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.
Rico Gonzales
I was born January 25th 1994 in Kansas City, Missouri. Growing up I was raised on 35th & ARMOUR (Midtown) I was exposed to the conditions of my environment as an adolescent in the projects. Read more>>
Jacey Fischbach
I am the eldest daughter. I have five younger siblings. Growing up, I lived between two homes. My lunches in school were free. My new clothes and shoes went on layaway at K-Mart. My family were not strangers to mental health issues, addiction, and abuse. I am a first generation college student. I worked full-time and attended school full-time. Read more>>
Xiangyu Zhao
I began studying piano when I was about four and a half years old in Tianjin, China. I loved music from an early age, although learning the instrument itself was not always easy. My early lessons focused heavily on basic technique, along with method books such as John Thompson’s, and I quickly learned that practicing required much more patience and discipline than simply enjoying music. Read more>>
Luca Thompson
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved to sing. Over the years I have pursued this love quite passively, singing for mostly my own enjoyment and of often debatable quality. Some of the highlights of which including a Beauty and the Beast Jn performance as trusty LeFou and a few seasonal choir performances with my church. Read more>>
Serge Soussan
My journey began more than 20 years ago after my son, Luca, was born. He suffered from eczema and asthma, and I had difficulty finding a blanket that was truly soft, comfortable and gentle enough for his sensitive skin. That personal need inspired me to create and engineer the Minky Dot blanket using hypoallergenic materials. Read more>>
Zachary Cipra
After finishing 6th nationally in 1982, 8th in 1983, sending various individuals to compete in the NCAA National Championships and even producing a National Champion in 1984 Northern Illinois University dropped their men’s gymnastics program. With a storied history and a decade full of both team and individual success the chapter book was closed and put on the shelf. Read more>>
Rachael Honnold
Hello, I am Rachael Honnold (Carney) and I am currently working as an freelance lighting designer in the Kansas City area. I design primarily for Theatre, and dance. I’ve worked for many different places such as Blue Valley High School, KCRep, Avila University, the Kauffman Center and many more. Read more>>
Jason Brazzel
I started my career while still in the Marine Corps. My family and I had started with cookouts and parties. They have always been my biggest support. We were stationed in Germany and had the opportunity operate the neighborhood restaurant. Once my tour was over, we moved to Missouri and started my business Goldie Mae’s Soul Food Kitchen & BBQ. Read more>>
Robbi Edwards
Soulcare Skin Studio came about as a result of my own journey with getting older, becoming an empty nester, and healing parts of myself that I didn’t even know were broken. One day after all 4 of our kids had grown up and left for their own adult lives, I realized that I had no idea who I was. Read more>>
Shondricka Lovelace
Lovely Tax Solutions started from a personal need. I was tired of trying to find someone to prepare my taxes, and eventually I thought, “You know what? I’m going to learn how to do this myself.” I found a tax preparation program through Johnson County Community College and enrolled in classes to learn tax law. Read more>>
Ashley Penner
I honestly never dreamed I would own a business. In fact, I got a terrible grade in my high school entrepreneurship class! I’ve always loved baking, probably because I love the science behind it and the precision it takes to create something from scratch. Read more>>
Nicole Louis
My story really started long before I ever became an entrepreneur. I became a mother at 13 years old, and shortly afterward, I entered the juvenile justice system after being charged with attempted murder and willful injury for defending myself during an attack. Read more>>
Rick Knox
Meet the 2026-28 ATHS President Rick Knox The American Truck Historical Society (ATHS) preserves and shares the history of the trucking industry — an industry that has played a central role in shaping modern commerce, transportation, and daily life across North America. Read more>>
Sarah Pierce
All Saints Lutheran Church was founded in 1987 in Blue Springs in a storefront and moved into our current building on 19th Street in the mid 1990s. I am the fourth or fifth pastor to serve here; the previous pastor left in 2017 or 2018. Read more>>
Tasjha Dixon
Well my name is Tasjha Dixon and I am an interdisciplinary artist and creator. I am the founder, owner & teacher of Empowering KC with Tasjha which is my creative, wellness-focused practice where I offer yoga classes, writing and poetry classes and community events/open mics, amongst many other community and individual sessions. Read more>>
Stacy Porto
My path to real estate wasn’t exactly a straight line. I started my career as an attorney, which gave me a strong foundation in negotiation, problem-solving, and advocating for my clients. Read more>>
Carl Willis
I started my first online venture back in the days of dial-up. I actually had a CompuServe account using a very slow dial-up modem, but I knew there had to be a way to make money online. My first ventures were an online staffing service and a drop-shipping business that sold decorative vases and costume jewelry, with fulfillment coming out of China. Read more>>
AJ Finnegan
My story really began in high school, where I discovered that art and storytelling were going to be a major part of my life. I was involved in both visual and performing arts, which gave me an early appreciation for the ways that images, design, performance, and storytelling can work together. Read more>>
Sara Dunham
Dunham Bookkeeping Services started in 2020 after I lost my job during COVID. What began as a way to take more control over my own career has grown into something much bigger than I originally planned. I had already spent years working in bookkeeping and accounting, so the business initially centered around helping small businesses get their bookkeeping organized and keeping their financial records accurate. Read more>>
Lauren King
I was blessed to grow up in a home surrounded by incredible food, and my dad is one of the best bakers I know. From a young age, I was always eager to help, learn, and participate in the science of baking. I was taught that to be a successful baker, all you need is the ability to follow a recipe exactly as written. Read more>>
Billy Robbins
Robbins Electric was founded in 2020 by my twin brother, Andy Robbins, a master electrician and lifelong entrepreneur. Andy had been building businesses since graduating high school, starting with a lawn care company before eventually finding his passion in the electrical trade. My path was almost the opposite. I went to college and then took the corporate route with Garmin International. Read more>>
Michael Anderson
I was 17 years old when I started my Bang Team brand, with a picture off google images and a photo editing app. It started as a just music group I was trying to develop, but it evolved over the years into my brand and lifestyle. Read more>>
John Muller
We are an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit, built from the ground up. Every donation and fundraiser directly supports medical research for neuromuscular disease treatments. Our mission is simple: support the science that brings hope. GettingUp.Org, Inc. works to help educate the public and bring attention to rare adult onset conditions, specifically Inclusion Body Myositis. Read more>>
Alexandra Rovirosa
I started A Place For Us Productions in 2022. A longtime member of the local Kansas City theatre scene, I realized that there was a strong need for a theatre company that went above and beyond the expectations for local, non-professional theatre. Read more>>
Spaceman
I started making hip-hop and R&B music when I was 13 in my bedroom in Lawrence, Kansas. A few years down the line, I decided to start leaning more into the hip-hop aspects of my music and rapping. Read more>>
Lisa Robinson
My journey into counseling was shaped by one of the most difficult experiences of my life…the unexpected loss of my husband. In the midst of grief, uncertainty, and rebuilding a future I never anticipated, I learned what it means to lean on God’s strength and trust His guidance one day at a time. Read more>>
