Hidden Gems: Local Businesses & Creatives You Should Know

Ashlynne Berkebile

I’m Ashlynne and I own an art business, called AZ Oilscapes, in my hometown of Windber, Pennsylvania. I create one-of-a-kind, original landscape paintings on a variety of surfaces, including canvas, slate, and wood. I’ve also become locally known for my hand-painted decorative light switch covers and magnets. My style is free-flowing with no expectations. Read more>>

Demi Michelle Schwartz

When I was young, I discovered my love for music and books, though at the time, I had no idea I would pursue careers in both the music and publishing industries. First, with music, I started playing piano when I was ten years old, then joined choir in middle school. Read more>>

Ron + Candace Schmidt

attic+earth Home started from our love for DIY projects, antiquing, building, repurposing, and interior styling. After buying our first home in 2006, we renovated and styled it ourselves, filling the space with antique and vintage finds alongside custom furniture we designed and built by hand. Read more>>

Muyiwa Togun

My name is Muyiwa Togun, Founder and CEO of Roy Urban Kollection (RUK), an African textile, art and fashion manufacturer and brand. I am an artist and textile designer, pulling inspiration from my Yoruba roots, my lived experience as a Nigerian youth and assimilation into a new culture as a recently immigrated resident to the United States. Read more>>

Louise Baigelman

I began my career as a teacher, teaching English to middle school students in an underserved community. I was astonished by how many of my students struggled with reading, and further struck by the lack of content or resources available to support them. Read more>>

Mitzi Campbell

After nearly three decades as a college professor and going head-to-head with a debilitating health crisis, I felt called to move outside of the confines of the four walls of a classroom to facilitate expansion in the school of life. I am a Mindset Specialist, the Founder of Your Positive Moment and the host of The Blessons Podcast. Read more>>

Dan Altavilla

In 2013, my wife Nic saw how unhappy I’d become in my career as a salesman. I primarily worked in B2B tech sales, for many companies that are household names. While I excelled in this career, I enjoyed none of it. By that time, I was already making knives for my own personal use and amusement. Read more>>

Michael Judkins

I started as early as High School. In which I discovered poetry and learning what words really mean to me. I wanted to show that in my creative works. The feeling and direction of fulfilling your world with purpose for the community. I used to work as a club and artist promoter/street outreach, which allowed me to explore the music and film industries. Read more>>

Darlyne Alexandre

My name is Darlyne Alexandre, and I’m a passionate event designer with a deep love for creativity and meaningful design. I’m the founder of Pourquoi Events, a brand I built from the heart to create beautiful, intentional celebrations that bring people together and turn moments into lasting memories.. Read more>>

Bitsy McCann

I started this business after I was let go. My entire life, I’ve always been an incredibly hard worker. I was managing a fast food restaurant before I even turned 18. I spent seven years in radio, wearing every single hat in the building. I was a drum major, homecoming queen, and the leadership list goes on. Read more>>

Tate Hoffmaster

I’ve wanted to be an artist for a long time. Often distracted, often troublesome. It was a long road but for someone without much focus I had extreme focus on my goals which was mainly to become a filmmaker and musician. I went to film school and worked for some companies and eventually made my first feature independently. Read more>>

Obioma Martin

I am a voice for the voiceless and a midwife to Millionaire CEOs. Everything I do traces back to one defining decision to B.R.E.A.T.H.E. I come from humble beginnings. I was raised in subsidized housing and became a teen parent early in life. Those experiences shaped my resilience and faith and taught me how to navigate life without a safety net. Read more>>

Paul Worley

Growing up in what is considered ‘Cow Country’, there wasn’t a lot of things to entertain me. I read a lot. A LOT. I loved reading. I also watched TV. And then I discovered comics books. Wow! It was like reading and watching TV at the same time! It wasn’t just the stories, it was the art as well. Every issue was something special. Read more>>

Sonam Desai

Snows Design began in 2017 as a creative outlet during founder Sonam’s senior year of college. What started as a way to earn extra side cash to go out, it quickly evolved into a multi-year exploration of craftsmanship—ranging from custom apparel and glassware for weddings to intricate woodwork engravings. Read more>>

Khori Hooks

My story begins on the corner of 60th and Warrington in the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia. I was born to a matriarchal led household, with my mother working as a Medical Assistant Instructor and my grandmother being a principal in three different school districts throughout her career. While they worked- I explored, observed and created. Read more>>

Aesha Tahir

Of course! I believe when you’re ready, the universe puts the next adventure right in front of you. That’s exactly how my journey started as an entrepreneur and owner of Tone and Strengthen Wellness. At Tone and Strengthen Wellness, we design longevity strategies for high performers, so their health never becomes the limiting factor in their success. Read more>>

Otto Macfarlane

I have loved creating things ever since I was a kid. But my love of stories and reading started with my dad and Carnegie libraries of Pittsburgh. I remember being really young and going to the library with my dad and older sister on Weekends. He would read to me sometimes, or we’d watch movies. Read more>>

Kailey Edwards

I was a 2020 Covid college graduate with a musical theatre degree and all of my contracts cancelled. I unexpectedly moved home and wanted to pour myself into a new hobby to keep my mind off of things, and decided to pick up a camera. Read more>>

Gregory and Edward Tester

Growing up in northern New Jersey, our parents wanted us to experience the world and see the country. From major cities to national parks, the five of us spent our summers driving all over North America. Capturing our adventures using our father’s 35mm Nikon was an integral part of each trip. Read more>>

Pegah Saebi

I think while growing up, you start to notice certain things that just pull you in more than others. You try different things, different classes, activities, creative outlets, and over time you realize there are some you never get tired of, some that keep calling you back. Read more>>

Marly Brodsky

My journey into healthcare entrepreneurship didn’t start with a business idea; it started with a very personal loss. I lost my grandmother to breast cancer just three months after her diagnosis in 2020. Watching my grandmother and family struggle to understand what was happening, what questions to ask, and how to navigate the system changed me forever. Read more>>

Ramat Oyetunji

My story spans a journey from immigrating to the United States at 20 to achieving financial independence and early retirement at 44 — and the purpose-driven work that has followed. I’m a first-generation immigrant who moved to the United States from Nigeria in 1997 as a college junior, studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maine in Orono. Read more>>

Dwayne Kirkland

Dwayne Kirkland, also known as D Kirk (KV) is an artist from Philadelphia. He developed his love for music from his father and his sound could be best described as having a west coast/swagger vibe. Since Kirk’s family and friends are of Caribbean and Jamaican decent you will find that much of his music is inspired by the sounds of island style dance-hall beats. Read more>>

Edwin Blaque

I began tattooing in 2013 while living in Pennsylvania for a year. It all started with my roommate at the time, gifting me one of those terrible tattoo kits that should be illegal. I already had a background with sterilization and cross contamination, so I felt comfortable teaching myself. Read more>>

Cheryl Hurley

My journey into leadership began long before I ever held a formal title. It started with a deep desire to encourage others and help people recognize their value and walk confidently in their purpose. Whether in ministry, community work, or professional settings, I found myself naturally guiding, supporting, and empowering others. At the time, I didn’t see it as leadership but saw it as service. Read more>>

Renee Vardouniotis

My journey really started in the therapy room. I spent over two decades as a Speech-Language Pathologist, helping children and young adults find their voice. On the surface, it was about speech and communication. But underneath that, I began noticing something deeper, so many of the struggles weren’t just about words. They were about confidence. Self-doubt. Fear of being misunderstood. Read more>>

Alexander Kilcullen

Well I originated from the stars amongst a far away realm in a separate section of the universe. Once it was my time to descend upon the world of our dearest mother Earth I was granted the experience as a formulated sentient organism that took shape to being a member of the human species. Read more>>

Yitong Hu

I came into the gaming industry through storytelling rather than engineering. While living in Pennsylvania, I became interested in interactive media because games allow players to discover a story instead of simply watching it. I was fascinated by how emotion could be created through interaction — hesitation, exploration, and realization through action. That led me to technical game design. Read more>>

Jannesy DeLeon

I did not set out to become a children’s author. I became one because of my children. I am the mother of two adult children with significant disabilities. My daughter is nonverbal, medically complex, and ventilator dependent. My son also has profound disabilities. When my daughter was diagnosed, I thought the life I had imagined was over. Read more>>

Casey Beal

I began life in a frenzied pursuit of knowledge about the world around me. As a child growing up in the suburbs of Florida, I spent countless hours wandering neighborhoods and parks in search of insects and lizards. I loved to watch them and to catch them to study them up close. Read more>>

Chanell Bell

I’ve always been creative, but over time I realized creativity wasn’t just something I did ..it was how I saw the world. I started with visual art and photography, drawn to capturing moments and telling stories that felt culturally grounded and personal. As I grew, my creativity expanded beyond canvases and cameras. Read more>>

Sarah McKnight

I’ve always loved stories, and I always had a book in my hand – whether it was for a five minute car ride or waiting in a restaurant. Naturally, I wanted to tell my own stories, too. Read more>>

Brian Sikes Howe

I have been creating various forms of art and music for as long as I can remember. It began with drawing and painting as a kid, but as I got older, those interests expanded into writing, music, film, and pretty much everything related to arts and entertainment. Read more>>

Sarah Freeman

I am working on a brand I have created. My business is called Holistic Strength, LLC. Holistic Strength was born from my own rebuilding process. For much of my life, I was doing the quiet, internal work of healing- confronting generational cycles, and learning how to create safety within myself. Read more>>

Krista Berardelli

My career journey has been anything but linear — and I think that’s what makes it meaningful. I got my start in 2015 as an intern at Lehigh Valley International Airport while I was a student at Kutztown University. Read more>>

Jim Mackey

I grew up in Appalachia about 50 miles from Gettysburg. i was a bastard child in the Bible Belt in the 1950s and 1960s; which was a liability growing up. We were quite poor and held on by a thread. i was thought of as a dumb fat child. i had dyslexia and other learning difficulties, plus being bipolar which were never diagnosed. Read more>>

Tessa LeViere

One day while scrolling on Facebook, I came across a small business for sale that was essentially a candy shop and I just couldn’t pass it up. I could immediately see how special it could become. I reached out, checked out the space, and instantly knew this was the path I wanted to take. Read more>>

Gabe Castro

In 2011, I moved to Philadelphia to pursue my passion for film at Temple University. Originally from a small, rural town in Central Florida, my arrival on Temple’s campus was a revelation. The sheer diversity of faces stopped me in my tracks. Never had I seen so many faces that looked like my own. Read more>>

Kelly Dundule

In the winter of 2022, I found myself looking at my lawn and imagining something different. I decided to convert more of it into flower gardens and began planning for the season ahead. Around that time, I became determined to grow ranunculus, a flower I had completely fallen in love with while planning my own wedding florals. Read more>>

Nikki Luu

I grew up in the beauty industry. My mom owned a salon, and I was blessed to watch her build from the ground up. After high school, I went straight to cosmetology school. In 2014, I started doing lash extensions. In 2018, I stepped into permanent makeup. Then COVID hit… and everything slowed down. But instead of shrinking, I bet on myself. Read more>>

Lena Khais

I wish I was born in 2000’s. The energy of “yes, you can” is truly one of the key themes these days. But I come from the last century, literally. And back then, I didn’t grow up with a big “you can be anything you want” support playing in the background. I was raised by my grandparents. They were loving, practical people. I was fed. Read more>>

Calen Wolfskill

If you really look back, I started filming content and creating content when I was about 10 years old. I was filming skateboard and snowboard videos of myself and my friends for fun. Then that turned into school projects when I got older and finally evolved into a communications degree and a business now today. I got started with Ironbuilt Content Co. Read more>>

Angelique Long

I am Angelique Long, a movement instructor, community advocate, ritual facilitator, and the founder of Xpress Your Soul Thru Fitness and Dance LLC. My work didn’t begin in a studio or a classroom. It began in the quiet, in the rebuilding, in the seasons where I had to learn myself all over again. Movement became my medicine long before it became my mission. Read more>>

Marla Osner

I am a bit sass, so please be prepared for some sassy verbiage. I started as a veterinary nurse in the late 90’s. I worked at an emergency vet hospital and decided to go to school for small animal science. Read more>>