The Change-Makers: stories that inspire

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.

Dara Prothro

Zoetic Forest and Zoetic River were created so that people in Central Texas could experience the benefits of silent retreat without needing to leave their region, spend thousands of dollars, or wait for the rare moment when life allows a distant retreat. Read more>>

Andy Patel

I was born and raised in Marshall, Texas, where I grew up living in a motel with my parents and sister. My parents were immigrants from India, and we lived in the manager’s quarters while they ran every aspect of the property themselves — front desk, housekeeping, maintenance. My sister and I would pitch in on weekends cleaning rooms. Read more>>

Brittney Simmons

My name is Brittney Simmons. I grew up in West Austin with a dream to be a kindergarten teacher. I graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Early Childhood Development and a minor in music education. I started teaching in Buda as a music teacher for kindergarteners through fifth graders. Read more>>

Xavier Owens

I started Maids from Heaven in 2021 during the covid epidemic. I was in school and had a project to start up a low cost business. With the pandemic going on, I decided that a cleaning company was the best idea during these circumstances. I started off with creating a logo and marketing online through Facebook and Instagram. Read more>>

Jaime Padilla

I was a Combat Engineer in the Marines, stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA and attended a few drone races in Long Beach when I was introduced to drone racing through friends who were drone pilots. Read more>>

James Guzman

We opened Guzman Automotive, a locally owned and family-operated auto repair shop, in November 2023 on the same land that I once picked cotton in. Read more>>

Dodie Stillman

After finding out that both my grandfathers kept honey bees, I knew it would be in my future. In 2011 I started attending the Austin Area Beekeepers Meet-ups and the Williamson County Area Beekeepers Association meetings. After spending a year attending classes and learning about bees I was able to purchase my first 2 colonies. Read more>>

Maricarmen Romero Mondragon

My journey towards becoming an occupational therapists began my sophomore year of college at the University of Texas at Austin, when I decided that I did not want to pursue a career in medicine. I come from an immigrant family and I am a first-generation college graduate, and from a young age I had told my parents that I wanted to be a doctor. Read more>>

Unique Ung

ANOVA Collective was founded by Unique and Richard with a vision rooted in connection, community, and hospitality. The name ANOVA comes from the idea that we are all collectively intertwined. Each of us moves through life on our own path, but we are still connected in ways we often don’t realize. Like stars in the sky, we each shine individually while contributing to something larger. Read more>>

Natalie Egan

I grew up in gymnastics and was fortunate to have coaches who taught me far more than skills. They taught perseverance, goal setting, teamwork, and how to work through fear to accomplish something difficult. Those lessons shaped how I view both sports and life to this day. Those lessons stayed with me and eventually led me into coaching at a high level. Read more>>

Jeff Mitchell

I’m the owner of Mitchell Woodwork & Remodeling, based in the Round Rock and greater Austin area. We specialize in fully custom cabinetry, built-ins, and detailed finish work designed specifically for each client’s home. What sets us apart is that everything we build is tailored—not just in size, but in function, durability, and overall design. Read more>>

marlo kovach

I started my training career with a strong interest in helping people feel better, move better, and build confidence through fitness. What began as a passion for health and performance quickly turned into a commitment to guiding others through personalized, results-driven programs. Read more>>

Nina Loehr

Early in my career, I became interested in how systems and decisions shape people’s everyday experiences. I began in the criminal justice field, particularly in adult probation, where I saw firsthand how policies and leadership choices directly impact individuals and communities. Over time, I was drawn to roles where I could connect strategy to execution and see the impact of that work. Read more>>

Dominique Barnett

I originally started working at a small juice bar just to fill some free time, but I ended up falling in love with it. I loved experimenting with fruits and vegetables, creating combinations that brought together both flavor and nutrition. I loved how the juices tasted, but even more, I loved how they made me feel. That curiosity turned into something deeper. Read more>>

Dr. Nikki Siso

Conscious Kitchen ATX started with a diagnosis that changed everything. In December 1997, my mother, Dr. Sara Siso, watched her beloved sister Dina receive a stage four liver cancer diagnosis and two months to live. She stayed by her side through chemotherapy, radiation, surgery without anesthesia. Desperate, she found Hippocrates Health Institute and began studying raw, plant-based healing. Read more>>

Renada Sharp

Pets have always been passionate part of my life. After 25 years, of caring for pets, in 2022, I decided to start a pet care business named Shadow & Company, named after my beloved boy, who passed away in February 2026. I started the business with only a few clients. By word of mouth, my business, took off. Read more>>

Judy Paul

I moved to Austin in 1984 after earning my degree in Graphic Design from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. I was so excited to be here. The rolling hills and the teal-blue water of Barton Springs and Town Lake felt completely different from anything I’d known growing up in Orange, Texas. Read more>>

Kyle Sattler

SO Good really started by accident. Paul Olsen and I had been friends for years and had worked together across multiple home service companies. In 2024, we found ourselves in a tough spot. Read more>>

Antaira Gueperoux

Taira’s Balloon Company started eight years ago when I created a balloon backdrop for my daughter’s birthday. What began as a creative outlet and a love for celebrating special moments—decorating for friends and family—quickly grew into something more as I saw how much joy a well-designed balloon backdrop could bring. Read more>>

Jesse Torres

Some of my earliest memories are of wandering through endless rows of plants at local nurseries with my father. Landscaping isn’t just my profession, it’s a family tradition. As a third-generation landscaper, with more than 25 years of hands-on experience, I grew up learning the craft from my father and grandfather. Then I went on to study horticulture at UCLA. Read more>>

Gustavo Bernal

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, I developed an early obsession with film, fueled by curiosity and self-teaching. At just nine or ten, I dove into books, films, and hands-on experimentation—always teaching myself, always pushing boundaries. Unlike my peers who followed traditional paths, I read, watched, and experimented, all while preparing for a future in filmmaking. It wasn’t easy—my parents hoped for a more conventional career. Read more>>

Anna Campbell

I’m Anna, trauma therapist, psychedelic therapist, and yogi, originally from Colleyville, TX but I’ve now lived in Austin for over 11 years and built my practice here. I have been a licensed psychotherapist since 2017, and I have been specializing in my passion, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy since 2020. I began my career after graduating from LSU with a bachelors in psychology and from St. Read more>>

Javier Carrera

I first became interested in photography while working as a journalist in Ecuador, where I was surrounded by photographers. One of my closest friends was one of them. We would often get together on weekends to talk or grab a drink, and he would almost always show me the work of a documentary photographer he admired. Read more>>

Stephanie Rasch-Chaves

I started playing trombone in sixth grade and honestly never looked back. I attended New World School of the Arts in Miami for high school, then earned a scholarship to study Music Performance at Stetson University. After that, I completed my Master of Music in Trombone Performance at Shenandoah University in Virginia. Music was my whole world for a long time. Read more>>

Merlyssa The Fantasea of Texas

Finding me in the sea — I grew up a tiny Texas town where Friday night football and hunting season reign supreme. I was a born entertainer without any outlets to expose or grow my talents. Because of this, I would entertain and perform however I could in my own little bubble, in my own little world. Read more>>

Sahar Ghamsari

I moved to Texas about 20 years ago, and for most of that time, Houston was home. In 2022, after getting married, I moved to the Austin area—and that transition marked the beginning of something much bigger than I initially realized. I’ve been practicing dentistry for nine years, and along the way, every office I worked in taught me something valuable. Read more>>

Laura Burton

Laura Burton has a degree from the UT School of Architecture and years of experience serving as interior architect, designer, and project manager for clients nationwide. Laura values authenticity, both in life and design, and fiercely avoids pretense in favor of quality and practicality. She is on-the-go, creative, and passionate about designing elevated spaces that represent a client, both in style and function. Read more>>

Zach Branch

I started in the roofing industry 6 years ago as a sales representative. I immediately loved the roofing business and knew I found my lifelong career! I committed to studying and learning this business so I could start my own company. I worked for 5 years honing my craft and learned from some great folks. In January of 2025 I started my own company! Read more>>

Kate Lincoln Goldfinch

Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like. Answer here: I’m an Austin native, and my path really started with a desire to help people who felt overwhelmed by systems they didn’t understand or couldn’t access. Read more>>

Jermaine & Jahmaal Dumes

In 2017 during our last semester of college we started selling boiled crawfish on campus. We both graduated May of 2017 and started working in corporate Tech sales. On the weekends we would sell food from our home or do pop up events and catering at different venues. Read more>>

Amanda Glover

My journey began back in 2003 after the birth of my first child. I was a fitness instructor, who had dabbled in yoga, and would try to incorporate as much yoga knowledge as I could get my hands on into my classes. Yoga was much less mainstream back then, and not so easy to find like it is now. Read more>>

Sam Pauly

My parents have had bison as long as I have been alive so over 30 years. After years of hard work and careful planning I was able to afford a small ranch in my hometown. From there I began setting the land up to accommodate Bison. Read more>>

Warren Yanez

Well, my mother tried putting me in a variety of sports, but it wasn’t my calling. Since I’d grown on my teachers’ radar as being the ‘tech-guru’, my 8th-grade coach asked me if I’d be interested in filming both home and away football games. What started as a simple ‘follow the ball’ task grew into a passion for filming football. Read more>>

Autumn Chim

As a kid who grew up in a Chinese restaurant, food was my mother tongue. The belief that food is connection has stayed with me through every era: as a cardiac surgery physician assistant, as a stay-at-home parent of twins, and now as the founder of the north Austin nonprofit home bakery, Little Twist Bakery. Read more>>

Maria Riojas

My journey into entrepreneurship was built on a foundation of service. I spent over 20 years as a probation officer, where precision, accountability, and guiding people through important life moments were essential. Those same principles now shape my work as a notary business owner. I started my notary business while still working full-time, initially offering general notary services. Read more>>

Troy Latuff

I didn’t start in a boardroom- I started in the field. Early in my career, I was a co-owner of an HVAC, plumbing, and electrical business in Minnesota. That experience taught me everything the hard way. How to run operations, take care of customers, and most importantly, how difficult it is to find and keep good people. Read more>>

Jessica Gibson

Goatcha didn’t start as a grand plan. It started as a 10-year-old frozen yogurt shop… and a girl who likes goats a little too much. The shop already existed—machines humming, walls standing, yogurt flowing—but it needed a personality transplant. Enter: miniature goat enthusiast, third-generation Texas State University alum, and first-time business owner with zero fear of ripping things apart and figuring them out later. Read more>>

Ames Brown

It started with a simple co-living model right after I graduated from Vanderbilt. I moved to Austin, partnered up, and founded Austin Housemates. We acquired and managed 4+ bedroom houses by the room, eventually building a portfolio of 11 properties. That experience laid the foundation for everything else. Read more>>

Jon Cradit

The San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance was formed about 27 years ago to design, build, and maintain hike and bike trails on city owned natural areas. The City owned large tracts of hill country natural area to protect the city from flooding and protect the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone to keep rain water flowing to the springs. Read more>>

Tonya Murphy

Entrepreneurship wasn’t something I originally planned; it’s something I grew into through creativity and a passion for creating meaningful experiences. My journey into entrepreneurship started with a passion for creating memorable experiences through desserts. Read more>>

Yinyan Poplavski

Camel Software Service grew out of a simple observation: small businesses in Austin were getting left behind digitally — not because they lacked ambition, but because affordable agencies delivered cookie-cutter results, while the good ones were priced for enterprise clients. I had been working in the tech industry as a software engineer, building up experience across web development, digital marketing, and IT consulting. Read more>>

Justin Wilson

I originally thought I’d draw cartoons as a kid. I was always drawn to figuring out how images worked and stories fit together. Then in high school, I took the lead in our school news show that aired during lunch hour, filming and editing tape-to tape on VHS. I soon started making music videos and short films with school gear. Read more>>

Kori Phylow

I don’t remember learning how to French braid hair, I just always could. Before YouTube tutorials and Instagram reels, I was braiding my friends’ hair in elementary school like it was second nature. Beauty found me early, even when life was complicated. After losing my mom at nine years old, I learned everything beauty-related from my friends, trial and error, and pure instinct. Read more>>

Chris Lozada

I began my photography journey as a way to help people feel more confident in themselves. Early on, I was drawn to creating images that allowed individuals to see themselves more fully and more kindly. That foundation continues to shape how I approach my work today: with empathy and respect for the person in front of the camera. My transition into weddings came through trust. Read more>>

Britney Mendoza

I embarked on my photography journey in Austin, Texas, in 2021. Prior to that, I was pursuing a bachelor’s degree while working part-time at Whole Foods Flagship. This job ignited my passion for food and everything related to it. Austin’s vibrant food scene provided me with ample opportunities to expand my knowledge and appreciation for culinary arts. Read more>>

Nahla Billie

Mom, Accountant to Software developer I didn’t start in entrepreneurship. I started in the mortgage industry. As an underwriter, loan processor, and credit analyst, my job was to examine financials with precision — especially tax returns for business owners seeking loan approval. Day after day, I reviewed profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and complex self-employed tax filings. Read more>>

Isabelle Avena

My career in modeling started way before I ever got in front of a camera. Growing up I had always been creative and started out as an illustrator and painter. I think learning about artistic principles from those disciplines gave me good foundations understanding composition from a photographers perspective, but also angles, lighting and poses. Read more>>

Christina Elrod

Good morning! Absolutely, I am happy to dive in! My name is Christina, the face behind Sweet Rain Photography. I am an Austin-based wedding, couples, and family photographer with roots in Massachusetts. What truly shaped the path to my photography business was my own wedding day. Read more>>

Cristina Puscas

Growing up with a love for both creativity and numbers, I pursued advertising and economics at the University of Texas at Austin, where I specialized in media planning. That combination turned out to be the through line for everything that followed. Read more>>

Connor Crowe

I’ve always been drawn to creative work that feels alive—music, images, movement, stories. I started out making music and shooting photos just for the love of it, documenting friends, local scenes, and whatever moments felt honest and worth remembering. Read more>>

Andrea Duran

My path into this work was both professional and deeply personal. For much of my life, I was the person others came to for support. I was strong, capable, and high-functioning on the outside. I built a successful career, excelled academically, and became someone who could hold space for others in difficult moments. Read more>>

Keith Bollman

Keith Bollman discovered music at just eight years old, unaware that the rhythms and melodies he found as a child would one day shape his life’s purpose. What began as a young boy’s dream grew into a lifelong journey defined by resilience, service, and heart. Read more>>

Jana Hernandez

Our journey to starting Lucky Hollow Organics has really been a story of learning, growth, and following a calling that kept getting stronger with time. My husband Daniel and I, come from the golf course side of agriculture. We have always had a passion for growing, and had the vision for Lucky Hollow Organics long before we were introduced to Lone Star Lettuce Growers. Read more>>

Samantha Stone

A couple of years ago, I was working in bathroom remodeling sales and spending way too many evenings and Saturdays away from my family. That’s when I reached out to the owners of BesTex Solutions, friends I’ve known since our days in Hutto, and asked if they were hiring. Read more>>

Carrie Frugé

Austin, TX — Professional auctioneer Carrie Frugé has officially launched Biddy Up, a woman-owned auction boutique designed to transform charity fundraisers into high-energy, high-impact experiences. With Austin roots and a growing global footprint, Biddy Up brings infectious enthusiasm, expert strategy, and a refreshingly transparent approach to fundraising auctions. You can count on their unwavering support, whether it’s at home in Austin, across the US, or in exotic locations like Mexico. Read more>>