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.
Laura Donatelli
When I was young I always had a passion for movement. My sister and I would ride our bikes back and forth to Peacock’s general store almost weekly which was a good 13 mile ride. I rode horses at a local barn and took classes in Tae KwonDo and a bit of Ju Jitsu. Read more>>
Matt Ryan
My story as a small business owner began over 18 years ago in March of 2008 when I opened HomeFront Studios. I was presented an opportunity to take over a recording and rehearsal studio which was a dream of mine. In April 2008, the U.S. housing market crash occurred and the great recession began. Read more>>
Jennifer Parisi
Like many photographers, from a young age I always loved taking pictures. In 2017, I purchased my first professional camera with the intention of taking better quality photos while traveling. One of my best friends was pregnant and to practice, I asked if I could take maternity photos for her and her husband. Read more>>
Mediha Sandhu
The concept of art could literally mean anything to anyone. It is precisely because art can mean anything to anyone that anyone can say, “This is what art means to me”. The difficulty lies in fleshing out more explicitly what it means to the individual, why it means what it means, and the underlying reasons behind it. Read more>>
Robert Hazelrigg
After two years at Brookdale, Hazelrigg transferred to Rutgers University to continue his studies in graphic design and programming. The late 1980s and early 1990s marked the desktop publishing revolution, aligning perfectly with Hazelrigg’s interests. His dedication and innovation at Rutgers led him to create custom scripts for design applications, earning him a job offer from Connors Publishing even before graduating. Read more>>
Avi Foox
Avi Foox began his financial services career in 2003 as a mortgage broker, working with individuals, investors, and business owners on residential and commercial mortgage financing. He helped clients navigate property purchases, refinancing, and commercial lending opportunities, including financing solutions for both individually owned and business-owned properties. Read more>>
Helen Perez
I was born into a Dominican family and raised with a strong work ethic, but resilience became part of my story very early. I’m a burn survivor, and after suffering severe burns as a child, I grew up learning how to adapt, push through uncomfortable moments and keep going. Read more>>
Dawn Jacobus
My path into wellness began with motherhood. When my daughter was born prematurely, I researched ways to support her growth and development. I learned that therapeutic touch — particularly massage — has been associated with helping premature infants thrive. That experience showed me how powerful human connection can be: touch can help regulate the nervous system, support recovery, and create conditions for healing. Read more>>
Lauren Swern
I started Lauren’s Happy Pets Pet Care because I’ve always loved animals and genuinely enjoy helping people. Pets have always been an important part of my life, from growing up with cats who lived into their twenties to having pets of my own. Today, that includes my Frenchie and my English Bulldog, who definitely keep life entertaining. Read more>>
Tannwen Mount
My story is pretty closely tied to farming and to the Trenton Farmers Market. I grew up around agriculture and the family business, and today my sister and I run Terhune Orchards together. So farming has never really been a job to me—it’s simply been part of who I am. My family has also had a long history with the Trenton Farmers Market. Read more>>
Joshua Lutz
I started my career on an internship at Electric Lady Studios in NYC which turned into a three year employment. There, I worked with artists like Guns N Roses, Lil Wayne, Maroon 5 and Joss Stone. I then opened my own studio 15 min outside of Manhattan called JML Studios where I work full time in audio. Read more>>
Keya Kellum
I’ve always been someone who is curious, willing to take a chance, and not afraid to reinvent myself. Growing up in the Bay Area, I was surrounded by so many different cultures, perspectives, and communities from a young age, and I think that shaped the way I see the world and connect with people. Read more>>
Henrietta Andersen
It all started with a terrible, debilitating head injury. What initially felt like a devastating disruption in my life became, in time, a profound calling. I came to understand the injury as the “call” Spirit used to bring me onto the path I am walking today. I had always been spiritually sensitive. Read more>>
Renée Bang
[the collective] is a content creation and on-camera training studio based in Asbury Park, New Jersey serving artists, performers, storytellers, and creators throughout Monmouth County and the Jersey Shore. Founded by actor, coach, director, and producer Renée Bang, [the collective] was created to bridge the gap between training and creation. Read more>>
Taliyah Shepard
I’m an artist and curator! Even though I have created artwork my whole life, once I competed in art fairs in high school, I realized this could be a viable career path. During my time in college, I mastered my craft. Taking ordinary images and expose the beauty of a moment by bringing the subtext and introspection into the picture as if it were tangible. Read more>>
Megan Healey
My story with Different Strokes for Little Folks actually started long before I ever imagined owning it. Different Strokes has been a part of Bayonne since 1978, and I grew up knowing the store just like so many other local families did. Read more>>
Rabbi Shlomo Golish, C.M.
My journey into this work began nearly two decades ago, when I traveled to London to train at the London School of Circumcision. I was training to become a mohel—a specialized practitioner trained specifically in circumcision. Read more>>
Tara-Lyn Nunziata
I started teaching Pilates in 2001, changing from a career as a TV producer for Turner Broadcasting. I fell in love with Pilates from the start. I was a dance minor in college and danced and was into fitness my whole life and Pilates kept me grounded in that with my busy job and lifestyle. Read more>>
Giulia Nazarie Hamilton
I was born in Italy and raised in Hamilton, New Jersey, and I am now preparing to permanently return to the Central Jersey area after living in Japan. Art has always been part of my life—my father is an artist and sculptor—so I grew up surrounded by creativity and self-expression. Read more>>
Matthew Rosenberg
This is the second generation of ownership of M&R Landscaping. M&R was founded/owned/operated by Emanuel ‘Manny’ Carlino for 36 years. In 2025, Manny sold the business to Matt Rosenberg. Manny met Matt after Matt’s wife hired Manny to do landscaping work at their house. Manny, Matt and Jenn started to talk about the business, it’s value, income, and how it was operated. Read more>>
Rosie McCamery
My story, and ultimately the story of S.O.A.R., began when I was a teenager enrolled in my high school’s Travel and Tourism Magnet Program. At just 16 years old, I had the opportunity to travel to Barbados, where my classmates and I interned at the Golden Sands Hotel, followed by a two-week internship at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Read more>>
Kirk Nilsen
I started tattooing in the mid/early 2000’s with a hands-on apprenticeship in New Jersey, under a well-established traditional NJ tattoo artist, who was mentored back in the 60s/70s in San Francisco, CA under the highly regarded Henry Goldfield tattoo. Being an artist since a young child, I had some tattoo artist friends in Houston, Texas admire my art and suggest tattooing as a career. Read more>>
Sonal Gadre-Shintre
I think my creative journey really started when I was in 9th grade. I was one of the students selected from my school to submit work for an All India Drawing Competition. Each student had to create five artworks, and I still remember the process — deciding what I wanted to create, choosing the subjects, and then sitting for hours drawing and coloring each piece. Read more>>
Monique Powell
Sew Mystique Boutique started as a creative outlet for me during a busy season of life. As a wife and mother, sewing became a way for me to relax, express myself, and create something meaningful with my hands. Read more>>
Kirsten Ewing
I started tattooing at 19 and worked for some brutal shops and wanted to create a safe space for people to get tattooed and for women to work. Read more>>
Jake Peterson
We are a small family farm that bought by John Peterson Sr. in 1955. John Jr. and his son, Matt, started the Peterson Farm Business in the 80s. Now Matt and his son, Jake run the business. We grow a variety of crops including peaches, apples, strawberries, a variety of vegetables, Christmas Trees, hay, wheat, and soybeans. Read more>>
Tammie Ellis
My fitness journey began with a genuine passion for health, strength, and helping others become the best version of themselves. What started as a personal commitment to fitness eventually grew into a career and a lifestyle that has spanned nearly two decades. I became a certified personal trainer in 2007 and began building my experience working with clients of different ages, fitness levels, and goals. Read more>>
Abbas Zariwala
We are a married couple, Nafisa and Abbas Zariwala, and our 8 year old son Burhanuddin, living in East Brunswick, NJ. I work in the biotech industry and my wife is a physical therapist. We always had a dream of starting our own business in the US. We are originally from India and we come form a business family of entrepreneurs. Read more>>
Rohan Duggal
Started working in a liquor store out of college coming out. I had it as my first job. I worked it almost 10 years before leaving. I learned every job there-finance, ops, h.r., and a little marketing. I was a COO when I craft after coming in with with a basic job. I ran my own liquor store for 13 years. Great opportunity. Read more>>
Jorge Darquea
It started off with me wanting to focus on a career in tech, I first studied UX Design at a online bootcamp at UCF. During that time, I learned alot about thoughtful creations, actively listening to users and creating designs based on what they need. With my learnings, I decided to create Union City Designs, taking what I learned and applying it. Read more>>
Kelly Beyer
In starting my career I wanted to help make a difference in patients’ lives, and pursued a career in healthcare marketing. It was gratifying work, but it was also a highly regulated world where creativity often took a back seat. Still, art kept pulling at me. I knew I needed to nurture that part of myself, so I began taking oil painting classes after work. Read more>>
Ricardo Arias
My name is Ricardo Arias, and my journey in the restaurant industry started with my dad, who was my first inspiration. As a Mexican immigrant, I learned from a young age that hard work, perseverance, and believing in yourself can open doors. I started working in restaurants when I was just 16 years old, washing dishes. Read more>>
Precious Hill
After spending 10 years working in retail management, I got to a point where I knew I couldn’t keep doing that long-term. The long hours, holidays, and lack of work-life balance made me realize I wanted something different for myself and my future. My journey into dog grooming started from a personal experience. Read more>>
Sterling Sherwood
In January of 2025, my father passed away. Losing a parent, especially the first one, changes something in you. It really made me step back and reflect on my life and what I was doing with it. Read more>>
