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.
Valentina Febres Alvarez
My journey has been one of curiosity, presence, and following what truly calls me. I was born in Venezuela and studied Graphic Design, later working in education, psychology, marketing, and translations — all of which taught me how to communicate and connect deeply with people. Read more>>
Naomi Mendoza
My name is Naomi Mendoza I am a 25 year old cosmetologist I graduated in 2019 with my cosmetology license. I have been a wax and brow specialist since 2019 starting in the corporate field I left in 2021 to be with Ilume and now 2025 I am officially my own boss! Read more>>
Darlene Neth
Imagine lying down, hearing the tuning fork gently ring through your ear, a bell dings, the smell of incense floats through the room. You are guided to deepen your breath. Read more>>
Holly Holt
I’ve been immersed in martial arts for 16 years and music for over 20. Both have been my calling since I was 13 years old—I just knew I was meant to pursue these arts and eventually bring them together. I began teaching both martial arts and music at 16. Read more>>
Noel Gaulin
Noel Gaulin has been with Creative Action for 16 years and is known to thousands of young people across the greater Austin area as Curly Fries. Sharing his radical kindness and joy for the arts, Curly Fries strives to inspire young people to be creative artists, critical thinkers, confident leaders and courageous allies. Read more>>
Brenda Sanchez
I’ve always been an artist, even long before I knew how to call myself one. I grew up in East Austin surrounded by creativity, with my mom as a piñata artist and my uncle as a painter, so art was woven into my childhood in ways I didn’t fully appreciate until much later. Read more>>
Clare Scott
I was mid-workout, 40lb dumbbells in hand, when my trainer mentioned she needed shirts for her business — but everyone wanted her to order 25 minimum. She only needed a few. So naturally, I put the dumbbells down, told my muscles to hold that thought, and decided I could probably figure it out. Read more>>
Maggie Eakins
My journey in the wedding industry started back in 2015 when I helped my sister plan her destination wedding. She lives in Washington and they wanted to get married here in the Austin area, at Mercury Hall (miss this place!). At the time, I was a stay at home mom and was working on finishing up my degree in Business Administration. Read more>>
Donna Bragdon
Prior to becoming a notary public, I worked with the State of Texas for almost 30 years. I had positions in management, Civil Rights and contracts; these positions required attention to details, and following specific policies and procedures as outlined by state and federal laws. Read more>>
Tiffany Dunsmore
Prior to owning Austin Scavenger Hunt I was the Development Director for the Florida Keys SPCA for 10 years in Key West, FL. This role allowed me to build relationships, learn how to host large scale events and work with many different types of supporters. Through this position I met Casey Arnold, owner of Southernmost Scavenger Hunts, and my now business partner. Read more>>
Brittany Rodriguez
El Pitayo is really my husband Baldo’s story. He came to the United States from Mexico at the age of 14, not speaking English and without much more than a determination to work. Read more>>
Michael Morris
I’ve always wanted to be a rock star. Ever since I was a little kid, playing on my baby piano to being in band in middle school and highschool, I always craved more. The music was my happy place, but I wanted to create my own instead of reading other people’s music. Read more>>
Keith Cantrell
I was four years old when I discovered the power of a song, the magic of music and the strength of a voice. The most haunting sound came from the radio we had in our living room. It was Johnny Cash. And I would sit motionless by the radio, waiting to hear that voice that moved me so much. Read more>>
Joel Hering
I grew up in Dallas. After graduating from the seminary, I was assigned to Holy Word Lutheran Church by 35 and Braker. What I love about Austin is the same thing I love about the church I was assigned to. The church is tucked away in a small quiet neighborhood. It is not perfect and it is not polished but it is good. Read more>>
Megan Berson
I started playing violin from a young age in San Diego California where I later recieved my BA in performance from SDSU. In my youth I was accepted to all state orchestra and was 1st chair in my youth orchestra. Read more>>
Laura Reed
Well, I’ve spent most of my adult life in education and and working with children. After earning my undergraduate degree in Education, I taught in California before moving to Nice, France, where I taught for several years. Read more>>
Ro Higashi
Born to a Filipino-American family in Tokyo, I moved to the states when I was 5. I spent some summers in the Philippines, experiencing provincial life at my grandparents’ house in Pampanga. When I was 10, the children would have to wake up early and gather water from the well. That was all the water we would use for the day. Read more>>
Rockdale I&GN Depot Museum
Rockdale I&GN Depot Museum is a museum in downtown Rockdale, just 45 minutes east of Hutto/RR, the northern metro. Our historic passenger depot was built by the International and Great Northern (I&GN) Railroad in 1906. One interesting detail is that Rockdale was founded in part by the expansion of the railroad west. Read more>>
Gabrielle Carr
Photography has always been a part of my life in some way. Growing up, my dad was passionate about photography. I can still remember him with his big, fancy camera in hand, capturing every special moment. Those memories stuck with me. Read more>>
Bobby King
I grew up in Austin, studied at Stephen F. Austin and abroad in Shanghai before returning home to start a business. My father got me into construction at a young age and we have had the opportunity to work on all kinds of complex projects from skateparks and water fountains to architectural walls, cave grottos and fish aquariums. Read more>>
Belva Sheppard
We’re a family-owned and operated bridal boutique that’s been helping brides say “yes” for over 22 years! I opened Georgio’s because I knew this would be such a fun and meaningful industry—especially with my two daughters by my side. It’s been amazing watching them grow in the business and knowing one day I’ll be able to pass it on to them. Read more>>
Dianna Hodges
Vision Lampasas began in 2007 as a follow-up to the Main Street Program. A group of community leaders, business owners, and concerned citizens organized Vision Downtown Lampasas as a 501c3 organization. We later evolved to be more inclusive and became Vision Lampasas – dedicated to enhancing the economic, cultural, and aesthetic welfare of Lampasas. Subcommittees quickly followed. Read more>>
Stacy Reis
Jason has always loved quick service restaurants. Early in his career, he was a restaurant manager before moving to Austin, TX. He joined P.Terry’s and led all store operations as they grew from 3 stores to 13 stores, making an impact on the P.Terry’s story and growth trajectory during his tenure. Read more>>
Cristina Garcia
I graduated from LSU in 2020 — yes, peak COVID — when people were losing jobs before they even started them. I earned a double major in Political Science and Public Relations back when “social media marketing” wasn’t really a formal program yet. Before graduating, I interned in D.C. Read more>>
William Vandry
William Vandry is an author, researcher, sports nutritionist, filmmaker, businessman, athlete and martial artist. Vandry is also one of the highest-ranking BJJ Black belts in Texas, and one of the highest ranking American BJJ Black belts in the world (6th degree). Read more>>
Reza Farahani
With over a decade of experience in public and private finance, Reza Farahani, CPA is a trusted advisor to individuals and businesses seeking personalized tax, accounting, and financial strategy services in Central Texas and beyond. Born and raised in Central Texas, Reza combines a deep passion for numbers with a practical understanding of what drives financial growth. Read more>>
Hillary Cauthen
Dr. Hillary Cauthen, Founder, Texas Optimal Performance & Psychological Services From an early age, sport was more than competition for me, it was connection, purpose, and self-discovery. As a competitive youth athlete turned collegiate distance runner, I became fascinated not just with physical performance, but with the power of the mind behind it. Read more>>
Jerome Autin
My musical journey began at an early age at a Montessori school in New Orleans, and ultimately led me to pursue a degree in music at Southeastern Louisiana University, with a focus on piano. I moved to Austin, TX, for the first time in 1994. It was there that I began my career as a freelance music educator at different preschools in South Austin. Read more>>
Cody Webb
I’ve been an Austin musician for over 20 years. I cut my teeth at the Music Lab back in the day. And when the pandemic was over, I was excited to get back to playing with my band, Armpit Motel. But with the Music Lab closed and other rehearsal options limited, I had to improvise. Read more>>
Justice Cammack
Including performances with various bands and solo performances, I have over 3,000 stage performances to my name. I’ve pretty much lost count at this point. I have had the incredible experiences of opening for legendary acts like The Temptations, Joan Jett, and Mint Condition. Read more>>
Jacob Bates
Our organization opened up Bird Creek Burger Co in Downtown Temple off of Main Street in 2017 as a small family run business. We wanted to bring something a little different to the downtown area with specialty burgers and scratch kitchen offerings. As time progressed we saw the potential for Downtown Temple’s growth and decided to renovate a historical property and open up Treno Pizzeria & Taproom in 2020 off of 1st Street. Read more>>
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