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.

Danielle Thomas

My journey began with a passion for bringing people together through food and memorable experiences. What started as preparing meals and hosting gatherings for family and friends gradually grew into something much bigger. During Covid, I realized that creating an exceptional experience isn’t just about serving great food—it was about helping people celebrate life’s most important moments! Read more>>

Cassandra McKinney

My story began when my dad bought me my very first DSLR camera after I graduated. Photography had always been something I loved, I was the kid carrying a point and shoot camera everywhere, constantly taking photos of my friends and documenting memories. Once I got my “big girl” camera, I started photographing friends, their children, and their growing families. Read more>>

Clayton Stark

I grew up in Northwest Ohio and have been around hunting dogs and the outdoors my entire life. My family has been involved with coonhounds for four generations, spanning more than 130 years, so this lifestyle was never something I picked up later in life, it was simply how I was raised. Read more>>

Laura Zavadil

Laura Zavadil is the founder and owner of Mega Barre Youngstown, an independently owned boutique fitness studio that has helped shape the fitness landscape of Northeast Ohio for more than a decade. A registered and licensed dietitian, fitness professional, entrepreneur, and former professional dancer, Laura has dedicated her career to helping individuals build healthier, stronger lives through movement, nutrition, and community. Read more>>

Roni Gilmore

The question I’m often asked is, “What’s the why behind this—and how did you come up with this idea?” The answer is multi-faceted, but at its core, it begins with family. When my parents became empty nesters, they chose to invest in themselves and bring my mom’s long time dream to life by building and operating a salon. Read more>>

Mike Lucas

I started my career in Bristol, VA doing more traditional news, but saw the changing of the tides a few years in. Fewer and fewer people were consuming news from television and more and more were getting it from their phones. I never thought digital media would be this prevalent, but at least in the sports world, it’s overtaken the old school formats. Read more>>

Alexis Augustine

I was always taught, growing up, that I needed to choose a practical career, and the creativity I craved was better kept as a hobby. I chose Social Work in college because it was flexible and I’d have numerous opportunities after I graduated. I worked a number of jobs after receiving my diploma that had nothing to do with my degree. Read more>>

Damon Karl

I became interested in music by singing in the church choir as a teenager. From there I started doing open mics an entered into a few showcases. Once I got aligned with a Grammy winning manager I started to record my music and open concerts for nationally acclaimed music acts. Read more>>

Elisabeth Sapell

I grew up wanting to run my own business someday. Entrepreneurship was basically my childhood soundtrack because my father owned grocery stores, so dinner table conversations often involved customers, margins, staffing problems, and produce. I loved it. I secretly thought one day I would take over the family business, but eventually it was passed down to my brother instead. Read more>>

Maria Lounsbury

I began painting as a means of working through grief. Over the past 10 years painting, for me, has evolved into a source of immense joy. I paint to work through emotions, and feel an immense sort of satisfaction and joy upon studying my finished pieces. Read more>>

Monisha Carr

I started my lash business during COVID while I was a stay-at-home wife/mother looking for something productive and creative to pour into. I took a lash class to build a strong foundation and make sure I was learning proper technique and safety. Read more>>

Lisbeth Machangu

KidsPartySquad started in 2021 in a parking lot, during a time that changed our perspective on life and community forever. A neighbor’s 1-year-old was going through cancer treatment, and we wanted to find a way to bring a little joy during such a difficult season. What began as a small setup to support and uplift one family quickly became something much bigger. Read more>>

Bethany Zepp

I started my tailoring business, Bethany Tailoring, after spending years sewing and working with clothing from a young age. Designing, altering, and understanding garment construction came very naturally to me early on, and it quickly became more than just a hobby. Read more>>

Beth Caldwell

I’ve been writing books since before I could read. My mom used to bind them together with yarn. I’ve also been gathering groups of women together since I was a Girl Scout. I hated when my troop took a break for the summer, so I would host little circles in the living room with girls from the neighborhood. Read more>>

Fia Zentmeyer

I’ve always been drawn to the arts and creative fields, and after a semester of college, I quickly realized that a traditional 9-5 career was not for me. Read more>>

Natalie Guenther

A few years back I had just moved to Toledo after graduating college at U of M. I had no clue what was next, but I loved working as a barista during school, so I visited all the local coffee shops. BREW was my favorite. It had a cozy, welcoming atmosphere, the baristas were laughing & enjoying themselves, and my banana pancake latte was incredible. Read more>>

Matthew Haney

My journey started at Leap of Faith when I could barely walk. My mother started a dance company and I was fortunate enough to be the very first student apart of this ministry since 2003. Now here I am today still aprt of the family business and dancing all the time and now apart of our Leap of Faith Pro group. Read more>>

Brandon Krakora

My photography career started when I was 18, my cousin bought her first camera and I was so fascinated by it that I eventually saved money from working part time to buy my own first DSLR. It was nothing fancy, I enjoyed photographing my dogs and photographing people and nature, learning the basics of photography. Read more>>

Lynn Algeri

The Vet Pantry started in 2008, when my daughter deployed to Iraq for the first time. There was the opportunity to continue a bread distribution for Veterans, so I volunteered. At the time, there were only a couple of Veterans, and a single box of bread. Those vets listened as I shared my worries for my daughter. Read more>>

Joe Callari

My story really started with food. I grew up in an Italian household where food was everything. It brought people together. It was how love was shown. And like a lot of families, there was also that “finish everything on your plate” mentality. But as I got older, I realized I had picked up a lot of confusion around food. Read more>>

Taeya Sherman

My professional journey began in community corrections, where I worked closely with individuals reentering society after incarceration—helping connect them with employment opportunities, substance abuse resources, housing, and mental health support. That experience gave me a strong foundation in leadership, advocacy, and understanding the importance of creating systems that genuinely support people. Read more>>

Israel Douglas

I began my photography journey in 2018 during my junior year of college at the university of Toledo. I was taking media classes an ESPN2 class. I was in charge of running the camera for events that were going on at the college. I fell in love with being behind a camera, and I have been shooting with the camera ever since. Read more>>

Ray Bicolli

My story as a musician starts from when I was 6 years old and first got introduced to the cello in my hometown of Tirana, Albania. My dad played in a wedding band and taught me the first steps of music, but most importantly instilled in me the love of music and how it can affect people. Read more>>

May Garner

I have been writing for over fifteen years now, going all the way back to my childhood, writing stories on my mom’s old laptop. Originally, I was inspired by the stories and movies I loved, creating my own tales based on those favorites. Read more>>

stephanie Ruggeri

I started my career in Columbia, South Carolina, where I had the opportunity to train under some of the best educators in the Southeast, including editorial training through Kevin Murphy education and Davines. From early on, I fell in love with editorial styling, texture work, and creating hair that felt both beautiful and lived in. Read more>>

Nicholas DiGiuseppe

I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors and have had a desire to work outside. In high school we got to choose a. career for a mentorship program and I chose landscape architecture. My first job at 15 was at a landscape business and nursery that was behind my house. Read more>>

Kingg Lowkeyy

My journey has honestly been about rebuilding myself, finding purpose, and turning my vision into something bigger than just me. I’ve always had a creative mindset and entrepreneurial spirit, but life humbled me in a lot of ways over the years. Read more>>