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.
Bethany Cyrtmus-Davaul
Austin Rise FC is bringing professional women’s soccer to Austin and this summer will also be playing for a $1,000,000 prize at TST in North Carolina! How did we get here? The club was founded in Fall 2022 by five women who had all played together on their prior semi-professional team. Sadly, the experience on that team ended abruptly after a league investigation into the conduct of the owner and team manager. Eventually, this led to the former team’s dissolution and us and others without a team. So, the five of us decided to band together and create a new team, re-brand and build it the right way for women. We were rebuilding a team from nothing, from the ground up, and this is where the symbolism of the phoenix on our team crest comes into the picture. Read more>>
Selena Cruz
The support from my Facebook media made me grind harder, and take it seriously. I am now a mother of 3, I have a beautiful family that I grind for. I am still doing makeup and going strong as ever. Through, the ups and downs, I never gave up. Makeup was my best friend growing up, it helped me cope with everything that I had going on mentally, physically, and emotionally. I only became stronger and wiser. So, from the bottom of my heart, I truly appreciate everyone who’s been there and showed tremendous support in my upbringing. Read more>>
Kelsie Thomann
At first, the role wasn’t exactly glamorous—I was doing all the behind-the-scenes work like setting up tables, tying bows, and all the little things that go into event planning. Before I knew it, I was leading my own events at just 19. That hands-on experience was everything, it gave me the skills I needed for when I eventually started my own business. I stuck with her throughout college, but after graduation, I landed a job at one of the biggest music and event venues in my hometown. They threw me in the deep end with little to no guidance, but hey, I’m a fast learner and was ready to tackle anything. I did it all—sales, event planning, you name it. Read more>>
Tiffany Rankin
I’m a painter and storyteller who wields ink and color like spells, conjuring portraits of mythic women and landscapes humming with ancestral memory. My specialty lies in blending the African diaspora’s rich folklore with contemporary narratives—think queens draped in constellations or tempests shaped like braided hair. While I paint nature’s raw beauty, my heart thrums loudest for women who defy simplistic labels: priestesses, warriors, and gossiped-about figures reclaimed as icons. Read more>>
Cyd Precious
Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful for the people at Studio Ink, but it got lonely at times. I felt like I was missing out on all the other parts of tattooing. The many artists, the art and the stories. Communing with other artists and machines, taking it all in is my JAM. It was never just about needles to the skin for me, and somehow that was all I was doing. Read more>>
Scott Gross
My tenure running Two Hills Studio has been marked by constant ‘headwinds’. It started on day 1 when my predecessor introduced me to the team and his – now my – key employee, the Design Associate, broke down crying and quit on the spot because, after 20 years, he felt betrayed and feared he’d have to take on more responsibility since I was new. The loss of this key employee with all his institutional knowledge definitely steepened my learning curve! Read more>>
Julian Ortega
I have been a boxing coach in Houston at HTX FightCamp for a couple of years, as it has always been a passion of mine. When my wife and I moved to Austin in 2021, I continued training part-time. Our organization began in 2022 when an idea was placed on our hearts after my brother tragically passed away from suicide following a struggle with mental health. This heartbreaking loss opened my eyes to the importance of mental health and inspired me to reach out to young people who might be battling this hidden struggle. Read more>>
Brent Broyles
It has been a realatively smooth road. There were the usual close calls; build out took a lot longer than expected, used up more of the finances than expected, feared a couple of bounced checks, and the first payroll was hard. We didn’t pay ourselves much for the first 3 years and worked 10am to 1am everyday for about a year and a half and didn’t get a day off for probably 2 years. Aside from the first month of running around like chickens with our heads cut off, we just dedicated all our time into making it work. Not sure I could do the same now. Read more>>
Mitch Hamblet
Our mission, therefore, is to improve the quality of peoples’ lives while helping them overcome any boundaries that need overcoming. We craft an environment that is accessible, one in which people can grow. A place we can all be proud to call home. We don’t believe housing for people with disabilities should feel stale. We believe care should be provided in a spirit of hospitality and love. This mission inspires us and we hope it inspires you. Read more>>
Joshua Alderete
What started as a personal project quickly grew into Restored Drum Shop, a place where drummers could find beautifully restored instruments with history and character. Seeing the joy that a well-loved, revitalized drum set brings to musicians has been incredibly rewarding. Whether it’s helping a beginner find their first kit or giving a seasoned player a unique, vintage sound, this journey has been about more than just drums—it’s about the music, the people, and the stories behind every instrument. Read more>>
Diana Dao
With the connections I had in nightlife, I hustled my way through the club scene, turning bottle girls and dancers into my first loyal clients. But my first salon job wasn’t what I imagined. The person I looked to as a mentor didn’t help me grow—instead, they made me feel like I was failing for not being the kind of assistant they wanted. I was given little to no guidance, and instead of developing my skills, I was left feeling inadequate and stuck. Eventually, I quit—and nearly walked away from hair altogether. Read more>>
Brittanie Thornton
As I progressed in my banking career, I knew I wanted to do more for myself and my family. I saw mortgage lending as an opportunity to not only grow financially but also develop new skills that I wouldn’t have access to as a banker. The head of my company’s mortgage division saw something in me and encouraged me to join a new mentor-mentee program for loan officers. It was a leap of faith—new goals, new challenges, and a big unknown. My mentor, while a little grumpy, was extremely knowledgeable and helped me find my footing. Read more>>
Miró Quartet
Having independently released many celebrated recordings for a variety of global labels, the Miró Quartet was nominated for a 2025 GRAMMY® Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for its second album on Pentatone, Home, featuring two new commissions by Kevin Puts and Caroline Shaw, as well as works by George Walker and Samuel Barber. It was nominated for a 2024 GRAMMY® Award for Best Choral Performance for House of Belonging, created in collaboration with Austin-based choral group Conspirare. The quartet recently produced an Emmy Award-winning audiovisual multimedia project titled Transcendence, a documentary centered around a performance of Franz Schubert’s Quartet in G Major on rare Stradivarius instruments, available on livestream, CD, and Blu-ray. Read more>>
Daniela Valle
This is a great question. We’re often surrounded by media that encourages us to “follow your dreams,” or says things like “if you love your work, you won’t work a day in your life,” and “quit your 9-to-5 and go all in on your passion.” While I appreciate the sentiment behind these statements, the reality is more complex. If you want your business to be successful, it demands serious grit, long hours, and relentless drive. Read more>>
Jennifer ‘Suki’ Otsuki
It has been anything but a smooth road. The path has been winding and, at times, razor-thin beneath my feet. The restaurant industry shaped me in ways I’m both grateful for and have had to recover from—grueling hours, relentless pressure, and an ingrained culture of burnout and abuse that left its mark. When I stepped away, it wasn’t just from a career but from an entire way of being that I had to unlearn. Read more>>
Logan Patete
While I was there, I became the Big South XC Freshman of the Year and trained harder than ever to finish the year with a 3rd place finish at the U20 national championships and earn an alternate spot for Team USA. After that, Texas called. After a 20 minute phone call, I started signing papers to transfer. It was so unexpected. I had my apartment lease already signed for another year at Upstate but when Texas calls, you answer. Now I am graduating with a degree in applied movement science from the University of Texas while also being able to pursue athletics at the highest level. In addition to this, I started coaching high school athletes online. Using my degree and athletic experience, I want to be the coach I wish I had. Read more>>
Aileen Yu
When I first moved to Austin, I had a remote job working in the corp world. I did not like it. Entrepreneurship came into my mind and I am so glad that I have chosen this path. I now own a franchise location for Mathnasium, it’s a math after school program for kids from elementary to high school. We teach them how to breakdown the numbers, to make it easy and fun. And t through the execises, they build so much confidence in math and in school. We see their smiles and our parents are so happy that their children start liking math. It’s a very fulfilling calling and I’ve built a community around there and I know every name of my students and I am proud of that. Read more>>
Shubhra Jain
Rooted in Shubhra’s Indian upbringing, just a few hours from Jaipur where the ancient art of hand block printing thrives, House of Alaan is a brand that honors tradition through a modern lens. Each piece—from reversible quilts and robes to table linens and throws—is made in small batches by skilled artisans using sustainable materials and century-old techniques. Read more>>
Zac Walden
Walden Media Group is an Expert Technologies and Digital Agency. We work with businesses ranging from enterprise-level b2b all the way to early-stage seed start-ups. We believe there are three key ingredients for success in modern digital business; People, Product, and Platform. Our role for our clients is to perfect the platform. Whether that be an app, website or software platform. When we find clients who bring the right product and people – we strike gold. We love our work and the impact we see it make in the lives of both consumers and businesses. Read more>>
David Isick (Isaac)
I had to learn the language. Though knowing English was a bit of a crutch in Tokyo, as many people wanted to speak English when meeting me – and subsequently I would often meet the most tenured professional in each building. In a society built on hierarchy and respect, not knowing the Japanese language proved to be an initial benefit for me in my professional life. It wasn’t until later I would begin to learn the language to connect with everyday strangers. This happened mainly because of my travels outside of Tokyo, where English isn’t spoken as much. After properly learning Japanese, it helped my business a bit and my social life a lot more. Read more>>
Steve Young
I graduated from the Academy of Art University at a rapid pace to get started with my career and got my first job as a Level Designer at a studio in Colorado where I remained for about 5 years. After that I came out to Texas for another position at another game studio, before landing at Certain Affinity here in Austin for about 10 years. I loved my time there and my desire to build my own games kept growing and growing until I shipped my first mobile game a few years back, and now while I’m still processing my son’s cancer diagnosis when he was only 2 years old, I’ve been motivated to express my family’s experience in video game form based on all the trauma we went through. Read more>>
Will Cobb
My name is Will Cobb, I play in a band called PARADISE, and am one of the many minds behind Dat Real Shit Productions. DRSP is a booking company for all extreme music groups. Truthfully speaking it is a relatively new new endeavor, but I would say the main goal of the operation is to inspire the younger generation to get involved in the scene, start new bands, and feel excited to be included in a community. To do that, my focus is to put on good events in a true DIY fashion, and connect with others doing the same around the area. Read more>>
Dean Kakridas
My early career started in Boston after engineering school, working in high-tech hardware companies during the Computer Age. Then, in 2000, I made a bold move—left Boston for Oslo to join Opera, a web browser startup, as a business developer. It was a major career pivot: from hardware engineering to software business development and from the U.S. to Scandinavia. Being one of the few non-Norwegians at Opera gave me a unique lens on the business, and being part of one of the few independent browser companies during the rise of the Internet was a whirlwind. The company eventually moved me to Austin to establish our U.S. office and build our stateside presence. Read more>>
Caleb McLemore
After getting my license, I went with Keller Williams. I didn’t know that they’re the biggest in the world, they simply took the time to speak to me and not just send a couple of emails. I spent the first year of real estate as a single agent and it wasn’t going well. I joined a team and for a time, it went great! I had plenty of leads to follow up on and really felt like I was getting the needed training. Read more>>
LilTony Rose
I can remember it one day I was in school and I had a Bestfriend of mines name Gabe we would vent to each other and hang talking about our lives and kind of just decided to rap and sing our lives. I’ve gotten to where I am through GOD The father with Hard Work and dedication. I’ve been singing for about 5 years professionally and have been building my fanbase over the course of the past couple of years . I stand today thankful for everything that has happened musically and financially I am in a great position set up for success. Read more>>
Jking
Im most proud of having a proclamation holiday given to me by the mayor of Austin Texas. For my events that have helped the surrounding communitys and given back to the youth and those in need. Read more>>
Kira Wilson
After about half a year of that, I ran into an old work friend who told me his artist was looking for an apprentice! I was excited but… terrified. I didn’t think I was good enough. It took a few days (and my friends threatening to tie me to a chair) but I sent the message and set up an interview. After getting accepted, I spent another year and a half as an apprentice, working full time while pursuing the craft full time as well. So many hours have been put into this craft, and I’m beyond excited to be able to say, truly, that my job is art. Read more>>
Kara Wardwell
Several years ago, I explored a career as a freelance makeup artist but soon realized it wasn’t the right fit for me. As I came to terms with closing that chapter, October arrived, bringing requests for Halloween face painting. Intrigued by the idea, I purchased a small face paint kit from a local costume store. From that moment on, I was hooked! On April 1, 2025, I will celebrate my 10th anniversary in face painting! Read more>>
Crystal
I’ve been in the fitness industry for 18 years, earning bachelor’s degrees in Exercise Science and Physical Education, along with certifications as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Functional Range Conditioning Coach, and multiple CrossFit specializations. Early in my career, I worked as a yoga instructor and group fitness coach before discovering CrossFit in 2007 in Colorado. After seeing women who were capable of strict muscle-ups and lifting heavy weights online, I quickly became infatuated with the sport. In pursuit of new opportunities, I took a leap of faith and moved to Austin, making barely enough to get by. Despite the challenges, I was determined to build a career in fitness and create something meaningful.Eventually, I competed at the CrossFit Games in 2009 and 2010 in California, as well as in London and other fitness competitions. Read more>>
Estefany Guzman
I’m Estefany Guzman, being a licensed cosmetologist, I’ve always been passionate about helping others look and feel amazing after receiving a beauty service. I started my business just a few years ago, all by taking a leap of faith. I had taken a break from my career at the time, to truly find my calling, from one side project to another, I stumbled across an online class for 101 lash extensions, I very quickly fell in love with the artistry of lashing. Read more>>
Victoria Francisco
My husband and I moved around a lot for his job. Prior to Texas we lived in four other states and survived three transpacific moves, until he decided that Austin was the next city we should be at. We’ve been here for five years now and I hope to be staying for a while! Throughout all our life changes, the one constant was my love for baking. I baked cookies, breads, and cakes, and gave them out to family and friends. Now that our boys, who we nicknamed Bug and Bear, are in school full time, I decided to finally turn my hobby into a business. I feel fortunate that I’m able to do what I love to do, everyday! Read more>>
Jaimie
“It hasn’t always been a smooth road, but every challenge has shaped my journey. One of the biggest struggles was proving that luxury fashion-inspired furniture could be both artistic and functional. Finding the right materials and skilled artisans who shared my vision took time, as did balancing creativity with the business side of design. Building a brand from the ground up required patience and resilience, but every obstacle pushed me to refine my craft. Looking back, the challenges made the successes even more rewarding, and they continue to inspire my work today.” Read more>>
Timothy Doyle
Since then, he has produced art for clients such as Marvel, Dark Horse, Cartoon Network, Studio Canal, and has generally been insanely busy. Doyle also art directs poster series for bands such as Metallica, Failure, and “Weird Al” Yankovic. Doyle has had 7 solo art shows at the SpokeArt Gallery in San Francisco and New York and Austin, featuring his UnReal Estate Series of prints. Doyle had a retrospective show in London at The Flood Gallery in October of 2022. Read more>>
Lisa Treviño Jackson
It was so hard to get out of being stuck in my “heavy metal DJ” bubble. But I’ve used that to challenge myself and branch out of what others may expect of me. Dark and heavy music is my passion, so finding my way to “fit the vibe” while staying true to myself has been an experience. I’m now dipping my feet into the goth and dark dance world. It’s been such a wild and fun ride. Read more>>
Alex Quirk
As a recovering perfectionist, I consistently struggle with letting go of my expectations and allowing the creative process to unfold – as messy and imperfect as it is. I was not schooled or taught the “correct” methods – I simply went at it through trial and error and there has definitely been a lot of error as I’m sure there always will be. I’ve learned over time, that the key is to lean into it and embrace each flaw and mistake and only through that acceptance can we truly grow in our skills and in ourselves. Read more>>
Ileana Gonzalez
There is a space between people that determines the strength and authenticity of relationships they are able to have. This space is influenced by our initial familial attachments and all relationships after. Helping clients explore this space has become the heart of my work. It is the honor of a lifetime to be able to explore this space with clients and hear their stories. In 2022 I decided that as a therapist in private practice I could continue my work in an authentic and meaningful way that granted me the autonomy to specialize in areas I am passionate about. Including attachment, generational trauma, and anxiety. Read more>>
John Allen
What sets me apart is my ability to balance this artistic approach with the needs of my couples. I create images that are not only visually beautiful but also deeply personal and nostalgic. I want my couples to look back on their wedding photos and feel like they’re stepping right back into those moments. Read more>>
M.G. Herron
But I’m not a pilot—so I worked with military pilots and commercial aviators to make sure every flying scene was realistic, technically accurate, and vetted by the pros. Read more>>
Nick Ammons
I grew up in the industry, my dad was/is a builder so I grew up on job sites. I like to tell people it’s in my blood. I started working on job sites when I got my drivers license at 16. After high school I worked in a prefabrication shop where we built parts for homes. I worked there while going to community college. I went to college for year and then got a job building custom homes full time. We built most aspects of the homes ourselves so I’ve done anything from forming foundations to installing tile and hardwoods. I’ve literally done it all with the exception of the mechanical trades, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. Read more>>
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