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.
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>>
Rachel Tucker
I often say that my greatest qualifications didn’t come from a classroom. They came from walking through the fire. For many years, I looked successful on the outside while quietly carrying insecurity, fear, brokenness, and the weight of past mistakes. Like so many women, I spent years searching for significance in achievement instead of identity. Read more>>
Whitney Green
Hi My Name Is Whitney & I’ll like to start off by saying that people find their calling later in life, but for me, it started in childhood Growing up in Jackson, Mississippi, I always felt naturally drawn to health, beauty, and caring for others. Read more>>
Michael Garrett
For more than 30 years, I worked in corporate operations, helping companies improve efficiency through Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and process improvement. My career taught me how to build systems that could solve problems at scale. When I transitioned into the nonprofit world, I quickly realized something that surprised me. Most organizations weren’t struggling because they lacked passion. They were struggling because they lacked systems. Read more>>
Snjezana Pruginic
My work started from my personal lived experiences of war which instilled in me the passion for wanting to transform how people relate to one another. I started working as a Somatic Trauma therapist with individuals and communities experiencing trauma, violence, war, displacement and incarceration. Eventually this path led me to work with front line workers in trades, social services, and public sector. Read more>>
Ola Alibaloye
My journey with Deloy Events began in 2016 in London with a simple passion for creating beautiful, meaningful spaces where people can celebrate life’s biggest moments. What started as a dream has now grown into a business I’m incredibly proud of, and this year marks a special milestone 10 years of Deloy Events. Read more>>
Luara Youman
WeFlex started from a shared passion for fitness and a friendship built on encouraging each other to become stronger both physically and mentally. As we trained together, we realized we wanted to inspire other women to build healthy, sustainable habits and feel more confident in themselves. What began as sharing workouts on social media quickly grew into a supportive community. Read more>>
Ashtin jones Stevenson
My journey began as a single mother working as a dancer at Onyx, determined to create a better future for myself and my family. Wanting more out of life, I took a leap of faith and moved out of my parents’ home into my husband’s cousin’s living room. It wasn’t where I wanted to stay—it was simply where my new beginning started. Read more>>
Melinda Price
My journey started with a leap of faith. After spending 10 years as an operations manager, I walked away from a six-figure career to pursue my passion and opened Tre’Bella Nail Spa. What began as doing nails quickly became something much bigger. I realized I wasn’t just helping women look good, I was helping them feel confident. As my business grew, so did my purpose. Read more>>
Keed ThaHeater
My name is Keed Tha Heater, and I’m an independent hip-hop artist from Kansas City, Missouri. Music has always been a part of who I am, but like a lot of people, life took me down different roads. I’ve worked regular jobs, dealt with setbacks, made mistakes, and had to rebuild more than once. Read more>>
James Arredondo
Hi, My name is James (Jimmy) Arredondo. I’ll be 33 this August 17th I’m currently a barber here in the Dallas/Ft worth area in Texas. I have been cutting hair for 10 years already and have seen amazing things with the fruits of my labor. Read more>>
Abby Seysei
If you had told me years ago that one day I’d be raising two boys, sharing our family’s life online, and encouraging hundreds of thousands of people through ordinary moments, I don’t think I would’ve believed you. Read more>>
Samantha Lopez
My passion for cooking started when I was around 9 or 10 years old. My dad, who attended culinary school in New York, introduced me to the kitchen and taught me the fundamentals of cooking. Spending that time with him sparked my love for food, and from that point on, I knew cooking was something I wanted to continue learning and growing in! Read more>>
Brittany McCoy
I’m a Dallas native — grew up in Oak Cliff, which shaped a lot of how I think about home and community. I went to UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business, where I studied finance with a concentration in real estate, so in some ways I was pointed toward this industry early on. Read more>>
Anastasia Bolden
My name is Anastasia Bolden. I am a 51 year-old Native American. I have overcome incest, molestation, drug addictions that my parents went through and other childhood traumas.. I am grateful that I made it. I grew up in South Dallas, where Saint Phillips Episcopal school was my safe Haven, where Dr. Read more>>
Zo Smith
My entrepreneurial journey began in 2020. I discovered candle making as a hobby, and what started as a creative outlet quickly became something I genuinely enjoyed. Living with a chronic illness has naturally made me more of an introvert, and creating gave me a sense of peace, purpose, and accomplishment. Like many first-time entrepreneurs, I eventually tried turning that hobby into a business. Read more>>
Jordan Courtney
I grew up loving music. I sang in choir all through school and even made all state in high school. I started rapping when I was 15 but I didn’t take it seriously. I joined the army after high school and became a combat medic. I was medically retired in 2022 and continued to work in medicine. Read more>>
Ross Yenerich
So much has changed since I moved here a year ago. Let’s start in Dallas, in mid-May. I had just returned from a week-long trip in NYC with the SMU Temerlin Creative program which solidified my want and need to be there post-grad. SMU at BBH USA, May 2025 I was interning as a Copywriter at Johnson & Sekin during my final semester at SMU. Read more>>
Shanell Monique
The idea for my childcare business came from my passion for helping children and families. After working with children for many years, I recognized the need for quality, affordable childcare in a safe and nurturing environment. I often thought about opening my own large home childcare program, but like many aspiring entrepreneurs, fear and uncertainty kept me in the idea phase. Read more>>
Yudas Bastidas
I was born and raised in Venezuela, where I studied Dentistry. When I came to the United States, I had to start from zero. It was not easy, but I worked hard and never gave up. Later, I found the insurance industry, and I realized I could help families protect their future. With hard work and discipline, I started Bastidas Insurance. Read more>>
Tanicka kirk
I actually love this question because it reminds me of a time when I had a big vision but absolutely no roadmap for how to get there. My real estate journey started in 2017 after I left the Army and purchased my first property a duplex. At the time, I thought I was simply buying a home and making a smart financial decision. Read more>>
Rene Rocha
My story begins as a hyper child who really enjoyed drawing, writing stories, and building endless useless inventions . I was a big idea guy! I had two loving, supportive parents who encouraged my creativity. Whenever I needed new supplies or art lessons, they provided them. When I began my Rocha Designs journey, my retired dad was my first employee. Read more>>
Maryam Khalil
I’m Maryam Khalil, CEO of 1to1 Plans Design Studio. I’ve been part of this company since its inception as a co-founder, and in January 2025 I stepped into the CEO role. Read more>>
Brandon Smallwood
My name is Brandon Smallwood AKA Karizma on the Beat I’m a producer that’s from Waco Texas that moved up to North Texas area I love to make music I have my own label called Lion Heart Music on all streaming services I got my passion for music from my mama Linda she inspired me to never let any thing that I was going through stop me from doing what I wanted to do so I did it… Read more>>
Andrew Bukowski
I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, and my relationship with photography really started long before I ever owned a serious camera. As a teenager, I’d spend entire days skating through downtown Dallas by myself, riding the DART trains just to see parts of the city I’d never explored before. Read more>>
Christopher Brewer
My journey as a barber started with a simple passion for helping people look and feel their best. What began as cutting hair for family and friends quickly grew into a career built on consistency, hard work, and relationships. Over the years, I realized barbering is about much more than haircuts—it’s about building confidence, creating connections, and making a positive impact in my community. Read more>>
Nancie DeCourcy
I would like to tell you about my post-career life. I play lots of pickleball! I also teach English as a second language to adults with an organization called RALC (Richardson Adult Literacy Center). My level 3B students are striving to improve their grammar and speaking fluency. Read more>>
Matt and Brittani Miller
I’ve always been drawn to work where I get to build relationships and genuinely help people. Real estate just happened to be the perfect fit for that. Before becoming a Realtor, my background was in marketing, which gave me a deep appreciation for branding, storytelling, and understanding what motivates people. Read more>>
Chad Evans
Music and ministry have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I began serving in the local church, leading worship and discovering that music could do far more than create a moment it could point people to Jesus, bring hope, and communicate truth. Read more>>
Dave Culwell
I own Burger Schmurger, a family-forward burger joint that brings quality food, a great customer service experience and community all in one. My (at the time) 13 year old daughter and I started cooking for friends and neighbors during Covid in 2020. Read more>>
Gedeon Bring
I am a 20-year old drummer in two bands in the DFW: I play with Colton Hamilton and Izaiah Forman. I recently released an album with Colton Hamilton titled the Curse of Colton Hamilton, which is a collection of 11 songs that we’ve written over the last year. Read more>>
Kayla Bembry
I’ve always been into music. I love how a simple lyric or song as a whole could have so much impact on a person. It could make you think of a memory, change your emotions, or even your mental. As time went on I grew to love different genres. Growing up I was always the event coordinator or party girl in my friend group. Read more>>
Shardae Martin
My journey into the cleaning industry actually began when I was young. I spent a lot of time with my late grandmother, and she introduced me to the value of keeping spaces clean and organized. She also cleaned homes for others, so I was able to see firsthand the pride she took in serving people through her work. Read more>>
Leo Cusimano
If you had told the 18-year-old version of me that one day I’d own one of the country’s most respected LGBTQ newspapers, speak around the nation about the future of local journalism, and somehow become the ‘adult in the room,’ I probably would have laughed… and then asked if there was at least good Italian food involved. My journey has never been a straight line. Read more>>
Kristy Lea
My journey began with a heart for serving people and bringing meaningful visions to life. Over the years, I built a strong professional foundation in commercial real estate, business management, accounting, human resources, and nonprofit leadership. Read more>>
Dan Lam
I’ve always been drawn to making things, but I didn’t arrive at the work I make today all at once. I studied graphic design for a year before switching to fine art, eventually earning my BFA from the University of North Texas and my MFA from Arizona State University. Read more>>
Janie Loyola
People are often surprised when I tell them that I was never really a “nail person.” My dream was always to work in the beauty industry, but my original goal was to become a barber. I tried teaching myself, but without friends or siblings to practice on, it was difficult. Read more>>
Lindsay Mears
My whole life has been about books and stories. I grew up reading Nancy Drew, Goosebumps, and when I got a little older, I got into Harry Potter and bought every book written by Meg Cabot. Books were my escape, and I always knew I wanted to be in the Publishing world. Read more>>
Dario Hernandez
If I had to describe my journey in one sentence, I would say it has been a life of constant reinvention, guided by faith, family, and a passion for serving others. I was born and raised in Colombia, where my love for soccer began at a very young age. Read more>>
Natalia Payton
I grew up in Plano, Texas, long before it became what it is today. After graduating from college in Colorado, I completed internships with Fox Sports and Altitude Sports & Entertainment before landing my first full-time position with the Denver Nuggets. Read more>>
Taylor Lindley
I graduated high school in 2017 and originally planned to take a gap year before starting college when I turned 18. My mom encouraged me to tour a cosmetology school in Lubbock, Texas, about two hours from home. I’ll be honest—I wasn’t interested at first. Then I toured the school, saw all the cute boys, and figured, “Why not?” So I enrolled. Read more>>
Brooklyn Fletcher
My story with influencing started a little differently than most. I originally began as a boutique owner, but I quickly realized that what I truly loved was shopping. I loved showing what brought me confidence and That passion naturally led me into content creation. As my platform grew, I made a promise to always keep it real. Read more>>
Brooke Richey
My photography journey started in high school at the Allen High School Freshman Center, where I was part of an after-school photography class. Growing up, I was a very quiet, awkward, and introverted kid—a bit of an outcast. I was really into anime and cosplay, and I often felt like I didn’t quite fit in anywhere. Read more>>
Kristi McDonald
My heart has always been in building community and connecting people. Over the years, I’ve found my real joy in supporting small businesses—especially women-owned businesses—by giving them a platform, sharing their stories, and watching them thrive. My work is built on the simple wisdom of Ecclesiastes 3:12—that there is nothing better than to be happy and do good. Read more>>
Aisha R. H-Jones
My story has never been a straight line, but it’s always been rooted in transformation. I became a mother at a young age and experienced some difficult seasons early in life that taught me resilience, faith, and the power of starting over. Read more>>
Trip Ghetaway
A man of many hats… Many did not know i have been a strength athlete for 30 years…. I literally never had any interest in playing professional sports, or doing things to hurt myself demonstrating my strength for money. Nothing wrong with those that do, but I just wanted to be an athlete for me. Read more>>