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.
Tiffany-Rose Scott
My journey into beauty is rooted in both passion and purpose. As an esthetics graduate, I’ve always believed that skincare and beauty are more than surface-level—they’re about confidence, healing, and how we see ourselves. Read more>>
Don, Leslie, and Gaelyn Nottberg
My wife, Leslie, and I opened the very first running/walking store in the Kansas City area in 1980 after having gone through very extensive and comprehensive education in Atlanta, GA. We are definitely an example of a small family business. Read more>>
Andrew Morgans
Born in Montreal and raised across the globe—Cameroon, Botswana, Russia, the Democratic Republic of Congo—my childhood was anything but conventional. By three years old, I was living in bush Africa. By fourteen, I was exchanging US dollars on the black market in Kinshasa with my dad while he did mission work. Read more>>
Jeff Ryder
My journey began with a simple belief: businesses should not have to guess about growth. That belief was shaped early in my life by watching both of my grandmothers build businesses of their own. Long before entrepreneurship was a buzzword, they demonstrated what it meant to create opportunity through hard work, resilience, and self-reliance. Read more>>
Kaycey Hadl
When I first began my professional career I was very much attracted to all the feels of nature. Anytime I was outside I would feel right as rain, as if that is where I was suppose to be. Thus leading in my first career choice in landscape design through KSU. Read more>>
George Vallejo
My relationship with technology started long before it was ever a career. When I was about five years old, my great-grandfather introduced me to computers by teaching me about floppy disks and how Windows XP worked. Some of my earliest and most meaningful memories are of sitting with him and learning how machines stored information and brought it back to life. Read more>>
Keith McDowell
Hi, I’m Keith the owner and operator of Mid-Mo Carpet Cleaning, located in Fulton Missouri. My story falls in the category of serendipity. I was a stay-at-home dad for over 5 years taking care of our two children and building our forever home. My wife calls me a Jack of all trades since I have worked in several different hands-on trade industries. Read more>>
chris Jensen
I was a Tool and die maker / machinist for 10 years in the 90’s to the early 2000’s, Needed a change so I was hired as a millwright, service technician for a machine tool repair company for 13 years. Read more>>
Roger Kin
My father was carpenter and my mom a bus driver. I have been working since I was 4-5 years old with my dad on side jobs. I quit high school at 16 and started working full-time at various jobs. My first job was in maintenance at Jellystone Park in St Louis, I worked at Taco Bell, WalMart, and as a cook at Ponderosa Steakhouse. Read more>>
Robin Hackney
I didn’t begin my career in fitness right out of college. After graduating with a degree in Business Administration, I stepped straight into the corporate world, eager to make a difference and build a meaningful career. On paper, everything looked right. I had a good job, stability, and a clear path forward. But it didn’t take long for me to realize something was missing. Read more>>
Bill Howgill
My business partner, Grant Naugle (also owner of Tower Tavern) have been friends for a million years. When we were younger, high school age-ish, we always joked about owning a bar together. He ended up in the industry out of college while I did other corporate-type jobs for a long time. Opportunity presented itself for us to actually open a spot together so we did. Read more>>
Mylissa Russell
I graduated from Baker University in 1989 with a degree in Elementary Education. I taught 4th grade for nine years before opening River Hills Academy, now in its 28th year. I opened my own preschool because I couldn’t find a good preschool for my daughter while I was at work teaching. Read more>>
Nikki Vavra
Pastry has always been a part of my existence. I grew up in the kitchen with my mom, and in high school I attended a culinary arts program that truly changed my life, shoutout Chef Bob. From there, I dove straight in and spent the last 16 years working professionally in pastry. Two and a half years ago, I had my daughter. Read more>>
Raphael Rozenberg
Store History Dungeon Master Minis officially began in 2022, though the groundwork was laid years earlier in failed prints, late nights, and a stubborn refusal to accept “good enough.” The shop launched on Etsy, where we quickly gained traction—earning over 2,000 sales and more than 800 five-star reviews. As the marketplace evolved, rising fees and shifting algorithms made it clear that long-term growth meant independence. Read more>>
Steve Guzman
I am the son of immigrants who came to the States to be close to family in the early ’90’s. After I was born, looking for better work opportunities, and because they missed their home, they returned to rural Mexico. I called Mexico home until age 17, when I had the opportunity to finish my high school education in Southern California. Read more>>
Brooke Franklin
My background is in sustainable food systems working with farmers who grow the food that we eat. I also worked with farmers to help get their food into schools. As my family grew I really began reading labels to find items that were not full of chemicals or lab produced ingredients. Read more>>
Mike Day
I went from casually taking photos with my family to posting some images of my favorite parts of Kansas City on some social media sites like Flickr back about 10-15 years ago. Visit KC took notice of my work and gave me a chance by using some of my images in their tourism channels. Read more>>
Kelli Huslig
I started Uplift Coffee Shop on January 28, 2020, at our original location at 624 N. Lawrence, with a very simple mission: to uplift and elevate everyone we have the opportunity to serve. For us, that looks like amazing coffee, great conversation, and plenty of yummy treats—but at the core, we’re truly in the people business. Read more>>
Amanda Watters
I was born and raised in Iowa, where the land stretches wide and time moves a little slower. I met my husband in high school, and together we carried that Midwestern steadiness with us when we moved to Kansas City in 2009. Read more>>
Elaina Lamley
Married my husband in 1999, We raised our 2 sons in Excelsior Springs. I was a stay at home mom and started my own personal training company from 2009-2019. Retired from training and teaching group exercise classes in Dec 2020. Read more>>
Chrissy Robben
I am what you would call an accidental entrepreneur. I didn’t have my sights set on building a business, I just had a few things fall together that pushed me along this path and I am thankful for it (otherwise it may not have happened). I started Hexcode Marketing in 2016, with a friend/ colleague of mine in a current agency. Read more>>
Patchara Hompan
I came to the United States from Thailand 30 years ago. Since then, I have worked in the restaurant industry, mostly as a part-time server. Even though serving was my job, my true passion has always been food and taking care of people. I love bringing food to people and seeing them enjoy it. Read more>>
Ken Smith
Back in the 1950’s Ken’s father, Floyd (always went by Bud), worked as a farmer- raising cattle and crop farming. In 1960, Bud was able to buy over 200 acres to accommodate his career. After Bud’s passing in 2010, Ken inherited the land and kept up with it over the years. Read more>>
Daphne Bowman
Owned by Jim and Daphne Bowman, The Mercantile has been an Excelsior Springs hidden gem for over 20 years since its opening in 2005. Both Jim and Daphne have extensive backgrounds in hospitality & tourism, making their cute shop the amazing place it is today. Read more>>
Laura Klima-Fehr
Denni Jo Style Lounge started with a vision and a season of waiting. After months of searching for the right location, I felt God calling me to pause and be content where I was. On a Tuesday when I decided to stop looking, a woman I knew from church posted that her boutique needed to be sold or would close by August 1st. Read more>>
Samantha Dawn Ebeling
My path into photography is a little unconventional, mostly because it lives in a very specific world. Horses have always been the center of my world. I honestly cannot think of a specific moment where my horse love began… it just simply existed. Read more>>
Lindsey Nhingsavath
I didn’t originally set out to start a creative agency. I was on a completely different path — I was in med school with the goal of becoming a surgeon. Then COVID hit, and like it did for a lot of people, it forced everything to pause. Read more>>
Kristine Shilt
I practiced corporate and tax law for 20 years, working with various accounting firms, law firms, and spending over 10 years in the tax department at Sprint/T-Mobile. During Covid, I noticed many people needed legal help to navigate employment issues related to vaccine mandates, but I couldn’t find local attorneys willing to take these cases. Read more>>
Todd Cardon
I discovered Junk Removal on YouTube and realized that I could do it too. I invested in a landscaping trailer and got started right away to get fully up and running full-time. I did ride chair on the side and gradually transition full-time to Junk removal. Read more>>
Brian and Lauren Dreis
We always wanted to own a business – but that business had to have a specific purpose. We wanted to help people. Like many families, ours experienced firsthand how overwhelming and lonely aging can feel, both for seniors and for the people who love them. We saw the gaps: great medical care, but not always enough day-to-day human connection, consistency, and support at home. Read more>>
Ammon Waters
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I was born and raised in Cape Coral, Florida and moved to the KCMO area about 6 years ago and love it. My life partner is from Las Vegas and moved with me. My life partner and I grew tired of seeing Healthcare Sharing Ministries only willing to cover those who attest to Christianity. Read more>>
Tonya Miles, PsyD
I wanted to be a psychologist- someone who can help others through the dark times- since around 3rd grade. After getting licensed, I left a group practice and started my solo private practice in 2006. Read more>>
MIA COFFMAN
My name is Mia, I have three children, all 3 years and under. My husband is Logan, and we own Legendary Laundry in Gardner. I grew up in North Pole, Alaska, and our family is military, both of which shaped how we approach business. We show up, doing things the right way, and taking care of people. Read more>>
Rebecca Leveridge
I set out to start a business, but not in the traditional sense. I wanted to build something that felt manageable, meaningful, and aligned with the season of life I was in. After losing my children’s father, everything slowed down. My priorities changed, and I realized I wanted work that felt personal, creative, and connected to people. Read more>>
Cassie Bullion
As a single mom for 20 amazing years there have been a lot of up and downs getting to where I am. Owning an educational salon has been my dream since I was little, ive always wanted to help people see how beautiful they are and helping younger stylists see how amazing this industry truly is . Read more>>
