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.
Ashley Slater
While these jobs were financially rewarding, they did not fulfill my soul. I knew I needed a path that truly lit me up. During this time, I found yoga, meditation, journaling, and dove deeply into spirituality. I loved learning about myself, strengthening my intuition, and discovering that everything is energy. It felt like entering a new world—one where I could see and feel life from an entirely different perspective. Read more>>
Unu Tran
My approach to healing focuses on the whole person. True recovery isn’t just about fixing one painful spot. It’s about listening to the body, understanding the mind, honoring emotions, and supporting the spirit. I combine my training, experience, and personal journey to create care that’s tailored to each individual. Read more>>
Zach Oldham
Fast forward a few jobs and a lot of projects later, and I’m lucky enough to be a Senior Graphic Designer at Circuit of The Americas, while also doing contract work on the side. In May of 2024, one of the most recognizable billboards in downtown Austin—the one on top of YETI’s headquarters—featured my work. It’s a rotating board with three ad spots, and between COTA and my contract work, my designs filled two of them. Read more>>
Amanda Perez
If you had asked me a few years ago, I would have told you I had done everything right. I built a career in corporate marketing, worked hard to climb the ladder, and checked all the boxes that were supposed to lead to success. But behind the scenes, I felt lost. Read more>>
Angie Max
umma juice started at home. Our family started making juice for our son during those stretches when he’d come home from school and it felt like everyone in the house was catching the same bug. On top of work and life, we were just trying to keep up. Read more>>
Kelsey Newkham-Sjostrom
I was always a creative child, endlessly dreaming about my future job—one week a fashion designer, the next an artist. When I was 15, I decided I wanted to try photography. My parents, used to my shenanigans by that point, gave me my stepdad’s old film camera and a few rolls of 35mm film. Read more>>
Leslie Vander Gheynst
I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a theatre degree. At my time there I performed in mainstage shows, black box and student productions and in addition, served in leadership roles in the Longhorn Marching Band (as a section leader, TBS the service sorority, as a freshman advisor, VP and finally as President). Read more>>
Angelica Leverett
My name is Angelica, and I am a licensed esthetician and the proud owner of Angelic Beauty Bar. I began my journey in the beauty industry in 2020, during the uncertainty of the COVID shutdown—a time that challenged me but also shaped my resilience and passion for this craft. What started as a leap of faith quickly grew into a calling. Read more>>
Bindu Johnson
We are a mother‑and‑daughter duo with a shared love for decor, design, and creating meaningful celebrations, and that passion is what ultimately led us to start GEM of Texas. Our journey began long before the business had a name. My love for floral design and crafting began back in high school, where I made small arrangements and even rented booths to sell my pieces. Read more>>
Vijay Thangaraj
Being in the staffing industry for more than 17 years, I had the privilege of supporting customers by putting more people to work — something that truly defined my career and allowed me to accomplish so much. My journey started as an immigrant and eventually led to becoming a U.S. citizen. Read more>>
Scott Crosley
– Scott Crosley
– 52 years old, five kids, one amazing granddaughter
– Recently retired from the Army (Chaplain, Colonel, Army Ranger)
– CEO/Founder of “Pivot-Faith & Valor”
– “We exist to pivot women and children globally from sexual slavery and exploitation to freedom!” Read more>>
Karla Estrada
I am a former educator with nearly 10 years of teaching experience, simultaneously working in bakeries throughout my time in the classroom to support a sustainable Austin lifestyle. I left the classroom to work and travel in the corporate world, but felt like something was missing. Bubbles & Buttercream allows me to combine my two passions and connect with the community along the way. Read more>>
Michelle Rankin
I’m a native Texan who has called Austin home since high school. I studied Computer Science at UT Austin at my father’s urging and spent many years working in the tech industry. Making things and creating has always been part of who I am—first as a hobby, then as a quiet, steady thread through my life. Read more>>
Channing Kingery-Boles
I moved from North Austin to Taylor in 2016. Taylor sits northeast of Austin, about 11 miles from Hutto. I loved living in Austin, but I wanted to be in a small town just outside the city, always knowing Austin was only a quick 26-minute toll ride away. Read more>>
Alexandra Chaves
I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. In 1996, I visited my godfather in Paris and Madrid, and it was during that trip—standing in front of I. M. Pei’s Louvre Pyramid—that I first fell in love with architecture. After high school, I began my architectural studies at Universidad Santa María in Caracas. Read more>>
Deanna and Andrew Wilson
We’re a husband and wife musician team, both have been musicians since our teenage years. We got married very young and over our nearly 28 years of marriage, we’ve always taught and played music at least as a side gig. For the last 18 years it has been our main job! In 2015 we moved our family to the Central Texas area from Phoenix. Read more>>
Rhea Brown
I began my landscaping journey as a helper in Sealy, Texas, and quickly fell in love with the instant gratification of transforming outdoor spaces and the joy of working outside. I’ve always been an outdoors person—even as a child—and landscaping felt like a natural fit. Over the years, I gained experience across many aspects of the industry while working with different companies. Read more>>
Nicholas Riley
Driftwood Builders Roofing was started 20 years ago with a simple belief: do things the right way, even when it’s not the easy way. From day one, we focused on craftsmanship, clear communication, and building real relationships instead of chasing quick volume. As more roofing companies were acquired by private equity firms, we made the intentional decision to stay locally owned and community focused. Read more>>
Kim Becker
I was an elementary school teacher for over 10 years. I started by making tshirts for my family and teacher friends. I then expanded to selling on Facebook in my own group. Word spread in a small town and I gained quite a following. I bought a laser engraver and expanded my business to engraved gifts and custom patches for hats. Read more>>
Jeff Issa
I began my culinary journey in 2019, driven by my passion for cooking and the belief that doing what you love leads to fulfillment. Specializing in Mediterranean cuisine, my menu includes delicious gyros, shawarma, and falafel, all crafted with a commitment to quality and authenticity. From the start, I faced challenges, especially with the high costs of starting a food truck. Read more>>
Jack Woodville London
I grew up in Groom, a very small town in the Texas panhandle, where I was blessed to have an English teacher who encouraged both my writing and my reading. I knew that I wanted to write but also thought that making a living sounded good, and then there was the Vietnam war. Read more>>
Ngan Hoang
My journey is one defined by transition, resilience, and an intuitive search for belonging. It began in Vietnam, where I was born in 1990 before immigrating to the United States with my parents as refugees in 1993. While I’ve always been an artist at my core, my professional path initially took me through the technical and corporate worlds. Read more>>
Falon Trimble
My journey into body sculpting started after becoming a mother myself and experiencing firsthand how deeply postpartum changes can affect confidence, not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. After motherhood, I realized how little support there is for women who want to feel like themselves again, in a way that’s empowering, realistic, and non-judgmental. Read more>>
Parke Ballantine
I’ve always been drawn to art as a way of communicating what can’t always be said directly. That instinct led me to study representation in media through an Ethnic Studies lens, where I became deeply interested in visual language, power, and who gets to be seen. That throughline has carried me through my entire career. Read more>>
Cory Cannon
I started Cannon-Lear Enterprises because I wanted a single holding company that could bring structure and long-term sustainability to the different missions our family is building. My background is rooted in more than two decades of military service, followed by senior Knowledge Management and data-focused roles across the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Read more>>
Jerod Walker
Im a true Austinite born and Raised in south Austin (Montoplis) Also known as WorldwideBlendz, a master barber, entrepreneur, and content creator based in the Austin–Round Rock area. I’ve built a brand focused on precision, professionalism, and purpose, both behind the chair and online. Read more>>
Michelle Wong
Sweet Milk Collective didn’t start as a “big business plan.” It started as something I’ve always been known for… being the person who helps others celebrate. Before Sweet Milk, I spent over a decade in hospitality and event planning, working with major hotel brands like Hilton, Wyndham, and Intercontinental. Read more>>
Andrea Kells
I’ve been drawn to health care since high school and optometry felt like a natural fit. It is challenging, service-oriented, and rooted in care. I grew up in Canada and spent much of my youth as a competitive swimmer (butterfly), which opened doors to scholarship opportunities in the U.S. Read more>>
Rena Cotti
I’m Rena Cotti, a fine artist and the founder of Rena Cotti Creative Events. I’m a multidisciplinary artist working in acrylics, oils, soft pastels, and digital media, specializing in portraits, figurative art, landscapes, and abstracts. My work is expressive and layered, often exploring themes of identity, emotion, and human connection. Read more>>
Adam Yauk
An honors graduate of The Le Cordon Bleu College of Hospitality Careers, Chef Adam Yauk brings over 20 years of professional culinary experience to the table. His career took him to several four-star restaurants along the San Antonio River Walk, where his passion for bold, balanced flavors continued to grow. Read more>>
LaTashia Mitchell
My journey started with a deep love for natural hair and a desire to help women feel confident in their authentic beauty. As a natural hair stylist with over 16 years of hands-on experience, I saw firsthand how many people struggled to find products and services that truly supported healthy, textured hair. Read more>>
Katja Jones
I am a German national who found the love of her life in Frankfurt, Germany, while he was stationed there with the U.S. Army. Years later, we had to say goodbye to Germany, two kids and a dog later, and begin a new chapter of our lives in Georgia and later in Texas. Photography has always been part of my story. Read more>>
Jennifer Jarl McCombs
I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of creativity, problem-solving, and people. That innate appeal showed up early. While still in high school, I landed my first interior design internship at the University of Texas, and I knew almost immediately that design would be my path. Read more>>
Nigar Fatali
Mosstique started in our tiny one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, NY. In a desperate attempt to offset the stresses of a corporate sales job and raising a toddler in the city, I was experimenting with preserved moss as a way to pick up a calming hobby. As we started running out of space, I decided to try out Etsy entirely sure my moss frames wouldn’t sell. Read more>>
Kelly Quinney
Baking has always been my ‘Love Language’ and how I show people that I care.. Over the years friends and family have told me I needed to open a bakery, but that was something I never really dreamed would be possible with the cost of rent, equipment, and ingredients. Read more>>
Anastasia Deasy
I have been creating art since I was a child, and I always knew my future career would involve art in some way. After graduating from college, I worked for a historic building restoration company, but I found the work wasn’t as creatively fulfilling as I hoped. Read more>>
Sarah Dart
My story 2015/2016 to Now – Animation Dreams to Empowering Brands: It started well before 2015, my childhood shaped who I am today, but my career story started in 2015 when I left New York and my small hometown, the only place I had ever known. Read more>>
Keaja Mathis
played basketball all through high school with big dreams of taking my talent to the college level—until COVID hit and flipped everything upside down. Schools shut down, classes moved to Zoom, games and tournaments were canceled or constantly rescheduled, and exposure became limited, making it harder to get recruited and earn offers. Read more>>
Heather Schurer
I was born and raised in Austin. This is the city that started it all for me. Everything from the events that triggered my mental health issues, to the never-ending supply of new restaurants and other unique gems. For the past 10 years I’ve been artist. Read more>>
Victoria Schroeder
Doing hair has always been a dream of mine since a little girl. Being a mom of 6 kids, life never allowed me to pursue my dreams, until I hit rock bottom when tragedy struck my life. In 2017, I was given 4 years to figure life out and to go for the path I am now walking down today. Read more>>
Zeynep Celik
I was born and raised in Austin to Turkish immigrant parents and was lucky enough that they always encouraged and supported my artistic vision. Read more>>
Jay Adams
Early in my childhood, I didn’t eat a lot. My mother sometimes had to take extreme measures to make me eat. So when we moved back to NOLA at the age of 10, my appetite started to pick up. Read more>>
Elise McDermott Adrienne Kane Studio
I originally started my career as a nurse, which gave me a strong foundation in care, communication, and problem-solving. In between my nursing shifts, my husband and I were renovating homes, taking multiple houses down to the studs and rebuilding them from the ground up. For us, that hands-on experience evolved into a professional design practice focused on full-scale renovations and interiors. Read more>>
Lyndsi Falcon
Mine is a Cinderella story full of magick and transformation. My younger years were hard as there was a lot of stress in the home. Mostly common stuff concerning the hustle and bustle of life but heavy none the less. Everyone was basically walking on eggshells waiting for the next struggle to arise. It was a nervous system nightmare. Read more>>
Katy Esquivel
Hello, My name is Katy and I’m blessed enough to call The Blooming Gem Flower House my small business. The Blooming Gem started kind of by accident. I was a stay-at-home mom to my beautiful 3-year-old Babygirl and looking for something to do from home. Where I could care for my daughter and also do something for myself. So… Read more>>
Jordan Miller
Fitness has always been part of who I am. As a lifelong athlete and former soccer player, I learned early on the power of movement and the confidence it can build. That passion led me to pursue a degree in Exercise Science & Human Performance, where I deepened my understanding of how the body moves, adapts, and grows. Read more>>
Jillian Morris
I’ve been a writer since I was a child, but life took me in a different direction. During the pandemic of 2020, I decided to starts writing again. Since then I have self published 6 books: 2 childrens books, 3 poetry books, and My debut novel, The Weight of Legacy. Since I waa publishing everything myself, I created Jillybean Publishing. Read more>>
Shelley Reavis
Vaughan St is a women owned business. We all have deep roots in the Bertram area and wanted to bring affordable in-style shopping for Bertram and surrounding communities. We love to serve the community and provide a place to come together. Read more>>
Juan Villegas
ArtUs Co began in 2005 when its founder, Josh Green, recognized a growing need for affordable spaces where artists could both create and show their work. What started as Shady Tree Studios, later known as Pump Project, became one of East Austin’s most important artist hubs for more than a decade. Read more>>
Steven Haynes
FjORD began as a backyard experiment in January 2023. A DIY backyard cold plunge turned into a passion, and eventually birthed our mission to create the market’s most reliable cold plunge. Read more>>
Catherine Whitten
I have now also seen the effect counseling has on others. I have worked with populations ranging from children to elderly and have worked with those struggling with severe mental illness, trauma, suicidal thoughts, and self harm. I regularly utilize and am trained in DBT and EMDR with a focus in relational therapy, creating an environment that is backed by science and relies on the relationship I have with my clients. Read more>>
Kylie & Morgan Wolf Meier
20/20: the year of perfect vision. We started to see more clearly on what we wanted our life to be and what we didn’t want it to be. We wanted our own space, our own time. We wanted to live on our own, be responsible for ourselves, live as close with nature as we could, and share our little expression of home with others. Read more>>
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