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.
Joff Bermoy
When I was around 12 I started cutting my own hair. This was the late 80’s in Waianae, Hawaii, where I grew up. West side of the Island. My mom would cut all of our hair, I’m the youngest of 3 boys. We would wait for the next one to be up next. Read more>>
Pam Delahoussaye
PetVet365 is locally owned by veterinarians. Dr. Pam Delahoussaye is the Austin area veterinary owner. Each hospital is led by a veterinarian partner from the local community who is a partner to Dr. Pam. Dr. Jennifer Moon in Leander and Dr. Morgan Heller in Georgetown. PetVet365 is a small network of hospitals found in various communities in the United States. Read more>>
Daisy Chainz
In the summer of 2025 I decided I would finally put for the energy, time and love into drag. I have a background in theater, and dance and dabbled in makeup since I could hold a brush. I love performance and I love concept art in all its forms. Read more>>
eren kahraman
My story is about building a life independently, step by step, in a country far from where I grew up. I am originally from Turkey, and I currently live and work in Montenegro in the hospitality industry. Moving abroad taught me how to adapt quickly, communicate with people from different cultures, and remain strong during uncertain times. Read more>>
Carly Blair
I came from a troubled home, and my teenage years were especially difficult. During that time, art became one of the few places where I could find peace. I eventually dropped out of high school but later earned my diploma so I could attend art school, where I studied fashion design. Read more>>
Genaro ‘GoFive’ Ortega
I grew up between Roslindale and Roxbury, where art wasn’t just something I did, it was how I made sense of the world. As a kid, I was always drawing, creating, and finding ways to express ideas that I couldn’t always put into words. Read more>>
Jessica Maitri
I’m Jess Maitri, and I created Yothera Method for both you, the therapist, and for your clients. The word “Yothera” is the combination of the words “Yoga” and “Therapy.” When we reference the word “yoga” in this method, we are not specifically talking bout the asanas (body positions), but more specifically the word yoga means “union” of body, mind, and spirit. Read more>>
Leslie Martin
I started Bouldin in 2000 with the help of a friend, Lisa Goodell. Small, funky local businesses were getting replaced by stark corporations back then, and it mattered to me to keep that creative DIY spirit alive in the city. Originally, I just wanted a community meeting space that would inspire people. Read more>>
Jeffrey Bonsato
Growing up in Hawaiʻi, I was captivated by commercials, logos, and the way colors and images could stir emotion on my vintage Zenith television. I didn’t know what Graphic Design was at the time. I just knew there was intention behind what I was seeing. So I started drawing. What began as curiosity slowly became direction. Read more>>
Amber LeBlanc
Creating has always been second nature to me. As a child, I was constantly drawing, painting, and making something with my hands, so pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design felt like the natural next step. Read more>>
Reba Bassett
I started this business out of my desire to alleviate stress in others and create a more flexible life for myself. My previous career in healthcare positioned me to be involved in people’s lives at their most vulnerable and stressed moments, combining providing encouragement and practical needs in my daily work. I’m doing the same thing now with my business- just in a different context! Read more>>
Melva Wallace
I was blessed to be reared by parents who were both educators and proud HBCU graduates. They instilled in me the values of faith, integrity, hard work, service to others, excellence, and treating every person with dignity and respect. Those lessons became the foundation for everything I’ve done in life. I later earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Grambling State University and my Ph.D. Read more>>
Daniel Kelada
My journey began with a fascination for wine—not simply as a beverage, but as a way to bring people together and tell the story of a place. I built my career in the wine industry as a sommelier and educator, and over time became increasingly interested in what was happening here in Texas. Read more>>
Brian Lai
I am a first generation Vietnamese-American artist. At home, I was surrounded by the values of my family’s immigrant experience–hard work, resilience, sacrifice. In the world, I was discovering music, design, and visual language that broadened the way I understood the world. Pursuing a career with my artistic expression at the forefront became the place where all those influences could exist together. Read more>>
Celeste Magana
I moved to Austin almost two years ago and one of the biggest adjustments was leaving a job that was incredibly social. I’ve always been someone who loves meeting new people, having conversations, and making others happy. When I moved, I started working from home in recruiting. While I enjoy the work, I realized I was really missing that social connection. Read more>>
Heather Odendaal
I often joke that WNORTH exists because I couldn’t find the community I was looking for. Before founding WNORTH, I spent my career in corporate partnerships, procurement, and event strategy, working with organizations like Molson Coors, Constellation Brands, YPO, and later building my own event agency. Throughout that journey, I saw firsthand how powerful the right room could be. Read more>>
Paul Fouche
Originally from South Africa, I moved to the United States in 2018 to build a new future. My professional background was completely different from what I do today. Starting over in a new country, adapting to a different culture, and building a career from scratch was challenging, but I embraced the opportunity with determination and a willingness to learn. Read more>>
Raul Ochoa
I moved to Austin in the summer of 2011 with the dream of doing Austin theatre and continuing a journey to eventually lead me to film. I got a day job in a restaurant up the road from my apartment and started an open mic for fun because open mics were great for community in college. Read more>>
Rachel Ortiz
My journey in the field of mental health began in 2010 when I began working for the US Army in Germany, offering mindfulness and yoga classes to soldiers preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. I was a military spouse and wanted to do my part to help soldiers as much as I could. Read more>>
Michele Bolona
My childhood is extremely relevant to my story because it informed how my body shaped around the stories it holds, and how I learned to work with and relate to energy. Not to bring the vibe down but I grew up in a fear-based household where physical, emotional and mental abuse were present. Read more>>
steve harvey
The entire journey began a few years ago during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of my tenants operated a brewery and taproom. Like many breweries at the time, they were not permitted to remain open during normal business hours because they did not serve food. Read more>>
Kerry Ann Pearce
I was born and raised in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where I grew up in a home that valued simplicity and organization. My mom has always been a minimalist, and that mindset shaped the way I view the importance of creating calm, functional spaces. Before launching Luxxe Organizing LLC, I spent 12 years as a Realtor in Nassau, Bahamas. Read more>>
Darrin Mcalister
I’ve always had creative ideas in my head and a passion for anime, gaming, and cosplay. I’ve just never had a way to express that in the beginning. I’ve been an avid gamer since I was about 5 years old. I’ve played everything under the sun, from Crash Bandicoot to Super Mario and MegaMan. Read more>>
Elexis Martinez
Looking back, I don’t think my story is about becoming an artist. I think it’s about never giving up on the artist I always was. My name is Elexis Martinez, though many people in the creative community know me as E.Nast.E. Today, I’m a creative, educator, entrepreneur, and community builder based in Austin, Texas, with roots in San Antonio. Read more>>
Yasmin Crystal Santos
Altar was an idea that sprouted from prayer back in 2022. But the seed was planted years prior, when I became the full-time caregiver to my mom who had early-onset dementia. At first, I did everything ‘right’ to meet her medical needs. We saw physicians, neurologists, ran scans, and took prescriptions. None of it helped. Read more>>
Nicole Parish
I’ve always been a curious person, and looking back, I can see that I’ve been intuitive for as long as I can remember. The first time I remember seeing a spirit, I was three years old. My mom tells me it actually happened even earlier, but that’s my earliest memory. Read more>>
Michelle Zauzig
From a career perspective — I suppose I started as a writer… always. I have journals from when I was nine– telling stories, recounting the day, working through anything I saw as an issue. Read more>>
Aleeda Keys
My story has definitely had a lot of twists and turns. I’ve been in hospitality for over 18 years modeling, and serving drinks and being a therapist to people from all over the world. Read more>>
Liz Valadez
I’ve always been a creative person. I grew up in Los Angeles, where I built my career in the beauty industry over the past 20+ years. I trained at the Vidal Sassoon Academy and spent years refining my skills behind the chair while also working on creative projects, fashion shows, editorial shoots, and with clients from all walks of life. Read more>>
The Wild Thorn Collective
The Wild Thorn Collective began with a vision to create something that felt different from a traditional booth-rental salon. Our founder, Natalia Gonzalez, saw how many independent stylists were expected to build their careers and businesses entirely on their own. Read more>>
Chandler Soldano
Started my senior year of high school they offered a welding class I was never interested in school but I was interested in learning how to weld. I was able to get a scholarship for another welding class and was able to go to school in the mornings and at night and got certified early. Read more>>
Jordan Beadle
After graduating from Mercy College of Ohio in December of 2019 with a degree in Polysomnography marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life. While most people choose to stay close to home after college, I knew that I wanted to take a chance on something even bigger. At just 22 years old, I applied for a job in Houston, Texas. Read more>>
Shaleeza Taylor
I have a successful and fulfilling career in corporate America, where I’ve spent many years developing leadership, organizational, and people skills. Alongside that career, however, there has always been another part of my life quietly unfolding. From an early age, I experienced the world a little differently. Read more>>
Derek Moore
My journey started with me simply loving hip-hop and wanting to find my place within it. I originally began as a rapper, and around 2016 I shifted more heavily into music production. Even then, I always felt that my voice, perspective and ability to communicate would eventually play a major role in my path—I just did not know exactly what that would look like yet. Read more>>
Pasha Et
I started drawing as a kid, but not consistently. I would draw for a while, stop, then come back to it again. As I got older, I became more interested in portrait drawing and eventually started taking commissions. That was the moment I realized I wanted to build my life around art. When I discovered tattooing, I took it seriously from day one. Read more>>
Laura Saucedo
You know that question every kid gets asked in kindergarten: ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ One of my answers was always, an artist. Read more>>
Natalia Hornsey
I’ve always loved helping people feel beautiful and confident, which is what first drew me to cosmetology. I knew early on that I wanted a career where I could be creative while making a real difference in people’s lives. What I didn’t know was how many obstacles I’d have to overcome to get where I am today. Read more>>
Pingback: Homepage