Our community is fortunate to have so many brilliant, insightful entrepreneurs and creatives and so many of them have front row, ground level seats that allow them to see emerging trends before the so-called experts, industry leaders, etc. We wanted to create a space to connect members of our community where they could share these insights on trends and opportunities they are seeing.

Kevon Butler

I like to bring authenticity and creativity. Captivating and showing your style and doing it with a purpose can make you go far. I express myself through my clothes and pictures. Wearing bold and daring clothes is a representation of who I am as a person. Read more>>

Luna Liu

AI is being utilized in the illustration business to produce pictures automatically, from graphic design to content production for websites and social media. Some regular illustration work may be replaced and refused if AI becomes increasingly adept at duties. Illustrators who primarily work on repetitious or template-based tasks may be displaced as a result of this. Determining the copyright and ownership of AI-generated art can sometimes be difficult. Some artists’ work is being exploited by AI training platforms to directly generate the same styles, which is completely inappropriate and unlawful. However, AI may be a useful tool for producing ideas, styles, and concepts. It can assist illustrators in breaking through creative obstacles by recommending different techniques or styles, so broadening their creative possibilities. I believe AI is an unavoidable trend in the creative world, and I hope illustrators can face it, not to just avoid it. Read more>>

Anet & Lucy

The biggest trends in retail currently is shopping from boutiques and local small businesses. Consumers favor locally sourced and artisanal products, promoting community focused retail. Online shopping continues to surge, with a focus on convenience, personalization and experience. Consumers prioritize eco-friendly products and sustainable practices. Read more>>

Kim Sok

The rise of skinfluencers. Skinfluencers are increasingly popular on TikTok. #skincare has a whopping 66.9 billion views, #skincareroutine has 13.8 billion. The pandemic also skyrocketed Gen Z‘s increased focus on skincare. After all, when you can’t go out, you might as well focus on improving your bare skin. The issue is that it’s can be dangerous. I always tell clients this stuff looks easy on TikTok because it’s trendy, it looks cool, there’s music in the background,”“But [a lot of this] is all medical-grade stuff. I mean, this is very serious stuff that requires sterile techniques [and] knowledge of anatomy.” I mean anyone can buy products and do their own facials, waxing at home or tattoo their own eyebrows with products they buy from Amazon , because they saw on a TikTok video. But the end results might not be what you’re hoping for. Read more>>

Kristin Campbell

In the world of home design and decorating, darker paint colors are starting to trend. These are beautiful, complex, rich tones of browns, greens, blues and grays. I was recently working on a bathroom design plan for a client. They were gutting the bathroom and would be painting new vanities. I encouraged them to go dark. This couple was split on the thought of it; one loved the idea and one was worried it would be too dark. They did end up moving forward with recommendation of Sherwin Williams Iron Ore 7069 and love it! The walls, countertop and new tiled shower are a bit lighter, so the room feels very bright. Read more>>

Izzy Rosas

One of the biggest trends I’m seeing in my industry at the moment is the “natural look”. In general the beauty industry after 2020 started shifting to natural. From cosmetics to skincare and what I specialize in eyelash extensions! There’s a request for more natural looks including the color of eyelash extensions. I personally love this new trend but I think this definitely brings some challenges to eyelash extension brands especially new and small brands. During and after the shut down the usage of color makeup slowed down and TikTok really took off. Because of that I believe that eyelash extensions also took off even more. Read more>>

Elizabeth Burr

Seven years ago I told my husband that I wanted to quit my high powered corporate job and walk dogs for a living. He looked at me like I had lost my mind but this is a conversation happening in more and more households across the US. The pandemic did three things for the pet industry, specifically the pet sitting and dog walking industry. Read more>>

Theodore Hammerman

The seafood industry is constantly changing as is also the consumers tastes and education of the items are changing. Seafood education and hands on training for the consumer is a must. There is a knee jerk reaction (since i have sold fish for 40 years and have done every aspect of the industry) when the consumer wants to serve fish but does notwant to spend money on something they might not cook correctly. The consumer is a creature of the media that tells them what is good and what not to eat in a very biased way. The “Is it local” when arriving in a seafood market exists all the time. The facts are the seafood industry is a global industry, and also very seasonal. I try to introduce sustainable and underutilized species , some our grandparents used to eat but now is out of fashion. Read more>>