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.
Isabella Dias
I started at JETSET as a client during a time in my life where I was really searching for something that could ground me again. I didn’t fully realize it at the time, but I needed a space where I could slow down, reconnect with myself, and just feel steady again. From my very first class, something clicked. Read more>>
Carolina Lombardi
I’m originally from Argentina, where I studied English-Spanish Translation. After meeting my husband in Colorado, we moved to Florida in 2015 and began building our life and careers together. In 2016, we entered the real estate industry as agents. Read more>>
Chef Irenea Aristigueta
My story actually starts back in 2010, when I graduated culinary school at the top of my class. For years after that, I lived a bit of a double life — manager by day, chef by night — baking for friends and family while working my corporate job. Then in 2018, after 15 years there, I got laid off. Read more>>
Victoria Easton
Photography started as a hobby for me when my daughter was born. I wanted a way to document her childhood and all of her little and big moments. I’ve always loved taking beachy photos, editing them, and making them feel bright and warm. Taking pretty photos eventually turned into something more as my friends and family started asking me to photograph their own special moments. Read more>>
Lauren Benbassat
I’m a University of Florida graduate and proudly Florida-born and raised! After graduation, my first job was at a startup, where I helped launch a new product, secure our first retail accounts, and prepare for a major trade show. Looking back, it feels a bit full circle. Read more>>
Amber McWhorter
My photography journey began before I officially started Amber McWhorter Photography. I’ve always been drawn to the art of storytelling and preserving moments, but it wasn’t until I took photography classes in college that I realized I wanted photography to be more than a hobby—it was something I truly wanted to pursue. Read more>>
David Slomski
With a background in Landscape Management and Sustainability from the University of Maryland, my journey began with my first real plant job, Head of Maintenance for a living wall and living roof company. This is where my fascination with hydroponic planting methods really blossomed. After a few years of dealing with the Maryland winters, I decided to move to St. Petersburg. Read more>>
Faith Danielle
I grew up loving everything about photography. My mom had and still does take beautiful landscape pictures, so I’d borrow her camera when I was younger and make my sister and friends model for me. Read more>>
Samya and Marie Alves
Roll 32 started almost by accident. My wife and I are geeks. We’re the quintessential nerds that enjoy all things fantasy. Since our daughter is nearing her teens years, we decided we need more ‘family time’ and one easy (and fun!) way of doing that is playing tabletop roleplaying games together. Read more>>
Ben Shifman
I used to work for moving companies for many years. Once I moved to Florida from Maryland, I worked for moving companies, third party shipping companies, and locksmith companies while attending Hillsborough Community College. I worked full time when I was working and was a times and half student. I barley had time to do anything but work, school, and sleep. Read more>>
Chiane ‘Ane’ Reusser
My story really starts with creativity. Growing up, I was always surrounded by photography and videography, and I fell in love with the art of it early on. When social media started producing its own kind of stars and storytellers, I became completely fascinated by that world, but for a long time I only ever thought of it as a hobby. Read more>>
Iris Pisko
The Story of Fandango Sanctuary Fandango Sanctuary began with one woman, a big heart, and a simple belief that every animal deserves love, safety, and a place to call home. In 2005, while working in real estate and raising four children as a single mother, Iris Beaugrand repeatedly encountered farm animals that had been neglected, abandoned, or simply no longer wanted. Read more>>
Michael Struck
Before moving to Florida in 2024, my career was academic ophthalmology, at the University of Wisconsin Madison (for 25 yrs) and University of Missouri Kansas City and Children’s Mercy Hospital. My particular surgical subspecialty is eye alignment disorders and double vision (strabismus). I led residency and fellowship training programs in pediatric ophthalmology and surgical strabismus at both institutions. Read more>>
Dr. Shanika Small
My Story: From the Muck to Ministry Growing up in Pahokee, Florida—a small, 5.5-mile town with just one traffic light and two gas stations—I learned the value of resilience early on. Blessed with an outgoing, confident, and charismatic personality, I threw myself into everything I did and excelled. By my freshman year of high school, I was named the regional weightlifting champion. Read more>>
Sarah Thomas
My path to becoming a Neurosomatic Therapist wasn’t a straight line, but every step helped shape the work I do today. I spent 10 years serving in the U.S. Coast Guard as an engineer, emergency operations instructor and law enforcement instructor, and health coordinator. Read more>>
Mauricio Rivera
As a kid, I had a very wild imagination. I would constantly daydream about different adventures and scenes I made up in my head. And at home, I would play with my toys, trying to recreate or create my own epic scene from the movies I saw. Read more>>
Amy Wilkins
My journey began in England, as I am British! I’ve always loved beautiful paper and making cards for friends and family. Even as a child, I was drawn to things that felt personal and thoughtfully made. Read more>>
Rosalyn Yellin
My life story is complex. I love where my journey has taken me. I was lucky to fall in love and marry the love of my life who is an amazing husband. I have 5 wonderful children and 4 incredible grandchildren. I’m very proud of how far I’ve come in my life. I am the daughter of immigrants. Read more>>
Jenna Rodriguez
When I started, luxury picnics were still a relatively new concept in my area. There wasn’t a roadmap, a mentor, or a proven formula to follow. I saw an opportunity to create meaningful experiences and decided to take a chance on myself. Like many entrepreneurs, I started with a very limited budget. I couldn’t afford to hire a team of experts, so I became one. Read more>>
Tahmina Tofader
My henna journey began in 2010 when I first picked up a henna cone out of pure curiosity and love for the art. What started as a hobby, practicing on friends and family, quickly grew into a passion that I couldn’t imagine living without. Read more>>
Rima Schillinger
After watching family members struggle with heart disease, I learned that eating a plant based diet can help combat coronary issues. Quickly I learned that preparing flavorful & balanced plant based meals takes some learning and skill. I decided to make meals available for delivery and in 2019 launched vegetation out of a shared kitchen at Catapult in Lakeland. Read more>>
Joe DeAngelo
My career began in network infrastructure, where I spent nearly three decades designing and managing complex technology systems. Outside of my technology career, I started hosting networking events through Meetup. Through those events, I was introduced to local modeling and photography communities. What began as casual networking quickly evolved into photoshoots, creative collaborations, events, and content production. Read more>>
Torrie Jasuwan
I grew up in St. Pete and then went to college at UNF and USF for criminology. Then I lived in NYC for a few years and then Palm Beach and worked as a celebrity and high end matchmaker until moving back to St. Pete. Read more>>
Trace Molzon
My wife and I were originally opening up a dive shop in Madeira Beach, FL named “Close Encounters Dive Center”. We spent 3 years doing construction, designing the store, purchasing inventory, waiting on permits, etc..Well we were about a week away from opening and then Hurricane Helene hit us and the rest of the barrier islands of Tampa Bay. Read more>>
Marzena Beserowicz
The Woman Who Turns Gold Into Legacy Building a World From Nothing In 2007, Marzena Beserowicz did what few dare: she opened the doors of Von Besser Jewellery Inc. in Toronto, Canada, without a safety net, and without a template. Over the next eight years, she would grow that single vision into a three-location retail empire spanning Toronto, Mississauga, and Woodbridge. Read more>>
Maribel DeAnda
My journey into the travel industry wasn’t something I originally planned. Looking back, though, many of the things I love most about travel were showing up long before I ever became a travel advisor. I’ve always been drawn to design, architecture, hospitality, culture, and the details that go into creating an experience. Read more>>
Danielle Kelleher
Like most college students, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I started college at ESU in PA, studying hospitality, but I always felt like I was meant to do more. I was not happy there, but I was scared to move far from home (New York). Read more>>
Maddi Stevens
I’m a San Diego native, but I spent eight years in Fort Worth, where I studied Interior Design at TCU and started my career working on remodels in the city’s historic neighborhoods. That work taught me something I’ve carried ever since: how to honor a home’s existing character while designing it for the way people actually live today. Read more>>
Dani Williams
My connection to this work began long before it became my actual profession. Growing up, I was surrounded by a couple of key individuals with special needs and was continually drawn toward those who experienced the world differently. There was an undeniable connection, a gravitational pull that I could not fully explain at the time. Looking back now, it certainly makes sense to me. Read more>>
Nikoya Lazarde
My original goal was to create a business that would allow me to be my own boss, set my own schedule, and do something I truly love. While building my business, I was also working two full-time jobs and raising three beautiful boys, but I was determined to create a better future for my family and turn my dream into reality. Read more>>
JENNIFER REAL
Music has always been part of my life. I come from a family of singers, and my father was an opera singer, so music was constantly around me growing up. Some of my earliest memories are of impromptu concerts in our living room for family and friends. Singing felt as natural to me as breathing. At the same time, I struggled with confidence. Read more>>
Kirsten Ritenbaugh
I grew up in a family of hairdressers, so the beauty world has always been part of my life. My mom started teaching me when I was little and over time the techniques she passed down became second nature. What means the most to me is knowing my skills come from love, family, and generations of passion for this craft. Read more>>
Peter Garces
Born in 1992 and raised in Brooklyn, New York, I was inspired early by family friend Chef JJ, a James Beard Award-winning chef who helped open the door to my first opportunities in the culinary world. I attended Penn Tech’s culinary program, and for my first externship, I asked Chef JJ to help me find a great place to learn. Read more>>
Chantala Davis
After the death of baby Jordan Belliveau here in Clearwater, Fl., his tragedy is where God said that ‘I needed to help the mothers and save the children’. This was also a stressful time that my eldest daughter was struggling in life to care for my two grandchildren alone. Read more>>
Jourdan Frost
Jourdan Frost- Music Artist/Performer Bio Energetic, Charismatic, and Skillfully Talented are just a few adjectives that describe the Jacksonville, Fl born Singer, Songwriter, and Dancer Jourdan Frost. Jourdan was born in Jacksonville, FL and as a 90s baby grew up with huge R&B and Gospel influences. As a child, Jourdan sang in church and often performed in school events and pageants. Read more>>
Taylor Morris
My journey into healthcare began with a passion for helping people during some of their most vulnerable moments. I became a Registered Nurse and have spent the past eight years working in a variety of settings, including emergency medicine, acute care, long-term care, and nurse leadership. Read more>>
Samantha Yana
My journey into photography began when I was 12 years old. What started as a simple curiosity quickly grew into a passion as I found myself constantly drawn to capturing people, moments, and emotions around me. I spent years learning everything I could, practicing with whatever camera I had access to and teaching myself the fundamentals through trial and error. Read more>>
