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.

Quincy Villanueva

I became in love with the idea of being a performer when I was 8, when I watched Janet Jackson on TV in the 90s. It was amazing and something about her made me fantasize how cool it would be to perform in front of people. I was never a shy kid, I remember I would just go up in front of family and friends at parties and just start dancing and performing. That’s when I knew it was my destiny. I loved everything about it. Read more>>

William Ransom

Born in Boston and raised in Nashville, I fell in love with classical music and the piano at an early age. I trained at The Juilliard School in New York and came to Atlanta shortly after to teach at Emory University in addition to continuing to perform around the world as a soloist with orchestras, recitalist, and chamber musician. It’s been very exciting to be a part of the tremendous growth of Music at Emory and throughout Atlanta. Read More>>

Mason Burchette

I started in this industry when I was 18 years old as a forklift driver in a warehouse in Asheville, NC. I worked my way up through the ranks at that company and eventually became the Director of Marketing and Development. Having been in the industry for nearly a decade I made the decision to leave the company and start a new manufacturing business built on customer service. We have a passion for serving people and believe in treating everyone with respect. We often say we aren’t in the metal business, we’re in the people business and we just happen to sell metal roofing. Read more>>

Kim Olvey

Just a little about me – my heart has always been in fashion. As I was heading off to college in Tampa, FL I really wanted to go to a design and textile school but seeing as I was the first person in our family to go to college my Dad said no you are going to a four year college so off I went to the University of South Florida. After which I entered into the corporate world, and after almost 30 years in Corporate America (yes started when I was 5) I was working for Regal entertainment group when COVID hit and as you know our world was turned upside down. Read more>>

Mugi Kinoshita

Since I was little, I experienced the power in art, and it was a healing to my soul. I always loved art, any kinds of art. When I spent an hour making art, it seemed like five minutes. But I realized that art was not just fun, but it was becoming my mental support. In Japan, we have an art mandatory class at school, and we have opportunities to make a wide range of art from a simple drawing to painting, and to sculpting. when School got hard and I began having stress, pressure, and depressions, art class became the time when I could stop thinking my struggles and devote all my efforts and emotions to just making art. Every time my art teacher announced a new project, my heart lifted. When I devoted creating art, I was able to forget any worries, and my whole heart was filled with the sense of peace and joy. Read more>>

Candra Smith

For 7 years after massage school, I worked in various settings as a massage therapist all in Haywood County. It wasn’t until after the birth of my son in 2012 that I knew I wanted to change my economic situation. I remember being so poor that my debit card declined when trying to buy a cup of tea from the coffee shop. I was working in a one-room tiny house right next door to the wellness center and was simply in the right place at the right time. The wellness center building became available for rent, and I went for it. I immediately enrolled in the mountain biz works program and began my business plan. I borrowed $10,000 from them and opened what is now Maggie Valley Wellness Center. Read more>>

hakeem johnson

Iv always been a talented at drawing but never thought i would make a career out of it. I have been a tattooer for 8 years. I started tattooing once my daughter was born because i wanted more for her. I feel in love with tattooing almost immediately so I went after my apprenticeship, earned my license and never looked back. Now i own my own professional surf themed private tattoo studio. Read more>>

Caitlin Russell

I’ve been a freelance artist for much of my life, until I discovered my passion for photography. I initially picked up a camera to create my own reference material for paintings and from there, I fell in love. My background has given me a unique perspective when it comes to photography and as a photographer, I enjoy capturing life as we live it… the smiles… the tears… the moments that often go unnoticed… and I strive to photograph the beauty that I see for each of my wonderful clients to cherish for themselves. I’ve always believed that art is a language that everyone inherently understands, and photography is my way of speaking to the world. Read more>>

Jimmy MacKenzie

We (Sarah Giavedoni and Jimmy MacKenzie) are locals in Asheville. We are also book enthusiasts. One day, we realized we had a wealth of literary knowledge about Asheville and wanted to share that with people. Voila’, The Asheville Literary Tour was born. It wasn’t easy. We had to read stacks and stacks of books, compile lists and lists of data, and then organize all these book topics onto a walkable map of Asheville. It took us about a year to do the research and development, decide on a name, design our graphics, build the website and decide what types of software we wanted to use. In the end, we have a really great list of authors on our tour, some you know, some you think you know but don’t, and some you’ve never heard of. Read more>>

Alexandra Contreras

My name is Alexandra and the only thing I have really ever wanted to be, was a photographer. From an early age, I was infatuated with the camera and the process of creating an image. Both my parents saw my peaked interest and supported photography as a hobby my whole life. My dad used to take me out hiking at sunrise and we would go over all the manual settings and what they meant, we would go stargazing and go over night settings and how to obtain low light shots. I took portrait photography in high school and college. Right out of High school I started my first photography company, doing small jobs, senior portraits, my friends families pictures. Read more>>

Joey Lee

Starting when I was a kid, I always loved playing music, from when I started playing Saxophone in 5th grade and Piano in 6th grade, I couldn’t ever get enough. I remember a particular time when I made a guitar out of a shoebox, rubber bands, and a long wood piece. It didnt sound very good, but I strummed it to my parents chagrin. Throughout middle school I had searched for things I liked, and in my first year of high school I had found my instrument. I went into my english class on just a random day, and a friend had brought in a guitar. Read more>>

Hailey Hutchison

Getting into hair was always something that seemed obvious to me. I always loved the feeling of leaving the salon and feeling like a new and improved version of myself, so I always wanted to make others feel the same. I took cosmetology in high School and it helped tremendously with starting cosmetology when I got out of school. I graduated hair school in 2019, started an apprenticeship and have been at it ever since! I love doing vibrant colors and edgier styles! And I also love doing corrections, we’ve all been there and I love a challenge! Read more>>

Lauri Gingerich

The Sugar Queen story began back in 2018. My mother, two sisters and I bought an old uniform truck with the hope to one day run and operate a food truck! Growing up in northern Indiana, we were surrounded by a “from scratch” food culture, where every corner had an Amish bakery or local ice cream shop. When we moved down to East Tennessee in 2011, we realized that we had a specific gift with food and there was space here for something special! Years later we were opening up The Sugar Queen Doughnutry Food Truck, and now we stand in awe and gratitude at the doors of our very own brick and mortar- The Creamery. Read more>>

Ryan Bell

Bell Family Chiropractic was founded by Dr. Ryan Bell and his family in 2018. As a graduate of Palmer Chiropractic College, Dr. Bell decided, after living for a time in Africa, Vermont, and North Dakota, a visit with Knoxville friends solidified his decision to move to the area to start his career as a practicing chiropractor with his wife, Michelle, and their four children. As his slogan states, he wanted to bring “hope, healing and new life” in an affordable manner to all that walks through his door. Dr. Bell was first introduced to hyperbaric oxygen therapy by a patient. Read more>>

Camila Sanchez

I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. I moved to East Tennessee in 2012 and have been here ever since. Being a wife and mother is a priority for me. I became a nurse in 2017 and worked labor and delivery for almost 4 years. I realized that my true passion is helping people achieve their aesthetic goals, naturally. Working with Smiley Aesthetics has let me pursue that dream. Read more>>

Nathan Frazier

It all started when I was dating my wife back in 2020. During the lockdowns, I had a lot of free time on my hands so when she wanted an island table for her kitchen so I decided to make her one. As an engineer, I love the process of designing, sourcing, and building things. Well, this sparked an idea to make a white oak bench to use when I proposed (she said yes) and now it sits at the base of our bed. The process of building various wooden projects made me want to start selling my pieces. While discussing this with a friend he said that he wanted a wooden American Flag to give as a gift.  Read more>>

Carlos Calderin

The year was 2003 and had I just met the woman who would eventually be my wife, Jessica. As lawyers we had both worked at different law firms specializing in U.S. immigration law. We decided to team up and create our own firm, Calderin & Oliva in Miami, Florida. Things went well and in 2005 we decided to open a second office in the State of Georgia to service U.S. companies and individuals in the state. Then, in 2011, we opened another office in Chattanooga, Tennessee to assist with the immigration-related matters of companies and individuals in the East Tennessee area. Through our different offices and advancements in technology we are able to provide our legal services to companies and individuals, not only in the Southeast, but across the country and around the world. Read more>>

Kelsi Walters

My photography journey started completely by accident when I purchased my first camera around 5 years ago! I started to take photos just of friends and pets, until other people started to ask me to take their photos! Since then my business has grown by word of mouth and clients continuing to trust me by coming back every year for their photos! I’m so grateful this is my job and that it all started on a whim, which makes me believe this is what I’m supposed to be doing! Read more>>

Sarah Brodeur

From a young age, I found solace in art. To say my home life wasn’t healthy is an understatement. I remember my big brother drew a lot and told me that it helped him get away from what was happening at home. This was the birthplace for my desire to decorate everything. By the time I was 13, I was not only drawing on my walls, tables, and myself, but on my friends too! In 2015, I caused a serious automobile accident with a friend who was driving in the other direction. Neither my friend nor I should have walked away from it. Read more>>

Jake Kormish

I just had some business cards made and started handing them out when called upon I gave customers my best. Finding employees We now mainly do just interior painting what sets us apart is that we care about the outcome of the job and care about are customers being happy Risks are just challenging to me I like a good challenge. We charge by the job. Read more>>

Joshua “Kaleb NFI” Outsey

I was born in Birmingham, AL . I grew up in the Smithfield neighborhood. Around the time that I was in Middle School I started becoming interested in creative writing. I was inspired by artists like Tupac. I would hear him on the radio and I felt inspired by how took the struggle that he grew up in and was able to make art out of it. After he died, I was at an age where I became interested in wanted to share my story of the struggle around me. Read more>>

Autumn Potter

The Race for the Summitt is an annual race that our local organization, the American Pharmacist Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP), at our pharmacy school puts on to benefit the Pat Summitt Foundation. Every year the school designates two student pharmacists to organize the event. The school has put on the race for the past 9 years and raised over $40,000 for the Pat Summitt Foundation. Alzheimer’s Disease is a devastating disease that currently has no cure. The purpose of the Pat Summitt Foundation is to help find a cure for this disease. Through our annual Race for the Summitt we “Back Pat” by donating all of the proceeds earned from the race, directly to the Pat Summitt Foundation, to help aid in their mission of finding a cure for this disease. Read more>>

Rachel McCroskey

I was born and raised in Maryville, surrounded by my very tight-knit family. My dad grew up on a farm in Walland (about 20 minutes outside of Maryville), where my grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins still lived, and we visited as often as possible. I spent many a weekend wandering the fields and scrambling up and down the sides of mountains, getting stuck in the mud, drinking from springs, and overall enjoying nature. I graduated high school in 2008, right as the economy was crashing, and following the advice of everyone around me, I majored in Business so I could get a good job after college. Read more>>

Chania Arnold

A young mom entrepreneur turns her baby girl into a mini boss at 3 years old. I had Royalty when I was 18 years old, and I had just graduated from high school. I knew that being a single mom would come with its own challenges. But like anything, how you face them is solely on you! I have always wanted to make sure I gave my daughter things no one could take away from her- a legacy, lessons, and love. I used her love of lip gloss & being glamorous to build her this foundation. By using the profit to create her financial security, she will know and appreciate entrepreneurship at a young age. Read more>>

Mayelli Meza

I was introduced to art by my grandparents. My abuela sold art and crafts and my abuelo was a carpenter and a welder. They both loved to create and make stuff from scratch. I lived with them on and off until my teenage years. As a child, and young adult I developed a passion for drawing my surroundings. I started drawing streets, people and food in the market place where my abuela sold all of her arts and crafts. Painting be came so natural. I felt alive when my hands touched the brushes and paints. Read more>>

Yrcia Mercado

Good afternoon, Thank you for taking me on consideration for this interview. My name is Yrcia Mercado, am from Dominican Republic originally, My family and I came to E.E.U.U in April 8, 1998,I have lived in the State of Florida for the last twenty years and I moved to Knoxville Tennessee three years ago. I own two business locations, the base one is in Fort Lauderdale Florida, and the second one Knoxville Tennessee. I started back in 2005, after I realized how good I was filling out documents for family and friends, back them many of them had the language barrier they did not read or speak English and I was the only one in the family that was in college therefore, every time they needs some paperwork to be done it was completed by me. Read more>>

Frog Greishaw

My name is Frog Greishaw and what got me started in the kombucha game was that I had heard it was a great hangover cure. At the time (2012), I was bartending pretty much full time and definitely needed some “get back in the game juice”. Like all food businesses, I started experimenting in my kitchen and testing my batches out on friends. When I got better at it, I took some with me to a music festival and shared it with my production crew campmates who I knew would be overworked, immune systems pushed to the brink, and also could use that reboot. One of those folx ended up really pushing me to start a business citing mine was “the best kombucha she’d ever had”. Read more>>

Aruha Khan

Hello! My name is Aruha Khan, and I recently graduated from the University of Tennessee (UT) with a dual–major in Biological Sciences & Finance. I was born and raised in Knoxville, where I have had the opportunity to bring awareness to my passions in combatting medical disparities and inequalities. This passion is founded upon my experiences visiting New York City at 10–years–old. Read more>>

Chelsea Lyons

I come from a family of strong, independent people. From as early as I can remember, we struggled with money. My biological dad was not around much during my childhood. He lived in Columbus, Ohio while I was living in Fairmont, West Virginia with my Mom and brother. She had the help of my Great Aunt Mary who would watch us while my mom worked and went to school. I watched my Mom juggle responsibilities for years and my Aunt act more like a father to me than my own did.  Read more>>

Robert Berlin Zac Taylor, Cole Ford, Trey Burnett

We have the standard side-hustle-turned-job story you hear so often. In 2014 Robert Berlin started Open Roads Media as a side hustle with few intentions of it becoming anything more than that. But as the economy changed, so did circumstances and Open Roads Media kept getting bigger and bigger until it was too much for just me to handle. “I found a recent Pellissippi Community College video production graduate who was looking for an opportunity and invited him to come on to help,” Robert said. “Once he came on board, we started really pushing the gas pedal and seeing some success.” Read more>>