating conversations that matter. That passion led me to build Black Legacy Productions and launch the What The Shit?! Read more>>