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.

Jasmine Brown

Sacred Seed Waistbeads was born from my lifelong love of adornment and my belief that the things we wear can be deeply meaningful. I’ve always been drawn to jewelry, not just because it’s beautiful, but because of the confidence, expression, and individuality it can represent. Read more>>

Tiffany Brown

Growing up, I was always fascinated by the way spaces could shape how people lived, gathered, and felt. I found myself paying attention to the details others often overlooked, such as the flow of a room, the character of a neighborhood, and the potential hidden within existing homes and buildings. Read more>>

Methsou Philippe

When I was seven years old, I had a little notebook where I wrote the same sentence over and over: ‘My name is Methsaïca Philippe, and I’m going to be a star.’ Not a star in the pursuit of fame or recognition, but a light. Someone meant to uplift, connect, and leave the world better than I found it. Read more>>

Tiara Daniel

My journey has been driven by a passion for helping people feel confident, capable, and cared for. I started by combining two things I love—education and wellness. Over time, those passions grew into businesses that allow me to make an impact in different ways through skincare, tutoring, and community engagement. Read more>>

Lyris Greene

When people ask how I got here, I usually tell them music has always been the thread connecting every chapter of my life. I started as a DJ because I loved the feeling of bringing people together through music. Whether it was a wedding, a club, or a private event, I realized I wasn’t just playing songs—I was creating experiences and memories. Read more>>

Kenyatta Ashford

Neutral Ground is the vision of Chef Kenyatta Ashford, a former educator who discovered his passion for cooking while working in his wife’s family catering business. Read more>>

Sima Chehrehnegar

I received my Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. While studying, I regularly helped classmates who wanted to eat healthier, cook at home, or manage dietary restrictions—including gluten-free and vegan diets. Growing up, healthy eating was central to my home life. Read more>>

Jayda Ellis

My dream of becoming a fashion designer started when I was just 7 years old. I was inspired by my Aunt Melissa because I grew up watching her design clothes for her church and for her daughter, and it made me want to do the same. At that point, JAELL was born. Read more>>

Naeysha Sneed

As interesting as this question is, I still feel like my story is being written. Sometimes I even question my own origin story because I am constantly evolving. Every season of my life has challenged me to become a better version of myself, and those changes started with discipline and learning to stay loyal to myself. Read more>>

Kamal Saucier

I started back when I was 13. I had asked for FL Studio and was told no that summer and I spent every day just watching beatmaking videos on Youtube . I could not stop thinking about music at all. Then one day, I had my friend, Austin send me his FL Studio so I could get started. Read more>>

CHIOMA UBANWA

I grew up with a strong desire to build a meaningful life through service, education, and hard work. Those values led me to join the U.S. Army Reserve, where I’ve developed discipline, resilience, and the ability to stay calm under pressure while working with people from diverse backgrounds. Read more>>

Phillip Jordan

I started my first brand in high school selling tshirts and sunglasses called “Fashionxpj” and it really lit a fire in me for my love for business. I went the music route for a minute and now i’m back in my branding bag. I launched GOODBOYUSA officially in feb of 2025 and it’s grown into a community of its own. Read more>>

Teke Addison

Dream Walker Designs started from my love of creating beautiful, meaningful things and making people feel special. I’ve always had a creative side, but over time I realized that what I was creating could become more than a hobby, it could become a brand with purpose. Read more>>

Khira Cymone

I was born in New York, but Georgia raised me. I grew up in the Gwinnett/Hall County area to be specific. My career started in front of the camera in a very different way: I spent about a year and a half as a news anchor at KREX5 in Grand Junction, Colorado, and while I loved being on camera, something didn’t quite fit. Read more>>

Felicia Johnson

My content creation journey began in high school, where I produced foundational lifestyle content, including makeup tutorials, skincare regimens, get-ready-with-me videos, fashion styling, and product unboxings. Although I paused my creative work due to initial apprehension, I relaunched my digital presence in 2021 with a renewed commitment to creative resilience and authentic audience engagement. Read more>>

Mei Brasel

Initially tattooing was always a pipedream for me, but life circumstances landed me a position where the trade would be obtainable if I worked hard. I decided I’d make it work. I started in Lafayette Indiana and eventually made my way down to Atlanta Georgia where I worked for Saints and Sinners ATL and now Golden Anchor Tattoos. Read more>>

Lucas Ochagavia

Historias de Inferiores was born in 2019. While we were studying Sports Journalism at TEA & DeporTEA in Buenos Aires, we were challenged in one of our Digital Journalism courses to create a different kind of media outlet. Instead of covering professional football, we decided to focus on the people who rarely had a voice: young players in youth academies. Read more>>

Greyson Huneycutt

I started my acting career in 2016 in North Carolina at Rocky Mount High School in the school’s drama department. I immediately fell in love with acting and furthered my training at the North Carolina Theatre Conservatory located in Raleigh, NC. Read more>>

Papi Grande

I got introduced to poetry in 7th grade with my English teacher providing the space for myself to read a love poem in front of the class. A feeling that vibrated through high school, rang in college with small open mics sporadically, and post-grad upon coming home to the Bay the feeling hopped on stage and led me to it. Read more>>

Cat

I’ve always been into dressing up and expressing myself through clothing since I was young. I was raised by my single mother so while she would be away at work, I would be at home creating outfits with my barbies or dolls. When I was older my mom got me into modeling and acting. I absolutely loved it. Read more>>

Reginald Fisher

My story really starts during my sophomore year of college. I actually had a YouTube channel before then, but I stopped creating content because I felt like I needed to lock in academically. I started focusing on internships, gaining real-world experience, and preparing for life after graduation. Read more>>

Kathy de Cano

As soon as I was able to read, I began to write. Throughout my adolescence and young adulthood, poetry was one of the things that sustained me and also connected me to people I found interesting. Several of my poems have been published, both in Spanish and in English, in various publications. Read more>>

Alexander Ozojie

Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, I later moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, where I grew up surrounded by three things that continue to define me today: basketball, music, and fashion. Basketball taught me discipline, resilience, and the importance of teamwork. Music gave me purpose and a creative outlet. Fashion became another way for me to express myself and my personality. Read more>>

Chris Skeene

Blockhead started in 2012 as a way to participate in the vibrant free art scene in Atlanta. Artists like Evereman, Kenn Twofour, Flounder, SpookyToons, and Catlanta had been hiding art all over the city for a couple of years at that point and scouring the city to find the art was so much fun.  Read more>>

Dezirae Rhodes

My story is one rooted in resilience, leadership, creativity, and a passion for creating opportunities for others. Growing up, I learned early the importance of discipline, hard work, and believing in myself. Much of that foundation was built through athletics. Read more>>

Shontelle Brewster

I was born and raised in Barbados, and later moved to the United States. A lot of my story has been shaped by culture, migration, family, and the ways people learn to stay quiet about what they are carrying. My path has not been straight or easy. Read more>>

Marvelous Marissa Daniel

Marissa Laverne Daniel, better known as “Marvelous Marissa,” is a multifaceted professional, primarily known as a Motivational Speaker, Red Carpet Correspondent, Pageant Judge/Emcee, Mistress of Ceremony and she is an Ambassador of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. She was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After graduating from Milwaukee School of Entrepreneurship in 2007, she moved to Atlanta, GA to attend Clark Atlanta University. Read more>>

James Haug

James R. Haug is a trial lawyer known for securing high-stakes verdicts, redefining the attorney-client relationship and building a firm centered on compassion, preparation and meaningful advocacy. A graduate of the University of Georgia and Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, James has earned national and statewide recognition for his courtroom results, including a $30 million medical malpractice verdict—one of the ten largest in Georgia history. Read more>>

Ignacio Quiles

The business was started by the meeting of two creatives Pamela E. Moore & ( interviewee ) Ignacio Quiles Design & management of our company has become a part of my current responsibilities. Read more>>

Kira Simmons

My journey began with a love for creating desserts and making life’s special moments feel even more memorable. Over time, that passion developed into a vision for Kira’s Kupcake Kafe—a bakery that would combine creative, handcrafted treats with a warm and welcoming customer experience. My background in human resources, and business operations gave me the foundation to turn that vision into a real business. Read more>>

Big K

Born and raised in Boston. Started doing music at a young age. I Moved to Atlanta in 2020 to Persue music. Its been a journey but life has its ups and downs Read more>>

Alexis D’Amato

I was raised in New Jersey by my grandparents after losing my father at three and watching my parents battle addiction. My grandparents gave me everything — including a garden that quite literally fed our family. Long before I knew it, food was already teaching me about love and nourishment. Read more>>

Anthony (Twano) Townsend

I was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and music has always been a big part of my life. Growing up, my parents played a lot of music from the ’70s all the way through the early 2000s. Read more>>

Abria

My journey with beauty started at a very young age. Before makeup became a career path, it was a form of creativity and self-expression for me. As a young aspiring recording artist, I was constantly surrounded by creativity, performance, and image. Watching the artists and creatives around me bring their visions to life sparked my own curiosity and love for makeup. Read more>>

Jamiah Mott

Roots to Runway began long before the runway lights ever turned on. It started in a bedroom with two best friends, a pile of fabric, a brush, and a dream. Jade, a natural designer, would lay fabrics across the bed and sew pieces together just to see what they could become. Read more>>

Akia Gory

So my name is Akia, I’m from New York and yes, I was also lived in the city. My mother raised me and my sister in a small town called Beacon, New York. After graduating high school I went to John Jay Criminal Justice College in Manhattan and then moved to Centerville Virginia to pursue my career as a law-enforcement officer. Read more>>

Barrington Marson

I’ve always been passionate about storytelling and visual arts. Growing up, I was fascinated by movies and television, and that passion eventually led me to earn a degree in Film Production. Like many people in the creative industry, my journey wasn’t overnight. It was built through years of learning, networking, taking on different production roles, and constantly improving my craft. Read more>>

MANAMI LINGERFELT

​ I was born and raised in Japan, graduating from Tokyo Musashino Art College in 1985. I began my art career in Tokyo, Japan as a graphic designer and freelance illustrator. ​ I left Japan to travel across the globe for 10 years (1985-1995), then back to Japan for 7 years, teaching arts and crafts. Read more>>

Precious Hall

My story is still being written. I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, where my foundation was built on faith, family, and great food. I grew up in a loving household where music was more than entertainment—it was a language of its own. Through lyrics, conversations, and shared experiences, I developed a deep appreciation for storytelling and the power of carefully chosen words. Read more>>

Kellesia Sharay

I help women heal from depression and childhood trauma- particularly those raised in a cult – through gardening, even with no prior gardening experience. As a dedicated cosmetologist turned gardener I took personal development into my own hands to find answers to my own depression. Read more>>

Atlanta Hispanic Yoga Festival

What began as a simple idea has blossomed into something much greater. Today, the Atlanta Hispanic Yoga Festival represents a growing network of passionate teachers. A living movement filled with intention, love, and purpose. We are a community united by the belief that wellness should be accessible to everyone, regardless of language, culture, or income level. ​ It all started with a single yoga class. Read more>>

Susan Stafford

My career began more than 20 years ago in the association management world, where I served as an executive director overseeing multiple conferences, seminars, retreats, and large-scale events each year. As those programs grew, I discovered that one of the biggest factors in an event’s success wasn’t just the agenda- it was choosing the right destination, the right venue, and negotiating the right contract. Read more>>

Khe thompson

People always ask me how I got started, and honestly, it all goes back to when I was about 12 years old. My grandma and my dad taught me how to cook, and that’s where my love for food began. Around that same time, my aunt and cousins taught me how to braid hair while my pops and uncles taught me how to hustle. Read more>>

Morgan Corbett

I’ve been a photographer for over a decade and capturing such meaningful, important moments is the greatest honor and I’m incredibly grateful God gave me this gift. I have always loved art and have been creating in some form my whole life! In college I pursued a B.F.A. in art education and was a high school art teacher before pursuing photography full time. Read more>>

JODY

A great starting point would be 2016. It was the year I took on the role as a filmmaker who was simultaneously working on a career in music and going to school for nursing. Read more>>

Rahjzae Moore

My name is Rahjzae Moore. I am now 31 years old. I got signed to Reel Talent Studio based out of Tulsa Oklahoma, roughly 4yr ago. Since then have done 4 national commercials, 2 independent films, a film with lions gate, and a couple tv shows. I started pursuing my career and dream when i was 18, Starting with doing comedy locally. Read more>>