The heart of our mission at VoyageDallas is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our city. In the recent weeks we’ve had the privilege to connect with some of the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s finest artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with our city’s incredibly deep talent pool. Check out Arlington’s rising stars below.
Wendy Sanchez
I am a graphic designer born and raised in the DFW metroplex. I realized my passion for design in elementary school when I would design clothes for my Barbies with duct tape and build houses out of paper cups for my Beanie Babies. I even started a keychain selling business that lasted a whole 3 weeks in 5th grade, complete with Microsoft Paint business cards. I’ve always been an ambitious soul, coming up with crazy ideas and letting my excitement run with them. Read More>>
Joel Hancock
I’d managed West Side Cafe for almost 20 years when the Tracey, the owner and one of my closest friends, unexpectedly passed away. In August of 2023, I purchased the restaurant with a group of investors, including my son, Brian, Bourke Harvey, and Gigi Howell, from Tracey’s brother. Read More>>
Bobbye Hill
I’m proudly from Tyler, Texas (the Rose Capital of the world). I graduated from John Tyler High School; I was very involved in athletics (football, basketball & baseball). With multiple opportunities to play college sports, I decided to “walk on” as an unsigned basketball prospect & attended Tyler Junior College. The transition from high school to college (academically & athletic) was an adjustment. Read More>>
Colleen Akoto
I’ve always been a creative person for as long as I can remember. I was introduced to photography at the age of 8 before I had moved back to the states, but I really started taking it serious my freshman year of high school. I had joined a photojournalism class and yearbook that made me fall back in love with the art of taking pictures. My uncle gifted me with my first camera at the start of my sophomore year, and with that, I started taking pictures of family’s birthday parties, my friends, and sports games that would occur on campus to improve. Read More>>
Anthony Walker
Growing up in a small town where opportunities seemed scarce, and adversity loomed at every corner, my childhood was marked by challenges that could have easily defined my future. Raised in a single-parent household by a mother who worked tirelessly to make ends meet, I learned early on the value of resilience and determination in the face of adversity. Read More>>
Shaniqua King
I started Body Language 205 in 2019 as a spin-off from another adult toy company that I worked for as a consultant. That company focused on women empowerment and opened my eyes to the adult toy world and adult entertainment as a whole. But Sex and sex toys are universal, and I knew that was only the doorway to my journey. I moved my business from Birmingham, AL (205) and relocated to DFW in 2021 Read More>>
Derrick Ferguson
I went to Sam Houston High School in Arlington, TX, but ended up receiving my GED in Arizona in order for me to play college football. I ended up Graduating at Langston University. Like most athletes, I had no idea what I wanted to do in life after college despite getting my degree in behavioral science. Upon graduating, I worked for a dispatch center, making 10.50 an hour, and was a 1099 employee. I had a close friend who sold cars and showed me his check, and a week later, I began selling cars. Read More>>
Brentney Prince
I’ve always had a passion for hair and wigs in particular. As a young girl, I’d play in my grandmother’s wigs. As I became a teen and young adult, wigs weren’t really a “thing” for my age group…yet (early 2000s) wigs were still considered an old lady thing, lol. However, I’d go to the hair stores and play around trying on the different styles and eventually began to purchase and wear them. (I took my Senior pictures in a wig lol). Read More>>
Connilyn Cossette
I began writing fiction seriously when I was in my mid-thirties, but always wanted to be an author since I was a child. Once I finished my manuscript, I entered a couple of writing contests and, through some success with those connected with a literary agent who pitched my story to publishers. I soon received an offer from my dream publisher, and now, 14 books later, I am still just as much in love with spinning stories as I was as a kid. Read More>>
Summit Valley
Summit Valley was created by college friends, lead singer Niki Joans and guitarist Rio Eastman, on the front porch steps of a house off Summit Avenue in Arlington, Texas. Though their paths originally crossed at a Greek Life retreat in 2019, it was through a mutual friend that they found their shared passion for music in December of 2020. The duo wasted no time and began to write original music with Rio’s roommates, who happened to play bass and drums. Read More>>
Antoinette Walton
As a little girl, I was not confident in myself or my abilities. As I grew into my teenage years, my self-esteem really got low. However, as an adult, I had many women to look up to that encouraged and empowered me. Then I had 3 little girls, and I started seeing some of the things I saw in myself. Seeing this made me realize that it is important to build up women and girls and empower them to be their best selves. So, I created We Empower Her to bridge that gap in 2021. Read More>>
