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.
Jamar Cleary
I grew up between Portmore and Hanover, Jamaica, in a family of published writers, so storytelling was always around me, I just found my own way into it through a lens instead of a pen. As a kid I was drawn to capturing moments, and that curiosity followed me right into adulthood. Read more>>
Claire Liparulo
It’s been sort of a long and meandering journey that led me to where I am today. I have always loved music, since before I can remember. My father was a musician and had instruments all over the house. Mostly guitars and a keyboard. Read more>>
Karl Hueck
My journey into real estate started with a passion for entrepreneurship, marketing, and helping people make one of the biggest decisions of their lives. Early in my career, I realized that success in real estate wasn’t just about selling homes. It was about building trust, creating memorable experiences, and constantly finding better ways to serve clients. Read more>>
Alexandre Ade
My story is really about culture, community, and growth. As a Haitian American, I’ve always had a strong connection to my culture and especially to our music. Compas is more than entertainment to me it’s part of our identity. It connects generations, brings our community together, and gives us something that we can proudly share with the world. Read more>>
Marie Torossian
My story has always been about growth, resilience, and reinvention. I was born in Lebanon, moved to Montreal, and eventually made Miami home. Those experiences shaped how I see opportunity and taught me early that circumstances may influence where you start, but they don’t have to determine where you finish. Read more>>
Mariana Fili
My professional journey started in Argentina, where I built my career in the corporate world, working across business, finance, and operations. That experience shaped the way I think about companies today. Read more>>
Leopoldo Herrera III
I was born on a golf course. My parents had just migrated from Venezuela. golf was in my blood before I could walk. Picked up a club at 3, competing by 7, won my first four tournaments. My dad pushed me hard, and by 9 people were already calling me the next Tiger Woods. Read more>>
Lisa Conrad
I’ve always been passionate about art. I have an early memory telling my kindergarten teacher that I wanted to be an artist when I grow up. I’m grateful that I am living out that childhood dream. My formal training was in studio arts and art education at Kean University in New Jersey. Read more>>
Nathacha Bien-Aimé
My story really begins in Miami, where I was born and raised as a proud Haitian American. Growing up bilingual in English and Haitian Creole, I always felt a deep sense of connection to my community and a desire to serve it. Read more>>
Gail Erickson
My art journey began in childhood on Long Island, New York, where I spent countless hours experimenting with many different mediums. I often watched my father work on his oil paintings in our basement, mesmerized by the way his ideas came to life. Read more>>
Ali Charafeddine
I am a plastic surgeon. I build my own practice with a focus on facelifting surgery as this is my passion. I have clients now from every state and some international ones. They fly for the natural results that we consistently obtain and for the safety of the procedure. I am also a scientist who spent 4 years in the laboratory. Read more>>
Artbeat Caribbean Podcast Powered by Clearshot
Artbeat Caribbean started with a simple but powerful vision: to create a space where Caribbean voices, stories, creativity, and culture could be seen, heard, and celebrated on a global stage. The Caribbean is filled with incredible artists, filmmakers, musicians, entrepreneurs, authors, actors, and cultural leaders, but many of their stories do not receive the international exposure they deserve. Read more>>
Nubian Gayle
In 2020, Loraine and I made the life-changing decision to leave Florida and relocate to Treasure Beach, Jamaica, in search of a slower, more meaningful way of life. We had both fallen in love with Treasure Beach long before we met, but living here showed us just how special this community truly is. Read more>>
Joel “chovolo” Rivera
My story begins in middle school with a love for theatre, poetry, and Hip Hop, which led me to New World School of the Arts, where I trained as an actor from 2012 to 2020, studying storytelling, stage presence, and the power of language. When the pandemic hit, everything paused. I was caught in survival mode and lost my way. Read more>>
Marinela Acevedo
My story has always been connected to storytelling. Long before I understood what a producer, creative developer, or storyteller was, I was already observing people, creating experiences, and finding ways to communicate stories. I have always been fascinated by human experiences: what motivates people, what shapes personalities, and the moments that transform us. Read more>>
Iuliia Titarenko
Little Earth Hero began with one simple moment. One day, when my son was about two years old, a man walked past us and threw a plastic bottle toward a trash can, but it landed on the ground. Read more>>
Bobby Garon
I got into finance and insurance in a fairly traditional way. I studied finance at Florida Gulf Coast University, and early in my career I focused heavily on the technical side of the industry, dealing with the products, the numbers, the licensing, etc. Read more>>
Elizabeth Sabella
My love of cooking and baking began in childhood. Some of my favorite memories are spending time in the kitchen, where I discovered how food could bring people together and create lasting memories. What started as a passion quickly grew into a career, and I’ve been fortunate enough to turn something I truly love into my life’s work. Read more>>
Ronica Taylor
My journey started with a passion for creating beautiful experiences and making people feel special. What began as something I simply loved doing grew, through faith, hard work, and consistency, into Taylor Couture Creations. I built my business while maintaining a full-time corporate career, serving in ministry, and navigating life’s challenges. Read more>>
victoria fitnessor
My journey has been a combination of resilience, growth, and constantly challenging myself to become better. I started my career in the financial industry, where I spent over seven years building experience in operations, risk management, cyber-security, and fraud investigations. Working in that environment taught me discipline, attention to detail, problem-solving, and the importance of helping people through challenging situations. Read more>>
Tanesha McQueen
I’ve always believed I was created to build something meaningful. Even before I knew what business would become the vehicle, I had a vision to help people see their worth, create opportunities for themselves, and leave a legacy that extended beyond money. My journey hasn’t been a straight line. Read more>>
Marie-Claire Rosenfeld Mercier
I’ve worn many different hats throughout my journey—from fashion and financial services to content creation—and each chapter taught me something valuable about creativity, structure, and how people connect with ideas. While those experiences may seem different on the surface, they all helped shape the way I think and create today. Read more>>
Shaquila Gooden
I started doing reenactments as a child, then went to junior high, high school and LaGuardia and AMDA. I took acting classes with Casting Director and Acting coach Tracy Moore from The Spirited Actor. I hosted and co-produced Act-Up with the Hip Hop Film Festival. I left Sept of 2020 and built Actorvated Inc. Actorvated Inc. Read more>>
Cadenza The Group
Cadenza was born from the initiative of four musicians who simply wanted to stay active in the music world. About 15 years ago, we started doing cover songs in a string quartet format — something that was very innovative and pioneering at the time in our home country, Venezuela. It resonated deeply with audiences. That impact opened doors we never expected. Read more>>
Stephanie Cartin
After launching Socialfly in 2012, Courtney Spritzer and I spent nearly a decade building and scaling the agency into a seven-figure business before its acquisition. We’re incredibly proud of what we built, but the greatest lesson was that every business-changing opportunity, partnership, client, hire, and milestone came from the relationships we built along the way. Success isn’t meant to be built in isolation. Read more>>
Deborah Rotter
My journey has been an evolution of following my curiosity and finding the ways I can create meaningful impact. I am a trained communicator, with academic studies in Venezuela, and a long-standing interest in understanding human behavior, emotions, and decision-making. Read more>>
Daniela Martucci
I set out to build a different kind of communications firm—one that does not treat public relations, content, social media, events, internal culture, branding, and executive messaging as separate functions, but as interconnected parts of a single system. Too often, organizations divide these responsibilities across multiple agencies, departments, and vendors. Read more>>
Michael Mills
I became an artist only after many years of writing about art, as the art critic for an alt-weekly newspaper. I met lots of artists through that job, and a few of them told me I had a great eye for composition after I showed them some photographs. At their urging, I joined a couple of local arts groups and began submitting work to shows. Read more>>
Nguyen Phan
Rowabi started in 2023 from a frustration I think a lot of homeowners share. I was searching for a statement light — something warm, natural, well-made — and I kept running into the same two options: mass-produced fixtures that all looked identical, or designer pieces marked up to a price that made no sense for what they were. Read more>>
James Whelan
My journey in music began at the age of 12 playing clarinet in my middle school orchestra; although I played for it 5 years and still love the sound of the instrument, I didn’t end up having the same passion for what I ultimately do play now: the guitar. Read more>>
Alicia Seeley
I’m a newborn, motherhood, and family photographer based in Monmouth County, New Jersey. My first camera was disposable. As a kid growing up at the Jersey Shore, I took it everywhere with me. To this day, I can’t let a meaningful moment go by without documenting it. I’m driven to preserve genuine emotion and connection. Read more>>
Fini Maza
I grew up in southern Spain and discovered my passion for filmmaking at an early age. Twenty years ago, I made the move to Miami to pursue a career in cinematography, and the city has been home ever since. Read more>>
Jessica Perrin
I’m originally from Cuba, and becoming an entrepreneur in the United States has been one of the greatest opportunities of my life—something I never take for granted. I’ve always believed in working hard, staying curious, and continuing to move forward, even when things don’t go as planned. Read more>>
Cleyuna Parrish
CLEVAGÉ was created from my passion for helping people become the strongest version of themselves—physically, mentally, and emotionally. As a certified personal trainer, professional dancer, and lifelong fitness enthusiast, I’ve experienced firsthand how movement can build confidence, resilience, and community. Read more>>
Tim Brown
I started in the industry in my teens working at a local farmstand in a small town in Massachusetts. Studied and graduated with an associates degree in culinary arts at New England culinary institute in Vermont where I was classicly French trained. I’ve worked from casual dining to fine dining. I’ve worked in business dining doing as well. Read more>>
Lauren Barnwell
I started posting TikTok during my senior year of high school, completely out of boredom one day, and I found it came so naturally to me and was an incredible form of self-expression. Read more>>
Yanira Collado
My journey as an artist has always been defined by an intersection of visual art, community activism, and ritual movement. My foundation began in Miami, where I was fortunate to graduate from the magnet program at the New World School of the Arts. In 1994, I moved to Chicago to study at the School of the Art Institute, where I ultimately spent a decade. Read more>>
Jana Rose Carrero
My path started with a film degree from the University of Miami, which gave me a foundation in visual storytelling that’s shaped everything since. Along the way I added a fashion styling certification from FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City), which opened the door to styling shoots and production vignettes. Read more>>
Laura Gasper
Art has always been at the center of my life. I earned my degree in ceramics from the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University, and after moving to Florida, I wanted to find a place where I could continue creating while connecting with other artists. That experience inspired me to open Gasper Arts Center in 2021. Read more>>
Mya Stephens
I’ve always had a passion for storytelling, media, and connecting with an audience. My love for TV production began in elementary school when I started exploring news broadcasting, and that passion continued throughout high school as I studied marketing and production. Read more>>
Sydonnie Slack
I started dancing at 18 months old and began competing at age 5, so performance and discipline have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. In addition to dance, I spent time figure skating in South Florida. That experience taught me precision, body control, and how to stay composed under pressure, which directly strengthened my work as a dancer. Read more>>
pablo contrisciani
I grew up in La Plata, near Buenos Aires, Argentina. Upon finishing my schooling, as an adolescent, I needed to find a vocation. I was at a technical and industrial high school, and I realized that it was not for me. I had a crisis and I started to ask myself what did I wanted to do. Read more>>
Joshua Tiktin
XtahZ is a 4 piece rock/punk band formed by Gen X dad (Josh Tiktin, lead singer) and his Gen Z son (Yehuda, bass). Josh began writing rap songs shortly after the genre began to spread in the mid 80’s. He was 12. When the Beastie Boys broke out, he said to himself, that’s what I want to be when I grow up. Read more>>
Sandra Miranda
My story is one of resilience, determination, and faith. I was born in Miami I have Colombian mother, but I spent much of my childhood in Colombia before returning to the United States on my own to pursue a better future. Starting over wasn’t easy. Read more>>
Glenn Payne
I was born and raised on the beautiful island of Antigua, where I learned early the values of faith, family, hard work, and serving others. Those lessons became the foundation for everything I’ve built. Although my career has taken me into information technology, engineering, project management, financial education, entrepreneurship, nonprofit leadership, and the insurance industry, none of it happened the way I originally planned. Read more>>
Stephanie Sprangers
After years of working for startups in San Francisco and New York, I reached a point where I really wanted to create something of my own. I loved consumer internet, I loved making things beautiful online, and I loved taking an idea—whether it was a proposal, a product, or an entire business—and bringing it to life. Read more>>
Carson ‘Eddy’ Edwards
I started as a DJ and radio show producer/host on what was then WVCG 1080 AM radio in Miami, back in the 80s. This led to a series of promotional parties at Stinger Lounge; we used to play on weekends, promoting Caribbean Parties, which became extremely popular. Read more>>
Arlene Soriano
My name is Arlene Soriano and I am the founder of Broward Notary Near Me a local and nationwide notary partner for attorneys, title companies, investors and other professionals needing legal document execution services. Read more>>
Silvia Cobos
I don’t think my career has followed a traditional path, but when I look back, every chapter has prepared me for the next. I started my career working with ProColombia, where I spent 12 years helping Colombian companies expand into international markets. Read more>>
Silvia Todorov
I came to the United States from Colombia at eighteen. No money. No safety net. Just a conviction I couldn’t yet explain: that life transforms from the inside out. My journey was not a straight line. Success. Reinvention. Uncertainty. Starting over. Different chapters, same lesson every time: external results don’t hold unless your identity evolves first. That realization became the foundation of everything I built. Read more>>
Sean Russell
Honestly, the ‘how I started’ question is a little funny for me because there wasn’t one starting point. There were a bunch of them happening at the same time, and it took me years to realize they were all the same thing wearing different clothes. Read more>>
lou anne colodny (I prefer my name lower case)
My experiences in dance, theater, and museum administration have deeply informed my artistic life. I have been working as an artist since leaving the non-profit world, after creating MoCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami, Florida. I was born in Denver, Colorado, and grew up in Joplin, Missouri, and Jacksonville, Florida. Read more>>
Nikki Simkins
I was born and raised in Miami, and this city has been the foundation for both my personal life and my entrepreneurial journey. Growing up in such a vibrant, diverse environment shaped my curiosity, resilience, and drive to build things that have real impact. Read more>>
Marko Tomic
My store is true. Everything happened without trying. I become an artist during one regular day, I had revelation experience that guided me to becoming an artist , painter. It’s big honer to be that. To find given gift and use endless inspiration and imagination. Read more>>
Amber Fitzpatricka
Ever since I was a young girl, I was always drawn to beautiful spaces and the way that thoughtful design can transform how a home feels. After college, I started curating and designing Air BnB properties in Tennessee and this is where I discovered my love for creating spaces that were both functional and memorable. As my passion grew, Designology by Amber was born. Read more>>
Silvana Camargo
My journey began in television, where I discovered my passion for storytelling, entertainment, fashion, and culture. I launched Con Estilo TV as a television show that aired for several years on Telemundo 43, serving as both host and producer. Over time, the brand evolved into a digital publication with a broader international focus. Read more>>
Meddy Mahieddine
My journey started in Europe, where I trained in Paris, London, and New York before building my career in Miami. Over the years, I became known for luxury color transformations, blonding, and hair restoration while educating other professionals for one of the world’s leading beauty brands. Read more>>
