With a new month comes the chance to spotlight another group of inspiring Hoboken and Jersey City locals. From doctors, veterans, creatives, business owners, and beyond, these individuals are making a meaningful impact in the Hudson County community + beyond. Read on for a list of 10 Hoboken and Jersey City locals to watch this October.

Marla Mae | Macarons by Marla Mae

Photo Credit: Macarons by Marla Mae

Marla Mae is a licensed cottage baker making high-quality French macarons in Jersey City. Her mom and grandmother taught her to bake from scratch but it wasn’t until the pandemic that she perfected her macaron recipe after lots of practice. Now, Marla sells at weekly farmers’ markets in Jersey City like Van Vorst Park and Riverview Park in the Heights. Marla has also made treats for numerous private events and custom orders. Marla told The Hoboken Girl “I have always had a passion for baking and perfection. I am 100% that person who always brings a baked good to a party, and I love to make people smile.”

Marla’s local favorites: Cellar 335, Chickie’s, Antique Bar + Bakery, and Stingray Lounge.

Keep up with Marla’s journey here.

Read More: Gen Z Business Owners + Entrepreneurs in Hoboken + Jersey City

Ryan Provost + Norman Strobel | Booz Box Cocktails

Photo Credit: Booz Box

Hoboken residents Ryan Provost and Norman Strobel are on a mission to reinvent the way cocktails are served. The locals created Booz Box four years ago during the pandemic and finally launched it in February 2024. The boxed cocktail creations were designed with the goal of creating a memorable experience for customers. The founders told HG “We decided to go the large format route when creating this project so people could have the ability to enjoy our cocktails not only in a group setting but from anywhere in the world.”

Ryan + Norman’s local favorites: Pier 13, City Bistro, Olivia’s, Pig + Parrot, 8th Street Tavern, Madison, dullboy, South House, and Gringo’s.

Keep up with Ryan + Norman’s journey here.

Brian Gellman | NOOK

Photo Credit: Brian Gellman

Brian Gellman is the creator of NOOK, a one-of-a-kind hygienic toothbrush holder aiming to revolutionize oral hygiene. For Brian, NOOK is more than just a toothbrush holder. For him, it is a symbol of passion, determination, and resilience, that he hopes will inspire others to chase their dreams too. Brian dedicates his business to his mother Barbara Gellman who passed away after a 30-year battle with breast cancer in 2011. She also lived in Hoboken. Brian told HG “With the determination to honor my mom’s confidence in me to succeed, I began to pursue my dream of coaching college basketball which ultimately led me to create NOOK. I was confident that I could make a difference in people’s health habits with NOOK. The turning point came with the onset of the pandemic in 2020. It was there, amidst the challenges of the pandemic, that I pitched my dad the concept of NOOK. His encouragement and support became the catalyst for building our first prototype. Working with my father and seeing the joy he has had in creating NOOK has inspired me to continue to build NOOK into a household name. Our goal is to make enough impact where we can donate a portion of our proceeds to METAvivor of New Jersey in honor of my mother, so no woman ever has to hear the words ‘you have breast cancer’.”

Brian’s local favorites: Flour, 8th Street Tavern, Otok Bakery, and Fiore’s.

Keep up with Brian’s journey here.

Gabrielle Fadl + Katie Birch | Bead Bar

Photo Credit: Bead Bar

Best friends and animal lovers Gabrielle Fadl and Katie Birch are the founders of Bead Bar, a handmade friendship collar shop handcrafted with love right here in Hoboken + Jersey City. The customizable silicone collars act as a symbol of the unbreakable bond between owners and their furry friends. The founders told HG “We want to inspire people to be creative and enjoy every second of it with our pets. We both work in the veterinary industry (Gabrielle is a vet, Katie is an HR Business Partner for a vet company) which can get emotional and exhausting, just like any job. We want to do something with pets and their people that sparked joy and brought people together in the process.”

Gabrielle + Katie’s local favorites: Cheese + Wine, Yuki’s, Flour, Cornerstone Pets, Kanibal + Co., dullboy, Matthew’s, The Archer, South House, Hound About Town, Frankie, and Smorgasbar.

Keep up with Gabrielle + Katie here.

Rebecca Russo | Cigarettes + Kale

Photo Credit: Rebecca Russo

Rebecca Russo is a talented New Jersey-based artist who grew up here in Hoboken. Rebecca graduated from Caldwell University in 2008 with a degree in Psychology and Fine Art. Both her BA and BFA shows were focused on mixed media room installations, in conjunction with oil paint on canvas. Rebecca continues to create and sell original works on paper from her home in Montclair. This year, Rebecca’s artwork (which readers may know as Cigarettes and Kale) will be showcased at the Hoboken Art Walk in October. The artist told HG: “Given that I am from Hoboken and I have been going to the fair since I was a child, it gives me great pleasure to now be showing my work locally in my hometown all these years later.”

Rebecca’s local favorites: Lola, The Cuban, Antique Bar + Bakery, Dear Maud, and Luca Brasi’s.

Keep up with Rebecca’s journey here.

 

Linda Velwest | Adjunct Professor + Advocate

Photo Credit: Linda Velwest

Linda Velwest has been a resident of Jersey City for the past 24 years. She spent most of her adult life as an occupational therapist before teaching social justice and nonviolence at Saint Peter’s University. She also works with The Neuro Consultants to help neurodivergent individuals build strategies, businesses, and communities. Linda also runs a website called City Rescue Pets which provides resources, information, support, and entertainment for people rescuing pets in the city. She told HG that she has several rescue pets of her own, including two pigs, two cats, and five guinea pigs. Aside from her business endeavors, Linda is also an avid walker who vows to get 10,000 steps a day and encourages locals to continue getting their steps in by tracking it on the Questo app. She has even created her own local walking tours.

Linda’s local favorites: I love to eat at Prince + I,  and Subia’s. I buy flowers and plants at Bouquets and Baskets and shop for my pets at Fussy Friends and Hound About Town. I love walking up Newark Avenue and in Liberty State Park.

Keep up with Linda’s journey here.

Alessandra Canario + Marco Vidal | Phantasm

Phantasm is the brainchild of two Jersey City residents, Alessandra Canario and Marco Vidal. The couple began dating during the pandemic and soon became business partners in this vintage endeavor, fusing their passions. Phantasm is more than just a vintage store, it’s a collective, or as the owners like to call it, a “vintage clothing co-op,” which means that Phantasm collaborates with several vintage vendors, catering to a wide range of demographics, to bring customers some of the most unique finds in Jersey City. Alessandra and Marco’s innovative idea to tap into this gap in the market opened a door to make their vision a reality.

Alessandra + Marco’s local favorites: Frankie, Busy Bee Organics, Ling Long Xuan, Deep Space, El Ranchero, The Alps, Lofi, White Eagle Hall, Pet Shop, and Lovely Lioness Studio.

Keep up with Alessandra + Marco here.

Varkha T. Jayanthi | VT Creatives Interior Design

Photo Credit: VT Creatives

Varkha Jayanthi is the Principal Designer + Founder of VT Creatives, a boutique full-service luxury interior design studio based in Jersey City. Her main goal with every space she touches is to make sure it is timeless, comfortable, authentic, and most importantly, fun. Varkha has always believed that design is not just about aesthetics, it’s about creating a feeling and bridging the gap between form and function. She told HG “No one should ever have to pick between a beautiful or functional space and you certainly shouldn’t have to pick between a serene or moody space either because trust me, a beautiful, serene, moody and functional space is not impossible – you just haven’t worked with us yet!” VT Creatives is proudly a woman-owned and POC-owned business.

Varkha’s local favorites: Into the Void, 301 Collective, Kanibal & Co, Moda Studio JC, Sure Things, Wicked Scents, Maison 24, BabaBoogs Candles, Raine and River, Symposia Bookstore, Word Bookstore, Little City Books, the Jersey City Library, Il Laboratorio, Pinwheel Garden, Namaste Momo, Empyrean Kitchen, and Razza.

Keep up with Varkha’s journey here.

Michael Dwyer + Adam Baliatico | Prompt Therapy Solutions, Inc.

Photo Credit: Prompt Therapy Solutions, Inc.

Michael Dwyer and Adam Baliatico are the founders of Prompt Therapy Solutions, a software company modernizing the physical therapy industry. The founders help outpatient therapy practices streamline their operations, save time, and improve the overall patient experience. Prompt Therapy Solutions is proudly headquartered in Hoboken where they are eager to hire as much local Hoboken talent as possible to join their team. After seeking physical therapy themselves, Michael and Adam noticed that the standard process of receiving care felt outdated and disconnected. After digging into the root of the problem, they realized that many of these frustrations stemmed from the outdated software systems used by many physical therapy practices. Now they are inspired knowing they can help change that. They told HG, “We absolutely love what physical therapy can do for people—it’s an incredible profession that makes such a positive impact on lives. Our mission is to help move the profession forward by modernizing the tools available to practices, so both patients and therapists can have a better experience.”

Micheal + Adam’s local favorites: Carpe Diem is far and away our favorite local spot! Behind that is Cafe Michelina, and Seven Valley’s for lunch.

Keep up with Michael + Adam here.

See More: 5 Northern New Jersey Locals to Watch in October 2024

Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez | Owner of SW3AT Wellness + The Other Side Dispensary

Photo Credit: Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez

Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez is a multi-talented entrepreneur and veteran here in Jersey City. She is the founder of SW3AT Wellness and The Other Side Dispensary which will officially open on October 12th, 2024. Alyza has experience as a personal trainer and views cannabis as a natural extension of the wellness benefits provided at SW3AT. She told HG in a recent interview, “To me, cannabis is just another option for people.” Alyza suffered an injury during her final tour with the Navy and turned to cannabis to help her manage the physical and emotional injuries she suffered. Alyza looks forward to sharing what she’s been working on with the Jersey City community.

Keep up with Alyza’s journey here.