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.
Breanna Calhoun
My journey as both an entrepreneur and a community leader is driven by a single, central mission: to uplift and empower individuals from the inside out. My deep commitment to leadership and collective action originally solidified through Femininity. My sorority taught me the true power of sisterhood, collaboration, and service, which naturally guided my path into civic life and business. Read more>>
Tanner Scott Reddick
I was born and raised in Enid, Oklahoma, and I’ve always been drawn to stories and creative expression. I studied theater in college, which was my first serious step toward pursuing a creative life. After moving to Dallas, my path shifted in ways I didn’t expect. Read more>>
Alicia Soboda
What started as two people working in the same industry eventually became a life together. Over the years, we moved around, worked in different restaurants, learned from different chefs, owners, and teams, and experienced just about every side of the business. Read more>>
Allyiah Watley
tyle has always been my native language. Even as a little kid, I remember rejecting certain outfits my mom picked out and swapping them for the exact look I envisioned in my head. Growing up immersed in the iconic fashion energy of That’s So Raven, Bratz, Hannah Montana, and True Jackson, VP, independence became my blueprint. Read more>>
Lisa Zimmer
Around 4 yo I realized I could feel and interpret peoples emotions easily. It then progressed into knowing things before people said them, events before they happened, and at 7 I read the book by Elizabeth Kubler Ross on Death & Dying, which further connected me with the spirit world. Read more>>
Adam Hogg
It all started when I was 9. I heard the sound of a loud guitar from a distance in my house and I was highly intrigued where it was coming from. Turns out my dad was playing a Marshall half stack and a Flying V guitar in his office…(casually ) as you do aha!! Read more>>
Serena Von Romvesen
My story really began about two and a half years ago when I prayed to God and asked Him to get me sober. I had tried many things and nothing worked, and when I finally surrendered it to God, my entire life was rearranged very quickly in a way that made sobriety possible. That was the beginning of everything. Read more>>
Bruce Jones
Bruce Jones, professionally known as DJ Bruce Bruce, is a Pine Bluff, Arkansas native, Dallas-based creative entrepreneur, multimedia professional, and accomplished DJ with more than two decades of experience in music and entertainment. Bruce’s passion for music began at an early age. Read more>>
Charles Reese Jr
In West Philadelphia born and raised on the playground is where I spent most of my days….. Just kidding… I’d describe my journey as one built on growth, resilience, and a willingness to keep learning. Being raised by a single mother in Highland Hills, I started by focusing on building a strong foundation, understanding that success doesn’t usually happen overnight… Read more>>
44 Meek Manny
My Story Begins In The Slums Of South Dallas .. Growing Up All I Ever Wanted & Was Taught Was To “Make It Out” Before I Even Knew What I Was In, In Reality & So At A Young Age That Was My Main Goal .. I Started Rapping On/Off But w/Out A Motivational Push I Didn’t Really Know My True Potential .. Read more>>
Reya Roussel
Nearly a decade ago, I started my entrepreneurship journey as a student at Howard University. Like all undergraduate students, I needed extra cash. I used my limited sewing skills to do alterations and create handmade jewelry for my friends and classmates. I began teaching myself how to sew garments of all kinds. Read more>>
Akaizha brinkley
Nails have always been an art that I’ve had a deep passion for. I’ve always loved doing my own nails, watching other people create nail art, discovering new designs and trends, and learning different techniques. Simply put, I’ve always loved everything about nails. My mother was my biggest supporter and my biggest fan. Read more>>
Jasmine Ramirez
Our story started with a love for creating. I earned my degree in Media Advertising and spent more than six years working in creative roles, including graphic design, branding, social media, and creative strategy. I’ve always loved taking an idea and turning it into something visual and tangible. Read more>>
Infinity Thee Iconn
I started singing since I was a little kid. I remember saying to my parents that I really wanted to sing and dance when I got older. I was put in singing lessons when I was around 10 and was off & on for a couple of years before I started being serious in training myself. Read more>>
Ben Tabor
HOW WE GOT OUR NAME The company name was inspired by hand written letters left for Ben’s wife Gerrico. Saturday mornings were sacred to both Ben and Gerrico. Read more>>
Meredith Vachon
I’ve spent more than 25 years in hospitality marketing and public relations, although I’m not sure I ever set out with a plan to build a career in it. I found my way into hospitality PR early on and realized I loved the intersection of storytelling, hospitality and people. Read more>>
Adayshia Babers
My story has really been a journey of discovering what I’m passionate about and learning to trust where my creativity can take me. I’ve always been drawn to creativity, branding, storytelling, and finding ways to bring ideas to life. Over time, I realized that those interests could become something much bigger than just things I enjoyed, they could become a career and a business. Read more>>
Ellina Lagerfeld
My journey into the art world began in Monaco, where I created an art blog dedicated to exhibitions, artists, cultural events, and the people shaping the local art scene. What initially started as a personal passion gradually became a professional direction. Through the blog, I began meeting artists, collectors, gallery professionals, and other influential figures within Monaco’s cultural community. Read more>>
Quentin Guillory
We’re Q and Allie Guillory, the husband-and-wife team behind QA Fire & Flavor Company and our Ocean Apex Hot Sauces line. We’re a family-owned Texas company built around a simple idea: hot sauce shouldn’t just make food hotter—it should make food better. Read more>>
Nia C
My journey as a Christian hip-hop artist is rooted in my faith, my testimony, and my desire to use music to encourage others. I didn’t start with everything figured out, but through life’s challenges, victories, and lessons, God continued to shape my purpose and give me a voice. My music became more than just a creative outlet it became a ministry. Read more>>
Danijel Rapić
My story is really a story about persistence, creativity, and continuing to evolve as an independent music producer. I started making music because I was fascinated by the way a beat, a melody, and the right atmosphere could create an emotion or tell a story without saying a single word. Read more>>
Ashley Hernandez
I began my career behind the chair in the beauty industry, but I was also a business owner for nearly 20 years. That experience taught me far more than the technical side of beauty. I learned how to build a brand, create an experience, earn trust and develop lasting client relationships. Over time, the business evolved into a beauty agency. Read more>>
Maddi Bazaldua
I decided to go to hair school to find a new way to pay my way through school when COVID wrecked the way college worked. I discovered pretty quickly that I was never going back to school, I loved doing hair way too much. Read more>>
Lauryl Pingel Aubry Mayfield-Loats
Aubry and I met in college and both majored in elementary education so we had a lot of classes together. We were also sorority sisters so we were roommates multiple times throughout our college years as well. After college, we both got teaching jobs at different schools, but stayed in touch as friends. Read more>>
Sarah Inamdar
mama.llama.cooks was never created with the intention of being a business page. It all started during the lockdown when I was trying out new recipes and sharing them with my two sisters who that suggested I start a food photography page on Instagram. When I told my husband about it, he was thrilled and said he would love to see me start it. Read more>>
Desmond Stanley
My journey began with a simple realization: talented business owners often have the vision and expertise to build something meaningful, but they do not always have the strategy, systems, or support needed to bring that vision to life. That realization became the foundation for The Incubator LLC. Read more>>
Julie Barlow
From the Ground Up: How a Fourth-Generation Texan Built a Career Helping Others Sell What They Built For most people who help business owners buy and sell companies, the work is theoretical. They studied the deal structures, learned the financing options, and memorized the due diligence checklists. Read more>>
Faith Rivera
I think the thread running through my story has always been helping people take something meaningful and figure out how to make it work in the real world. I grew up with an entrepreneurial father, so business ownership was never a foreign concept to me. Read more>>
Tamala Close
My journey really started with me being a Speech-Language Pathologist. I love being a clinician, and that will always be a part of who I am, but I also learned pretty early that I had an entrepreneurial side to me. I started in private practice, and like a lot of entrepreneurs, I was doing everything. Read more>>
Hannah Curtis
I have always known that I wanted to work with children, even though I knew early on that the traditional classroom setting was not the path I wanted to pursue. My experience working with children began with years of babysitting and nannying, and later expanded into tutoring and more formal educational settings. Read more>>
Vik & Lina Khasat
The Dirdie Birdie started as a conversation on the couch at the early stages of the pandemic when we and most of the world were stuck inside. We would think about the restaurants we missed visiting, bars we would meet friends at and our date nights which often included mini golf. Read more>>
Airhart
Concho Valley Customs was built from a dream. A dream to create custom hats I love, while being present for the people I love the most. My biggest goal has always been to work hard for my family while also having the freedom to be present in their everyday lives. Read more>>
David Goltl
My fitness journey began in 2015 when I signed up for my first Spartan Race with some dads from my sons elementary school. At the time, I was simply looking for a challenge and it seemed fun. We didn’t realize we had signed up for the hardest race of the 3 options, (Beast: 15 miles & 30 obstacles). Read more>>
Darla Hill
I was born and raised in Ohio but have been a Texan for nearly 30 yrs now. I have had the privilege of serving the people of Texas through my career at the Attorney General of Texas before leaving the agency to pursue entrepreneurship. Read more>>
Ashley Townsley
My journey started in middle school choir, where I discovered how much I loved singing and performing. That passion led me to attend the Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, where I had the opportunity to receive vocal training. Read more>>
Lisa Mihelich
I’m always the one with the camera ready to capture the sweet memories to look back on. No matter where, who, or when.. I always have the camera. During COVID, when we suddenly had a whole lot of extra time on our hands, I thought, “Why not buy a camera and see what happens?” What started as something fun quickly became something I really enjoyed. Read more>>
Sanwar Mal Khokhar
My name is Sanwar Mal Khokhar, and I grew up in a very small village in Sikar, Rajasthan, India. The population of my village was probably not more than 250–300 people, and the nearest town was around 15 kilometers away. There was only one bus that would go there once a day. Read more>>
Zayna Abd-Alkhaliq
Like many, the road to my current successes wasn’t an easy one. There was a time when I was simply Zayna, a quirky girl from Houston with a passion for music. A lot of challenges, being around the wrong people, and hard choices could have derailed me along the way, but I only let them shape me for the better. Read more>>
Keisha Hackney
My story started pretty simply. I would cook for my friends whenever we got together to hang out, and they were always telling me, “You should start selling your food!” At the time, I never really considered it because my plan for the future was to become a lawyer. But as we all know, things don’t always work out the way we plan. Read more>>
Mensur Nurhussen
My story has been shaped by change, hard work, and learning how to adapt. I was born in Africa, grew up in Sweden, and eventually made my way to the United States, where I built a life and career for myself. Much of my professional background has been in hospitality and luxury residential services. Read more>>
Avery Kalapa
Hi, I’m Avery (they, them) – an internationally celebrated Iyengar Yoga teacher. I have been practicing yoga since 1999 and teaching since 2004. My practice includes daily Vipassana/ Insight meditation, which has been supporting my life since 2001. I have been named an expert in their field, and, I am someone who never stops learning. Read more>>
Araic Anderson
Dear Brown You is a lifestyle artwear brand focused on advancing justice, unity, love and suicide prevention. DBY uses wearable art, storytelling, art canvas, and community to promote self-discovery and connection. Each piece is designed with intention to spark reflection, start conversation, affirm identity and create dialogue around mental and emotional wellness. Read more>>
Dana Kadwell
My path into this industry started like most people’s. I was getting married, and somewhere in the middle of planning my own wedding I thought: this looks like fun. My sister was the one who pushed and thought that we should 100% start a wedding business. We had no formal background in events. Read more>>
CARMEN BLACKWELL
I think I have always been a storyteller. As a little girl, I carried a notebook with me everywhere. I was constantly writing—journaling about my day, recording little moments and jotting down anything I found interesting. Long before I understood what journalism was, I understood how powerful it felt to capture a story. By high school, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Read more>>
Dead Vinyl
The Dead Vinyl Podcast is where Fort Worth rock, music obsession, and two guys with way too much to say collide. Hosted by Dead Vinyl frontman Hayden Miller and Aaron Haskin, the podcast brings the audience behind the band and into the conversations that happen when the amps are off. Read more>>
Jason Parker
Dawning the bat suit really came outta nowhere if you ask my wife😜. I was certainly influenced by Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy in the way he developed the character of Bruce Wayne. Coincidentally, the BatDad videos became popular, and would watch at work during down time with co workers and picked up the bat voice along the way. Read more>>
Jeremiah Wehler
I’ve been photographing live music in the Dallas-Ft Worth area for three years now, and it’s become a bit of an obsession! My Instagram (@JWehlerPhoto) has grown considerably in the last year or so, and meeting so many great photographers there and chatting with them about bands, venues, techniques and gear, etc. has restored my faith in social media. Read more>>
Rukiya Dykes
I’m Rukiya Dykes, affectionately known as ‘rook,’ a multidisciplinary artist, and my practice spans visual, textile, auditory, and digital/technological art forms. My main guiding principle is prosaic beauty, and my art examines identity, culture, and the systems that shape lived experiences. My creative journey began on the South Side of Chicago, where my love for the arts bloomed. And honestly, how could it not? Read more>>
Jennifer Simmons
My journey into real estate began with my own experience of relocating from the East Coast to Texas. That move taught me that purchasing a home is about more than finding a property. It is also about understanding the community, adjusting to a new lifestyle, and having someone beside you who genuinely understands the transition. Read more>>
Angie Stewart
Hi, my name is Angie Stewart. I am the owner and operator of Dallas Placenta Encapsulation. I have worked in the birth community for over 30 years as a certified birth doula, postpartum doula, and placenta encapsulation specialist. Read more>>
Jay Rutherford
I’ve always been entrepreneurial and drawn to the intersection of creativity, technology, and business. The Virtual Wild really grew out of that combination. I started the company in Dallas with the idea that technology could enhance personal experiences, rather than using it simply for the sake of technology. Read more>>
Sharon Alexander
Throughout my life, I’ve always had rescued dogs as a part of my family. In 2011, I had adopted an Australian Kelpie from a rescue group. She had been found on a road with a nylon rope imbedded in her neck so badly that it had cut through the neck muscles. Read more>>
Jennifer Irizarry
Pixie Dusted Productions began in 2022 with one costume, one character, and a lot of imagination. I started with Princess Belle, freelancing as a party princess and library storytime guest in Coastal Georgia. At the time, my two children were very young, and we were coming out of the pandemic when social distancing was still very much a part of everyday life. Read more>>
Johnathan Lewis
It started with my dad, Marvin Robinson. Growing up, he would have my brothers and me working out after school every day. Some days we didn’t want to do it, and other days we couldn’t wait to get started. I still remember the first time I noticed a muscle developing in my bicep. Read more>>
Lindsey James
Linding Joy was born from my own motherhood and lactation journey. I experienced breastfeeding challenges even though I took classes and thought I was prepared. My daughter had tethered oral tissue, and I wasn’t fully prepared for the cascade of struggles it would ignite with breastfeeding. That experience became a turning point. Read more>>
Brooke Lopez
I received my first camera in 2013-2014 as a Christmas gift. I started with photographing things in our backyard and scenery; then moved to photographing my friends around the city and in parks. Once i was accepted into dental hygiene school in 2015, I had to put my camera down sadly. Read more>>
Adevian Donald
I’ve been around music since I was 4 years old. My father and uncle had a band my early childhood and I grew up playing the drums first, before moving to piano and making beats. I recorded my first song at 5 with the help of my dad and never turned back. Read more>>
Vanessa Mallari
My dream has always been to do social media in the NBA. It was a goal I had worked for since high school and never stopped working towards it. Read more>>
Leah Kohl
Single Lady Pizza started with one very simple thought: why is frozen pizza so bad? It was a Friday afternoon and I was out for a walk thinking about what I wanted for dinner. I scanned my fridge. Basically empty. I thought about going to the grocery store, but I did not want to cook. Pizza, of course, came to mind. Read more>>
Kiia Harris
I started doing hair in highschool in Nashville, Tn and went to cosmetology school immediately after graduating in 2010. I was a salon stylist, to a kitchen stylist, to the living room, back to the salon until my Mom decided to Move to Dallas ,Tx January of 2017. I did not know anyone and had to completely start over with clientele. Read more>>
EPayne Collazo
Originally started rapping back in 2015 releasing my first single titled ‘No J’ – diss track Feat. Fort worthain rapper Harvey Escobar and following it up with my first LP Drunken Killah ( 2016 ) off my record label PC2DC Records ( 2020 ) As of right now I’m working on a new project featuring Australian rapper Jeixo Read more>>