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.
Jai Midgette 
Yes of course, my journey started in high school when I developed an interest in fashion and clothing. Headed into my senior year I had decided that a career in fashion was something I seriously wanted to pursue, however I always saw that panning out as a small boutique owner or something that had to do with retail. Read more>>
Federico Malatesta
I grew up in Rome, Italy, studied political science and finance, then worked nearly fifteen years in the oil and gas industry in London, Moscow, and boardrooms across Europe and the Middle East. In my last corporate role, I was Chief Investment Officer for a major Moscow-based energy company, overseeing a $40 billion capital investment portfolio. Read more>>
Clinton Baker 
My story is rooted in service. I’m from Dallas, and as a Navy veteran and someone who has spent years working in public service, helping people has been a consistent part of my life. In 2015, I founded H.E.L.P.—Hope Encourage Love Protect—to put that commitment into action in my community. Read more>>
Kelvey Keys 
My journey as an esthetician has been one of growth, patience, and learning to believe in myself. I started my career in esthetics with a passion for skincare and helping people feel confident in their skin. Read more>>
Alacia Rester 
Twenty-five years ago, anxiety had me not even wanting to leave my house. I was a young mother trying to be there for my children while feeling overwhelmed myself. Meditation was where things began to change. It helped me quiet my mind, ground myself, and understand the empathic and intuitive gifts I hadn’t yet known how to embrace. Little by little, I began trusting myself. Read more>>
Sarah Harvey-Toth 
Our story started with a leap of faith. Ryan and I decided to take a chance on an idea we were passionate about and opened Narrow Escape in Granbury. What started as a small escape room business quickly grew into something much bigger. Read more>>
Kimberly Mendoza 
My journey in the beauty industry began back in 2019. I had enrolled in school to become a licensed esthetician. At the time I didn’t know where it was going to take me but I knew I had to build something for myself. After becoming licensed I got my first job, where I was introduced to lash extensions and fell in love with it. Read more>>
Mahogany Artis 
My journey has been filled with many seasons motherhood, entrepreneurship, fitness, grief, career changes, and rediscovering myself along the way. In 2018, I became a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and started my fitness business, The Art of Wellness. After experiencing significant physical pain and some of the deepest grief of my life, I eventually stepped away from fitness. Read more>>
Eric Ban 
I founded the Dallas County Promise (Promise) and the Economic Mobility Center (EMC). EMC helps Dallas and other communities drive regional system transformation to improve postsecondary and career outcomes aligned to regional workforce needs. EMC is a partnership of Dallas College and the Commit Partnership. Read more>>
Janette Wilkinson 
After relocating to the Dallas area and leaving behind a career as an electrical engineer in the semiconductor field, I wanted to do something creative. I never dreamed of it turning into my profession. I started making a few jewelry pieces – things I wanted to wear personally, but wasn’t finding. Read more>>
Gary McCoy
My business partner and I were working over a holiday at another firm that specialized in above code services (think LEED, NGBS, HERS, ETC). It was late 2017 when the scheduling woman in the office got a call from a GC that needed a Commercial Code inspection for a remodel of a retail space. Read more>>
Kyle Cannon 
I started hosting songs for my brother Lil $ega on SoundCloud in 2016 which then lead me to host tracks for other artist in Dallas after. So after two years of being an internet dj $ega and my gang told me it was time to pick up a real DJ board. Read more>>
Jon Marsland 
I’m Jon Marsland, and I’ve spent my career turning ideas into visual experiences. By day, I’m a Creative Director at Forge, where I oversee creative work connected to Hospitality Design magazine, BDNY, and HD Expo. But creativity doesn’t stop when the workday ends. Design has always been part of who I am and how I see the world. Read more>>
Faith Nwawuba 
Well, I was raised in Arlington Texas in a Nigerian household (Igbo to be exact) with both my parents and two younger siblings. I graduated from Lamar high school in 2009 and attended SFASU where I graduated with my BSN in 2014. Read more>>
Josette Golatt
I am the oldest child of Sadie and John Jenkins. My mother was a stay-at-home mom, and my father was an entrepreneur. I grew up in a loving home where creativity, faith, family, and entrepreneurship were a part of everyday life. My mother taught me a great deal through her example. Read more>>
Danesha Lopez 
I started my journey as a makeup artist when I was 19 years old. Makeup had always been a passion of mine growing up, and I knew it was something I wanted to pursue. I still remember booking my very first client for a wedding. Read more>>
Linda Feldman 
My co-founder, Logan, and I started Washed Up Goods out of pure necessity in 2024. We were both neck-deep in our own health journeys: extreme skin sensitivities like eczema, acne, and psoriasis, plus multiple autoimmune conditions. Read more>>
Veronica Jenkins 
Before there was EnstyledbyV, there was a young girl from Jackson, Mississippi who had already begun to understand that clothing could say something words sometimes could not. My name is Veronica Renee’ C. Jenkins, and I am the Founder and CEO of EnstyledbyV, a wardrobe stylist, creative director, model, and creative visionary. Read more>>
Santa George Campbell 
You have already written a story about me.as North Texas Santa® in 2022. Some of the babies I held for photos in the early years as Santa are now going into Junior High, and some of the older ones are in college. Many come back to see me at the Shops at Clearfork in Fort Worth, where I am appearing for the ninth season. Read more>>
Donna Rosen 
I started in the real estate industry more than 20 years ago, and my career has taken me through nearly every side of a transaction. I began in mortgage, working in processing, underwriting and loan origination. I eventually transitioned into escrow and title, and that’s where I really found my passion. Read more>>
Erica Murphy 
For me, ELM Interiors is about more than creating a beautiful room—it’s about helping someone see the potential in their space and giving them the confidence to bring that vision to life. Because ELM is a virtual interior design studio, I’ve been very intentional about creating an experience that still feels personal and collaborative. Read more>>
Jo Cummings 
The vision began with the challenges of 2020 and the potential of an appealing location. I wanted to at least begin to find and create ways of fostering community and better supporting each other (small businesses). Bird Post was born. The name plays on the hub of a trading post and flocks of community. Read more>>
Michael Anthony
Jen and I started Michael Anthony Photography in 2011 in Los Angeles. We began with weddings, and the studio grew into a full-service portrait practice. Our work has always combined a cinematic approach to lighting with an emphasis on the people in front of the camera. Today, we have private studios in McKinney, Texas, and Valencia, California. Read more>>
Alisha Rosenthal 
I started Spa 31 in the spring of 2015 as a part-time massage therapist and esthetician, working out of one small rented room while homeschooling my three children with my husband. I didn’t have a grand plan for a 4,000-square-foot spa; I just kept learning, listening to clients, and building the kind of place where people could feel cared for. Read more>>
Alfonso Gioia 
My professional journey began 9 years ago, though I’ve been painting for as long as I can remember. The result of my very first canvas is completely different from my latest work-my artistic language, my line work, and my overall body of work have evolved over the years through countless projects. Self taught in my process, I’ve found a very distinct and signature language. Read more>>
LeToy Newsome 
I never imagined that losing my mom would eventually lead me to build a business around something she gave me as a child: a love of travel. My mom loved to travel. She took me on my first trip to Hawaii when I was just three years old, and some of my most beautiful childhood memories are of seeing the world with her. Read more>>
Tom Scott
My story really starts in California, long before I ever imagined I would build a career in precious metals. I have always been drawn to businesses where knowledge, trust, and relationships matter. In California, I owned and operated a successful luxury watch company and also worked in the mortgage industry. Read more>>
Mike Hamill 
About 15 years ago, I noticed the rise of the Tribute shows starting to be noticed a lot more. It used to primarily be Elvis or The Beatles for the most part. Read more>>
CLAUDIA FERNANDEZ 
I was born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, and moved to Texas when I was five years old. My parents came to this country hoping to create more opportunities for our family. Growing up, I watched them work hard, make sacrifices, and navigate the challenges of starting over somewhere new. Read more>>
Myhria Gorman 
My journey in the beauty industry began as a makeup artist. As my passion grew, I expanded into lashes and brows, then began teaching other women how to develop their skills and start their own beauty businesses. Since then, I’ve trained over 600 women, which has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career. Read more>>
Courtney Benson 
I got into real estate more than a decade ago during a season when my family needed something to change. I had two young kids, $237 in our bank account, and I spent $199 of it on a Groupon for real estate school. It was a huge gamble at the time, but it ended up changing the trajectory of my life. Read more>>
Jose Vicente Díaz Martínez 
My interest in astronomy began when I was very young, at just nine years old, after watching Carl Sagan’s *Cosmos* series. That experience sparked a curiosity in me that has stayed with me throughout my life and eventually became both my profession and one of my greatest passions. Read more>>
Kim Bransdon 
My story has taken me from corporate leadership in Australia to building a business in Dubai and working globally, with a fair amount of reinvention along the way. I spent much of my career in media, marketing, sales and retail, working my up to executive and C-suite level. Read more>>
Brigitte Minucci 
In May 2002, the DFW Curling Club began with a simple goal: bring the sport of curling to the Dallas–Fort Worth area. In those early years, we were a club without a home of our own. We rented ice wherever we could find it and worked together to create opportunities for people across North Texas to discover curling. Read more>>
ProblematicJam ‘PJ’
‘To start off, I go by ‘PJ,’ though my close friends know me as Lightskin. lol I was born and raised in Dallas by a single Black mother who did everything she could to keep me afloat through all my BS. Read more>>
Pasha Jimenez-Spann 
What started as a love for elevated spaces and intentional details blossomed into a brand centered around warmth, romance and celebration. Although my boutique is rooted in sophistication and everyday luxury, my true passion lies in designing wedding unity candles that symbolize love, connection and the beginning of a lifelong journey together. Read more>>
Soniya Punatar 
My background is actually in Supply Chain Management, and I spent many years working in the retail industry before having my two boys. Once they started school, I found myself thinking about what I wanted to do next. Read more>>
Jasmine Chase 
I actually started filing taxes in 2020. Prior to that year, I took a class out in Houston to get guidance on how to open up a boutique. The lady over the class told me I need to get into taxes. I was like noooo thank you. Read more>>
Leah Sawyer 
My dad has been a musician his entire life, and I am really fortunate that he got me into music from the time I could hold a fiddle. I grew up playing with my family band, and by the time I was 14, I was regularly playing with Country and Western Swing bands around Texas. Read more>>
Katherine Castro 
I’ve always been a creative person and a storyteller at heart. I started my career in marketing and content creation, working with brands, organizations, and individuals to figure out how to communicate who they are in a way that actually connects with people. Read more>>
Ana Laura Goldar 
I am a singer and songwriter from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I was born in Mar del Plata, a seaside city in Argentina, South America. I loved music from a young age; I enjoyed singing and playing the guitar. During my teenage years, I took my first steps into the music world by joining local bands. Read more>>
Monica Aguilera 
I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, most of whom were contractors or worked in the construction industry, so business and construction were always part of my world. I was also introduced to technology very early because of my dad. Read more>>
Sarah Bouloy 
My story began at six years old, when I was removed from my home along with my three younger brothers. We were placed in an orphanage and later adopted into another family. From an early age, I experienced the pain of feeling disconnected from where I came from and uncertain about where I belonged. Read more>>
Kellie Block 
My career began as an Interior Designer at The Home Depot EXPO, where I built a strong foundation in kitchen, bath, and home design. From there, I gained diverse experience in hospital design with Anderson Architecture, mega-yacht design with Shelley Interiors, salon design with SECO, and furniture store design as a Store Designer for Crate & Barrel. Read more>>
Jaheem Jordan 
I’ve been a creative all my life. Since a kid I would watch a lot of music videos on MTV while others watched cartoons. One day my dad brought me a toy keyboard and at that moment I knew that’s what I needed to do. I come from a family full of musicians so it was quite natural that I started creating myself. Read more>>
Leonardo Garcia 
The first photo I ever posted was of a soccer field about nine years ago, while I was out with my friends. I didn’t know it then, but that picture was the beginning of a creative interest I would keep coming back to. I spent the years that followed taking pictures, experimenting, and building a portfolio. Read more>>
Loreta Pytka 
After having my second daughter, I knew I didn’t feel like myself anymore. I was exhausted, had significant brain fog, very little energy or stamina, and struggled with low libido. I was working, raising my family, and doing everything I needed to do—but I didn’t feel well. Read more>>
James Vives 
I started Brushfire Farms in farmers markets in SATX in late 2018. It originally began with a Chile Pequin jam recipe from our Mom, which she would hand out as gifts during the holidays. In 2019, I got our four different pepper jams into all Central Markets and went full-time Brushfire Farms. Read more>>
Jenai Thomas 
My life today exists in Dallas, TX, somewhere between scrubs and suitcases. I’m a registered nurse, flight attendant, and content creator, and somehow these three parts of my life that may seem completely unrelated have come together to tell one story—mine. I’m originally from Montgomery, Alabama, and nursing was the first career that truly shaped me. Read more>>
Jordyn Shetzline
Bare Skin MedSpa & Wellness was created in my mind long before it ever became a physical place. Today, it is a beautiful little med spa in Glen Rose, Texas, built around something I believe deeply in: wellness, confidence, connection, and helping people feel comfortable in their own skin. Read more>>
Gregory Baker
Dad had brought home from WWII a 16mm military issue film camera…and he made lots of home movies. Watching those home movies during the holidays and family gatherings became a thrilling and time-travel tradition. Mother’s artistic and classical musical training rounded out the entertainment and aesthetic development I needed. Read more>>
