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.
Aubrey Carroll 
Hi, I’m Aubrey Carroll, a mixed-media artist based in Central Texas. I’ve felt a strong connection to art from a very young age, exploring everything from photography and anime-inspired drawing to printmaking and three-dimensional work during my college years. I’ve always loved experimenting with new mediums and creative processes, and I enjoy finding ways to bring them together. Read more>>
Connor Rodriguez 
My story really grew out of a love for photography, Texas culture, and the western lifestyle that still runs deep throughout Texas and the surrounding communities that is Central Texas. Read more>>
Patrick King 
So, I have been doing theatre/musical theatre since I was in 5th grade. I have performed all over Texas, and now all over American working for Locomotive Live. I have also worked for Royal Caribbean so I have also gotten the privilege to perform internationally as well. Read more>>
Elizabeth Villalobos 
My journey to Gruene Bake Haus started with my own health. I discovered that I needed to follow a gluten-free diet, but if I’m being truthful, I didn’t take it all that seriously at first. That changed when I had children and realized, as I began introducing foods to them, that they were sensitive to gluten too. Read more>>
Kelsi Lewis 
I’m one of those people who actually knew what I wanted to be from a very young age. I decided I wanted to be a dentist when I was six years old, and somehow that dream never changed. Looking back, it’s pretty special to realize that the life I’m living now started as something I imagined for myself as a little girl. Read more>>
Alex Chew 
At heart, I’m really a small town Kentucky nerd who fell in love with cinema watching Hitchcock and Wilder on Turner Classic Movies. I moved to Austin for UT’s Radio-TV-Film program and, after receiving my MFA in Film Production, I fulfilled my lifelong dream of being a teacher. Read more>>
Rachel Aquino 
Rachel “Spicy Gobou” Aquino is a self-taught queer interdisciplinary artist whose visual arts practice integrates fashion design, photography, sceneography, and dance performance to build visual utopias. Their practice uses eroticism and prefigurative futures to investigate queer agency and freedom. Gobou creates visual playgrounds where personhood remains proudly ungovernable, rejecting conventional artistic rules in pursuit of awe and camp. Read more>>
Dionne Williams 
I decided to quit my job in the healthcare field back in 2012, and took a leap of faith. I spent a week in Houston, Texas and attended Franklin Beauty College where I got my natural hair license. I Came back to Austin and started immediately working in a Salon, where I started out Braiding and doing Locs. Read more>>
Skyler Hurt
I was born and raised in Houston, but I’ve moved around a lot over the years, with stops in New York City, Orlando, Salt Lake City, Houston again, Austin, and Los Angeles. I started my career in television, working in unscripted and reality TV as a casting director and producer. Read more>>
Carolyn Ramirez 
This past April, I came across clear isomalt lollipops on TikTok and decided to try making them with my daughter. I had no idea at the time that it was going to turn into a business. I just became completely obsessed with all the possibilities. I’ve always been the person who wants to make something a little over the top. Read more>>
Gustavo Martinez 
My story is really a story of starting over. I was born and raised in Venezuela, where I earned my degree in Advertising and Public Relations and spent many years working in sales, marketing, and brand development. In 2016, I moved to the United States with my wife and our two children. Read more>>
Dr. Scott Mitchell 
I’ve always been interested in health, performance, and helping people feel and function better. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Medical Biology from the University of New England and later moved across the country to attend Life Chiropractic College West, where I earned my Doctor of Chiropractic degree. After graduating, I eventually made my way to Austin and started Limitless Chiropractic. Read more>>
Erin Edwards 
Two years ago, I had an amazing experience bringing my son into the world, and much of that great experience is credited to the support I had with me. Since the birth of my son, I’ve felt a calling to help support other women through their pregnancy and birth journey. Read more>>
Clever Tiger 
The Clever Tiger Art Gallery began with husband and wife team, Kyle and Ashley Smith. The couple wanted to create a space for up and coming artists to showcase work that locals could enjoy. Throughout the last 9 years, the business has provided a wide range of creative services and events in the Central Texas area. Read more>>
Andi Holliday 
I’ve been behind the chair for 13 years, and my career has definitely evolved right along with me. I started out knowing that I loved doing hair and making people feel good about themselves, but over the years I realized I wanted to create something that felt completely my own. In 2020, I took that leap and started ASH Vibe Hair. Read more>>
Mary Onkar Ryan 
My journey with Kundalini Yoga began over 20 years ago, and I’ve now been teaching for 18 of those years — as an E-RYT 500, healer, and meditative counselor with more than 2,200 hours in the seat. I’ve practiced and taught across Colorado, Los Angeles, and Austin, always carrying this work with me. It was in LA that everything shifted. Read more>>
Gabrielle Faust 
I have been a writer and an artist my entire life, as was my grandmother and great grandmother before me. Storytelling is in our blood, so to speak – there has never been a shortage of wild tales weaving through my consciousness and dying to be jotted down on the page. Read more>>
Carlos de la Cerda 
My name is Carlos de la Cerda, and I’m a singer-songwriter from Eagle Pass, Texas. From a young age, I have been passionate about creating music, not just the craft of writing songs, but the sense of community that forms around music. In 2020, as the pandemic kept everyone apart, I started making music with friends as a way to stay connected. Read more>>
Tony Suraci 
When I was 9, I saw my babysitter (a male) walking/strolling on the street only wearing shorts w an acoustic guitar strapped-on strumming and playing while he walked and I thought, that’s what I want to do! The following year, I moved to my fathers house and I begged him to buy me a guitar, which he did. Read more>>
Robby (EmmaSis) Durand
My Name is Robby Durand. I was born in Pasadena California, raised in Albuquerque New Mexico, and have lived in Austin since 2013. I attended a performing arts middle/high school and am a retired ballet dancer. After moving to Austin I started doing drag under the name ‘EmmaSis’. Read more>>
Ladi Loera 
For about 25 years, I made my living as an artist. I built my own business from scratch, and about five years in, my partner at the time quit his job to join me. And honestly, it was wonderful—because he took over the one part of the job I absolutely hated: talking to people. Read more>>
Raul Ceron 
I started getting into business and real estate as a teenager without much money, connections, or a clear roadmap. I started in sales, got into property management at 17 because I was too young to have my real estate license, became licensed at 18, and built my first house at 19. Read more>>
John Mulvany 
Born and raised in Ireland, I have lived in Austin for the past 27 years. I graduated from the College of Art, Design and Print in Dublin before completing a degree in art and design education at the Crawford College of Art in Cork. I have worked as an artist and art educator throughout my adult life. Read more>>
D.L. Struble 
My wife Tammy and I sold our business (The Loose Screw Craft Beer House and Garden) about six months ago with the anticipation of moving on to the next adventure. We are a nomadic couple that is always looking forward around the next bend in the road. I have always been a writer and have decided to pursue my storytelling full-time. Read more>>
EV0 MMBD 
Makes My Blood Dance started in New York City with a simple idea: bring together the energy of metal, the pulse of electronic music, and the freedom of the dance floor. We weren’t interested in fitting neatly into a genre. We wanted to create something that felt like its own world, where music, fashion, performance, and nightlife collide. Read more>>
Aimen Ahsan Hafeez 
I was once on a road trip with my friends where we grabbed some coffee and were speaking about our dreams. I mentioned wanting to start a bookstore cafe where people could feel right at home. they asked me what I’d call it if and when I did. I said socks and sandals sounded like a fun, cool and comfy name. Read more>>
Maddie Radcliff 
I’m a native of Nashville, TN but have lived in Indiana since 2009. I grew up with dogs and playing sports, and knew I wanted to do both when I got older. I started this business because of my passion for helping dogs live a more fulfilled life. Read more>>
Joshua Draper 
I got started wanting to emulate my dad, who was a trumpet player when he was young and loved to laugh and watch shows like Whose Line Is It Anyway? with our family. I picked up the trumpet in middle school, and I was always drawn to performing — writing skits, making people laugh, and being the class clown growing up. Read more>>
Houston Puryear Ward 
I’ve spent more than 20 years in the beauty industry, and my career started in New York City when I was 19. I began as a freelance makeup artist, working across multiple beauty brands, editorial projects and luxury beauty environments, including Condé Nast and Bobbi Brown. Those early experiences gave me an incredible foundation in artistry, brand identity, client experience and the business of beauty. Read more>>
Jamie Beutel 
Hi, thank you so much for taking the time to interview me, and also read this article. I’m Jamie and I’ve been in the hair industry for over 21 years, and what started as a career eventually became one of the most meaningful parts of my life. I’ve always loved the connection that comes with being behind the chair. Read more>>
Juan Zaragoza 
I was born in the beautiful city of Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, in 1979. My parents always noticed my aptitude for drawing and painting, and I always had their unconditional support. Read more>>
Wonders & Worries Heike Murphy 
Wonders & Worries was founded in Austin in 2001 by Certified Child Life Specialists Meredith Cooper and Melissa “Missi” Hicks, who worked with children in pediatric hospitals. Meredith was Austin’s first pediatric oncology child life specialist at Children’s Hospital of Austin, while Missi brought experience from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Egleston-Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Read more>>
Lindsay Dahlin 
My path to this type of artistry hasn’t exactly been linear. I have been a studio art student since I was 5- both of my parents are artists as well. In an attempt to satisfy my parent’s ‘how are you going to make money?’ question- I studied apparel and textile design in college, which landed me working in fashion and visual display. Read more>>
Daniel Rossi 
For most of my career, I worked in the technology industry, with a strong focus on project management, marketing, and business development. Over the years, I learned how to build relationships, understand customers’ needs, manage complex projects, and turn ideas into successful results. My transition into construction happened after I noticed a significant gap between homeowners and the people actually executing their projects. Read more>>
Jennifer Tucker 
My real estate story began 25 years ago in one of life’s most uncertain moments. I was pregnant, my husband had just lost his job, and we suddenly found ourselves without a home in Seattle, Washington—right in the middle of a market boom. The experience was humbling and terrifying at the same time. Read more>>
Iiris Kokko
I am KOKO, a musician, singer-songwriter, model and an entrepreneur originally from Finland. Based in Brooklyn New York. I have always been an artistic soul. I have played the alto-saxophone since I was 8 years old, been part of choirs, music conservatories, music classes and I also have a background in theatre and musicals. I love to perform, I love to share my truth. Read more>>
JK Foley
Growing up, I was surrounded by creativity & craftsmanship. My dad was a home builder & cabinet maker, while my mom has always had a natural artistic ability, so I believe the foundation for a career in design was instilled in me from an early age. Although those influences shaped my interests, it was an advisor at Texas A&M University who encouraged me to pursue a degree in architecture – a decision that ultimately set the course for my career. Read more>>
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