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.
David Weaver
Dr. Weaver grew up with a deep love for animals and the outdoors, a combination that quickly made him the kid who was always bringing home creatures to care for, raise, and eventually release. His parents were never surprised by what may be brought home. This early passion was strengthened when a local ranch veterinarian invited him to tag along on farm and house calls—an experience that cemented his desire to become a veterinarian. Read more>>
Crystal Robaina
I was now a Store Director for Tiffany & Co. and my husband was running the Men’s Universe at Louis Vuitton. From the outside, it looked glamorous. But the reality was that Los Angeles traffic consumed hours of my life every day, and we hadn’t had a single day off together in over a year because of childcare costs. I was missing dinner, bath time, and bedtime with my baby five nights a week. Read more>>
Kay Hutchinson
That was me until God guided me to refine the qi gong resets and herbal protocols that I had used with clients for years so that I could refuel all five of my energy tanks–the key to restoring the shattered parts of my life and self. Read more>>
Yusbel Salgado Alonso
My journey began with humble jobs and long hours, but every experience pushed me to understand people’s struggles and the importance of having someone trustworthy to guide them. Over time, I discovered that my passion was helping others—especially immigrants like me—navigate systems that often feel overwhelming, confusing, and intimidating. Read more>>
Brittany and Josh Saraceno and Roberts
Josh Roberts and Brittany Saraceno are the creative duo behind 815ATX, a photography studio based in Austin, Texas. We started 815 with an approach deeply rooted in photojournalistic storytelling, and guided by a passion for capturing the real, unscripted moments of a couple’s most important day. We launched 815ATX with a clear vision: to stay small, focused, and intimately involved in each wedding they photograph. Read more>>
Susannah Crowell
What a lofty question! I’ll start prefacing that I’m in one of those junctures in life (if it’s not all of them that are like this) where I know enough to know that I know nothing. I don’t know what’s next, but it feels like a precipice. Read more>>
Matthew Manuel
I received my architectural education in upstate New York, at Syracuse University. The program allowed me to study design in Florence, Italy for my 4th year before returning to complete my thesis. In 1996, I graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture and continued to live and work in Syracuse. Read more>>
Jeff Lutes
I grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, in the 60s and 70s, and my teenage years covered a lot of creative territory. One minute I was performing magic shows for schools, businesses, and dinner theaters; the next I was singing my heart out with a traveling church youth group. Read more>>
Marlene Mogavero
My path into the world of ultrasound has been anything but linear. Before finding sonography, I worked in several different fields, always searching for a career that fit me—one that would allow me to be of service, use my natural attention to detail, and feel meaningful day to day. Read more>>
Dr. Jenifer Wakefield
Restoration Ranch, Texas is a six-month voluntary faith-based discipleship program for women over 18 years of age. Women who are experiencing personal crisis or impacts from addiction can find a safe, and peaceful environment to find a new chance at life. In 2012, Dr. Jenifer Wakefield was serving on staff at a local church. Read more>>
Emeka Ezeokeke
My journey started in California as a young undergrad with no direction. I selected Civil Engineering as my major because my dad had success in the field. After 1 year of engineering courses I quickly realized it wasn’t for me. I dropped out of engineering with no back up plan. In my core I knew I couldn’t do engineering, I just didn’t have another option. Read more>>
Stephanie J. Schiller
My art career started as a fashion illustration instructor in 2010 at Austin School of Fashion Design. I taught kids aged 8-16 how to sketch their own croquis (fashion poses) and design their own clothes. That experience taught me how to simplify my lessons so kids could easily understand and express themselves. It was the start of everything. Read more>>
Kristin Holly
Growing up a daddy’s girl, I was always helping him with something. From helping with the chickens and animals to being his gopher getting tools, I was always there beside him when I could. When I was young, he had his own business installing canopies over filling station pumps and would travel mostly in the Midwest building them. Read more>>
Sarah Siller
Photography has always been a part of my life. It’s something I was naturally drawn to from a young age, and that interest eventually led me to study it as my major in college. Everything shifted when I had my children. Read more>>
Mark Johnson
I grew up around this work, so in a way it feels like I started before I even knew it had a name. My dad was a hypnotherapist and a past life regression therapist, so I had a front row seat to what happens when someone finally gets to the root of what they are carrying. Read more>>
Patrick Buchta
I serve as Chief Executive Officer of Austin Texas Musicians nonprofit, representing 6,000+ Central Texas musicians on city, state, and federal policy and providing education and economic development solutions that better our quality of life. I’m also a Downtown Commissioner for the City of Austin, as well as a Board Member of the Texas Music Museum. Read more>>
Jesse Brinegar
Hi there, my name is Jesse. I’m 27 years old and I have been a Massage Therapist for nearly eight years. I have owned my own business for nearly two years now and I absolutely love what I do. My journey began while I was working with the elderly community when I was eighteen. Read more>>
Yanett Heredia
I was born in Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico, and my family immigrated to the U.S. when I was seven. From a young age, I had to learn how to navigate two cultures at once- a skill that has shaped so much of who I am today. Like many immigrant kids, I grew up with a strong sense of responsibility. Read more>>
Lorena Rivera
I worked 23 years for a large Texas retailer. Some of the roles I had were in customer service, bookkeeping, baking, cake decorating, and floral design. 15 of those years were on the floral side with six of those years being a Floral Manager. I worked in 7 different locations, and received many awards to include Woman of Distinction in 2004 and 2017. Read more>>
Josh Cavazos
My name is Josh Cavazos and I knew I wanted to play the piano in the 1st grade, the moment I heard Chopin’s Revolutionary Etude for the first time! I began consistent lessons and my musical path took a large turn in high school when my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. Read more>>
Rebecca Prejean
My story really begins with my son, Ethan. During my pregnancy, we were told he had hydrocephalus and that he would likely never walk or talk. There’s no way to prepare for news like that. You carry the weight of it quietly, hoping the doctors are wrong while trying to brace yourself for whatever comes next. And in our case, the doctors were wrong. Read more>>
Callie Ring
My journey really began in art school. I always had a heart for people and creativity, and for a long time I thought I would become an art teacher. Art felt familiar and safe—a place where I could express myself even while fighting through the challenges of dyslexia. Then life came fast. Read more>>
Nest Infant Support Laura Burton and Maggie Brewer
We’re both licensed speech-language pathologists who began our careers completing clinical fellowships focused on pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders. For most of our professional lives, we worked within pediatric hospital systems, supporting children across outpatient, acute care, critical care, and specialty clinic settings. Read more>>
Marcus Delzell
I have donned the mantle of an artist for as long as I can remember. At the age of three, I was awakened by a torrential and cacophonous thunderstorm. Read more>>
Diane Brooks
I’ve spent more than 30 years working in bookkeeping, payroll, and business operations, and over that time I found that my passion has always been helping small businesses stay organized, compliant, and financially healthy. Read more>>
Ellen Meystedt
I spent majority of my childhood growing up in central Illinois. I attended Southeast Missouri State University where I received my Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management. While I was in the midst of completing my last year of college, my mom suddenly passed away. It was at this point that I went to therapy for the first time. Read more>>
Jess Legge
I’m Jess Legge, CEO and co-founder of Sifted, and my story really starts with my own experience. Before Sifted, I kept seeing the same pattern in offices. Food was treated as a perk to check off a list, not as something that could actually build connection, show people they’re valued, or reflect the culture a company says it wants. Read more>>
Ron Hadri
My wife and I started a party rental business for kids’ birthday parties. One day in the spring of 2023, my wife, Cynthia, was scrolling on her phone searching for birthday party ideas for our first born daughter’s first birthday party that we were going to host in a few months time when she came across a TikTok of a beautiful softplay setup in Houston. Read more>>
Megan Roderick
Let’s see, after spending over 20 years working in the medical field as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist, I was ready for a career change. My husband and I had considered the idea of purchasing and renting out a restroom trailer business. Read more>>
Imani Simmons
Hi! Thank you so much for allowing me to tell my story. I am a Unicorn. That is what people born and raised in Austin refer to ourselves as. I am a kid that sang on stage with The Wailers at Liberty Lunch (if you know, you know). I love this town. Read more>>
Gigi Cordell
We purchased 1890 Karcher Haus in 2016 with the intent to restore and bring the historical home back to its glory. The home was built in 1890 when Llano was booming with growth and a surgence of German immigrants. My mother is full blooded German and Karcher is my Grandmother’s maiden name. So, the name seemed fitting to our establishment. Read more>>
Rocío León
I grew up between two worlds: summers on my family’s six-generation ranch in Jalisco, Mexico, and the rest of the year helping in my family’s restaurants in Texas and Kentucky. Some of my earliest memories are of making tortillas with my abuelas from the crops we grew on the ranch. I didn’t realize it then, but those moments planted the seeds of entrepreneurship really early. Read more>>
Michelle Tullous
My start in wellness is a little unconventional. Sixteen years ago, during what I jokingly call my quarter-life crisis, I visited a local psychic to understand why I was feeling so restless in my corporate job. I even asked whether I should pursue massage or yoga. Read more>>
Robin Huneycutt
I found Pilates post a volleyball injury in hopes I could rehab myself back from a calf tear. Within 3 months I was able to run the Austin Half Marathon without any distance training. After that, I was a true believer in the benefits of strength training through the method of “tension under time,” balance, alignment, breath, and rhythm. Read more>>
Chauntel Logan
Some people stumble into their purpose by accident. Others grow into it little by little. For me, every decision, every late night, every risk, every unexpected turn, has placed me exactly where I’m meant to be. I have no regrets. My path has been anything but traditional, and that’s the beauty of it. Read more>>
J Obakhan
My journey to founding Varmodel wasn’t a straight path; it was defined by 20 years spent at the high-stakes intersection of Sales, Engineering, and Business Development. Read more>>
Haven Darcy
I grew up in South Austin way back when Whole Foods was a small local health food store. I got my first baseball glove at Rooster Andrew’s sporting goods, and by first taste of Austin’s live music scene at Liberty Lunch, La Zona Rosa and the Backyard. After finishing school, I dedicated myself to my love of travel and adventure. Read more>>
Theron Rhoten
Cap’s Service and Repair was started as a dream, like many businesses are. I’ve loved classic cars since I was a kid, and grew up with auto racing in my family so it was kind of meant to be. My family drag raced through the sixties and then moved to sprint cars in the seventies and raced up until 2011. Read more>>
Kyle Rutherford
Hey! I’m Kyle, and I am many things: a therapist, a partner in a neurodiverse relationship, a board gamer, an outdoor enthusiast, and a proud ADHDer with a deep appreciation for the beautifully complex ways our brains work. I bring both clinical tools and lived experience to the therapy room, especially when it comes to working with folks who’ve never quite felt like they fit. Read more>>
Anthony Camargo
I grew up in Sonora, a quiet mountain town in Northern California — beautiful to visit, but never the place where my life was meant to unfold. Even as a kid, I sensed that my world was somewhere beyond the hills and horses. I didn’t dream of nature; I dreamed of cities, of movement, of lights and possibility. Read more>>
Bobby Johns Jr
I was blessed to grow up with two incredible parents who shaped my understanding of hard work, love, and purpose. My father served in the Army and later became an Austin firefighter, often working two or three jobs to support our family. Read more>>
Brittany Lerma
In The Moment Microschool became an idea when I was homeschooling my kids and going to grad school to get my masters in elementary education. I always wanted to be a teacher but I wanted to do it differently. I wanted to truly make a difference in a child’s educational journey. Read more>>
Alex Keay
I was at a fork in the road moment in my life in 2022. I was in between getting a job at a church as an outreach director or going to trade school and becoming a RV technician and starting my own business for the first time. Read more>>
Shawn Saldana
My name is Shawn Saldana, and I’m a proud East Austin native. My mother grew up in Dove Springs, and I was raised in East Austin. Like many long-time Austinites, my family faced displacement and instability. During one of our toughest times, a kind woman from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church took us in and gave us the support we needed. Read more>>
Vinicius Reche
Career Summary – Vinicius Reche & the Origin of RECHE Soccer AcCADEMY . My professional journey in football began at a young age in Brazil and evolved into an 18–year career marked by dedication, resilience, and international experience. Throughout my career, I had the privilege of playing in seven different countries, competing at the highest levels and becoming a multichampion athlete. Read more>>
Randy Truett
Truett Insurance began expanding into Travis County and surrounding areas in 2023, focusing on serving individuals under retirement age with health coverage and retirement planning solutions. The company currently operates with two teams and a total of eight agents, with plans for continued growth. To support this expansion, Truett Insurance will host a series of agent recruiting events from February through May of 2026. Read more>>
Colleen Lynch
After graduating from Brown University in 1992, I felt a deep calling to the teaching profession. Education has been woven into my life from the very beginning. I vividly remember the nuns at my elementary school telling me, “You’re going to be a wonderful teacher,” well before I fully understood what that path might mean. Read more>>
Alison Ditto
Talbot Commons Pocket Hotel is a perfect weekend getaway just 40 minutes from Austin, in downtown Taylor, Texas. It was originally built in 1955 as the fellowship hall and Sunday school building for the First Presbyterian Church. Douglas Moss renovated it in 2024 to its current state as 11 stylish rooms with a clean vintage feel. Read more>>
Marissa Burill
As a child, my family was too poor to host birthday parties, let alone send me to one with a gift for someone else. Truly, the only real celebration I can recall is a road trip with my aunt, uncle, and parents to the closest McDonald’s (about an hour away) in San Antonio to celebrate my birthday. Read more>>
Shelby Getschmann
Our story began in 2022 when we started baking as part of our homeschooling curriculum. We wanted our children to learn self-sufficiency, real-world skills, and the joy of creating something with their hands. A few months later, in 2023, we opened G6 Sourdough as a cottage bakery and built it intentionally as a homeschool project. Read more>>
Ulysses Moore
While working at the Department of Veterans Affairs, I decided to venture out and start my company as a single provider (me). I went to African American Youth Harvest Foundation and spoke with Mr. Lofton, who agreed to show me the ropes for being a contract provider for Integral Care. Read more>>
Leslie Perkins
I’ve always loved baking and I’ve always wanted to start my own little business. One day I Basically just said why not just try. It’s a little odd that my previous occupation was fitness instructor. I wanted to have something that was mine to make happen. Read more>>
Gregory Ward
In 2009 I moved to Austin with my wife and kids to Austin to enroll in the Ph. D. program at the University of Texas in Semitic languages and Hebrew Bible. After 2 years in the program I had acquired debt, but not a Ph. D. (Don’t try to do a Ph. D. Read more>>
Janet Anderson
I was a 40-year-old, stay-at-home mother of five living in Great Falls, Montana, getting ready to graduate from the local university with a degree in biology and chemistry. In that last semester something came up in my life that was life-altering to the point of undermining my personal beliefs and my identity. Read more>>
Jing Shi
I’ve always known I wanted to help people. Growing up, I was the friend others came to when they needed someone to listen to their stories. I originally studied education, imagining I would help children learn and thrive in school. Read more>>
Bonnie Jun
Before Lovers Vintage, I ran Bear Cat LA in Echo Park. With a few thousand dollars and the support of local creatives and vintage vendors, we revived a storefront and quickly built a loyal following. I will never forget when Devendra Banhart stopped in and bought an eighties mint green tiger pullover, that was when I knew vintage could be a business I could run. Read more>>
Mary Pegues
Art has always been part of my world. I come from a family of artists, and being around creativity and galleries from a young age planted the seed early, even if I didn’t know exactly how it would show up in my own life. Read more>>
Uriel – Ude Rosales
I grew up spending time in my family’s small print shop on my dad’s side – a place filled with the hum of printing presses, the smell of ink, and stacks of freshly printed flyers. After my parents divorced, the shop became the space where my dad and I connected. Read more>>
Saskia & Jenna Markley & Burwell
Our business officially launched two years ago, but the idea had been developing for much longer. Working in labor & delivery, postpartum, and the NICU, we kept seeing the same problem: many new parents were leaving the hospital completely unprepared for what life with a newborn really looks like. Read more>>
Darius T. Aram
Darius Aram didn’t set out to become a pizza guy, he became one because the life he was living stopped feeling like a life he wanted. After years in the mortgage world, chasing numbers instead of meaning, he chose to walk away and rebuild from scratch. Read more>>
Whitney Lee
I was working at a federal credit union and absolutely miserable. Every day felt like my spirit was being slowly crushed. Around that time, a close friend of mine, whose young son was battling an incurable form of cancer (neuroblastoma), invited me to visit her in NYC while they were going through another experimental trial. Read more>>
Tim Fasarakis
My entrepreneurial journey really began in 2017 when I got sober — that’s when I built my first digital brands, starting with The Sober Guru and managing several other pages at the same time. When COVID hit, I stepped into the moving business, which taught me operations and leadership, but after a year I pivoted and launched EZ Pro Services in 2021. Read more>>
Alexander Strubbe
I started my company back in 2018, but the path to getting here was anything but linear. I grew up in Texas and went to the University of Texas at Austin, originally as a biochemistry major. After flunking organic chemistry, I realized I needed to find a path that truly fit me. Read more>>
Jordan Miller
I’ve been able to feel energy and read people since I was a child, but for the longest time I kept it quiet, hidden. This was just how I moved through the world. When I moved to Texas in 2017, something shifted. Read more>>
Alex Tiner
I’ve been doing heating and air conditioning for 21 years- started right out of high school- I worked for places all over Texas both and small companies, I always knew that I wanted to own my own and I wanted to offer old fashion – hand shake service.. Read more>>
Glen Taylor
I have been lucky enough to follow two different passions of mine in this life, performance and bodywork. After spending over 13 years touring with different international musical theater productions as a professional dancer, singer, actor and gymnast, I recognized quickly how regular massage and bodywork could keep me functioning at my peak performance level. As a dancer, you’re always in tune with your body. Read more>>
Diego Dessens
I studied architecture in Hermosillo, Mexico, about 23 years ago. At the beginning of my career, I worked for a company that designed and built swimming pools. Very early on, I started suggesting that we could go beyond just the pool itself and offer to design the entire outdoor area around it. Read more>>
Dr. Lauren Williams
I was born and raised in Texas in the suburbs of Houston. My parents immigrated from Jamaica, and their courage and work ethic shaped so much of who I am. They taught me to build things that matter, stay curious, and lead with integrity. I attended the University of Texas at Austin as a Plan II and Dean’s Scholar Honor student. Read more>>
Minal Nebhnani
In high school, I discovered my love for psychology through dabbling in various courses and volunteering in my community. As a result, I then went on to double major in Psychology and Communications at Boston College, with the hope of being able to help people live better and more fulfilling lives. Read more>>
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