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THE 2025 HYPE CONTESTANTS
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*Biographies listed from left to right, top to bottom
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Mario Astudillo
Final Brush LLC
Mario Astudillo is the founder of Final Brush LLC, a professional painting company serving Southwest Michigan and Northern Indiana. With extensive experience in real estate and construction, he recognized how quality finishes can transform spaces and increase property value. This insight inspired him to establish Final Brush — a company built on craftsmanship, reliability, and community pride. Specializing in interior and exterior painting, power washing, and deck refinishing, Final Brush helps homeowners and businesses bring new life to their spaces.
Mario’s mission is to deliver exceptional results while creating local job opportunities and revitalizing neighborhoods. His long-term goal is to grow Final Brush into a regional leader known for professionalism, mentorship, and lasting community impact.
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Oalliyah Hornes
OH Art LLC
Oalliyah Hornes is a designer, and entrepreneur from Benton Harbor, MI. A Dream Academy graduate (2014) with an associate’s in graphic design, she is largely self-taught and has built a thriving career through creativity and a dedication to helping others.
As founder of OH Art LLC, Oalliyah is a certified visual designer and award-winning artist whose work spans illustration, portrait design, and other creative forms that foster connection and expression. She is also an aspiring Art Therapist and Art Dealer, committed to supporting those facing trauma, mental illness, and learning challenges through therapeutic creativity.
In 2024, she expanded her services to include art classes for teens and young adults, offering guided, DIY, and therapeutic sessions that help participants develop artistic skills while expressing their emotions. With a career marked by awards, mentorship, and major commissioned projects, Oalliyah now looks forward to launching an art trade school for 14–21-year-olds to inspire and nurture the next generation of creative talent.
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Emily Onken
Bake Effect
Emily Onken launched her first home baking business in 2019, leveraging many years of baking and restaurant experience as well as a background in events and communications.
While relocating from Texas to Michigan, Emily discovered she had a contact allergy to wheat flour and was faced with the choice: Either stop baking entirely, or pivot to a new way of creating. In 2021, she started from scratch as Bake Effect, offering "gourmet treats made without wheat."
Emily is proud to serve the southwest Michigan community while
modeling the values of tenacity, flexibility, and entrepreneurship to her young daughter.
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Stephanie Ott-Williams
Base Bowls & Company
Stephanie Ott-Williams, owner of Base Bowls & Company in Saint Joseph, Michigan, is on a mission to redefine healthy eating with a balance of hearty, delicious meals. With a commitment to fresh ingredients, her restaurant has won “Best New Business”, "Best Catering", "Best Takeout," and she has been recognized as a winner of "40 Under 40" and "Bold Women in Business."
Driven by her extensive experience in hospitality, including time spent working as the executive suite manager for the Miami Dolphins, Stephanie has cultivated a space that nourishes both the body and the community. Notably, Base Bowls serves as the main food provider for the Saint Joseph Senior Center, impacting over 4,000 members annually.
As she looks ahead, Stephanie is determined to double her reach and serve over 192,000 customers in the next couple years, all while promoting a healthier lifestyle and fostering community connections.
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Hayden Keiser
Rite Innovations
Hayden Keiser is the Founder & CEO of Rite Innovations, a Benton Harbor, Michigan company creating luxury botanical technology for the modern ritualist. With a decade in quality, manufacturing, and product development, he has trained 30 OEM vendors, collaborated with 325+ teammates worldwide, and helped launch 47 consumer products found in everyday homes.
Inspired by his own search for a more intentional botanical experience, Hayden built Mixturus—an elegant, modular device that blends engineering precision with sensory design and is the foundation for our expanding botanical product family. Today he’s gearing up to expand production capacity for the next round of orders while advancing two new products that extend Rite’s mission.
Beyond the business, Hayden is committed to helping finance affordable housing in Benton Harbor and neighboring communities to ensure there are safe, attainable homes for families. His goal is to grow Rite as a community-centered brand at the intersection of design, wellness, and local impact.
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Kenyona Speight
Hello Beautiful Fashion Boutique
Kenyona Speight is the co-owner of Hello Beautiful Fashion Boutique. Kenyona graduated with a degree in Political Science, however her passion for fashion and all things beautiful came from her mother and business partner Destiny Burton, who went to Fashion Design school in 2009 at the Illinois Institute of Art.
Hello Beautiful started in 2020 as a small, family home-based jewelry business. Today, Hello Beautiful has its own storefront located at 170 E Wall Street downtown Benton Harbor and sells everything from men and women's clothing, jewelry, shoes, purses, and accessories.
Not only is Hello Beautiful dedicated to great products and services, they are also invested in seeing the people in the community uplifted and encouraged through various mentorship and outreach programs.
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Alexandra Ranft
Bare Naked Salts and Soaps
Alex is the founder of Bare Naked Salts and Soaps in Niles, Michigan. She launched the business in 2022 after her son suffered from severe dermatitis due to commercial baby products. Motivated to find a better solution, Alex crafted a line of soothing, all-natural skincare products. Today, Bare Naked offers a line of all-natural and mineral-based essentials — including magnesium butter, soaking salts, and aloe bar soaps — all designed to be gentle, healing, and safe for sensitive skin.
Alex's journey from a concerned mother to an entrepreneur passionate about natural skincare, has been a testament to her dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment to making a difference. She is dedicated to expanding Bare Naked Salts and Soaps, advocating for safer body care routines for all by sharing her products and knowledge at local markets and through community outreach.
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Attendance is free, but a suggested $5.00 donation will support the continued growth and expansion of HYPE, ensuring more opportunities for young professionals in the years ahead. Seating is limited, and RSVPs are required. To RSVP visit: https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/HYPE2025.
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