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.
Evette Villanueva
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been passionate about beauty, creativity, and helping people feel confident in their own skin. I began my career over 13 years ago as a professional hair and makeup artist, working in everything from weddings and photoshoots to television, music videos, and major productions. Read more>>
Steph The Tax Lady
My journey started with a simple goal: helping people understand their finances and giving them access to services they could trust. Before building Community First Financial Solutions, I worked in healthcare and owned an in-home care business. When the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything, I had to reinvent myself and take a leap of faith. Read more>>
Jay Henric
Growing up as an only child, stories became my closest companions. Whenever I had a bad day, felt lonely, or found myself stuck inside on a rainy afternoon, I would disappear into a book, a movie, or a video game. I had a story for every mood, every holiday, and nearly every significant moment in my life. Read more>>
Ido Dotan
I spent the early part of my career working in my family’s staffing business before we eventually sold it. After that, I joined four of my closest friends at Precision Painting Plus in New York. Some of us have known each other since we were five years old, others since high school, and now in our 40s, these friendships span more than 30 years. Read more>>
Brittany Eagans
Honestly, Be Wed wasn’t some grand business plan I mapped out years in advance. It started out of necessity. Back in 2014, I was working under another wedding planning company that was changing/ declining. At the time, I had several couples and friends who still needed support with their weddings and were asking me what they should do next. Read more>>
Stephanie Limardo
Palm & Seal is a boutique notary and apostille facilitation firm just outside downtown Fort Lauderdale. My background is in corporate HR and payroll, where compliance was always my focus. After years of helping other companies run cleanly, I wanted to build something of my own. It launched in April 2025 as a side hustle, fueled by late nights at my dining room table. Read more>>
May Jarkelle
I started right after highschool with no Plan B i wanted my jewelry brand to work out, i’m from new york so bamboos and custom jewelry was always a big thing for me, wearing it around etc. so why not turn it into a business? i went finding vendors tried many. & look at me today business booming, people can’t get enough of my pieces. Read more>>
Juan Carlos Velasquez
My journey in healthcare began over 20 years ago. I started my career as a registered nurse, working in several hospital specialties, including dialysis, cardiac catheterization, interventional radiology, and neurointervention. Throughout those years, I had the opportunity to care for thousands of patients and gained firsthand experience with both acute and chronic disease management. Read more>>
Corey Jackson
My name is Corey Jackson , and my story is one of service, survival, and transformation. For years, I wore a police uniform and dedicated my life to protecting others. I became a Miami Beach Police Officer because I wanted to serve my community and be someone people could count on during their hardest moments. Also Miami Beach Police are the best. Read more>>
Jonathan Melo Ellis
My journey started with a passion for helping men elevate their image and confidence through fashion. Over the years, I built my personal brand, JMELOELLIS, as a menswear consultant, stylist, and fashion educator focused on teaching the importance of personal presentation and style. Read more>>
Luctresa Raphael
My story isn’t one of perfection it’s one of recovery. I grew up with one parent who believed in God and one who didn’t. Because of that, I was exposed to two very different worlds. While church was a part of my life, the streets became my norm. I spent years searching for identity, acceptance, and fulfillment in places that could never truly satisfy me. Read more>>
Taylor Visconti
My journey started in late 2023 when my daughter was approaching her first birthday. I decided to bake cupcakes for her celebration, and what began as a simple project quickly sparked a passion for baking that I hadn’t experienced before. Many people assume Lina’s Batch is named after me, but it’s actually named after my daughter, Angelina. Read more>>
Luli Sulichin
I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and emigrated with my family to Miami when I was 12. I have an interesting mix of a Latin American childhood and very American middle school, high school and college experience. When I was 19 and studying at NYU, I traveled to Argentina to renew my passport and met my husband, Lucas. Read more>>
Zuriel Gonzalez
My love for art sparked in elementary school the moment my art teacher introduced us to Vincent van Gogh. That’s when I fell in love with art—not painting specifically, but art itself. From that point on, I drew whenever I had the opportunity: at home, at church, and most of the time in school. By middle school, music became a significant part of my life. Read more>>
jeanette donnarumma
My career has always revolved around food, storytelling, and connecting with people. I spent more than 15 years working at The Rachael Ray Show, where I started behind the scenes and eventually became a culinary producer and on-air contributor. During that time, I helped develop recipes, produce food segments, and tell stories that made cooking feel approachable and fun for everyday families. Read more>>
Dr. Ericka Caldwell-Clinch
There was a season in my life where everything around me looked broken. My marriage was in separation, my heart was wounded, and many days I felt like I was carrying the weight of a covenant by myself. People saw the pain, but they didn’t always see the process. Read more>>
Priscila Figueredo
My name is Priscila Figueredo, and entrepreneurship has been part of my story for as long as I can remember. From a young age, I knew I wanted to build something of my own. That passion led me to earn my Bachelor’s degree in Business from Florida International University, where I developed a strong foundation in business, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Read more>>
Angela Reynolds
I grew up moving around a lot; born in Detroit, then Dallas, and eventually splitting my teenage years between Palm Beach and Richmond, Virginia. That contrast -Palm Beach’s casual chic and Richmond’s formal elegance- planted the seeds of my design sensibility early. I liked both worlds, but I knew I was more of an ‘imperfect is fabulous’ kind of person. Read more>>
Jackie Zayas
My journey has been shaped by a passion for connecting people, building relationships, and creating meaningful experiences. After earning my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a double major in Management and Finance from the University of Sacred Heart in Puerto Rico, I built a diverse career across banking, event planning, and public relations. Read more>>
Paul Ellis
My journey has been one of faith, and a deep commitment to serving people. I was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and raised in Bimini, Bahamas, just 50 miles away from South Florida, where I developed a love for God and ministry at an early age. When I was 12, my parents decided to relocate us to the USA to further our education. Read more>>
Jessi Arango
It all started when I got engaged, I couldn’t find any wedding invitations I liked and that gave the essence and feel of where I was getting married (Antigua, Guatemala). Every shop had cookie cutter invites and there were no customizable options. Read more>>
Maia Diaz
I was raised in South Florida by a Cuban mom and an American dad. Like many first- and second-generation Latino kids, I grew up between cultures, celebrating Noche Buena with a whole roast pig, having a quinceañera, and hearing Spanish all around me, but never becoming fluent myself. Not being able to speak Spanish confidently became a major insecurity as I got older. Read more>>
Fabio Morant
My journey has been defined by creativity, resilience, and a passion for continuous learning. I began my career more than 30 years ago in the beauty industry as a hairstylist and makeup artist. Read more>>
Silent Addy
I think the biggest reason I’m where I am today is consistency. I’ve always had a vision for what I wanted to build, and I stayed committed to it. Along the way, I started different projects and brands.. ome worked, some didn’t.. but every experience taught me something. Read more>>
Cristina Mas Adler
My path into this work was not exactly a straight line. I started out as a Major Gifts Officer at the University of Miami, which taught me how to build real relationships and tell a story that moves people to act. Read more>>
Noelia Peralta
I graduated from my massage school, acupuncture and massage college, back in 2019. I knew from the moment I started schooling that I wanted to have my own business. I started building my clientele the moment I got my license. My first client was someone who I had gone to school with. Read more>>
Melissa Tannus
I started taking tap lessons at a dance studio in Brazil when I was 6 years old, but really my journey with dancing started when I was just a one-year old baby and always tried to copy my sister’s tap steps as she practiced in the living room. Read more>>
Julie Danao-Salkin
This is the kind of story that doesn’t read like a résumé, it reads like resilience. Julie Danao-Salkin: The Art of Reinvention Long before Broadway lights and standing ovations, my story began with loss. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew destroyed my home in South Florida. Like many families, we lost more than walls and belongings; we lost stability. In the aftermath, survival came first. Read more>>
Divershines Joy Trechi / Patricia Ibarra
Divershines was founded in 2023 with a clear mission: to help create more opportunities for neurodivergent individuals and expand the conversation around adulthood. For years, much of the discussion surrounding the Autism Spectrum has focused on childhood. But as adolescence approaches and school comes to an end, many families begin asking new questions about independence, employment, entrepreneurship, and what a meaningful future might look like. Read more>>
Carl Cyrius
My journey has been a series of unlikely transitions. I immigrated to the United States from Haiti as a teenager and later joined the United States Marine Corps. While in the Marines, I graduated at the top of my class in my Military Occupational Specialty training. Read more>>
Shurouk Mansour
Born in Miami, raised with a love of understanding the world, tri lingual, I am an entrepreneur and I appear on your America TV to empower individuals on bringing out their inner potential! Read more>>
Esther Mirabel
My journey as an interior architect and designer is rooted in a dialogue between space, object, and emotion. Trained at the École Boulle in Paris, I spent the early part of my career in the world of luxury retail, drawing immersive spaces for houses like Christian Dior and Christian Louboutin. Read more>>
Erisa Meta
Honestly, everything started very randomly. When my husband and I moved to America, I started paying a lot more attention to the food we were eating. I remember reading every label on breads and other products because everything felt so different from what we were used to back home. Read more>>
Stephanie Jaimes
Born and raised in Miami, specifically in Kendall, I started with piano lessons in the 3rd grade and would do recitals at local nursing homes. A year later when I was in the 4th grade, I heard a student orchestra rehearsing in our school cafeteria. I was blown away, I had never seen an orchestra before. Read more>>
Ryan Curran
Beginning my career in hospitality at the age of 14, washing dishes in a local catering hall on Long Island in New York. It was a humble start that laid the foundation for a 20-year journey through the industry that eventually brought me to South Florida. Read more>>
Guadalupe de Lafuente
I began working in the wedding industry nearly fifteen years ago with a catering company that continues to service many of the venues throughout Key West and the Lower Keys. Read more>>
Robin Dimond
Early in my career, I had the opportunity to work closely with business owners and quickly realized that great products and services alone don’t guarantee success. The companies that consistently grew were the ones that understood branding, customer experience, strategic marketing, and the power of building authentic relationships with their audiences. Read more>>
derek stilmann
I’ve spent most of my career in hospitality, working my way through nearly every role behind the bar. I studied Hospitality Management at Florida International University and was fortunate to work at some incredible places along the way, including Broken Shaker, Pawn Broker, The Sylvester, and Champagne Bar. Each stop helped shape my philosophy on hospitality, creativity, and what makes a great bar experience. Read more>>
Krystyna Mandrykina
I was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and at the age of 17 I moved to Spain to build a better life for myself and my family. Growing up in the most violent district of my city made me think that, in order to move up the social ladder, I needed to do something drastically different. So I did. Read more>>
Revolution A
Revolution A: More Than Art—A Movement Revolution A is more than a name. It is a movement built on creativity, resilience, cultural pride, and transformation. Founded by internationally recognized artist Andrea Castañeda, Revolution A represents the belief that art has the power to inspire change, bring people together, and transform the way we experience the world. Read more>>
Ashley Bookout
In 2015 I was working as a paralegal for a corporation in Charlotte, NC. I had a passion for flowers and dreamed of opening my own florist. I started providing flowers for friends and family and jumped into doing events on the side while still working full time. Read more>>
Hannah Cohen
My career has never followed a straight line, but looking back, every chapter has led me exactly to where I am today. I began my professional journey in the fashion and lifestyle industry, which gave me an early understanding of branding, storytelling, and the importance of creating meaningful experiences. Read more>>
VAYZE
VAYZE was born and raised between Cleveland’s hip-hop renaissance and Miami’s golden age of dance music. He traveled down for summers since childhood and put roots down in 2012, learning the room before he ever played one. Spent years on the dance floor watching the artists who would go on to become world-touring headliners. Read more>>
Rick Ezene
I grew up in North Miami, where everybody had jokes. From family cookouts to domino games outside the corner store, laughter was part of everyday life. As a kid, I was always making people laugh—whether it was cracking jokes in school or turning normal situations into funny stories. Read more>>
Donnesha S. Mcbride
My journey is rooted in purpose, service, and an unwavering commitment to creating meaningful, lasting impact. I began my career driven by a passion for urban development and education, with a clear mission: to ensure that people—especially those from underserved communities—have equitable access to the tools, opportunities, and support systems they need not just to survive, but to thrive. Read more>>
Haley Draznin
I’m a firm believer that some of the best things in life start with a conversation. A friendship. A business. A big idea. A career change. Looking back, every major chapter of my life can be traced back to one conversation that opened a door I didn’t know existed. I’ve always been naturally curious. Read more>>
Victoria Yakusha
I started as an architect and interior designer, and founded my studio in 2006, so I always say that I have an architect’s mind. You can see it both in my spaces and objects. It’s all about shape, about materiality, very minimalist by nature. Read more>>
Nina Tomasik
Nina’s passion for baking began in her grandmas’ kitchen, baking with recipes passed down through the generations. Those warm memories of flour-dusted countertops and the aroma of fresh bread became the foundation of a lifelong love. Working in her parents’ restaurant led to her decision to enter Culinary College in Slovakia, where she honed her craft and discovered her talent for cake decoration. Read more>>
Jamie Smith
My official baking journey started in mid 2019 during the COVID 19 shutdown. I was pregnant with my second child, craving sweets with a lot of time on my hands! I started experimenting with cookie recipes and dropping cookies off on the doorsteps of family and friends. Read more>>
Kiana ‘V.’ Ware
Self-taught, V. started off painting t-shirts in Atlanta, GA and founded her company in 2008. She has since grown a full-service graphic design firm serving black and brown communities and has reached over 300 original paintings sold and over $500K of art products and services sold. Read more>>
Tanya Patron
I have been injecting for 17 years, and like most things worth creating, Liftie was born out of necessity. In 2018 I was teaching a nose filler workshop and I was struggling to get attendees to aspirate properly and with a smooth technique before injecting filler into their model patients. Read more>>
Jamaal Clinton
My journey into fashion began at a young age. I was always experimenting with different looks, dressing myself and even helping others put together unique styles. Over time, I started noticing that people were inspired by my fashion choices, often recreating outfits or asking for styling advice. At the time, I didn’t fully realize the impact that fashion would have on my life. Read more>>
Tamara Benavente
My path into photography started through art and film. I studied at an art-focused high school in Argentina, where I spent six years surrounded by drawing, design, and visual composition. After moving to Miami, I studied film production, which gave me a deeper appreciation for storytelling, lighting, and the way an image can communicate emotion. Read more>>
Nicole Pedra
So I got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when I was ten, which is pretty rare for a kid. And honestly I was just so ashamed of it. I was terrified of being different from everyone else, so I didn’t tell anyone really. For twenty six years. It wasn’t until around COVID and the whole Me Too movement that something kind of shifted in me. Read more>>
Kathlena The Allergy Chef
I’m Kathlena, The Allergy Chef, and I’m well known for my advocacy and commitment to helping people with food allergies, food intolerances, Celiac Disease, restricted diets, and special diets (Paleo, Vegan, GAPs, EOE, etc.). I personally manage more than 200 food allergies and food intolerances, and can’t drink most water. Read more>>
Abundanc3 Beats
My artist name is ABUNDANC3BEATS. I was born and raised in South Florida, but my family is from Kingston, Jamaica. My love for music started out as a kid. I started piano lessons around five or six years old. Like a lot of kids who start playing at that age, I didn’t care for it much. Read more>>
