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.
Michelle Woods
I was born and raised in St. Charles County and am blessed to be able to work and serve here as well. As a social worker, I am drawn to person to person work that makes a difference in people’s lives….as well as my own. I started at Habitat for Humanity of St. Read more>>
Marsha Conley
As my husband and I approached retirement, we knew we needed an additional source of income. I owned a piece of land next to our home, and after being inspired by the HGTV show Treehouse Masters, we envisioned creating a treehouse bed and breakfast. With my husband’s carpentry skills and my background as an artist, we began designing what would become the Enchanted Forest Treehouse. Read more>>
Bobby Storts
I am originally from Peoria Heights, Illinois and I’ve been happily married for over 30 years to my wife Kristine. We have two children Jakob and Meghan. My educational background consists of a B.A. in Design & Visual Communication from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and a M.A.T. from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. Read more>>
Erin Hoepfner
We’re Ryan and Erin Hoepfner—the husband-and-wife team behind SmokehouseJellies. What started as a passion project at home during the COVID era quickly became something bigger. Like many families, we found ourselves cooking more, gardening more, and getting creative with what we could make from scratch. Read more>>
Kemi Olofintila
CozyLab started with my daughter’s skin. She had eczema as a baby, and I remember feeling like I was failing as a mother every time I saw the redness and constant scratching. Read more>>
Chase Landers
Landers Towing and Collision Centers has proudly served Southern Illinois for more than 35 years. What began as a small family operation has grown into a seven-location network — but the roots of the company are humble and deeply personal. The story began in a family pole barn, where Roy Landers repaired vehicles by hand. Read more>>
Tonya Williams
In late 2022, I opened Cat Zen Café & Lounge, a long-envisioned passion project created to give homeless cats greater exposure and a welcoming space to connect with potential adopters. What began as a dream quickly became a community hub dedicated to helping cats find their forever homes. Soon after opening, we recognized a significant gap in the market: truly feline-exclusive care. Read more>>
Blake Lunsford
got my start in the window film industry at just 16 years old, tinting my friends’ cars in my mom’s garage. What started as a way to make a little extra money quickly became something much bigger. By 17, I was working at a tint shop in Bridgeton, Missouri, learning the trade professionally and sharpening my skills every day. Read more>>
Brienne Cason Kaylee Kreutzberg
We are Brienne (Brie) and Kaylee, the owners of 3 Arrows pediatric therapy. We first met in 2015 while working together another pediatric clinic, where we quickly became close colleagues and friends. Read more>>
Denise Hetep
Since I was young, I’ve always known that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I’ve always had this internal drive to build something of my own — not just for myself, but to create opportunities and legacy for my family. When Frios came into our lives, it truly felt like the right moment and the right vehicle to bring that vision to life. Read more>>
Darci Roberts
Matchmaking has always been a part of my life. Recognizing compatibility, understanding interpersonal patterns, and connecting people in meaningful ways have always felt natural to me. Over time, that instinct became more deliberate. I pursued formal training and became a certified professional matchmaker, deepening my understanding of relationship dynamics and compatibility. Read more>>
Stacey Bertrand
I joined the Speedpro family after more than 25 years of leadership experience in marketing, communications, graphic design, and web development. My journey really began at Truman State University, where I earned a BFA in Visual Communications along with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing (BA). That combination of creativity and business strategy has shaped my entire career. Read more>>
David Meyer
I started my career at agencies working on big brands (Kellogg’s, AllState, Anheuser-Busch) and while it was fun, it wasn’t personally rewarding. A lot of the best ideas/concepts/campaigns were killed by someone up the corporate food chain who had no skin in the game – and version 43 of anything isn’t very good. Read more>>
Mike Redenbeaux
At 17, I was living on my own out of my truck, working in the trades just to get by. That season built grit in me and gave me my first exposure to real estate from the ground up. After years in the trades, I moved into professional sales, where I sharpened my communication and negotiation skills. Read more>>
Michael Wooten
I’m originally from South Carolina, and my journey to where I am today has had many chapters. In late 2017, I arrived in the Metro East with a duffel bag and a hope that this time my life would look different. I had two dreams that felt almost impossible at the time — returning to the dance floor and living a life of sobriety. Read more>>
Nadia and Maya Turner
We started baking Cookies with our mom at a young age, and we were fans of Shark Tank. We had our Dad and family try our cookies and that’s when we knew we had something. We started selling our cookies to friends, family, and our school. Maya was six years old, and Nadia was eight. Read more>>
Shenita Connally
Dr. Shenita Treniece Connally—affectionately known as Dr. C—was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida, to David and Bertha McCants. Educated in Catholic school from first through twelfth grade while being nurtured in the Baptist faith, she often describes herself as a “BaptaCatho,” a reflection of her blended spiritual foundation. Read more>>
Casey Newton
have always been drawn to cameras. Looking back at it now, I loved documenting people and moments that felt raw and real at such a young age. What started as a love for ‘taking photos’ slowly grew into something so much bigger than myself. I learned that I loved serving people during some of the most important seasons of their lives. Read more>>
Alex St Cin
Back in 2016 my business partner and I decided we wanted to open a studio after I had moved back to St. Louis from the Chicago area. Read more>>
Kelly Bristol
My journey to becoming a therapist was not linear. As a kid I wanted to be on actress. I enjoyed performing and being on stage more than anything. As I reflect back, I think I also really loved getting to know the characters I was playing and their story. I loved bringing those stories to life. Read more>>
Jennifer Ritchie
From ‘Different’ to Driven: My Journey to Specializing in Adult Neurodivergence For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to the neurodivergent community. Even before I had the clinical language for it, I felt a deep-seated connection to people who experienced the world differently. I felt ‘different’ myself, navigating life with a perspective that didn’t always align with the standard script. Read more>>
Jamie Lewis
Helfer’s Pastries started in 1977 by Chris and Kathy Helfer. They moved to Florissant in 1992 where the bakery is currently run. My husband (Cameron Lewis) and I took over the bakery in October 2021 when my parents retired. We have loved running the business over the last 5 years while we introduce new products and hold strong to our families traditional bakery roots. Read more>>
Dillon Sanders
I was born and raised in St. Louis and began my professional career in financial services after graduating from college. I joined Edward Jones through its Financial Advisor Career Development Program, where I passed the Series 7 and Series 66 examinations and worked directly with transitioning client portfolios. Read more>>
Leah Schulte
I never planned to own a laundromat, but my life unfolded and here I am at Midtown Washboard in St. Charles! I’d been living and working in Montana when I made the decision to move back to Missouri to be involved in the caregiving of my elderly parents. At that time I was weary of working in health care and open to a career pivot. Read more>>
Angie Boger
I was involved with music since childhood, constantly singing Disney songs probably or whatever was on the radio. My mom got me into piano lessons but I quit in late junior high/early high school (a pretty big regret). Later on in high school, I discovered a band that brought me back into needing to play the piano and sing at the same time. Read more>>
Andrei Tone
My journey into filmmaking started with a deep belief that stories shape influence. What began as a passion for capturing moments grew into a mission: helping businesses and leaders communicate their vision with clarity, excellence, and impact. I founded Tone Films with a clear standard in mind — to create content that is both cinematic and strategic. Read more>>
Tori Bornholdt
In 2017, I was a stay-at-home mom welcoming my second child, feeling lonely and craving connection. I began a small side hustle photographing babies, and it quickly evolved into something much bigger than I ever anticipated. Read more>>
Liberty Koch
I’ve loved photography since I was very young and actually photographed my first wedding at only 12 years old! In lieu of payment, the bride gifted me my first real camera and I have fallen in love with the hobby ever since. Read more>>
Min Choi
I began my career working in construction, but when I was five months pregnant, I made the decision to step away from that job to focus on becoming a stay-at-home mom. Being present for my child was always something I deeply valued, and I truly loved every moment of that chapter of my life. Read more>>
Rachel Wachowe
Photography has been a constant thread throughout my life. From a young age, I’ve been an observer, drawn to the beautiful stories and details unfolding in front of me. In my own home, a gallery wall of my ancestors serves as a daily reminder of how photographs connect us to our heritage and allow memories to transcend generations. Read more>>
Steve Sulze
I didn’t grow up thinking I’d own one of the largest Krav Maga facilities in the region. I grew up getting picked on. Like a lot of kids, I dealt with bullying and self-confidence issues growing up my whole life being overweight. Unfortunately my parents didn’t care nor could they afford to put me in martial arts as a kid. Read more>>
Debbie Ashkar
Being a stay at home mom with a daycare didn’t seem to be what I needed to fulfill my ambitions. It was a good friend that saw my artistic abilities and the love for painting that encouraged me to be a painter. Read more>>
Brooke Schneider
December 2015, my world was forever changed when Leia, a truly extraordinary dog entered my life. Determined to give her the life she deserved, I embarked on a journey to find a career I loved that would also allow me the financial freedom needed to provide for Leia. Read more>>
Brooklyn Saint
Brooklyn Saint’s inception came from the worlds shut down during Covid. Emanuel contacted me about getting on a song for his next album and I completed the record. I (Shareef) was apprehensive at first because it was so heavy of a topic. It was speaking to all the injustice we were seeing on a constant in the U.S. Read more>>
Lucas Perlik
When I was 15, I developed migraines. The migraines were debilitating, causing me to have to stay in my room for much of the day because light and sound both increased pain and I was experiencing extreme nausea as a result. Read more>>
Breanna Kroon
I didn’t take the traditional path into interior design — and I think that’s what shaped me the most. I started my career working for a design-build company in San Diego in a marketing role. I had always been drawn to design, so while I was leading marketing efforts, I also stepped into support roles for the design and construction teams whenever I could. Read more>>
David Weglarz
I was an English Major in college because I love to read and I’ve always looked at my own life as my own personal story, thus I’ve tried to live it in a way that is both fulfilling and exciting. After college, I moved to North Carolina to fulfill my dream of being a white water river rafting guide. Read more>>
