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.
Irene Fernandez
I actually got introduced to real estate through my family. We started by flipping houses together in Las Vegas, and that’s where I first saw how real estate could completely change someone’s financial trajectory. It wasn’t just about renovating homes — it was about creating opportunity and building something meaningful as a family. Read more>>
Deborah Picou
I have been actively doing Quantum Healing work for a decade. I did not plan to do this though it is clear this is my Dharma, my life’s work. It started when I happened to see a video on YouTube inviting people to participate in a brief explanation of Emotion Code. Read more>>
Alice Deluca
I started my journey over 18 years ago, driven by a deep passion for hair, beauty, and self-expression. From the beginning, I was fascinated not only by the technical side of hairstyling, but by its power to make people feel confident, aligned, and empowered. Over the years, I invested heavily in education, specializing in advanced color techniques, personalized colorimetry, and hair health. Read more>>
T Huntë
I started making music off a karaoke machine at the age of 7 years old, I remember walking to radio Shack to purchase blank Tapes and CD’s to record my music on. That was the start of my music journey, and with consistency, hard work and dedication. I grabbed the eyes of Miami Fl and Atlanta Ga legions. Read more>>
Suttun
Growing up in New York City, I was lucky to be surrounded by the golden era of house music. Spending nights inspired by legendary rooms like Sound Factory and Pacha NYC as well as Space Miami really shaped my ear and my long-term vision as an artist. Read more>>
Iman CWA
I started in the character entertainment industry at 16, so 11 years ago! Working for Party Princess Productions Fort Lauderdale and Miami. I worked my way up to being the location manager and learned how the business ran. I moved to NYC in 2021 and started my own character entertainment business there. Read more>>
Mariah Tuffy Joseph
Hi! I’m Mariah Tuffy Joseph, a Fertility Coach and Educator with a Master’s in Social Work and more than 20 years of experience in reproductive health across seven countries. I support individuals, couples, and groups — guiding them through fertility challenges, pregnancy loss, intimacy issues, relationship strain, and the sexual health conversations that often stay hidden. Read more>>
Gina Burg
I’ve been creatively self-employed most of my life. I was on my own at sixteen, and creativity became both my survival skill and my voice. Over the years, I worked as a gallery manager, photographer, mixed-media artist, and designer—always drawn to the intersection of art, community, and self-expression. Read more>>
Dwayne Delves
I started Body By Chosen in Toronto with a simple mission: to help people transform their bodies, mindset, and lifestyle through discipline and consistency. It began with small group sessions, outdoor workouts, and one-on-one training. I didn’t have a big facility or investors—just a passion for fitness, a strong work ethic, and a belief in building a real community. Read more>>
Diana Castro
So… I went from saving up for my first camcorder at 16 to now filming content retreats in the mountains of Colombia. If you told teenage Diana that one day she’d be helping high-level entrepreneurs create a year’s worth of video content while sipping Colombian coffee, she probably would have asked what you were smoking. Read more>>
CHAYA KATZ
My professional journey began with a deep curiosity about the human inner world and a strong desire to understand emotional processes, relationships, and healing. From early on, I was drawn to the intersection of psychology, education, and personal growth, which eventually led me to pursue formal training in psychotherapy. Read more>>
Michelle Choe
Hey there! So, I started my creative journey doing what I’ve always done best: observing, connecting ideas, and turning them into visuals that communicate something real. I didn’t come from a traditional advertising path—I learned by doing, experimenting, failing fast, and saying yes to projects that stretched me creatively and personally. Over time, design and photography became more than aesthetics for me. Read more>>
Maria Paula Arboleda
I was born and raised in Colombia, and storytelling has been part of me for as long as I can remember. As the middle child in a big family, I naturally became the entertainer, always making up stories and finding ways to connect with others through humor and imagination. My path into filmmaking wasn’t traditional. Read more>>
adriana vethencourt ruben salvatierra
Some dreams don’t arrive quietly. They come with long nights, hard choices, fear, faith—and an incredible amount of gratitude. My husband Rubén and I have always been sushi lovers. For me, sushi was never just food; it was family. I grew up around it. Read more>>
Richardo Carr
Hi Richardo , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today? Read more>>
Jamie Hardy Cooper
Health has been one of my deepest passions for as long as I can remember—probably because I always seemed to be freakin’ sick. As a kid, I constantly battled colds, and as a teen, I struggled with severe anxiety and an eating disorder. My body was always trying to get my attention, even if I didn’t yet know how to listen. Read more>>
Mirko & Sandra Raatz
We are a small boutique apartment property located in Pomona Beach, in a quiet and safe area close to the beach. At the end of 2024, we came from Germany and purchased the property with the vision of creating a special place for travelers looking for relaxation, comfort, and a true vacation atmosphere. Read more>>
Danushka Boulos
I studied interior design at the Art Institute of Miami, and I’ve always been passionate about anything related to home décor. From early on, I knew I wanted to have my own furniture and accessories store. Fifteen years ago, I opened my first store in Haiti, which I still have today. Read more>>
Joel Guevara
I started this business in 2020 during the height of COVID-19. At the time, I was seeing so many people being laid off or let go, and it really hit me how replaceable everyone was in the workforce. I realized I didn’t want my future to depend entirely on a company or circumstances outside my control. Read more>>
Fernando and Natasha Arias
We’re Fern and Nat — a married couple, parents, best friends, and partners in figuring life out one curveball at a time. Our journey hasn’t exactly followed a straight path. We started our family young, learned how to grow up while raising kids, faced major health scares, and pushed through the everyday struggles of trying to build a stable life while keeping our relationship strong. Read more>>
Allison Money
I launched my agency eight years ago after building a career in marketing and communications. I began at the Department of Defense at U.S. Southern Command while finishing my master’s in International Administration at the University of Miami. From there, I moved into roles at a couple global PR firms. Read more>>
Maria H Perez
Maria Herminia Perez: Building Identity, Leading with Purpose Maria Herminia Perez is not simply an entrepreneur — she is a builder of vision, structure, and impact. Read more>>
Nicholas Sproul
I grew up in Pompano Beach, Florida and had challenging childhood rotating households between my Mom, Dad, and Grandparents. My sister and I moved in permanently with my grandparents when I was about 10 and then suffered the loss of my Mother when I was 13 and Father when I was 15. I used this pain as fuel to make something of myself. Read more>>
Lyndsi Edgar
My journey into marketing started with a love for storytelling. While studying Public Relations at Florida State University, I discovered how powerful words could be when used strategically. That passion deepened when I landed an internship at Zimmerman, where I got my first behind-the-scenes look at how a real agency operates—and I was hooked. Read more>>
Elchin Ahmadov
My name is Elchin Ahmadov, known professionally as @videographer_miami. I started my journey in Miami in 2021 from scratch, building my career through persistence, hands-on experience, and a strong passion for cinematic storytelling. With no established network at the beginning, I focused on delivering high-quality, story-driven visuals that helped brands and individuals stand out. Read more>>
VANESSA FRANK
I was born and raised in Lima, Peru. I studied business administration and wanted so bad to come to the US as I saw my opportunities were very limited back in Peru. Read more>>
Meghan Camilletti
Twelve years ago, I began with a simple, soulful question: What if children and families didn’t have to choose between a high-quality dance education and a balanced, joyful life? I envisioned a studio offering world-class training without burnout — a space where teachers uplift, peers support, and every dancer feels seen, safe, and celebrated — and from here my studio, MC Dance Miami was born. Read more>>
Ahuva Gamliel
Our family visited the American Dream Mall in New Jersey over Thanksgiving weekend in 2024 and we discovered the adorable plush motorized animal rides there. It was our first time ever seeing this concept at a mall and we decided to bring the idea to Florida. Read more>>
Mindy Dickman
I’ve always felt most at home outdoors. Long before I became an author, I was the kind of person who preferred a trail map over a shopping mall. As a mom, some of my favorite memories are RV trips with my kids to national parks, waking up to birds singing, hiking through forests, and watching them fall in love with nature the way I did. Read more>>
Rich Rodríguez-Mahé
My story starts in Miami. I was born and raised here, educated at Belen Jesuit and later the University of Miami, where I earned a BBA in Marketing. Miami shaped the way I think about brands—diverse, ambitious, resourceful, and deeply entrepreneurial. Wanting to further develop both my strategic and leadership perspective, I went on to earn my MBA from Rollins College. Read more>>
Tamii Middlebrooks
My love for travel began when I was a kid, moving around as a military brat in places like Germany. I also lived in Hawaii in my early adult years. Trips to the Bahamas with my godfather during school breaks sparked my interest in the Caribbean. Read more>>
