The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below. Check out our favorite stories from across the Voyage family.
Gustavo Gonzalez
We started Vortex Air Solutions back in 2020 during COVID. Erik and I have known each other since middle school, roughly since 2003–2004. We both decided to pursue HVAC after high school, and over the years we kept in touch and decided to start a business together. This was all after gaining experience and also having another HVAC business of my own. Read more>>
Gianna Cerullo
I came from a retail and fashion background where I was a personal shopper and stylist for 20 years. By chance, I was watching over a construction site for a friend, and I ended up selling the property. I realized that my fashion background was an easy segway into real estate. Read more>>
Deseron Forney
Me and my business partner, Ollie Hoops III, started off in 2017. We bought an old ice cream trucks with hops of converting it into a fully functional mobile kitchen. After a year or so of trying to make it work I decided to make a pivot and try a tent setup. Read more>>
Garvin Williams
THE SWEETEST FOUNDATION OF THE SHATTERED BONES: How Poetry, Loss, and Legacy Shaped an Educator’s Journey Toward Resilience and Joy In this intimate reflection, writer and educator Garvin Williams traces the lineage of his strength back to the people and places that raised him. Read more>>
Rachel & Danny Duran
We’re Danny and Rachel, the husband-and-wife team behind Forget Me Not Pictures. After nearly 20 years of freelancing separately, we decided to build something together when we got married. With the support of BRAVE/R Together, we officially formed our LLC in 2023. Read more>>
Cheryl Farrens
I’ve been a potter and ceramic artist since 1985. My mother got me interested in it. I taught pottery as part of my chemistry courses and opened my studio in NE Texas in 2006. I retired from teaching in 2017 and went full-time into pottery, warm fused glass, equine art and photography. I’ve won local, state, and national awards. Read more>>
Tamara Price
I got into hospitality when my son was a baby and I was a young mom trying to build stability. I took a front desk job because I needed something consistent, but I ended up falling in love with the work. I learned everything I could. Read more>>
Carlos Lugo
My journey began after a loss in 2017 and cooking became a form of healing. I started selling BBQ plates in a lot in Seagoville Tx. Slowly began to build clientele. 2018 I started to book caterings for private events and small businesses while working a full time job. Read more>>
Erica Rodarte
I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. All through school my notebooks were littered with doodles. Although I took a couple of summer art classes in college, I studied social work and graduated in 2020. The world was shut down, so I started painting. Through that I rediscovered my love for art and creating. Read more>>
Chris & Sara Clements
It all started in 2007 when Chris began tattooing. Sara spent the weekends traveling to Dallas to spend her weekends with him all while falling in love with the craft of the art industry. While Chris was hard at work Sara was never too far with a pencil in hand, practicing her skills so one day she could follow in Chris’s foot steps. Read more>>
Sabrina Ruiz
My name is Sabrina, I grew up in Mesquite Tx where my mom owned a small hair salon. Growing up when I wasn’t in school I was always in and out of the salon. My dad was and still is a successful business owner as well, so I had pretty good role models in my opinion. I was always into the western country life. Read more>>
Antonio Reyes
I got promoted as a sous chef there the real cooking started for me, because I had to think about new dishes about special and the customers started compliment my food then I started changing myself trying to grow as a chef and the passion of cooking started too, the I wasn’t do it because I need money Read more>>
April Rogers
I started my story at Texas State University as an Electronic Media major, mostly because I was eager to get my hands on real equipment and tell real stories on day one. Texas State let me do that. I jumped straight into our college radio station, KTSW, as a freshman DJ. Over the next few years I moved all the way up to station manager. Read more>>
Laura Mauelshagen
I’m doing nothing to do with my degree. I graduated from UNT in 2008 and wanted to be a teacher but no one was hiring at the time unless I wanted to move so I thought, what else can I do? I don’t want to wait tables the rest of my life! So I went on several ‘interviews’ including Herbalife! Read more>>
Ceara Siren
“I began making music independently, building everything from the ground up. With no studio or team, I taught myself guitar, production, and recording, eventually shaping a unique mix of neo-soul and trap. My journey is self-made — and that’s what gives my sound its edge.” Read more>>
Shambrika Burnley
I have scaled tax companies into million dollar companies just in their 2nd year of business. I have recieved awards for producing more funded returns than anyone in my category of prep dev. My first year we produced 2000 returns, second year 6000 and in my thrid year we are on track to produce 20000 funded returns. I was recently deemed “MISS PIPELINE’ by the rapper montana 700 himself. Read more>>
Courtney Bailey
Every step of the journey has come with its lessons, and each one has helped shape the path I am on today. Taking the leap to start Courtney Nickol & Associates was both exciting and humbling. It took faith and courage to trust that what was placed in my heart was possible — but that first step truly became the beginning of something beautiful. Read more>>
Sofia Martinez
I started Sparkly Maid Austin with a simple idea that grew into something much bigger than I ever expected. As a Latina woman building a service company from the ground up, I saw firsthand how many talented women in my community were overlooked or undervalued in traditional workplaces. Read more>>
Kristen Lassiter
A proud North Texas native, I grew up in the DFW area and graduated from Allen High School before pursuing my first passion—opera. I earned my Master’s degree in Opera Performance from the Boston Conservatory and spent several years performing with companies across the US. Read more>>
Kelly Mason
My journey was by no means linear, but consisted of small steps/choices/leaps of faith (emphasis on leaps of faith) that led me to the most fulfilling work I’ve ever done. The reader’s digest version is: I went to business school and got a BBA in Entrepreneurship. Read more>>
Shanel Gilbert
I always had an interest in cutting hair, Growing up I’ve had a creative side as I took art class from middle to highschool. I loved any opportunity to be creative and think of projects that were true and cool to me. At first, I wanted to be a tattoo artist who specialized in realism, until I tried, seeing it wasn’t my strongest trait. Read more>>
KeyReel Raskolenko
I began my musical journey at seven years old in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, at the kind of classical music school that existed all across the former Soviet Union. I completed the full 11-year program at the Special Music School named after V. A. Uspensky, where I not only studied violin but also added composition and symphony conducting. Read more>>
Raine Nox
In the shadow is the gold.’ I fell into personal training and life coaching almost by accident, but it has completely changed my life and subsequently, has allowed me to change the lives of so many others. It would be hard to understand how effective I have become, without understanding where I come from, I come from nothing. Read more>>
Susan Clark Abuk Makuac
There is a robust South Sudanese refugee population in the Dallas area. Our book tells the story of a young woman and her young children who survive exile, build community in a flooded refugee camp, and grow to become peace activists here and abroad. This is from the afterward of Women Caught in the Crossfire: One woman’s quest for peace in South Sudan. Read more>>
Tiara Curtis
Since I was younger, I’ve always had a passion and love for nails. I didn’t just wake up one day and decide to do this — it’s something that’s been in me for years. Read more>>
Jamie Gonzales
I am born and raised in Princeton, Texas and from a young age I knew I wanted to be an attorney. I always found it interesting to be able to advocate and make an argument to help someone or persuade someone to my way of thinking. Read more>>
Felix Castillo
PBH Productions was born from a deep love for house music that began during my travels—New York, Tulum, Europe, Miami—each destination shaping the way I connected with the sound. House music didn’t just entertain me; it matched my energy, my personality, and my style. But the true birth of PBH Productions came years later, during one of the most difficult moments of my life. Read more>>
Tralysia Dixon
Hello I’m Tralysia Dixon Born and raised in Mississippi Moved to Texas in 2019 . I’ve been in Texas for over 6 years now going on 7 years in 2026 . I started my very first business in 2020 during the pandemic as a lash tech in DFW – West of Fortworth tx . I’ve meet over 100 ladies from 2020-2025 doing lashes . Read more>>
Christine Trendel
I started my hairstylist journey back in 1985, working in a handful of small, independently owned salons while I learned the ropes and really discovered my love for doing hair. In 1994, I moved into a corporate salon setting, and honestly-thrived there. It was a great place to grow, learn, and connect with so many clients. Read more>>
Stenericke Henderson
Stomp Dogg is a seasoned artist with 20+ years of experience in the world of entertainment. He is known for his music career signing to “Off The Top Records” in 1999 being featured on various of artist albums and mixtapes. He later released a few albums and mixtapes under “Unitedsoundz and Swollent” from 2014 – 2019. Read more>>
Grow Wild Greenery owner: Kimberly Miller
Grow Wild Greenery sprouted during Covid—when the DFW skies cleared from pollution, owner Kimberly Miller felt a need to do something that would help both the community and the environment. After walking away from a waste-heavy industry in apparel production, she wanted to build a business rooted in purpose and community impact. Read more>>
Valeria Sulliotti
That intuition led me to delve into its history, science, and philosophy, especially its connection to Zen Buddhism and mindfulness, while training as a Tea Specialist. At the same time, I’m leveraging my technical and data science background to create, in the future, a system that will allow the study of tea cultivation from a data-driven perspective, incorporating machine learning and artificial intelligence. I want technology to engage with an ancient field like tea, providing tools to better understand its ecology, quality, and future. Read more>>
Erika Bullock
Absolutely. My journey into the travel industry didn’t begin with a business plan — it began with a deep love for seeing the world and a natural instinct for creating unforgettable experiences for the people around me. Read more>>
Sir Charles Miles-Frost
My story starts in a small town in East Texas called Commerce, where I went to college. When I was younger I always enjoyed taking photos of people but not of myself. When the pandemic hit in 2020, and everyone had to stay home I decided to take a risk and buy my first camera, a canon T7i. Read more>>
Raul Rivero
I have been in the communication industry for more than 35 years as a videographer, tv and digital content producer. On 2016, when I decided to move to Dallas, I transferred all my visual knowledge and storytelling to photography, where soon I found my own and different style and achieved some awards. Read more>>
David Gort
I am the Brand Developer and Chief Executive Officer at Optimismic and Gifts. I am also a Patient Access Specialist at Children’s Minnesota. Born in New York in December 1978. I was raised and educated in Milwaukee and Minnesota. Graduated from Southwest High School in 1997 and Graduated from Minnesota School of business in 2003. Starting working at Children’s on 2003 also. Read more>>
Dejarion Echols
I was formerly incarcerated and upon release chased my dream of entrepreneurship via barbershop.. Read more>>
Anne Elizabeth
I’ve always been creative and love working with my hands. I started making gemstone, Swarovski crystal and glass seed bead jewelry as a child and then moved into metals when I was 20. I taught myself and about a year later I realized I’d spent a few thousand dollars on tools and equipment and thought ‘maybe I could sell some to pay for my interest’. Read more>>
Suhaib Elhadi
My relationship with credit started very early. At 18, I became obsessed with doing things the “right” way. While most people my age were just figuring life out, I was building my first credit profile. By the time I turned 20, I had a 740+ credit score. I felt unstoppable. That score became the foundation for my first real leap into business. Read more>>
Alexandru Florea
The story of FootNet or Soccer Tennis started long before,it’s the story of a great and spectacular sport,also of a strong community and life experience. Read more>>
PORSHA ELLIOTT
From humble beginnings, I stepped into the tax industry simply on a desire to learn something new and create a better financial future for myself and my family. What started with preparing a few returns quickly grew into a passion—helping people navigate their finances, get clarity on their taxes, and receive refunds that truly changed their situation. Read more>>
Noelle Carter
Vibe was born at the intersection of frustration, faith, and a quiet knowing that I was meant for more. At the time, my lash technician was constantly traveling, and while the inconvenience seemed small, it sparked a deeper realization—I felt out of alignment in my career. I was working in Human Resources, successful by all outward measures, yet unfulfilled. Read more>>
Melissa Carrell
I have a BS Interior Design from UTA. I started in the wallpaper industry about 20 years ago under the founders of the business, Gary and Kathy Leland. During Covid their landlord sold their building and they decided to retire after 40+ years, so I bought a portion of the business. Read more>>
Roth Hinkle
I was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and grew up immersed in dentistry. My father was a general dentist, so I spent many summers working in his practice. By age 14 I already had my x-ray and polishing license, so I’ve known for as long as I can remember that dentistry was going to be my path. Read more>>
Rasheeda Chester-Arterberry
I started my journey in the U.S. Navy as a medic and recruiter, serving in Iraqi Freedom. Those experiences shaped my resilience, discipline, and sense of purpose, even through challenges that only God could carry me through. After retiring as a disabled veteran, I knew I wanted to rebuild my life in a way that created stability for my family and opportunities for others. Read more>>
Rubi Duran
Our story didn’t begin with a business plan. It began with a simple wish to raise our children with a good sense of work ethic, strong values, and an understanding of what it means to get involved. When our son started his first job in fast food, we weren’t really happy about it. Read more>>
Lisbeth McCarty
From the time I learned to read and hold a pen, I have been writing stories, poetry, and nonfiction. I was fortunate to have a job for almost 40 years. Read more>>
Jenice Owens
My name is Jenice Owens and I am originally from Sacramento, Ca. I grew up in a very musical and lively family. Since a child, I always had a deep passion for creativity. Starting with singing, tapping into poetry and ultimately writing. In my younger years, I was very fortunate to be able to sing and tour the county with a multicultural singing group. Read more>>
Meenu Sen
Originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, I hold a Master’s degree in Sociology from Tribhuvan University. Before entering the beauty industry, I spent over 11 years as a Nepali language instructor for foreigners, including teaching at the Denmark Embassy. That experience taught me the importance of understanding people from different cultures and connecting with them on a personal level—something I now bring into my work every day. Read more>>
Brooke Amaris
Being a photographer has been a dream growing in me for as long as I’ve been growing. At 5 years old, my biological dad would let me take photographs from his film Nikon, and by 7 years old I dreamt of being a photographer for Surfer Magazine. Read more>>
Nadia A
Chai by Nadiya started as a deeply personal expression of culture, comfort, and connection. What began in my kitchen as a way to share my love for authentic Karak and Kashmiri chai with friends and family quickly transformed into a growing brand rooted in warmth, tradition, and modern creativity. Growing up in Pakistan and living United Arab Emirates chai was more than a drink. Read more>>
Matt Williams
Honestly, I kind of fell into videography. After graduating college in 2018, I entered the workforce as a Junior Corporate Tax Analyst. I had my head down and my ears pinned back, ready to climb the corporate ladder. In the summer of 2021, I married my best friend, Alexandra Rich, and that’s when my life’s true course began to change. Read more>>
Cassy Lawson
I started Lawson Event Rentals from the dust back in 2013. I had been working in the industry as a planner and realized the need for a different type of event rental company in the market. I created a business plan for a full scale rental company, but knew I had to start with one type of product in order to start strong. Read more>>
Morgane Anderson
I’ve always been a romantic at heart. I was born in Paris, and even during my years practicing law, I was the person who paid attention to wedding dresses, venues, and the emotion behind beautifully crafted experiences. I always knew I wanted a big, meaningful wedding of my own one day. Read more>>
Allison Fifer
Founder and Lead Designer for POSH Home, I have completed the most comprehensive and intensive home staging and redesign certification course in North America provided by the Home Staging Resource which is headquartered in San Diego, California. Read more>>
John Hill
I grew up in Oak Cliff (Cedar Crest) and returned shortly after college to teach in Dallas ISD. After over a decade supporting leaders seeking political office, I’m happy to have found an opportunity with Housing Forward to combine fundraising, government relations, and public relations to transition people from homelessness to being back on their feet. Read more>>
Maya Jedlicka
My career choices and path have never been conventional or linear. I actually started my career in law. I earned three degrees and graduated from SMU School of Law. I only practiced for a little over a year after graduating before I ended up starting my first business. Read more>>
Mike Hewett
My story actually starts in a pretty traditional place: I went to college to study Business, and after graduating I worked as a management consultant on IT and digital-transformation projects for Fortune 500 companies. What most people didn’t know about me, though, is that long before any of that, I always wanted to be an artist. As a kid, that was the dream. Read more>>https://voyagedallas.com/interview/daily-inspiration-meet-mike-hewett
Nichole Nelson
It started in high school for me. I made the choice to attend Booker T. on a whim and managed to get in to the theatre cluster. At the time I wanted to become a writer and had no desire to act. Still don’t. What I didn’t see coming was enjoying my design classes more than my writing ones. Read more>>
Ana Martin
How I Found My Path in Dallas Real Estate My journey to real estate in Dallas began long before I ever imagined entering the industry. I was born in Moscow, Russia, where discipline and perseverance were shaped early through my years as a Junior Olympic figure skater and later through my classical music studies at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. Read more>>
Janna Johnson
Genial started as a small mobile notary service during a period where I needed stability, but it quickly became the bridge between my love for serving people and my new passion for digital consulting. What began as simple document work evolved into a premium, systems-driven experience where I guide clients through complex processes and help them feel taken care of from start to finish. Read more>>
