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.
Kaitlyn Langston
I started my photography journey in 2016, driven by a love for capturing real, meaningful moments. What began as a creative outlet quickly grew into a business, allowing me to connect with people and tell their stories through my lens. Over the years, I had the privilege of photographing everything from weddings and portraits to brand campaigns, each project teaching me something new about both people and the power of visual storytelling. Read more>>
Monica Danus
During this time, I was auditioning for Love is Blind. I thought it was a complete long shot that they would take me, but I had been single for years, giving up on trying to find my person. I thought, why not try something crazy, it just might work! So, I continued the process until one day they called and told me I was cast to be on season 8. I was incredibly excited, but also nervous, both for leaving my family for filming, as well as trying to date knowing the state my life was in. Regardless, I took a chance and accepted the opportunity. Read more>>
Raina Brewer
In all truth, I’ve loved taking photographs since I was a little girl. I was constantly stealing my mom’s camera and taking photos. In high school, I began taking photos of my friends for fun and developed a love for portraiture. My friends would share them on Instagram and more people would ask to get their portraits taken. It never occurred to me at that time to ask for compensation, because I truly loved it so much. And yet, believe it or not, by the end of high school I was taking on some of my first paid projects. Read more>>
Peter Steineck
Our current episode, TRACK ATTACK, was created with our help by Dutch 3D Animation duo YONK. It is our 22nd episode of Hellavision, and the full program includes 140 individual creators providing micro shorts based on original music they made themselves or collaborated on. It will be screened in Minneapolis, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, London, Vienna, The Hague, Brisbane, & Wellington New Zealand. Due to the length of this episode, we’ve made each screening unique, prioritizing local submissions, while the full 2 hour and 10 minute episode will be screened sometime in May on Twitch, and put up on youtube soon after that. Read more>>
Safiyatou Diallo
Of course! So, my journey really started at home. I’ve always been around beauty—my mom owned a hair salon, so growing up, I was constantly surrounded by hair, makeup, and creativity. I actually tried doing hair for a little while, but deep down, I knew makeup was where my heart truly was. Makeup always felt like art to me—like painting a canvas, blending colors, and creating a masterpiece on someone’s face. It was more than just glam—it was expression. Read more>>
Angie Hong
I get to be a part of this work in many different ways, from writing news articles and creating social media content, to planning workshops for local elected officials, developing educational materials for homeowners’ associations, conducting surveys and focus groups with farmers and shoreline landowners, and even teaching children’s programs. It’s reassuring to see widespread public enthusiasm for protecting our local lakes, rivers, forests and prairies and I very much enjoy meeting and working with people in our communities. Read more>>
Betty Trull
That same passion followed me into college, where I played at North Central University—and where I met Griffin, on the basketball court. We bonded instantly over our shared love for the game. What started as a friendship built around competition and conversations about basketball turned into something deeper. Now we’re partners in life and in business, running Basketball Enterprise together. Read more>>
Jack Walterman
In 2020, after graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film and Television Production, from the world-renowned University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, I returned to my home state Minnesota. With the uncertainty of the pandemic, I joined the medical field in hopes of helping my hometown community as a pharmacy technician–administering daily COVID-19 tests, filling prescriptions, and preparing vaccinations. To stay artistically sharp, I created and directed an eight-episode horror-comedy web series (the finale will be going into production later this year) with friends and family. Read more>>
Brianna Lofquist
My journey into holistic health began when I was introduced to muscle testing and some powerful alternative healing tools. At the time, I thought I was doing everything right—eating healthy, staying active—but when I started supporting my body with what it actually needed through natural remedies, everything shifted. I lost 30 pounds, my hormones balanced, my skin cleared up, and I finally had energy again. It lit a fire in me, and I needed to know more. Read more>>
LaTwanna Williams
The first ten years of my artistic career was spend in the education world teaching theatre & dance and directing stage productions. After I left education, I became a freelance producer producing mostly for screen productions. During this time, I noticed that some of the professionals I loved and worked with on set had digital platform accounts that did not do them or their work justice. I wanted to help them develop a plan that would authentically set up their platforms to visually market their work. Later I would learn this is called Personal Brand development. Read more>>
Carla Hall
In the summer of 2017, my wife (originally from Minneapolis) and I moved to the Twin Cities to begin a new chapter of life. I set up shop in North Minneapolis, with friends I had met through the national blacksmithing circuit and rooted in the arts community. I began working as an instructor at Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center in South Minneapolis as well as at North House Folk School in Grand Marais. The vitality of my work paused between 2019 and 2021 with the birth of two babies, COVID shut downs and the loss of my dad and step dad. I maintained my metal shop and focused on healing and finding a new direction of work. Read more>>
Gustavo Romero
Starved for restaurant quality meals, friends told friends and neighbors, and within weeks he had a hundred orders, and needed a commercial kitchen. Meal kits and takeout only tacos were the first two years of Nixta’s growth, and as the world slowly returned to dine in service we opened Oro by Nixta, James Beard nominated) and more recently Tixtli by Nixta. Both restaurants exist to evangelize the power and possibility of heirloom Mexican corn. You can also continue to find our delicious tortillas all over the Twin Cities in coops and grocery stores. Read more>>
Jessie Erickson
Then something shifted. In September of 2022, at 40 years old, I felt this undeniable pull to finally follow the path that had always been quietly calling to me. I signed up for my real estate course—taught by none other than my dad—and something magical happened. Literally within 48 hours of enrolling, I had an interview with Deanna Bennett, one of the top agents in Duluth and that day, she offered me a job! Read more>>
Jasmine Combs
Crystal Quartz Cleaning is more than just a cleaning service — it’s a brand built on intention, care, and community. We specialize in short-term rental turnovers, residential deep cleaning, and commercial janitorial services throughout the Twin Cities area. What we’re really known for, though, is our attention to detail, quick turnaround times, and the trust we build with our clients. We show up, we listen, and we clean with purpose. Read more>>
Maivena Gaye
I often call her “Lioness,” because she’s not only a powerful woman of God but also a true destiny helper in my life and many others. Nancy immediately took me under her wings and made me the in-house artist for Black Business Enterprises (BBE). As the in-house artist for BBE, my mission is to highlight the importance of art within the community — celebrating diversity, encouraging cultural exchange, and fostering mutual respect and understanding across different communities. Read more>>
Dawn Pivec
Luck played a huge role in shaping the vibe of my clinic. In 2021, I moved to the small, rural town of Scandia, where rental spaces are few and far between. My husband and I ended up buying a beautiful, historic brick building from 1920, full of charm, natural woodwork, and large, light-filled windows—a perfect space to practice in. Funny enough, the building wasn’t even for sale, but I bought it on a whim. One day, while walking through town, I noticed the owner—a local realtor—was inside. On a whim, I walked in and said, “Hi, I’d like to buy your building.” and he replied, “sure”. A couple of months later, it was ours. Read more>>
Anya Kordonowy
Through this crash course I realized that design and the nitty gritty of the remodels was where my heart truly felt full. After about 6 years with this company I had a vision for what I wanted to do and decided to pursue getting licensed as a residential general contractor so I could set out on my own to start my own company. I passed the test (on the first go!) and Ornament was born! Read more>>
Lindsay McGlynn
The greatest challenge in this work is that many people have never heard of spiritual direction or don’t know what it is. I frame my spiritual direction work as tending to the soul, which I feel is so important, essential, and needed at this moment. I believe there are many longing for a safe space not only to be heard, but also to be able to hear their own voice, the one that is aligned with their truest self. What’s important to know about spiritual direction is it’s not someone directing or teaching or analyzing or judging you. Read more>>
Nicoshia Wynn
My journey began during my teenage years. I’ve always had a deep passion for youth, the arts, and education. I grew up in Milwaukee, where I attended arts schools, participated in the thriving Boys & Girls Club at Sherman Park, played basketball, and embraced music. Over time, I developed a heart for service—a value deeply rooted in my family and especially my mother. We were always involved in giving back through church and community work. Read more>>
Kelsey Aanerud
When it comes to creating, the only thing I struggle with is time. My family will always come first, then my salon, and then I create on my downtime. But I will say, my journey with my salon has slowed down so I can focus more on my makeup. It’s scary transitioning into a new career, but so exciting at the same time. I know this is my true path, and I can’t wait until it’s my main focus. Read more>>
Tiffany Ward
Our guests missed having it, we knew what they were looking for, and could bring in things they asked for, plus – We all have business backgrounds and Cherre has quite an eye for fashion and jewelry! So we decided to open a boutique focused on providing fashionable, reasonably priced clothing for women of every shape. We love having Judy Blue Jeans because they are so comfortable and fit nearly everyone perfectly! We opened Winton + Co February 11, 2022! Winton is a combination of our last names – Ward and Hinton. Cherre does our ordering and merchandising, Nick takes care of all the accounting and book work, I manage the social media and PR, and Chris helps out wherever needed and is a good and creative solution finder. We also have my daughter, Skylar, doing our social media and our whole salon team loves helping out with the store too. It’s become a fun project for us all. Read more>>
Shontae Carter
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road! It was a real struggle at first figuring out time management and how to juggle being a stay-at-home mom and running a business. Alot of nights I would stay up working on orders until 3 or 4 am and then have to be back up at 7 am with my kids. It’s always hard for me to know when to stop working on something because it’s a creative outlet for me. So, I can easily spend 6-8 hours working on one custom cake order. Luckily my husband steps in now to help me with my time management! Read more>>
Doni Everson
I have 20+ years experience and restaurants 10 years being in Chicago also Denver and Omaha. I moved to Minnesota with my fiancé in May 2023. I was working in a maintenance room at a pharmaceutical brand and was missing food. I didn’t wanna work for anybody anymore so I decided my hand at PIZZA and it blew up I’ve been doing this since August 2023. I recently purchased a horse trailer to renovate into a food truck in hopes to be on the road sometime this summer or next spring. Read more>>
Aramis Wells
As with all things in life I found some other passions and took a break from my camera for what turned into a few years. A friend of ours put an idea in my head in 2015, to watch the 2017 total solar eclipse from Yellowstone National Park. We started making plans and we ended up camping in Yellowstone for a week. That week ended being the busiest week in the history of the park and we (my dad, sister, wife Tiana, and son Logan) watched the eclipse from Grand Tetons. That two minutes and 20 seconds changed my life, and I started pointing my camera toward the skies more often than not. Read more>>
Julie Wenzlick
I started P&W Designs while working full-time and raising a toddler. That alone comes with a fair share of late nights, early mornings, and figuring things out as I go…. Well, and since I still have a separate full time job, let’s be honest it’s still a lot of late nights, early mornings and weekends. One of my biggest mistakes early on? Launching a product-based business without understanding SEO. I had a beautiful website… but no traffic. That experience taught me the hard way that design without strategy doesn’t cut it. Read more>>
Christie Kelly
Struggles with my business I basically come in the fact that there’s a learning curve in what to offer people, how to charge, and just the fact that I love so much what I’m doing sometimes it’s hard not just to do it for free especially if it’s someone that I have ever met before. Read more>>
Eric Klepinger
I saw art as purely a hobby and would often hike around our Colorado mountain home with a drawing pad and pencil in hand. As I grew up, I would often win art awards, such as the Kiwanis Gold Key Award, which I won in 7th grade, and other school-based art competitions. I was always grateful for the amazing art teachers I had leading up through high school. Learning various painting and drawing techniques were invaluable to me. Despite my clear aptitude towards art, and awards I earned, my father’s beliefs guided me away from seeing art as a way of living. Read more>>
Rachel
I managed to do all of this while attending college for marketing. I took a brief hiatus from the construction industry but continued to work as a subcontractor for other construction companies starting in 2013. Through my experiences with various contractors, I noticed a constant focus on numbers—the revenue targets we needed to hit. While I understand the importance of generating revenue, I genuinely cared more about the customer’s journey and their overall experience, which has often been overlooked in many construction companies. Read more>>
Erin Anderegg
Each of our candles is handmade in small batches using all-natural coconut soy wax, ensuring a clean, slow, and even burn. We’re committed to using only the highest-quality ingredients—from our wax to our phthalate-free fragrance oils—so every candle not only smells amazing but is also safe for your home. What sets us apart from other candle companies is our attention to detail, our long-lasting burn times, and our dedication to creating a product that feels as good as it smells. It’s all about quality you can see, feel, and experience from the first light to the last. Read more>>
Jeremiah Schuster
No good journey is without a bumpy path. But that’s what makes it interesting, right?! There is an assumption that growth is always an upward trend… “bigger is better” “more is better” … We’ve always been focused on quality and connection. SO some years that’s looked like “less” others “plenty”. Covid threw us for a ride. But there’s a lot to be said for consistency. simply outlasting the challenges and continuing to grow our creativity through it all. Read more>>
Amy Fitch
Our farm started from a love of Scottish highland cows. When we moved to the country, I knew I wanted a couple “fluffy cows”. During the time it took to build a shelter and fencing, I decided to also get a few goats. Within our first year of moving to the country, we had a few goats and a couple cows. By the following year, I was hauling home nearly 30 baby goats in the back seats of my suburban and found myself bottle feeding said goats that were housed in my gazebo. I jumped into farming with both feet! The goat herd grew, the Scottish highlands had babies, which are even more adorable than you can imagine. Read more>>
Taylor Nelsen
Having a steady stream of projects in our first two years has been a huge part of our success. Still, offering a luxury service in an uncertain market—and in a smaller town, no less—definitely comes with its challenges. The pool of clients who are both willing and able to invest in design services can be limited. That’s why we’ve been so intentional about building a strong aesthetic and reputation. We believe that’s what truly sets us apart in our area and continues to bring new clients through our doors. Read more>>
Kris Binsfeld
With the support of my incredibly patient husband, Tom, and our three amazing kids—Keegan, Sawyer, and Kya—I’ve continued to grow and evolve in my craft. In fact, it was Kya who first suggested I offer permanent jewelry, sparking a whole new chapter in my creative journey. I held back for a while, hesitant about investing in the equipment. But when my sister asked me to bring it to my niece’s wedding in Texas, I took the leap—and I’ve never looked back. That leap turned into a beautiful chapter of creativity and connection. I’m so thankful for the incredible people I’ve met, the stories I’ve been trusted with, and the chance to make jewelry that becomes a part of someone’s journey. Read more>>
Lars Nelson
I took up a paper route when I was 11, in no small part, so ai could afford to buy records, cassettes and CD’s. If I’m being honest, that’s probably where not an insignificant amount of my money still goes to. Concerts also make up a good deal of my purchases as well. Money well spent as far as I can tell. I had bands throughout college and after college graduation. Along the way, I got to open for such giants as George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Wyclef Jean, The Wailers, The Meditations and Cowboy Mouth. With the Lars Nelson Band, we’ve opened for platinum artists, Tantric. Our 2022 album, Midnight Anthems was named one of the best albums of the year by syndicated Spanish radio show, La Proxima Estacion. Read more>>
Heidi Seymour
One of the best parts of owning my own business is being able to share my passions beyond the salon. I’ve partnered with an incredible local non-profit called Lift Up, which supports meaningful projects both locally and around the world. As part of this partnership, Renew Salon donates 10% of all retail sales to Lift Up. It’s such a joy to give back and be part of something bigger than ourselves. Read more>>
Chelsi Low
I had purchased the land that the campground is on years ago and used it for recreation. It was a long process to get through all the permitting and approvals, find funding and to ultimately complete the project. It was a great learning experience, and I am excited to do more campground / glamping projects in the future! I’ve discovered that I have a lot of passion for this work, and it brings me joy. Read more>>
Sarah Ronchak
And then it just clicked after asking my oldest daughter what she thought is inspiring about me. She stated “being a strong single mom”. April is Autism Awareness Month and near and dear to my heart. At the beginning of writing this, you found out I am a mother. What you didn’t know is how many children I have. The answer is 3, 1 of them, my son has autism and I have done the majority of rearing each of my children. Read more>>
