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.
Bridgette Marshall
I studied Fashion Marketing at El Centro College, and while I was in school, I started my first retail job at Crossroads Trading Co. What began as an entry-level role quickly turned into a passion, and over the years I worked my way up to Store Manager. During my time at Crossroads, I built strong relationships within the Greenville Avenue retail and resale community. Read more>>
AL-B Anderson
I started making music because I genuinely love creating. Over time, I became passionate about audio engineering and helping other artists bring their ideas to life. What started as producing beats and recording music eventually grew into Vibe Lab, a creative space where artists can record, collaborate, and develop their careers. Read more>>
Michael Pointer
I am a fourth generation artist. I received my first camera at age nine and began working in the darkroom when I was twelve.. I have won numerous awards for photography and drawing, as well as exhibiting extensively in the United States, Taiwan, and Europe. Read more>>
Ashley Weber
From since I could remember I’ve always been creative & a “think outside the box” type of girl. That mindset ultimately led me to make one of the biggest decisions of my life & drop out of college in 2018 to pursue a career that genuinely excited me. From there I enrolled into esthetics school in 2019, with my main passion being eyelash extensions. Read more>>
Eddie Rubalcaba
As a Mexican-raised man, I’ve grown up with music my whole life, from classic Mariachi to Spanish Pop like Shakira, to classic rock tunes like Caifanes and Mana. I always knew music was a big part of my life. Read more>>
Princess Kate
I spent 10 years teaching special education and loved every bit of it. When my twins were born, I stepped away to manage the beautiful chaos of early motherhood. About two years in, during the restful pockets of the day when the twins were napping, I felt this pull to start painting again. Read more>>
Foday Conteh
My journey has not been a straight line, but sports, learning, and helping people perform at their best have always been at the center of it. One of my earliest childhood memories is experiencing performance anxiety at five years old during a kindergarten swim meet. We had practiced for months, and I had never had an issue getting into the pool. Read more>>
Carolyn Alvey
As a teenager, I knew I wanted a career in public relations even before I fully understood what PR was and how to get started. I have always loved telling stories, meeting people, and creating strategy. My dad was in the Air Force so we moved around throughout my childhood. I learned to adapt to new places, people and situations. Read more>>
Dawn Aviles
I’ve always believed that food has a unique way of bringing people together. After spending more than 20 years working in healthcare, I was ready to explore a more creative side of myself while still creating experiences that made people feel cared for. What started as a passion for creating beautiful charcuterie boards for family and friends quickly turned into Vivi’s Boards Charcuterie. Read more>>
Kathleen Benanti
People often assume I always knew I wanted to become a massage therapist, but that’s not really my story. I’m a Jersey girl who headed to the University of South Florida, where I immersed myself in sociology, research methods, anthropology, and women’s studies. I fully expected to continue into academia and eventually earn a PhD. Read more>>
Carol Espejo, MD
As a specialist, I was used to treating specific medical conditions with Botox — chronic migraines, muscle spasticity, and other conditions where precision mattered as much as clinical judgment. It started with a simple request from a friend. She was already receiving Botox for chronic migraines and asked, half-jokingly, if she could use the ‘leftover’ units on her wrinkles. Read more>>
Arines Varela
My story began with content creation. I started sharing my life, my creativity, and the things I genuinely love on social media, and over time, that opened the door to reconnect with something I had always been passionate about: flowers. I had already spent many years working in the floral industry, so I had the experience, knowledge, and love for the craft. Read more>>
Jose Mejia
I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, and started Mejia’s Renovations with the goal of building something my family could be proud of. What began as taking on small projects has grown into a trusted business through hard work, quality craftsmanship, and treating every customer like family. Today, we’re proud to serve homeowners throughout the Dallas area and surrounding communities. Read more>>
Kim Layton
I often joke that I accidentally found my career, but looking back, I realize every step prepared me for exactly where I was meant to be. I started in the beauty industry at 15 years old as a shampoo assistant after school. My family didn’t have many luxuries, but getting our hair done was something we valued. Read more>>
Trae Turner
I’m part street dancer, part artist, part educator. I learned to dance on the streets of Chicago, trained as a professional in LA, and learned how to teach and educate as an instructor at the prestigious Lou Conte Dance Studio for over a decade. Read more>>
Melanie McDonald
Mane to Tail Therapy of Texas, Inc. was founded by a mother-daughter team who shared two lifelong passions—horses and helping others find their voice. Together, they envisioned a place where the remarkable movement of a horse could become a powerful pathway to communication, confidence, and hope. Read more>>
Destini Jordan
I have always had a passion for helping girls and women and creating spaces where they feel seen, heard, and empowered. For a long time, however, I did not know how—or in what capacity—I wanted to pursue that passion. Read more>>
Jabri Henry
GreenList Services LLC really started with my dad, Derrick Henry. Before launching the company, he spent several years in property preservation. While working, he noticed commercial landscaping trucks/crews maintaining highways and public spaces, which inspired him to learn more about the industry. Originally his plan was to start the business with a friend, but those plans fell through. Read more>>
Barry Hurley
I founded Emerald Medical School after spending 10+ years in the medical field. In a previous company I owned, we hired medical professionals and found that many lacked the necessary training and skills that are required for patient care. My goal was to create a better educational program but I also noticed that there were some other major issues when it came to medical education. Read more>>
Chetali Shah
Wedding Elegance NYC was born from a passion for creating unforgettable celebrations that honor culture, family, and meaningful experiences. What began as a love for planning events has grown into a luxury wedding planning company specializing in South Asian, multicultural, and destination weddings across the United States and around the world. Read more>>
Jake Drew
I have always been fascinated by finding patterns in complex information. That curiosity led me into a career in data mining long before the term ‘data scientist’ became commonplace. For more than fifteen years, I developed predictive models and analytical systems in the banking industry before earning a Ph.D. in Computer Science. Read more>>
Kevin Singh
My Father was a pilot. His stories about flying and visiting far-flung places intrigued everyone around him. He commanded respect and admiration from everyone around him. That’s it; that was my start into aviation. Then, around 2006, I flew as a captain of a business jet and went around the world, eventually ending up taking a position in the Middle East and Asia. Read more>>
Logan Cuellar
The whole idea of chamoy candy started as a snack whenever I was younger I seen people make them and thought oh yeah I can do that too. Started small at first just making a bowl and trying different gummies then it started getting bigger with my family & friends asking me to make batches for birthday parties & get-togethers. Read more>>
Drip Kultur
Born and raised in Michigan City, Indiana, and now operating out of Dallas, Texas, my story is built on the intersection of raw audio production and immersive visual storytelling. Performing and producing under the name Drip Kultur—and handling beat production as Drip Cookedit—I built my foundation by crafting, recording, and mixing trap, rap, and R&B tracks. Read more>>
Eiasha Jaura
I’m a millennial mom, former makeup artist, and beauty enthusiast who found a career in healthcare after my health took an unexpected turn. Beauty has always been my creative outlet. It’s something I’ve loved for as long as I can remember, and creating content allows me to reconnect with that passion while helping other women. Read more>>
Jim Wilson
I’ve always felt equally drawn to architecture and art. Both have shaped the way I see the world and the way I approach creative work. I studied architecture at the University of Texas at Austin and later earned a Master of Architecture from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Read more>>
Aaron Manes
For the first fifteen years of my career, I worked in the music industry in marketing and communications. I had the opportunity to work with artists, labels, and entertainment companies, helping tell stories and connect people with music that mattered to them. It was creative, fast-paced work that taught me a great deal about communication, leadership, and building community. Read more>>
Ashley Rossi
Starting out I was not interested in the traditional college pathway. I decided to do esthetics and after gaining 15 years of experience and training under a master lash trainer for two and a half years I opened Lashley Lash in 2019! Read more>>
E & Crys Smith MellowScents
MellowScents started from a genuine love for fragrance. I was introduced to fragrance oils and started wearing them myself. Everywhere I went, people would stop me to ask what I was wearing. After hearing compliment after compliment, I thought, “Why not share this goodness with the world?” What began as a small side hustle quickly grew into something much bigger. Read more>>
Knadijah Campbell
My journey into social media marketing started with a passion for helping small businesses show up online with confidence. I noticed that many incredible businesses had amazing products and services but struggled to communicate their value online. What began as helping a few local businesses quickly grew into Tailored Socials, a full-service social media marketing agency specializing in content strategy, creation, and brand storytelling. Read more>>
Kevin Messica aka SKVLEZ
I first began my musical journey as a kid exploring tons of different genres and styles that I was exposed to and falling in love with the art of it all. In middle school I got the opportunity to play the saxophone which thaught me a ton about music theory and live music. Read more>>
Toni Busby
I grew up in a broken and dysfunctional home environment where drugs, alcohol, divorce, domestic violence, and child sexual abuse became a ‘norm’. I often felt unsafe and invisible. Patterns of unhealthy choices, shattered lives and unhealed hearts were handed down from one generation to the next, as if it were a badge of honor or a legacy not worth protecting. Read more>>
Jacklyn Asenath
Since I was a little girl, my dream was always to be an Entrepreneur. I remember sitting in my 7th grade classroom and the teacher writing the word ‘ENTREPRENEUR’ on the board. I didn’t even fully understand what an Entrepreneur was, but I knew I wanted to be one. I’ve always enjoyed building, creating, and helping others. Read more>>
Laurie Dodic
My business partner and I worked retail together back 15 years ago. Josh then went on to work for a general contractor as Director of Operations. I followed him there and became Director of Development. The owner of the company wanted to sell us his business. Read more>>
Andrea Maher
About Adelphos Cellars: Nestled in the heart of Lubbock, Texas, Adelphos Cellars offers something rare among Texas wedding venues: a space built not as a business venture, but as a legacy. The story starts in the mid-1990s, when the Irwin and Conklin families met at a small church in Idalou, Texas. What began as friendship grew into a thirty-year partnership. Read more>>
Candace Carew
Let me start from the beginning…. when I was 12 years old, my parents asked if we should build a house, with our actual hands. Without hesitation, I gathered my entire savings, probably 4 rolls of pennies, lol (I got $2 per month allowance). I pushed the rolls across the table, like a high-stakes game of poker and said ‘I’m all in… Read more>>
Shaheer Naqvi
My producing partner Mason Jendel and I met in high school in AV class. We were among the few students that actually cared about the work we were doing and making short films and music videos. Unfortunately instead of joining forces and working together as a team, we saw each other as rivals and constantly tried to one up one another. Read more>>
Andrea Aceves
I’m Andrea Aceves, 23 years old, raised in McKinney, Texas. I am a licensed esthetician specializing in waxing and the founder of Drea Beauty, a cosmetic brand built around intentional beauty rituals and slowing down to appreciate the little moments. I have always known I wanted to be in the beauty industry. Read more>>
Kym Jenkins
People often assume my story started with marketing. Truth is, it started with curiosity. I’ve always been fascinated by why people care about certain things. Why do some brands become movements while others become background noise? Why do some experiences stay with you for years while others are forgotten before you make it to the parking lot? Read more>>
Abbie Oswalt
I’ve always believed that the best celebrations tell a story. Long before I became a wedding planner, I was drawn to the details that make people feel seen, celebrated, and cared for. After graduating from Southern Methodist University, I began my career with an event design company in Dallas, where I learned the art of creating beautiful events from the ground up. Read more>>
Margaret Randall
I’ve never been someone who handled working for other people well. I (literally) cannot tell you the amount of times I quit a job simply because I didn’t want to be there; I felt a feeling of being in quicksand the second I would clock in and patiently count down the 8 hours until I was home free. Read more>>
Caitlin Burge
From Clinic to Consultant: Bridging the Gap Between Healthcare and Insurance For years, my world revolved around the inner workings of the healthcare system. Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Texas Tech, I started in the trenches of clinical operations, managing the critical, often complex, data that keeps patient care moving. Read more>>
KRISTY MAXWELL ANDREW ROGERS
Soul Ties Marketing didn’t start in a boardroom. It started with a woman who had spent fifteen years learning what makes people pay attention. Before founding the agency, Kristy Maxwell built a career in advertising, fifteen years of understanding how brands capture hearts, shift behaviour, and turn strangers into loyal customers. Read more>>
Cory Nickels
Growing up in Lewisville, Texas, I didn’t have the chance to experience truly great pizza. Like many kids in Texas, I enjoyed the familiar options—Cici’s and Domino’s were staples for me. Back then, I never imagined I’d venture into the world of authentic pizza. My journey began 17 years ago at Cavalli Pizzeria, the first wood-fired pizzeria in Irving, Texas. Read more>>
Brian Clendenen
I became an entrepreneur out of necessity, not ambition. In 2010 within one year, I was fired from two jobs, and I was the sole provider for my family with two small children. Read more>>
Kenny Vallenca
Hi! My name is Kenny Vallenca, and I’m a storyboard artist currently based in Dallas, Texas. I’ve been working in the animation industry since 2019, contributing to TV shows, games, short films, children’s book illustrations, and design. Most of my career has been at Disney Television, where I worked on *The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder*, created by Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar. Read more>>
Shumaila Kidwai
Last time we spoke, I was in the middle of taking off my photography page which I was able to but, then also started focusing on taking time to invest into my small scaled social media agency shucollective&co. It took rebranding and a lot of work but, I finally got time to sit down and come up with a solid name that’ll stick through. Read more>>
Bre Hodges
I’ve always been passionate about building community and creating opportunities for others. Throughout my career, I’ve been driven by the belief that representation matters and that when we lift others up, we strengthen entire industries. A few years ago, when I began my career in aviation, I attended a meeting with about 35 people. Read more>>
