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.
Joannie Lee
The Ergo Expert was born from my years providing corporate chair massage throughout San Diego. As I walked through office after office on my way to the designated massage room, I couldn’t help but notice a pattern. Employees were spending hours hunched over their desks with poor posture, awkward workstation setups, and obvious signs of physical strain. Read more>>
Joleen Green
I opened Lucys On Lighthouse in the middle of Covid in July 2020. Timing wise wasn’t so perfect… I ran our citys baseball park concessions for a few years, and everyone loved hot dogs!!! I knew I wanted to create a place where I could be more creative in our comfort food and bring it to our community in a fun fresh way. Read more>>
Eric Bergman
I decided to pursue physical therapy because it allowed me to combine two passions: helping people improve their quality of life and working in an active, movement-focused field. Throughout physical therapy school, I realized that my long-term goal was to open my own practice so I could create a patient experience centered on individualized care rather than volume. Read more>>
Raynita Lewis
My story really began after having my son. I was experiencing burnout in a way I had never felt before. It felt like everyone needed something from me, and I didn’t know how to make time for myself. Read more>>
Evan Cason
My story did not begin in behavioral health leadership. My younger years were shaped by street life, addiction, incarceration, and the consequences of choices that affected not only me, but also the people who loved me. For a long time, I believed the worst chapters of my life might be the only evidence of who I was. Read more>>
Jay Shah
I grew up fascinated by both technology and healthcare, and that curiosity eventually led me into AI research. I earned my Ph.D. in Computer Science from Arizona State University, where I focused on applying deep learning to medical imaging for the early detection of neurological diseases. Read more>>
Judi Pheiffer
I guess one could say I am a ‘late-bloom’ artist. I never really had the time to have an art practice until my husband and I retired and relocated to Encinitas about 14 years ago. I was immediately inspired by the beautiful diversity of our natural surroundings, and the incredible light that artists have tried to capture for hundreds of years. Read more>>
Dipali Dewan
I’m a designer by profession, with a Master’s in Design from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, and over a decade of experience in the fashion industry. After moving to the U.S., visa restrictions paused my career, but becoming a mother inspired me to channel my creativity in a new direction. Read more>>
Juliana Ramirez
My journey began in Mexico City, where I was born and raised. In 1994, at the age of 13, my life changed dramatically when my family immigrated to the United States in search of greater opportunities. Overnight, I left behind everything that was familiar—my home, extended family, friends, school, and the country I loved. Like many immigrant families, we started over from scratch. Read more>>
Jared Brick
I got my start in film photography and then learned digital media as Brick House Images, as people love calling me ‘Brick’ or ‘Brick House’ in college at CU Boulder, Go Buffs! After working in Colorado, New York and San Francisco I expanded my media world to include digital video and focused on business work. Read more>>
Ian McRae
The original Hula’s was opened in Monterey in 1998 by Craig and Chris Delaney, brothers who had longstanding experience in the restaurant business, much of it in Maui. Ian McRae partnered with the Delaney’s to open Hula’s Santa Cruz in 2005. Additional local investors were brought in to build out the space at 221 Cathcart Street in downtown Santa Cruz. Read more>>
Anatoly Zadorozhnyy
I’m the founder of Marketing1on1, an SEO and digital marketing agency built from experience – not a business plan. In 2010, while studying computer science, I built websites for small businesses to earn extra income. Most of my clients came from Craigslist until the platform started charging for listings. Looking for another free way to generate leads, I discovered SEO. Read more>>
Rachita Panchal
Picture Perfect Events by Rach was born from a genuine passion for creating meaningful experiences and bringing people together. Long before I officially started my business, I found myself naturally drawn to planning events, organizing details, and making sure every celebration felt personal and unforgettable. What began as something I simply loved doing quickly became a calling. Read more>>
Hollis Molloy
I started coaching at CrossFit Santa Cruz in 2005, so my story is tied closely to the early days of CrossFit itself. I was lucky to learn in the original gyms, surrounded by people who were not just exercising, but trying to understand what fitness, health, coaching, and community could become. At first, I was drawn to the training. Read more>>
Jennifer Garcia
Growing up, I always had a passion for beauty and business. When it came time to choose a career, I was discouraged from pursuing beauty because people told me it wasn’t a real career. Instead, I went into agricultural business since I had experience in the ag industry. Read more>>
Sonia Le
I founded Cosmo Chic SC out of a lifelong passion for sewing, fashion, and creating pieces that make people feel confident. Originally from South Africa, I moved to the United States over 28 years ago and built a new life while raising my daughter and overcoming many personal and professional challenges. Read more>>
Anna Krasovitskaya
My journey into photography began in 2009, after my first son was born. Becoming a mother completely changed the way I looked at photographs. I realized that pictures aren’t just images—they become memories that grow more valuable with every passing year. That realization changed the course of my life. Read more>>
Michael Opoku
OPO SEO is a family business – my sister Rayna and I run it together, and the story really starts with her. Right before the pandemic she started out as a content writer, and she turned out to be seriously good at it. Within a couple of years she was writing for companies like Asana, WooCommerce, Ramp, SendBird, 6sense, Compare.com and XE. Read more>>
Kyle Mosley
My name is Kyle Mosley. I’m married to my beautiful wife, Sara, and together we have five daughters, three sons, and one granddaughter. Family has always been the foundation of my life and the motivation behind everything I do. When I was around six years old, my family moved from Bakersfield to Pismo Beach after my parents purchased a local grocery store. Read more>>
Eddie Camacho
I was born and raised in Santa Maria, California, and today I’m the owner of Tri-Fitness in Nipomo. Before opening the gym, I spent more than 12 years as a licensed paramedic serving communities throughout the Central Coast. Ironically, I never planned on becoming a paramedic. Growing up, I wanted to be a police officer because, like many kids, I wanted to be a hero. Read more>>
Julian Martinez
I opened up Barbareño with my business partner, Jesse Gaddy, in the fall of 2014. We were both very young (I was 25, Jesse 24), and were in way over our heads. I had been a cook and sous chef, working up in the Bay Area, but really had no business experience to speak of. Read more>>
Billy Goodnick
ABOUT I sometimes wonder how I went from being a 5-year-old Brooklynite to a landscape architect, author, educator, TV host and part-time drummer living amongst the ubiquitous “swaying palm trees” of Santa Barbara. Buckle up. Read more>>
Shara Tatham
We are Bridget Smith and Shara Tatham, we began Bounding Main in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. During this time, a retail space on Main Street in Cambria opened up for a lease. We’d talked for many years about opening a fun, stylish women’s boutique in downtown Cambria. Read more>>
Vanessa Soto
Kai Fit is one of the Monterey area’s best-kept hidden gems. Tucked away in Toro Park, we’re a welcoming 24/7 neighborhood gym where community comes first. Whether you’re just getting started, getting back into a routine, or looking to stay strong and independent for years to come, you’ll find expert guidance, a supportive atmosphere, and people who genuinely care. Read more>>
Christine Cowles
I think most small business owners can relate to the fact that the path to success is rarely a straight line. My career actually began as a Park Ranger in Yosemite National Park—a chapter that deeply shaped my appreciation for natural beauty, organic textures, and the way environment impacts how we feel. Read more>>
Christina Smith Smith
I fell in love with photography when I got my first point and shoot camera for my 10th birthday. Growing up I kept getting new cameras and using my friends as models. Read more>>
Les J
Les J – A Messenger Born from Fire Les J, born Stanley Lester Jr., is not just a new name on the scene he’s the sound of a shift. A bold voice rising from the ashes, merging gritty reality with divine purpose. Rapper. Singer. Songwriter. Producer. Record executive. In 2025, he’s not just entering the music industry he’s taking it by storm. Read more>>
Grace Valdovinos
My journey started at a young age when I fell in love with soccer. What began as a fun activity quickly turned into a passion. Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours training, learning from coaches and teammates, and working to improve every aspect of my game. Being homeschooled has given me the flexibility to dedicate extra time to training while continuing my education. Read more>>
Candace Larson
I feel like my ‘story’ started when I was really young, in an average Elementary school art class. I have a really distinct memory of this particular drawing I did that my parents loved and bought into one of those packages where you could put the art on magnets, stickers, a framed printout, etc. Read more>>
Belinda Hill
Movement has carried me through every season of my life—from the discipline of gymnastics, to the freedom of aerial arts, to the strength and groundedness I now teach. It has always been my language. The way I’ve rebuilt, regulated, and reconnected with myself through life’s many transitions. Elements Ojai grew from that lived experience—a space where strength is not about performance, but presence. Read more>>
Debby Nicklas, Krista Elmore, Mariko Kriege, and Jane Pomeroy
Change Collective Central Coast started with four co-founders who all crossed paths at Lumina Alliance, with careers spanning decades in the nonprofit sector between us. But recent political and economic tumult threw the sector into uncertainty, and it hit each of us differently. For example, two of us faced the threat of layoffs. Read more>>
