Hidden Gems: Local Businesses & Creatives You Should Know

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.

Will Hall

I’ve always been drawn to helping people and solving problems, which is ultimately what led me into the payments and financial services industry. Early in my career, I saw firsthand how many business owners were frustrated by confusing pricing, poor service, long-term contracts, and a lack of transparency from their providers. Read more>>

Maureen Bartosh

We moved from Phoenix AZ to Fredericksburg, VA in 2002. My husband commuted to DC everyday via the VRE train. There wasn’t a place for the commuters to get coffee/breakfast on their way. Remember this was early 2000’s 🙂 In 2006 a building near the train station went up for rent. My husband encouraged me to check it out. Read more>>

Michelle & Danny McMillan

Our business was born out of compassion, empathy and heart. My daughter’s teenage best friend had a lot of anger. She had been acting out at home and felt destructive urges “to break furniture and that sort of thing,” We took her to a rage room in Woodbridge and told her she could take out her anger there. Read more>>

Greta Krafsig

I’ve loved horses for as long as I can remember. When I was young I wrote a story about a girl who went to live on her uncle’s farm called White Oak Stables. It was one of the first books I published and I always wanted to have my own farm by the same name one day. Read more>>

Elsie Verónica Morales Irizarry

Verónica, a creative soul, lover of bright colors and all forms of art. Verónica, born and raised in Aguada, Puerto Rico, started experimenting with art at the early age of 3, if you ask her mom. She is the smallest of three, always late in the line of asking for money she figured out a way of always having new accessories or a “new” dress. Read more>>

Kenny Smith

I have been in the car business for 20 years, and AutoUnite came from something I kept seeing from both sides of the desk. The internet changed car shopping, but it did not necessarily make it simpler. Shoppers can now see more vehicles than ever before. Read more>>

Danielle Verderame

The Shop Shop grew out of a communications career as I worked in various marketing agencies, advertising agencies, and internal marketing roles. What began as freelancing has grown into a small, local marketing agency where I work full-time with 2 employees and several subcontractors. Read more>>

Arton Williams

Caribbica Soul started nearly 9 years ago as a family vision rooted in culture, passion, food, and bringing people together. What began as a local Caribbean and soul food restaurant in Downtown Roanoke has grown into something much bigger than we ever imagined. From day one, our goal was never just to serve food — it was to create an experience. Read more>>

Haley Slade

I’ve always been obsessed with psychology and writing, but I never wanted to be an entrepreneur. Read more>>

Jessica Lino

Where it all started, hmmm… Jessica graduated from IIN, a holistic nutrition school in 2012 and decided she wanted to get out of corporate american and do something to help people eat better and feel better. Wasn’t sure what that was going to look like at the time but the universe works in mysterious ways. Read more>>

Anita Gupta

My journey into wedding cakes started the way a lot of the best things do, quietly, and almost by accident. After training at the L’Academie de Cuisine in Maryland, what started as a hobby turned into the love of making cakes for my own children and for friends, just for the joy of it. Read more>>

Chayil McGlotten

This business originated through a blend of plain curiosity, happy accidents, and divine favor. I was in high school when I first became curious about photography, deciding to take it as an elective with the empty space in my schedule. My dad had insisted I take a class I could use to further my career. His idea was computer science. Mine was photography. Read more>>

Hubert Young

My childhood dream was to become a professional race car driver. I have loved cars for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories, probably when I was three years old, was pushing toy cars around the house along an imaginary race track for hours at a time. I was always fascinated by how things worked. Read more>>

April Kelsey

I’ve dreamed of being a writer since I was 5 years old. I spent my elementary and high school years writing poetry and short stories. When I got to college, I went into journalism. My journalism classes taught me so many valuable facets of the writing and editing process, but the environment was not the ideal fit for me. Read more>>

Bryant Parson

My path to Resilience Med-Psych was anything but linear, which I think actually makes me a better provider. I started as a paramedic, then moved into nursing, and spent years working in emergency medicine before pursuing my graduate training. That ER background gave me a very different lens on psychiatric illness. Read more>>

David Holland

I grew up in a blue-collar trade family. My father was a contractor, so from an early age I was exposed to the world of small business, skilled trades, and hands-on work. While other kids were on vacations, I was sometimes sitting in the corner of a hospital hallway while my dad painted or worked on projects. Read more>>

Marissa Neece

My name is Marissa Neece, I own Mini Food World. Mini food world was never just about food. It was about family, dreams, community, and creating something that allowed people to truly be themselves. Growing up, I always dreamed of owning a farm and one day opening my own bakery or restaurant. Read more>>

Alan Arnett

I have to laugh, because as a massage therapist in Winchester, what I mostly do any day is laundry! But I’m so grateful to have found two careers in this life, and although neither is known for being lucrative, both have given me deep feelings of fulfillment and a modicum of success. Not bad for a hillbilly from a small town in east Tennessee! Read more>>

Darryl Husband

I was a traditional Church pastor who believed he was called by God into ministry. When entered, I left the world (and it’s hangups) behind. That lasted for a while but upon meeting some older pastors who had a different perspective on living out their faith, I began a journey that would find me acquiescing and falling back into an old lifestyle. Read more>>

Thanh Nguyen

I have been passionate about my work since I was in Vietnam, where I spent 13 years in this profession. After moving to the United States with my husband, I continued pursuing my career here. Fortunately, I was able to find like-minded teammates, and together we formed a strong team. Read more>>

Dunia Davis

Growing up, I always had a passion for food and creativity, but my real journey into entrepreneurship started while working on a food truck. I worked alongside a strong female entrepreneur who truly inspired me. Watching her wake up every day, grind hard, and push through challenges motivated me to believe I could build something of my own one day. Read more>>

DeAnthony Poole

My journey started at a girls’ night pole dance class. I went just for fun, but the instructor told me I was a natural, and that one moment stuck with me. I kept going, kept learning, and eventually found another studio that offered aerial classes. Read more>>

Daniel Whitworth

I’d say, as far as my business is concerned, it all started back in 2004 when I took a programming class in college (University of Arizona). I was in the Navy at the time going to school on a commissioning program, getting a degree in Computer Engineering. But honestly the only class I remember is that programming class. I was hooked! Read more>>

Denise Ormsby

We started in Occoquan just two months before COVID began, and when everything changed, we pivoted to a neighborhood market to help our neighbors and support the community. Read more>>

Shane Pressley

My name is Shane Pressley, and I’m a co-owner of Cedar Ridge Construction alongside my brother-in-law and business partner, Spencer. I’ve been married for over 12 years, and my wife and I have three children. For the first nine years of my adult life, I worked in law enforcement. Read more>>

Steven Barnes

My name is Steven Barnes also known as Lil’ Steve a music entrepreneur, promoter, born and raise in Norfolk, Virginia to a good mother and father in 2006 I was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal throat cancer and successfully underwent chemotherapy and radiation I faced challenges as a teen which led me being incarcerated during my teens into my 20s where I earned my G.E.D and starting writing music and performing it for the guys I was around and the all took a liking to it. Read more>>

Keaton Schilling

We’re two 17-year-old entrepreneurs and proud owners of Chasing Green Lawn Services, LLC. What started as a small idea at 13 years old has grown into a business built on hard work, persistence, and the support of our community. Read more>>

CHRISTOPHER JACKSON

I founded Empathy Wellness Center after recognizing how many people struggled to find mental-health care that felt compassionate, personal, and accessible. Throughout my training and career as a psychiatrist, I saw patients who often felt rushed, misunderstood, or hesitant to seek treatment because of stigma or prior negative experiences. Read more>>

Hannah Hayden

If someone would have told me that I would own a group practice while I was completing graduate school, I would have respectfully rolled my eyes and shook my head. I never aspired to be a business owner and to this day, I still do not identify as one. Read more>>

Nikole Vincent

My journey into entrepreneurship with Mom’s Need Help Too, LLC and subsequently Brilliant Minds Learning Center began, surprisingly, from one of the most challenging seasons of my life after the birth of my third child in 2013. At that time, being a Philadelphia native, I was still adjusting to life in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Read more>>

Michael Savino

I’ve been building businesses and solving operational problems for most of my life. I started young with technology and design, launching early ventures like Cool Beans Computer Solutions, Dream Art Studios, and Artisan Graphics before eventually building Nexus Box LLC into a full-service web development and technology consulting company. Read more>>

Joanne Thomas

I actually wanted to be a business owner after the beginning of motherhood. It was important for me to spend my time being an available and accessible parent while earning my own money. I finally got that opportunity after graduate school and clinical residency. Read more>>

Mihyang Joo

I have spent much of my career teaching and mentoring young musicians, and through those experiences I realized that music education could go far beyond performances, competitions, and awards. Over time, I became increasingly passionate about helping students understand that music also has the power to comfort, heal, and bring communities together. Read more>>