15 Under Fifteen

415 W. Madison St., Auburn 217-705-4578  Established:  2019 Owner:  Jessice Lance Employees:  5 Services: bath, body and home products Jessica Lance founded Bewitching Botanicals in October 2019, starting with handmade products assembled on a folding table in her home. Today, the company has grown into a brick-and-mortar retail store, production space and online business. “I […]

3852 Wabash Ave, Springfield 217-679-1776 Established:  2020 Owner:  Randi Pecka Employees:   4 Services:  Women’s clothing boutique Established in July 2020, Better With Bubbli Boutique is a women’s clothing boutique curated for the girl-on-the-go. Owner Randi Pecka launched the company initially as an online boutique geared toward young, contemporary women. “I’d recently left my position […]

2931 Montvale Dr, Springfield217-860-0360  Established:  2013 Owners:  Dr. Bryne Willey Employees:  8 Services: Chiropractic care Dr. Bryne Willey had a vision to help build a stronger, healthier community – naturally. So, in 2013, he began AlignLife Chiropractic & Natural Health Center. “We are mission driven, and we lead with heart,” said Staci Serena, chief operating […]

Gordon and Laura Davis founded Whimsy Tea Company in 2019 by setting up shop at the Old Capitol Farmers Market. In October 2020, the couple opened a brick-and-mortar store on Adams Street, and less than a year later moved to a larger location just down the block. “My family loves tea. And we loved Teavana,” […]

Heidi Clark co-founded Wellthy Juice Co. with her daughter, Paige, in August 2023. She is currently the sole owner and only full-time employee, but she does employ 12 part-time staff. “When our daughter, Paige, headed off to St. Ambrose University (in Davenport, Iowa) to pursue her nursing degree, she was surrounded by great food options,” […]

Rettberg’s on the Square, located on the Divernon square, was founded in 1948 by Ernie Rettberg and was originally a small radio and electronics store. Today, the business has expanded to provide plumbing, electrical work, heating and air conditioning and whole-house stand-by generators, as well as the sale and maintenance of appliances. Ernie’s son, Jake, […]

Chris McCloud and Chris Herbert started Pendulum PR in 2017 as a public relations-forward agency geared toward small to medium-sized businesses with modest budgets. “As former journalists who migrated to the public relations side in state government, we knew there weren’t many affordable options for these size businesses with great stories to tell,” McCloud said. […]

Kathryn Elder opened Mockingbird Bakery on May 21, 2021, named for one of her favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird. “It had been a dream of mine to open a bakery and coffee shop for the previous 10 years since moving to Rochester,” she said. “I have a passion for baking and thought Rochester needed […]

Established: 1981Director: Casey and Jennifer FinleyEmployees: 10Services: pools and spas1201 W. Jefferson St.217-787-1468 Mike Sebring and Mike White started M&M Pools and Spas in 1981. Casey and Jennifer Finley bought the business from them in 2006. “I was working heavy highway construction in Bloomington and needed to get closer to home when our first child […]

Mission Outreach, founded in 2002 by the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis as a long-term response to global health inequity, currently has 12 full-time employees under the guidance of executive director Erica Smith. “The idea was to share usable, surplus medical supplies and equipment from U.S. hospitals with health care facilities in low-resource areas around […]

Hands of God Hospice is locally owned by David and Brenda Lithgow and was formed in December 2021. The company is patient-centered and God-focused as David Lithgow shares that the inspiration for Hands of God Hospice was divinely inspired. “I have worked for some of the largest hospices in the country,” Lithgow said. “I was […]