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.
Aqueena Render
Growing up, I was always intrigued by cartoon characters, dance, and media as a whole. I was very active in dance & gymnastics as a child into my late 20s, where I became a dance movement therapist & counselor. Read more>>
David (Merle The HERMIT) Peterson
I’ve been playing music from a very young age. Starting at just 6 years old with a Christmas performance of ‘Silent Night’ at my church for my mom as a last-minute gift. I took piano lessons from my grandfather, and went on to join as many school bands as I could – playing trumpet, singing, drumming, and even a few years as drum major. Read more>>
Anna Batalova
I’m originally from Russia, where I worked in management for several years. I was an HR Director at a medical clinic and later became the General Director of a company that worked with hearing aids. I also had experience in social media, but creativity was always something I wanted to explore more. Read more>>
Pamela Irving
I am an Australian artist, I grew up in Melbourne Australia. I am married, I have two children and two grand children and a grand puppy, so far. I have practiced my art for 40 years full time. Over the past fifteen years I have shared my time between my Melbourne Studio and the USA. I make playful sculptural mosaics, paintings and works on paper. Read more>>
Dominique Chanelle Cancio
My story has never followed a perfectly straight line, but food, creativity, and storytelling have always been at the center of it. I began my career in food, working as a pastry chef, where I learned that what we make and what we eat can carry so much more than flavor. Food holds memory, culture, family, identity, and a sense of place. Read more>>
Nandy Vides
In 2014, I left my home country and moved to New York City to study Fashion Design at Parsons The New School. I loved creativity and design, but while I was there, I found something that completely changed the direction of my life: yoga. What started as a way to feel better quickly became a lifelong passion. Read more>>
Christina Rodriguez
My journey into aesthetics really started long before I opened All Things Aesthetics. I’ve spent over 10 years in healthcare, beginning as a CNA, then becoming an LVN, and eventually earning my RN and BSN. Read more>>
Adam Lee
My journey into wine began in Austin, Texas, far from California’s vineyards. I was adopted and raised by Southern Baptist parents, but I was especially close to my grandmother, Clarice—my earliest confidante and the person who shaped my sense of curiosity, generosity, and possibility. Although she never left Texas, we would sit on her porch swing and imagine traveling the world together. Read more>>
Kacia Daley
I was born and raised in a small community called Williamsfield in Kingston, Jamaica. At a young age, I always dreamed of something bigger and eventually moved to New York, where I built a new life for myself. Read more>>
Hannah Houston
I’m an artist from Sacramento, CA. I’ve been creating for as long as I can remember but I started taking my craft more serious after 2021. I work with so many different mediums and I’m always learning new ones. I work primarily in acrylic, charcoal, ink, and oil pastel. In recent years, I have also started to do live painting during events around my city. Read more>>
Melanie Cresson
I’m originally from Sterling, VA and I have been dancing and performing since the age of three. I went to a performing arts college and got my BFA in jazz dance with a minor in film production. Right after graduating, I moved to Los Angeles in 2012. My very first LA audition was for the LA Follies and I booked it! Read more>>
Sarah Capperauld
I started making jewelry in high school as a way to raise funds for my school’s art club. However, during my senior year, COVID hit, and unfortunately, all of my jewelry supplies were on campus due to it being club supplies. I then decided to take a break from it and focus on school. Read more>>
Ashley Foote
I’ve always been a dreamer. Design found me everywhere I looked: in art, in fashion, in websites, even in music. I believe every piece tells a story, so let me tell you mine. It starts somewhere you might not expect: a server room. My father served in the Navy for 23 years, so home was always changing, but San Diego is where my heart settled. Read more>>
Michael Robinson
After nearly 20 years working internationally for Fortune 500 media agencies, I made a hard left turn in 2019 and chose to follow my passion: the world of fine and rare wine. Read more>>
Dr. LaDissa Moore
My journey began as a young lady growing up in Los Angeles, loving animals and knowing I wanted to care for them. That passion eventually led me to Tuskegee University, where I earned my Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and later pursued specialty and integrative veterinary medicine. As I progressed, my vision for the kind of veterinarian I wanted to be became clearer. Read more>>
Andreea Izdraila
I’m a young artist who’s passionate about illustration, content creation and communication. Throughout my life, I always felt a big love for art. I started drawing since a very young age and took that love with me till today. Not only that, but I grew up in a multicultural ambience. Read more>>
Nicki Rao
I grew up in San Diego and knew I always wanted to go into medicine as I had many role models in healthcare. I ended up going to school all the way in England at Kings College London, and realized my passion for whole person centered care and communication. Read more>>
Moriah Brown
I grew up in East LA as a second-generation Mexican American, raised alongside my grandparents, who immigrated to the U.S. from Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico. My mom is a first-generation Mexican American, and my dad grew up in West LA, so I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by both cultures. Read more>>
Carlee Santana
Timely Designs was born from a divine calling and a lifelong passion for creativity that began during my time at Coastal Christian School. Growing up on the Central Coast, I always knew I wanted to serve my community through design. After graduating from Allan Hancock College, I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Interior Architecture from San Diego State University. Read more>>
Alex Cha
My story started when I was 10. My dad wanted to introduce me to music. As an immigrant son he never had the chance to learn music. He wanted me to have an extra set of skills. So we took a community adult school beginner guitar class together. I caught on fast and enjoyed learning how to play. Read more>>
Monique Guevara
Our story began in 1989, when my father, Silvieno Guevara known as Sal throughout our community, started our family painting business. Based in El Cajon, we began by painting residential homes and gradually expanded our services to include commercial properties and multi-unit communities throughout San Diego County. Read more>>
Justin Hoffman
Everything I do today is because I am a recovering addict who is telling my story and my journey through creative expression. I just celebrated six years without a drink on September 12, 2026, and in the past six years I have harnessed my creative energy and turned it into various forms of art. Read more>>
Lisa Allen
Floral design started as a creative outlet for me. I loved experimenting with different flowers, colors, and textures. The more I designed, the more I wanted to learn. And I realized that when you have a passion for something, pursuing knowledge doesn’t feel like a burden. It’s fun! I believe that flowers are one of the many earthly gifts God has given us. Read more>>
Taylor Broyles
I grew up here on the Central Coast in Arroyo Grande, I’m grateful to call this area home. I’ve always been fueled by an active lifestyle, both in my work and in my free time. I started training in martial arts, at The Pit, when I was 8 years old. I believe this had a profound impact over the trajectory of my life. Read more>>
Matt Trevisan
I originally came to San Luis Obispo in 1990 to attend Cal Poly. I started out studying aeronautical engineering, but after two years, switched to biochemistry. I loved organic chemistry, biochemistry, and physical chemistry, and I wasn’t sure if I would go on to get a PhD or go to medical school. Read more>>
Kameron Jones
I think my story is really about figuring things out as I go and being willing to take opportunities even when I didn’t necessarily know where God was going to lead me. I was born and raised in Southeast San Diego, and I’ve always had a creative side to me. Photography and videography eventually became the main ways I found myself expressing that. Read more>>
Atisha Lee
Atisha Lee did not set out to build a career in botanical art. In high school, enrolling in a floristry elective seemed like nothing more than a creative detour on a path aimed squarely at pre-law and business. Her instructor, however, saw past the casual curiosity. Read more>>
PK Walters
I originally started my creations while still working in Tech,, a challenging job that pushed me to use my art as an evening form of relaxation. Using the right side of my brain at night cleared the left side for my day job. I always dressed well for my meetings and at one point wanted a special necklace. Read more>>
Alayna Nathe
My journey into the water industry actually began several years before True Source Waters existed. I discovered Enagic ionization systems and began building my business with the company in 2018. What started as a personal interest in better water quickly became something I was incredibly passionate about sharing with other people. Read more>>
Max Wumbo
I was introduced to psilocybin at 16 years old as a recreational drug, what I found was it was it was an intense experience that made me look deeply inward and analyze my perspective on hard solipsism, death, life, and trauma. Read more>>
Yolanda Rosenthal
It all started on my 21st birthday when I got my first facial. The feeling was so incredible that I instantly knew this was my calling—if I could make people feel that good, that’s what I wanted to do with my life. Read more>>
