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.
Austyn Slavych
I started drawing around the 5th grade. I had a friend who was an amazing artist. Like, he read one of those ‘how to draw comic book characters’ books and just immediately was incredible. I wasn’t, but I also really liked caricatures, so I would practice with my classmates, which actually got me into a bit of trouble because some people weren’t happy about it. Read more>>
Shayla King
I didn’t start in a boardroom. I started as an IHOP waitress. In my late 20’s on paper, I had the American Dream. Title. Money. Married. 2 kids. 2 dogs. But behind the scenes, I was exhausted, sick, and disconnected from my life. I was doing everything I thought I was supposed to do and paying for it with my health and happiness. Read more>>
Nasser Yaghi
In 1999, in a quiet corner of Texas at the time, Bee Caves, we realized something was missing: a really good pizza. At the time, the neighborhood only had one pizza shop and it was chain — nothing that captured the warmth and quality of a true family-style pizzeria. So we decided to do something about it. Read more>>
Ellie Tran
My name is Ellie Tran, and I am a Co-Founder of Moncheri Nails Lounge in Austin, Texas. My professional foundation was built on the precision and discipline of the healthcare sector, having spent several years in vision care and retail pharmacy following my graduation from Texas State University. Read more>>
Kenna Calderon
t all started when my family—my dad, Lorne, and my stepmom, Jackie—and I decided we wanted to open our own brewery. My dad has always been a huge beer fan. Some of my earliest memories include his homebrew setup sitting in the spare bathroom tub, bubbling away while it fermented. Beer has kind of always been part of our family story. Read more>>
Belinda Morris
Music has always played a huge role in my life. Back in 2001, during my spiritual awakening, I happened upon energy healing through Reiki. As I was on this journey of self-healing, I had an epiphany that music, much like Reiki, is this invisible force that can heal the soul or, at the very least, move you deeply. Read more>>
Misha Pahl
I remember being a teenager and asking my mom about going to castings or checking out modeling agencies and she was not about it! I tried attending auditions or castings anyway a few times and stated I was 18 but I never got away with it. Read more>>
Dasha Stone
I’ve always had a deep passion for art, starting in my childhood. I remember spending hours drawing and experimenting with colors, and that creative spark never really left me. My path took a different direction when I studied finance and economics, which gave me a strong analytical way of thinking and shaped how I approach my work today. Read more>>
Blessing Messa
Thanks so much for having me, VoyageAustin! I have always been the “creative” friend in the group. Growing up, I organized birthday parties for my friends and made handmade holiday cards for family members – arts and crafts are my first love. Read more>>
Kristin Parr
I’ve always been drawn to creating experiences—whether through storytelling, design, or the way a space makes people feel. I began my career in New York City in marketing and branding, working with global luxury companies and media brands. That early exposure to high-level aesthetics, storytelling, and detail-driven environments strongly shaped my design perspective. Read more>>
Kelli Rogers
I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart. For the longest time, my dream was to own a wedding floral design studio – so that’s what I focused on throughout my time at Texas A&M University. I got my degree in Horticulture with a minor in Business, and had my sights set on starting a studio one day. Read more>>
Calista Flores
I first got involved with BIG Love as a student volunteer, helping out at one of their family holiday events. I was immediately inspired by the care and support the organization provides—not just during the holidays, but throughout the entire year. Read more>>
Lisa Moore
I am lucky enough to have had the time to enjoy every season of my life. My degree is in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas. After graduation, I worked at TxDot before my kids were born. With my first son, I became a full time mom. Two more boys followed, and while raising them, I was a school and church volunteer. Read more>>
Roanna Flowers
I started performing improv around 2010, about 4 years after I relocated to Austin from Portland, OR. I had been struggling with writer’s block for a while (or what I thought was writer’s block at the time) and needed another creative outlet that might help me break down that barrier and also meet new people. Read more>>
Bee De La Cruz
I’ve always been passionate about helping people and creating experiences that make them feel good. My journey began in the beauty and wellness industry, where I became a licensed esthetician and built hands-on experience in skincare, makeup.. Over the years, I combined that with a love for teaching and mentoring, so I spent time training beginner estheticians and guiding them in their first months. Read more>>
Lamar Bowman
Neighbors grew out of Lamar Bowman’s lifelong connection to dogs and the Austin community. Before Neighbors, Lamar founded BJ’s Backyard, which started as a neighborhood dog park and quickly became a gathering place for local owners. Read more>>
Samantha Goland
I didn’t start out with a perfectly clear plan, but I was always drawn to people, stories, and service. During my undergraduate years, a professor encouraged me to explore social work at a time when I couldn’t yet see that path clearly for myself. Read more>>
Lauren Kirk
Since the beginning of my physical therapy career, I’ve had a special interest in pelvic health, but wasn’t ready to commit to the specialty as a young physical therapist. In 2018, I began refocusing my speciality from orthopedics to pelvic floor physical therapy. Initially, my practice within a traditional physical therapy company consisted of a mix of orthopedics and pelvic health. Read more>>
Laura Bond Williams
I own Mat Pilates ATX, a fitness coaching business teaching people of all ages and abilities how to get moving, keep moving and feel better mentally and physically. I coach students in group classes and private/semi-private sessions in person and online. Read more>>
Travis Baker
I was first introduced to photography during one of my last elective credits in college, after realizing that another semester of bowling probably wasn’t the best long-term plan. Wanting to build on that foundation, I did what felt like the only logical next step at the time and started photographing bugs in the park. Read more>>
Angela Sims
When I embarked on my journey of creating throw pillows, (unexpectedly, I might add) I had little knowledge about textile sourcing or pillow design. What I did possess, however, was a passion for design and the ability to build a brand. Throughout my life, I’ve had a deep love for interior design, and over time, friends and family sought my help in decorating their homes. Read more>>
Ray Gillenwater
A former BlackBerry executive working overseas, at 26 years old I left corporate life – overworked and underweight. At 6’2′ and 168lb, the lack of sleep, exercise, and food from workaholism motivated me to find a way to build strength. I found a Reddit post about the Starting Strength program, read the book, and quickly put on dozens of pounds of lean muscular bodyweight. Read more>>
Christopher Pfund
Before I ever became a personal trainer, I was a professional athlete. I played arena football as a wide receiver, and for a long time, sports were my entire world. Competing at that level taught me discipline, resilience, and how to perform under pressure. Lessons that would later shape everything I built beyond the field. Read more>>
Vanessa Willie
About us: South Austin Church has been a part of the community in South Austin since 1947. We are multicultural, multigenerational, and multilingual. We love being integrated into the fabric of our community, and we are committed to sowing seeds for its future. We are one church in three languages, and we love, embrace, and celebrate our diversity. Read more>>
Heather Gragg
I’m a proud Latina raised in San Antonio, Texas, where family, culture, and activity shaped me. From childhood through high school, I was all-in on sports. Read more>>
Jerome Detotto
It seems as though I was destined to be a musician. My mother tells me that as a toddler, when she would take me to matinee performances of the local symphony, I would stand up in my seat and pretend to conduct the orchestra. In 3rd grade I chose to learn the clarinet, which I continued to play through high school. Read more>>
Stephanie Kennedy
About five years ago we started redoing our kitchen and we could not decide on countertops. My brother had done concrete countertops about ten years prior so I started researching and experimenting. I started watching a bunch of videos and reading, even buying books on how to make concrete countertops. After several failed attempts I finally had made some progress. Read more>>
Kalea Renee Ballard
I found my calling to do hair when I was 12 years old experimenting in my bathroom. My mom painted a bright blonde piece in the front of my hair. I felt so cool. From there I was hooked. By the time I was a senior in high school I was highlight my friends hair and chemistry of hair color. Read more>>
Derrick Brown
I began my journey in 2017 when I founded Clever Sound Productions, driven by my passion for music. It all started with humble beginnings, crafting tracks using just my phone. This initial experimentation ignited my creativity and allowed me to develop my sound. Read more>>
Nathan Siems, AIA, NCARB
I grew up in Iowa, surrounded by farmland, hard-working people, and small towns, which gave me an early appreciation for land, community, and the relationship between people and place. My father grew up on a farm, and from a young age he involved me in planting, maintaining, and harvesting the fields. Read more>>
Elle Becerra
I have been drawn to event planning for as long as I can remember. From bake sales to school dances and everything in between, I was always the person who loved creating experiences that felt thoughtful, beautiful, and meaningful. Looking back, it is clear that this work was never just an interest for me. Read more>>
Sergio Caballero
I’m the proud owner of Caballero Event Rentals, a family run party equipment rental company here in Leander, Texas. Before starting the business, I spent about 14 years in retail, managing stores across the region and learning the ins and outs of business firsthand. It was a solid run, but eventually I felt ready for something new. Read more>>
José Brito
My discovery of cooking as a career began when I was 18 years old. I traveled to Portugal to visit my uncle, who owned a pizzeria, and he gave me the opportunity to work alongside him. That experience awakened my love for the culinary world. The following year, I returned to Venezuela determined to study and truly immerse myself in this profession. Read more>>
Mariah Ermonfils
What began as a love for over-the-top celebrations turned into a passion for creating unforgettable moments through custom balloon and event decor. Celebration has always been a big part of my life. Growing up in a large family, parties and cookouts were our norm, and I loved every moment of it. Read more>>
Clarissa Branham
Growing up in Texas, homecoming mums have always been a special tradition. In the 1990s, I loved making mums for my family and friends, drawn to the creativity and meaning behind each one. After high school, life took me in a different direction, and I set that passion aside. Years later, when my children entered high school, my love for mum-making returned. Read more>>
Laurel Kinney
I was a burned out social worker in 2010 who wanted to do something more creative while helping people. I met another stylist who showed me the ropes and her process until I tailored my services to work best for me and the kinds of clients I like to help. Read more>>
Sugar Gay Isber McMillan
I’m Sugar Gay Isber McMillan, a Texas-based author, educator, and lifelong creative who has never been very good at standing still. I launched my first creative business in Canada, where I owned and operated two retail stores and created jewelry for the CN Tower before returning home to Texas during the 2010 economic downturn. Read more>>
Kia Aird
As I photographed friends, musicians, and entrepreneurs, I noticed something: people often had great stories and energy, but lacked visuals that truly represented who they were and what they stood for. This realization paired with my 10+ years of photography led to the opening of Prime Contrast Media. Read more>>
Jessica Okimura Knight
I started Axiom Fitness Studio, a private, strength-based personal training studio, with the goal of empowering women to reach their health and wellness goals in a sustainable and supportive way. I grew up playing sports all my life and later stumbled into my career as a personal trainer through competitive powerlifting. Read more>>
Pollethe Ramirez
I’m Pollethe Ramirez, founder of Shift Happens Marketing, and I built this business because I was tired of watching small business owners get burned by agencies that overpromised and underdelivered. I’ve spent years working across both large corporate agencies and small boutique firms, and what I saw frustrated me. Read more>>
Ranjit Kaur
I’ve always been drawn to both science and service, which naturally led me to optometry. I earned my undergraduate degree from UC Santa Cruz, completed my Doctorate in Optometry at Western University of Health Sciences, and then went on to do a residency in primary care and ocular disease at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Read more>>
Yashodhara Singh
Most kids grow up wanting to be doctors, astronauts, or movie stars. I grew up wanting to give people better smiles—before I even lost my baby teeth. My relationship with dentistry began at the age of three, largely because it was impossible to escape. Read more>>
Afsaneh Rad
I grew up in a traditional Persian family where the expectation was clear: you were meant to become a medical doctor. That path was assumed rather than discussed. However, from an early stage, I was drawn to architecture. I was fascinated by structure, proportion, and the idea that thoughtful design could shape how something functions and endures over time. Read more>>
Jessica Reyes
I began my photography journey over 20 years ago at a well-known children’s photography studio. That early experience gave me a strong foundation not only in photography but also in client experience, sales, and the importance of delivering high-quality portrait products. After working with several companies over the years, I took everything I had learned and built my own photography business. Read more>>
Sibel Ferrer
My name is Sibel O Ferrer and I hope you like my story and that it can be helpful for the publication you’re looking for in your magazine. Thank you very much for considering me. I would like to briefly introduce myself and share a meaningful overview of my journey. Read more>>
Gary Smith
My grandfather was an aviator and a photographer in the 1920’s and I love that. He was in the Army and shot for a wire service in Washington D.C. I have several of his images, some of which have some historical significance, like a photo of Alexander Graham Bell, the Panama Canal being excavated and the National Capitol from the air. Read more>>
ASHLI FELL
2026 Marks about 20 years of extensive design experience in the fashion industry, particularly in swimwear. My project to graduate from FIDM in Los Angeles, CA, was to pattern, source and sew a 15 piece collection and show at Barker Hanger. I was ready. The start of my career was quick, designing private label swimwear for Xhileration sold at Target as an assistant designer. Read more>>
Pete Fajkowski
First, I have two emails: The one you used to reach out to me (pete@austinmps.com) for the brokerage and another, pete@homestart.us for my new company. I own two companies: Mortgage Portfolio Services (25 years) and HomeStart (14) years. Mortgage Portfolio Services (MPS) was built on honesty and client focus, not high-pressure sales. Read more>>
Pingback: Homepage