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.
Jeffrey Dunn
My career began in 1989 when I started learning both scientific glassblowing and neon. I fabricated custom laboratory glassware for research and industry while, at the same time, learning the art of bending glass tubing for neon signs. Although they are very different applications, both require the same precision, patience, and craftsmanship. Every piece of glass is shaped entirely by hand over a torch. Read more>>
Brittany Eultgen
I began my career as a teacher, but I found myself wanting a more creative path. I started teaching children’s cooking classes, which naturally led to families asking if I could prepare meals for them. What began as cooking for a handful of private clients quickly grew through word-of-mouth. Read more>>
Arianna Varner
As a kid I always had a love for art and creating things with my hands. Ideas would pop into my head and I would feel an immediate urge to bring it to life. Overtime my love for fashion began to emerge alongside this desire to create, which is what led me to want to become a Fashion Designer. Read more>>
Frank Howard II
Honestly my story started back when I was a child. My parents often told me to survive in this world people need three major things; food, shelter, and clothing. Those three things, that we can seem to overlook at times have truly stuck with me. Read more>>
Babajide Bashiru
I’m BABAJIDE BASHIRU. Born and raised in Nigeria. I’m the middle and only male child with two beautiful sisters. Growing up in Lagos, my parents was very keen on academics for their kids. At the age of 9, my parents discovered my art and creative skills and enrolled me to an art summer camp after school where I learnt art design, painting, screen prints e.t.c. Read more>>
Katie and Brad Green
Little Souls is Brad and Katie Green. We are a husband and wife duo that writes and records music in the basement of our home in Alton, Illinois. We both have always been creatives. Brad sings, plays guitar and bass in quite the collection of bands and musical projects (Neighboring Villages, Overnighter, GradBreen). I (Katie) am an artist and a backyard birdwatching influencer. Read more>>
Doug Weaver
I am passionate about art, community, and education. I first came to St. Louis for graduate school when I got my Masters in Fine Arts in Painting from Fontbonne University. After graduation I had my first teaching job as an art, music, and drama instructor in Rwanda as a Peace Corps Volunteer. After two years of service I returned to St. Read more>>
Katie Stippec
My path to home care started in Hollywood. I spent more than ten years producing television: daytime TV at Hallmark, casting on shows like Blue Bloods and Nurse Jackie, working with celebrities like Shaquille O’Neal and eventually executive producing an animated series. I loved that work, but the thing that changed my life happened off set. In 2016 my sister was shot. Read more>>
Michael Ramey
I was born and raised in St. Louis – grew up sinin and dancin at The Muny (Muny kid, teen and equity member), moved to NYC to pursue theatre and worked as a performer all over the nation. Then I moved to LA and became an award winning screen writer, producer and executive producer. Now, I’m back home in St. Read more>>
Ryan Branson
My journey into fitness wasn’t born from a desire to simply help people lose weight or build muscle—it began with a passion for personal transformation. I’ve always believed that the strongest version of a person is developed through discipline, consistency, and resilience. Over time, fitness became the vehicle through which I could help others discover strengths they didn’t realize they possessed. Read more>>
Jordan ‘Jordiee’ Daye
I never planned on becoming a fashion designer—it honestly just happened because I couldn’t stop creating. I’ve always loved making things with my hands and bringing ideas to life. In 2016, I was working alongside another dress designer when I realized I wanted to create something completely different, something that felt bold, unexpected, and uniquely mine. Read more>>
Spencer Atwood
I grew up as a theater kid. The thing I loved most about theater was performance. I loved being able to take who I was and stretch and mold it into something else without losing my own shape. I think when a performance resonates the most its because we’re seeing parts of ourselves that we usually don’t find suitable to share, especially not on stage. Read more>>
LaLa Young
My name is LaLa Young, but most people know me as DJ Naybahood. I’m the founder of Naybahood Entertainment and the creator of Second Sunday, a monthly event series that’s focused on bringing people together through music, culture, and community. My journey into DJing wasn’t something I had planned. Read more>>
Raypheal (2wice⚡️) Frazier
As a Kid I was Always in To Sports.. Art ,Music 🎶 , & Crafts.. in High School I was Able to explore & add more structure To what I was Already talented in.. after I graduated.. the Other Side of Life kicked in Testing the Love I have for All !! & still test the juggle of balance of them! Read more>>
Julien Leigh “Jude” Kaufman
I was born in Nashville, TN to two music industry professionals, and I credit my parents for what feels like an innate love for music and the arts. My earliest memories included watching traditionally animated films of the 1990’s, and feeling how the hand-drawn expressions and carefully composed music created an entire moving painting of emotion. Read more>>
Miranda & Josh O’Haleck
In 2022 Josh was adamant on purchasing a 3D printer to have for fun. In 2023 we started making custom orders for friends and family, and also had our first few vendor events. We created a Facebook page and reached out to a few stores to see about selling our prints. Read more>>
Stephanie Farmer
My health and fitness journey truly started about 11 years ago. I was genuinely so tired of feeling awful and hating myself. I discovered a way of eating called “if it fits your macros” that let me still eat the things I loved in moderation and help heal my relationship with food at the time. Read more>>
Kennadya Rodgers-Archibald
My entrepreneurial journey began in 2014 with the birth of my first daughter. Becoming a mother inspired me to create matching ‘mommy and me’ designs for us, and what started as a creative outlet quickly grew into a passion for fashion, design, and entrepreneurship. As a Bahamian creative who was born and raised in The Bahamas before moving to St. Read more>>
Nikki Hickman
Serendipity Gifts began in 2013 when I was a stay-at-home mom looking for a creative outlet. I have always loved the classic look of embroidery, especially monograms. As an ’80s child, preppy style and monograms have always felt timeless to me. I bought an embroidery machine, created my own products, and built a website! Read more>>
Jeremiah Essmyer
I was born in St. Louis City Hospital before it was closed and lived in a 3rd story flat off Virginia until school age. We moved to Ware, MO after that and I attended Grandview R-II until graduating in 2000. We were poor, but I was happily unaware of what that meant. Read more>>
Sioux Roslawski
I had been to a national teachers’ conference, and one of the sessions focused on the Tulsa Race Massacre. Nobody in the banquet hall full of teachers had ever heard of it, which was unforgivable in my opinion. Three hundred or so people had been massacred? Ten thousand people were made homeless in less than two days? Read more>>
Shirley Vuong
My name is Shirley also known as “Elsie”, I am a multidisciplinary artist and designer. Art has always been a big part of my life, through experimenting with different mediums, such as: drawing, painting, graffiti, and cooking. I pushed it further by attending culinary school, and then design school. Read more>>
Holley MissBehavin’
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to the spotlight. From childhood ballet, tap, and jazz recitals to cheerleading at high school football games, dance has always been my favorite way to connect with an audience. Read more>>
Amiana Monik
I’m a writer, photographer, entrepreneur, speaker, and founder based in Belleville, Illinois, serving the greater St. Louis and Metro East area. Creativity has always been part of who I am. I’ve been writing since I was young, became a published poet in high school, and over the years that creative foundation expanded into photography, media, wellness events, product development, and community building. Read more>>
Graig Lovings
Based out of St. Louis Missouri, Produced By Zoo LLC basically got started from just a kid having fun making beats with my cousins. I started off playing the drums in band in elementary school. That gave me my rhythm at and early age. I would say I was an intermediate drummer before I graduated middle school . Read more>>
