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.
Samantha Oakes
I started Tattooing while I was working in a Pediatric Emergency Room in Tulsa, OK. I needed something to cop with the trauma I was enduring while working such a taxing job. I decide to move back to Kansas City in 2019 and continued to tattoo in my free time. Read more>>
Kami Satterlee
Steve and I always dreamed of buying a sailboat and traveling the world, but it was supposed to be our retirement plan. For 15 years, we saved, worked multiple jobs, and invested in real estate to make it happen. Then, around the time COVID hit, we thought, why wait? Read more>>
Vito Spino
its as much my family’s story as it is mine. My grand parents started the Soup House in the early 1960’s which is now our banquet room, it had a hoarse shoe shaped counter with about 13 stools. My grandmother made fresh soups daily and there were a few Italian dishes and some sandwiches on the menu. Read more>>
Andrea Caspari
I have always loved comedy. My father looked, acted, and sounded just like Rodney Dangerfield. We were always laughing at our house. After he passed away in October 2000, I decided I was finally ready to try and open Mike in July 2001. Stanford and Sons was the big comedy club in Kansas City for many years. Read more>>
Malisa Monyakula
I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to share my passion for food with others. I wanted to duplicate the fun of my childhood into my businesses. Meals in Thailand are about bringing people together, celebrating family, and creating community. My grandmother, my ‘yâa,’ Khun Ya instilled a passion for Thai cuisine in each of her children. Read more>>
Leslie Kuluva
I’ve been into making art since childhood. I was lucky to have parents that encouraged it. I focused on art throughout my school years and at the University of Kansas. When I found printmaking, I knew it was for me. I was already a printmaker even though I didn’t know it. Read more>>
Bryan & Aiden Fries
It’s a great story. A father and son on opposite ends of their careers, both disillusioned with what was around and in front of them, but without a map to the elusive “something better”. They make a change and take a big chance together. Read more>>
Mistameana
Mistameana is a true East Coast original—an MC, DJ, producer, audio engineer, and sound designer whose roots run deep in Hip Hop culture. Now based back in Massachusetts, he continues to bring raw lyricism, deep emotion, and unapologetic truth to the mic. Mistameana’s music is about real feelings, real struggles, and messages that resonate with anyone who’s lived through something. Read more>>
Maya Tuylieva
The Music Academy of Kansas City, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, stands as a powerful example of remarkable growth and expanding impact. What began in 2015 as a single-room piano studio in the Crossroads District has blossomed into a vibrant multi-instrument academy—now reaching students and families across Overland Park, Lenexa, Shawnee, Olathe, and the entire Kansas City metro area. Read more>>
Roy Moye III
My name is Roy Moye III, and I’m a singer, speaker, aerospace engineer, and the founder of STEMusic LLC. I did most of my growing up in Raytown, Missouri, where I graduated from Raytown South High School. From a young age, I was drawn to both music and aviation. Read more>>
Tanner Gatlin
My interest in photography and videography started in high school, when I was fortunate to have a mentor who introduced me to both photography and video production. He taught me how cameras worked, the technical side of shooting and how to tell stories through both still images and video. Read more>>
Ash Emerson
It’s funny how our purpose in life has a way of finding us. I never thought I would be a tattoo artist. In college I wanted to be an art history professor and inspire others academically. That wasn’t my purpose, it was well short of that. Read more>>
Jermaine Jones
Hard to say where it started but Ik Dance and Music got me first. Soon after, the intricacies of Words. As I become well versed in the things that embody me. I uncover the expression I need to live experiences wholeheartedly. Read more>>
GlittahGal Jessica Loughran
My tag line is, ‘Hi! I’m Glittah Gal and I rhinestone things for a living!’ That isn’t just something I say, it’s my entire life! I have always been a creative person. I grew up painting portraits and drawing cartoons. Read more>>
Curtis Lee
Kurtizent is a Music Producer and radio personality who is originally from Kansas City, MO. His friends and family know him as Curtis Lee. He grew up on the south side of Kansas City MO. He has lived in many states but now resides in Philadelphia PA. Kurtizent has recorded and produced many songs with various artists from different genres. Read more>>
Jenny Jolley
In 2017, I was a girl with a thrift store camera, tiny apartment, and a dream! I scoured the internet for all the free resources I could find so I could learn how to use my camera, how to find good locations for sessions, and how to run a business. Read more>>
Martina Lenore
Our journey into the travel industry wasn’t necessarily something we had planned years in advance. We’ve both spent more than 30 years in our professional careers, while also being parents, grandparents, active in our church and community, and myself serving as a Girl Scout leader. Read more>>
Anthony Pellettiere
I officially started Limestone Studio in 2021, but I’m at the beginning of a relaunch now in 2026. You’ve actually caught me in the first couple months of operation, just before my first major release of new work in a few years. How did I get here? Well, I’ve always enjoyed designing and making things. I’m a tinkerer by nature. Read more>>
Audrey White
I have always loved thrifting my vintage clothing, but in 2021 I was introduced to a new way of thrift shopping, the bins. Basically you go into a big room with huge bins of clothing and other household items being sold by the pound as a last ditch effort before being thrown away for good. Read more>>
Mandy Rochon
I began my own fitness journey at 24, after having my son and carrying the baby weight that I honestly did not know how to lose. At the time, I thought feeling uncomfortable in my body and simply accepting that version of myself was just part of life. Through life, I found the gym and started learning on my own. Read more>>
Megan Lininger
My career has taken a few different forms, but looking back, there’s a pretty clear thread connecting them all: I’ve always been fascinated by the body, movement, and what helps people feel more like themselves. Read more>>
Katy Guillen
I started playing piano at age 7 and then acoustic guitar at age 8. I have always loved and been drawn to music. I feel at home and like myself when I’m playing. Music has been a big part of my family- my mom, uncle, and grandpa all played guitar. My mom was my very first guitar teacher. Read more>>
Joe Nelson
I gave 21 years to the Air Force, most of it in the Air National Guard, and I retired in 2022 as a Captain. The part of the story that matters here starts in 2015. I had just gotten home from a deployment to Qatar, where I worked as a C-130 mechanic. Read more>>
Elaine Jardon
I started out as a teacher. Now I work with service-based businesses on their copy, messaging, and marketing strategy. Teaching is about sharing the right message with the right person at the right time. So is marketing. For a local home service business, that means showing up in the right neighborhood, at the right time in the season, with something worth saying. Read more>>
Charles Kistler
In June of 2018, it was my very first visit to the Silver Heart Inn as a guest. After that first visit, I decided that I would only stay at a bed and breakfast. The experience was magical. From the greeting when I first arrived, the elegant and comfortable room with modern amenities, to the delicious breakfast, I was hooked. Read more>>
Kathryn Hancock
Matcha IT Solutions was built on a simple idea: businesses should not have to worry about their technology. They should have a trusted partner who understands their needs, solves problems before they become bigger ones, and helps them use technology to move their business forward. Read more>>
Candice Wortman
I started cosmetology school in August of 2001, the year I graduated high school. It took me about 9 months to complete Missouri’s mandatory 1500 hrs. When I graduated, because of my grades, I was offered a scholarship to become an instructor at the school I attended (Paris 2 now closed). Read more>>
Christopher Luxem
I have been playing music professionally since 2005. Lived in Chicago and Brooklyn working odds and ends jobs over the years, but still consistently performing and writing songs. In 2013, I decided to move back home to Kansas and base myself out of the Midwest to be able to travel more efficiently if I needed to go East or West. Read more>>
Mandi Marie
I was born and Raised in Liberty, MO, and have lived all over Kansas City. From Overland Park to Briarcliff, and Westport to Olathe, love and appreciate all the different perspectives I’ve gained from living on both sides of the Metropolitan. I studied dance and performing arts in College at Lindenwood University in St. Read more>>
Jace Monday
Originally from Kansas City, but moved to Nebraska when I was around 9 or 10. After high school I moved back to the city and started to take my craft as an artist and creator more seriously. Read more>>
Bonnie Wynkoop
My love of travel began at an early age and eventually led me to a career in the airline industry, where I discovered not only a passion for seeing the world, but also for helping people feel confident as they traveled. Later, I became a credentialed teacher working with junior high students who needed extra support. Read more>>
Vaughn Ara
It was about 23 years ago I started my journey into herbalism and the importance of taking a mindful approach to the products we use daily, including skincare and cosmetics. What came to follow was an adventure into understanding ingredients, how our skin responds, and the delicate dance between the two. Read more>>
Bobbie Nichols
There are so many paths that have lead me to where I am today. Most I never realized how important they have played a role in the kind of photographer I am today. I have always been a very creative person in all areas of my life and I think it lead to creating fun photoshoots, banners and products for my clients and teams. Read more>>
