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.
Apoua Tonga n/a
1 years ago in 2015, we created TOLOA Polynesian Dance; to preserve, perpetuate & promote our South Pacific cultures. Not only did I want to start this group to preserve our culture, but I wanted my daughter to know and always remember who she is and where she comes from. Read more>>
Raymar Dugarte
I am a Venezuelan woman who arrived in the United States in 2019 with my husband and our two year old son, full of dreams, faith, and a deep desire to start over. We arrived without help and without a support network, but with a very clear conviction to do things right from the beginning, legally and correctly. Read more>>
Dr. Evelyn Okunoghae, DNP
I have been in the medical field for almost 3 dacades now. I started out as a patient care technician (PCT) in a hemodialysis center. A year later I enrolled into a Licensed Vocational Nursing Program and shortly afterwards progressed through Registered Nursing program. Read more>>
Yuri Mendoza
My story began the day I had my brows done for the first time—it completely changed the way I saw the beauty industry. As a teen mom, finances were extremely tight during and after graduating high school, and without access to financial aid, my studies came to a stop. Read more>>
Demi Oloyede
I started my journey as a first-generation immigrant, moving to the U.S. with very little and learning early how to be resourceful. As a student, I worked cleaning jobs to support myself, which gave me a firsthand look at how fragmented and inequitable the facilities and cleaning industry can be, especially for frontline workers and small operators. After college, I joined the U.S. Read more>>
Linda Reichart
Sister of Grace Ministry originated from a calling from God placed on the heart of the founder and Executive Director of Sisters of Grace, and herself, a domestic abuse survivor. Linda Reichart’s experience of abuse was physical, emotional, and sexual. Little or no resources were available in the 1970’s, and therefore she suffered alone. She was eventually able to escape her abuser. Read more>>
Christina Robins
Into The Well Collective began during COVID, when founder Ellen James started training neighbors and friends in her garage. In a time marked by isolation and uncertainty, she witnessed firsthand how powerful it could be to move together, support one another, and prioritize wellness, in community. That experience planted the seed for something much bigger. Read more>>
Cara García
Sid would see something and recreate it. My father made dream catchers, leather clothes, tooled leather goods, hog traps and dabbled in silversmithing. The list could go on. When I was younger i didn’t imagine I could make such intricate items with my hands but as I got older well more like in my early thirties I knew I wanted to add artistry to my resumé. I wanted to create something tangible Read more>>
Danni Davis
My confidence as a spiritual being having a human experience has always been based on my family allowing me to play & discover. To be able to discover not only myself but to discover and uncover who we both are at the exact same time. We are the same person. We are each other. Read more>>
Dr. Twanda Wadlington, DrPH, MPH
I am a proud Memphis native, and my journey has always been rooted in a desire to strengthen communities and expand what is possible for people who have been historically overlooked. That passion first took shape at Fisk University, where I studied Biology and began to understand how science, community, and lived experience intersect to shape health outcomes. Read more>>
Jehad Wadi
My journey began 14 years ago when I left Syria and immigrated to the United States. I settled in Minneapolis, which I now proudly call home. I initially worked with my uncles while earning my master’s degree in Strategic Management and Leadership. After that chapter, I started my own family—I got married and was blessed with two beautiful daughters, who now work alongside me. Read more>>
Angela Omezie
I was a teen mom who wanted something different for my children. I started working in social services at the age of 20 and knew helping others was something I was meant to do. I spent many years working on social services before going to school to obtain my degree to become a counselor. I believe in the saying ‘wellness begats wellness’. Read more>>
Brenda Shults-Umfleet
My late husband’s mother, Edwina E. Shults, started this business in 1986 in a tiny corner of Cavenaugh’s Flight Museum. I started working with her after disability forced my military retirement in 2002. She is my best friend, my advisor… she is simply one of the most amazing women I know. She was even my matron of honor at my recent wedding. Read more>>
Savannah Castillo
Fox and Raven Mead was found in 2022 by Savannah and Bryce a husband and wife team. After going trying mead at a local renaissance faire, we tried to find some mead to enjoy at home but it seemed like a variety in mead in North Texas was hard to find. This was around 15 years ago. Read more>>
Brooke Coffman
My love for all things beautiful started when I was a little girl. Some of my happiest memories are going with my mom and grandmother to pick out fabrics for whatever they were sewing at the time. I can still picture standing in the fabric store, running my hands over the textures, admiring the patterns, and watching them talk through which print would work best. Read more>>
Tania Cantu
As I got older, I started noticing how most of my family struggled with their health too. Diabetes, high blood pressure, triglycerides, even open-heart surgery. And I don’t want that to be my future. Even though I was an athlete as a kid, I started changing how I ate, how I paid attention to my body as a teenager. Read more>>
Nabile Chahine
After getting several requests from relatives and friends to video their weddings, and all of them indicted the cost of hiring a professional videographer is the reason for asking, I realized that those who do not want to, or cannot, spend the market prices for a video of their wedding have few options available to them. Read more>>
Landon Sanders
Ten years ago, I landed on Phone 1st Stop after two separate incidences of being laid off in IT, and something clicked. I realized that as long as I was working for someone else, my financial survival was just a line item on a stranger’s spreadsheet. Read more>>
Kaila Cummings
My journey into body sculpting started in a way I never expected — with skepticism. A friend offered me three free sessions, and I agreed mostly because they were free. I went in with no expectations and didn’t truly believe I’d see results, so when I actually started noticing changes, I was genuinely surprised. That experience sparked something in me. Read more>>
India Boston-Johnson
India Boston-Johnson is the Founder and CEO of Empowering Young Parents Inc. (EYP), a nonprofit organization created to uplift, support, and advocate for young parents and their children. EYP was born out of lived experience and a deep understanding of the challenges young parents face. My parents were young parents . Read more>>
Nidhi Mittal
Nidhi Catering first opened its kitchen doors in 2019 out of a small deli kitchen in an office building serving authentic North Indian food. Since then, we have moved to Allen into a bigger kitchen with an even expanded menu serving quality food. Nidhi Catering specializes in North Indian food with diverse menu options available which include Indo-Chinese, Indo-Mexican, chaats, live counters and much more. Read more>>
Lady Janice Duterte
I have been a nurse for over 20 years, working in hospitals and acute care settings. Everything changed when I entered home health three years ago. For the first time, I truly saw my patients’ lives—many were vulnerable, living alone, and trying to manage complex health needs without support. That’s when I realized this was my purpose. Read more>>
Ryan Strobel
Growing up in Collin County, I first discovered the DFW Bills Backers around 2012. My father, his family, and even my mother are all from Western New York, so I was raised a Buffalo Bills fan through the late ’80s and early ’90s—yes, during the four consecutive Super Bowl years. Read more>>
Mario Esparza Jr
I grew up in Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas, and was raised primarily by my grandparents after my parents separated at a very young age. We were broke, but my grandparents were loving, hardworking, and deeply rooted in traditional Hispanic values. Read more>>
Traelon Genie Johnson
I go by The Genie and “ My clients wish is my command” I describe myself as a therapist with a pair of clippers I am 24 years old from NorthDallas Tx born and raised I went to lakehighlands high-school and played footballI. Read more>>
Kristina Robertson
Founded in 2011 and located in Fort Worth, Texas, Project 4031 is an unduplicated nonprofit providing no-cost services to terminally ill children and adults considered hospice eligible with a life expectancy of six months living in the North Texas community. Read more>>
Irwin Kaufman
The idea was started by the Temple Shalom Brotherhood to support our congregation’s youth programs. It expanded over the years to reach a broader community and support other non-profit organizations. This year was our most successful year as partnering with the Vogel Alcove energized a new group within our community that we had not been able to support in the past. Read more>>
Austin Pruett
I definitely didn’t set out to own an auto detailing business. In 2020, I graduated from Southwestern Seminary with three master’s degrees. The plan was either a PhD or a teaching role. The PhD meant relocating, and teaching jobs basically froze overnight because of COVID. At the same time, I was working in dental insurance, and that industry took a hit fast. Read more>>
Heather Reams
I started professionally photographing with one simple goal in mind: to make sure people could have beautiful photos of life’s most magical moments without feeling overwhelmed or priced out. Read more>>
Lea Genders
I am a personal trainer, board-certified health coach, and workplace wellness consultant. My story began over twenty years ago when I was working a high-stress corporate job. I had developed some poor habits, gained weight, and did not feel like myself. I started running with the initial goal of changing my body, but the process ended up changing my whole life. Read more>>
Stephanie Riggs
I am honored to be the Artistic & Educational Director for Our Productions Theatre Co., a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, a position that I’ve held for more than three decades. I am an award winning actor/singer/dance/director/producer and a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association – the union of professional actors and stage managers. I hold a B.F.A. from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Read more>>
Gloria Garnica
My name is Gloria Garnica and I was born in Oxnard, California and raised in Dallas, Texas. I started my business in march of 2020. I have been wanting to do your nails for a while and i kept watching you-tube videos like LongHairPrettyNails she was and still is one of my favorite Nail techs! Read more>>
Heather Bryant
In 2020 I decided to fully commit to letting my heart guide my life’s path. I learned how to receive its messages and take action inspired by its desires. I quit my hospital job and went to massage school. Every step of the way my heart showed me the next direction. I felt drawn to certain modalities that felt exciting and energizing. Read more>>
Brad Jensen
Art is one of the longest relationships I’ve had in my life spanning more than forty years. It began with my father, who painted signs and race cars. From the time I was six years old, he made space for me in his shop, inviting me to create alongside him. Read more>>
Dederia Awagu
Pulse Perspectives was born from my desire to make healthcare more compassionate, accessible, and human. After years of navigating the system both personally and alongside others, I saw how overwhelming, confusing, and isolating it can be for patients and families. My own experiences showed me not just the gaps in care, but the profound difference it makes when someone feels heard, supported, and advocated for. Read more>>
William Davis
Meet William Davis—a man who’s spent 38 years not just leading teams (maintaining a 90+% retention rate), but lifting them up. With a career that spans the heights of corporate America, William has become a trusted voice in leadership, blending decades of experience with a genuine passion for guiding others. Read more>>
Rick Jaynes
After thirteen years of employment at a corporately owned funeral home in Duncanville, Rick Jaynes along with his wife, Laura, felt the need to open their own funeral chapel, and offer local families another choice of funeral care. The property next door to Merrywood School was purchased from Mrs. Peggy Ogden, a dear friend. Their agreement was made on a handshake. Read more>>
traci darden
After receiving my Bachelors degree in Interior Design, I moved to the north Dallas area with my husband and began chasing my passion for utilizing my design skills within the construction of custom homes. I developed relationships with several custom builders, spent many hours on jobsites seeing processes in person to truly understand how my designs impacted the final product. Read more>>
Lorna Reddicks
For four years I ran a successful coffee shop in the metro Atlanta area called Lillian’s Sit ‘N’ Sip Coffee Shop. Lillian was my mother and my best friend who loved coffee. Coffee brewing was the savory aroma I would wake up to every morning as a child. Read more>>
Aubrey Richardson
When people ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always had a variety of answers. I wanted to be a marine biologist, Britney Spears, and a Supreme Court justice before I wanted to be a therapist. The type of therapist has changed over time as I have learned more about myself and navigated the mental health space. Read more>>
Shannon Burke
RDS is a proud three generation — soon to be four generation — family business with deep roots, strong values, and a clear vision for the future. Our story began in 1996 when my grandfather, Don Stricklin, founded the company with a simple mission: install high quality residential doors with honesty, craftsmanship, and care. Read more>>
Lauren Diaz
I began with getting my master’s degree in social work in 2015 with plans to work with non-profit organizations. It wasn’t until I began working towards my clinical licensure that I had even considered working in private practice. Read more>>
Christy Le
I started the nail industry maybe a little over twenty years ago when i was 19 years old as a nail tech and slowly built my way up to my own salon. over time i’ve had three salons in charlotte and have grown to work with other people and growing our salon. Read more>>
