One of the most important things we think the media can do is connect small business owners and creatives across industries and markets to give them an opportunity to learn form each other. The insights on trends in particular can be transformative if our communities were better connected and so we’ve tried to create a space where folks can share the trends they are seeing and read about trends other sharp entrepreneurs are seeing.

D’angelo Thompson

Many creatives especially now are trying to find a sense or belonging and companies that value their work. Being a business owner and educator for over 20+ years, I find if you educate your staff, accomodate those with families, and extend business opportunities for them to grow, you will maintain loyal employees and eventually colleagues. It creates a community of creatives that are prospering and avoids a mentality of “lack” that many creatives can have in my experience. You can see this in the tech world with companies like Google and in my world of entertainment where more and more producers work remote and the talent can work in many markets. So, I would say the main trends I am seeing is more access to opportunities outside their markets and working with or for comapnies who value them. Read more>>

Kelley Sibley

Living on the westside of LA where health is of the utmost importance, you start to see what health trends come first. As I continue to live bi-coastal, I am always tapping into what is emerging across the country. Letting food be thy medicine is so big right now. The trend of supplements is starting to fade out, and now, it is transitioning into food. Bamboo originated from the work of Dr. Max Gerson who created a natural treatment system that activates the body’s ability to heal itself through a specific protocol that includes raw juices. I feel like health trends are finally coming back full circle. As people move away from supplements – which some are fantastic – people are starting to understand and explore how we get these nutrients through food? Nutrients are most potent through their original state. Western medicine and natural medicine both agree on the necessary nutrients, but differ in the way people receive them. Western medicine suggests pills and supplements while natural medicine gets to the real root of truly healing the body by receiving the nutrients through food.  Read more>>

Rosa Bluestone Perr

I gave myself my first tattoo 10 years ago because I didn’t see the style at the time that I wanted. I wanted something small, subtle and delicate. I think of tattoos as permanent jewelry. My style is not a huge dark piece that take over the body part, but rather an adornment that compliments that part of the body. This style of tattoos has grown greatly in popularity since I started. Since I started tattooing 10 years ago, delicate tattoos and permanent jewelry pieces have become more popular. I see my specific designs copied all the time, but there is not much to be done about it. When I feel frustrated by this copying I remind myself “Immitation is the sincerest form of flattery” -Oscar Wilde. Read more>>

Mingcheng Guo

One of the most significant trends shaping the tech industry—and especially the field of User Experience (UX) Design—is the demand for highly customized, automated solutions that meet the specific, long-tail needs of both enterprises and end-users. UX design, at its core, is about creating seamless, intuitive interactions that align with user needs and business goals, which today means pushing the boundaries of personalization and automation. where I contributed to the development of an internal tool for global product pricing. This tool needed to manage complex pricing models across different markets, and our focus was on automating the pricing process as much as possible. By simplifying the user interface and introducing self-pricing capabilities, we reduced manual input requirements, freeing up our team to focus on strategic tasks rather than repetitive calculations. At my current role with Rubrik, where I work on data security features, I see similar opportunities. Here, we’re enhancing product workflows to give users a streamlined, worry-free experience by automating data security configurations and compliance checks. We also leverage AI-driven analytics to help users identify and respond to security risks faster. Read more>>

Olivia Aberdeen

In the world of desserts and baked good, trends seem to come and go every few months. With social media playing such a huge part of our lives, it’s easy to make something become popular. In the past few years we’ve seen the obsession with cake pops, cakesicles, jumbo cookies, heart shape cakes and cakes that burn away to reveal a new image. Something new starts trending online, which creates a craze for people to run and try it. We are at a point where abstract cakes are starting to be more and more popular, and I give it a few more months before it truly takes off. The main concern with these trends is businesses that are created just for that specific item, and then when it begins to go out of style they have to find ways to keep their customers coming through the door. Read more>>

Zehua Yang

The trend towards smaller crews and setups has really changed the way we the filmmaker work. We’ve been able to shoot entire commercials and promo videos with just one or two people, which wasn’t even possible a few years ago. With today’s mirrorless cameras that has good enough image quality and bright, lightweight LED fixture, we can move quickly, capture genuine moments, and work closely with many clients to bring their vision to life—often on a much smaller budget than before. In a way, this shift gives us the freedom to focus more on the creative aspects and makes production more adaptable. While there are challenges—like managing multiple roles and ensuring the quality stays high—it’s an exciting time for filmmaking. This trend opens up new opportunities for both indie filmmakers and businesses, allowing high-quality work without the high costs of traditional productions, which also means even small business now can afford good commercial. Read more>>

Jaye Devan

Social media has become a way for people to connect all across the country, the world even…comedians are no longer longer limited to have to perform in NY or LA to be seen…there are still certain opportunities that only come fun being in those cities but overall you can maintain a good comedy career almost anywhere now… Read more>>