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.
Destiny Hatcher
When I graduated, my mother got put out and me and the father of my child were in and out of hotels. I tried to go to Greenville Tech for psychology. That quickly ended when I didn’t have a stable home or stable transportation. A couple years later when I moved to Connecticut after being an abusive relationship, I tried to go to Truck driving school. I only had three weeks left, but I just stopped going. I struggled with myself, my identity, even just being a good mother. From sleeping in cars, and trying to find myself, it was not smooth at all. Read more>>
Julianna Boone
I wanted a place for other moms to be able to connect and relate to and other kids for my children to play with. A place for play dates to take place. There wasn’t anything in our area that was for younger children, so my husband and I started looking into spaces at the beginning of 2025 to possibly be able to open up our own space. We wanted a space for not only the children to be able to come in and make friends, but the adults too. Read more>>
Charlie Moore
Small business ownership has been a tough road due to a lack of resources, understanding, and experience to navigate running a business. I feel like my role at the ACBA is to expose students to the realities of business ownership that I experienced so that they can circumnavigate those trials more easily than I did. While there is always value in personal experience and struggle, knowledge is power, and I am thankful to share my experiences from the small business world to help others avoid some of that struggle and start off faster and stronger. Read more>>
Ernetta Caldwell
I’m Ernetta Caldwell, author, actress, coach and I founded my business Beauty For Ashes Transformations, LLC from a place of deep pain turned purpose. After enduring childhood molestation, foster care, becoming a mother at 15, and later going through a painful divorce, I hit a point where I wanted to give up. But God never gave up on me—and that truth changed everything. Read more>>
Liliana Vasquez
I was born in Colombia and I remember that almost every weekend my parents took me to this ice cream shop called “Mimos” and it was a tradition, we enjoyed talking about the new toppings and the new flavors in the menu, also sharing stories and laughing: so when I got married and moved out to PA I wanted to share the tradition with my husband and even during snow storms and blizzards I always craved ice cream and that’s how the idea of having our own ice cream shop was born. Read more>>
Rosa Palmas
I am 75 years old, and my passion has always been manual work: when I was young, I used to do knitting. I have a large house in the countryside with land where I have a garden and a vegetable patch that I cultivate using organic methods. My daughter has an Instagram page called @cocioba_imbriaga, where she shares her recipes. This inspired me to create my own page to share the dishes I prepare using everything I produce in my garden. Read more>>
Jennifer Mayen
As a stay at home mom, days are full of schedules, snacks and all the beautiful chaos that comes with raising little minds. I’ve always believed that food is a language of connection. I found joy in arranging small bites for friends and family- boards for family nights, get-togethers, holidays and play dates- laying out cheeses, cured meats, fruits, and spreads with much care and thoughtfulness. It was my way of expressing myself beyond motherhood. Read more>>
Fabrizio Ceccarelli
Art, however, never left me. It re-emerged thanks to my daughter, for whom I began drawing again. That rekindled my passion, and I immersed myself in oil painting as a self-taught artist, studying the techniques of Guido Reni and Guercino. My style blends pop and figurative art, often portraying cinema icons and comic book characters—but always fully hand-painted, never using prints. Read more>>
Nikki
These were the outfits I was actually wearing to work, to a restaurant, to a party I was actually attending. Women began asking me questions about styling a particular skirt or top or how to accessorize a dress, and I answered them all, but realized it would be so much more effective if I could figure out a more organized way to help these women. So I started my personal styling business, Next Level Styled, for the everyday woman who wants to take her style to a new level. My business can be in person or virtual. I can help women find and coordinate outfits within their own closet, or shop for something new. I can help women find and coordinate outfits within their own closets, or shop for something new. I help them determine the colors, styles, and silhouettes that flatter them most and make them feel confident. Read more>>
Kara Miller
I would say our story really began in 2013. I cleaned out my children’s closets and I was carrying around 2 large bags of shoes and clothes in my trunk that I still had not dropped off at the local donation center. With the greatest of intentions I had put those bags in my car at least 2 weeks earlier, but as single mom life has it, especially when you live in a rural area like I did at the time, donation centers are actually a planned trip! Read more>>
Keysler M Washington
So I eventually put on my big girl panties lol and suck it up. I needed to make a change for a change to happen and it did. I’ve always wanted to work in finances and healthcare. So I took a chance and applied to a local bank name Regions. I got the position after my interview and so I thought I was well on my way to having the American dream. Worked there for a while and everything was going great until one day we got robbed. All kind of thoughts were going on in my head but I remained calm. No one was hurt and that was the main thing. So long story short my nerves were shot and I made up in my mind that I was going to go to school for my degree in Medical Administration. Read more>>
Seth Abramson
Eventually, this fusion of art and entrepreneurial ambition gave birth to PRIZM—a full-service audiovisual production company specializing in projection mapping, laser shows, and interactive lighting experiences. Under Seth’s leadership, PRIZM has collaborated with world-class artists, high-end event planners, and iconic venues, turning blank spaces into transcendent environments. Seth’s work is equal parts technical wizardry and artistic soul, and he continues to lead PRIZM with the same passion that first lit up a wall with his signature visuals. Read more>>
Theo Sotiroglou
Sure! Our story really begins with family—both literally and in the way we do business. I (Theo) came to Charleston while serving in the Navy and ended up planting roots here after meeting Laurie, a local. We then made Goose Creek home and raised five sons, all of whom have followed me into the world of real estate in one way or another. Read more>>
Nadine Viljoen
I was born and raised in South Africa, and over the past decade, my family and I have lived in three continents, first moving to Dubai and then to the U.S. in 2016. We settled in New Jersey for six years before finally making Charleston, South Carolina our home in 2022. My husband’s career led us on this journey, and while each move came with its own set of challenges, it also helped me grow and adapt in ways I never expected. Read more>>
Carolyn Longacre
My father was a structural designer and contractor, so my childhood home was a labor of love, and lots of building projects. My father was a visionary type of person. When I was 16 years old, we sold our house in 5 weeks after deciding to move to the North Carolina Mountains after reminiscing about my father’s Catskill Mountain childhood. Read more>>
D Future
I come from a place where hustle isn’t a trend—it’s survival. I started off as a hip-hop artist and battle rapper with something to prove, using my voice to cut through silence and circumstance. Over time, I realized my grind wasn’t just lyrical—it was spiritual. That’s when GHNS was born. Grind Hard Never Sleep isn’t just a brand, it’s a lifestyle rooted in resilience, struggle, and the relentless pursuit of purpose. Read more>>
Ragaa Mansour
I just started growing and expanding into Comic Con this past year and am excited to continue going to shows to sell reprints. Other than classes in high school that truly helped shape the basics, continuously producing art has helped me grow into a more confident artist. I love following fellow artists and learn all that I can from them to try new mediums and techniques. I think the first art that I actually sold was stained glass pieces about 12 years ago. I sold several sports related pieces that I turned into tables or lighted boxes. I did one of my first murals for a community gym in Greer and it was an amazing experience for me to learn and grow. Art has always been a great way to express myself and just comes naturally. Read more>>
Dave Balzer
This exploration eventually brought me to a unique and underserved area: men’s pelvic health. Today, I specialize in treating men with pelvic floor dysfunction, persistent pain, and complex musculoskeletal conditions. I’m currently the only male physical therapist in the state of South Carolina specializing in men’s pelvic health, and I’m passionate about bringing more awareness and care to this deeply needed — and often overlooked — space. Read more>>
Brianna Mills
I’ve always had a heart for helping people and a love for staying busy. But it wasn’t until high school that I really started to explore what that could look like as a career. During a pageant, we were asked a simple but loaded question: What do you want to be when you grow up? I’d been asked that before, of course—but this time, I truly thought about it. For weeks, I turned it over in my mind, searching for something that would give me freedom, fulfillment, and a way to serve others. Read more>>
Levi Wright
So this August will mark our 5 year anniversay. And on the heels of that anniversary we will be opening another part of the dream. That dream is having a working art district in Cayce. That artists find community to create and offer their art in the heart of our Art District. Two Story Studios will make available 5 individual art studios on the top story. On the bottom floor will be a fully functional art studio that will offer Open Studio Memberships. Our hope is artists will come and work together and our community will enjoy watching them work, inspire that work, and take art home with them. Read more>>
