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.
Carlita Vinciguerra
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be an actress. According to my father, when I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I replied ‘A singer actor dancer because they are all kind of the same thing’.I took my first dance class when I was three years old. Read more>>
Josh Johnson
From World Champion to Independent Disruptor: My Journey to Intrepid Fit Co People always ask me how I ended up building a fitness brand from scratch, and honestly, the roots go way back. My story really started in Houston, Texas, when I was 15 turning 16 and discovered competitive cheerleading. Read more>>
AmyJo Anderson
I didn’t take a straight line into landscaping, and I don’t pretend I did. I started in the Air Force as a Special Weapons Technician on active duty. That job taught me standards, accountability, and how to finish something the right way even when no one is watching. Read more>>
Emily Van Eck
After undergrad, at twenty-four, I moved to New York City. My degree in communications wasn’t compelling to me and I wanted to see what life in a big city could look like. I ended up working as a server at a small Italian restaurant and am so glad I did. Read more>>
Hillary Cumberworth
The best way to understand me is to know I was born the caboose of my families crazy train…. the fourth and last kid to my parents in Austin, Texas, following an oldest sister and two brothers. Read more>>
Caitlen Monnone
Before getting into permanent makeup, my background was in fitness. I managed a Pilates studio and taught Reformer Pilates, which I still teach today because I love it. I first became interested in permanent makeup through friends in the industry. I loved their work and how it could impact someone’s confidence. Read more>>
Sarah McSweeney
I started playing piano when I was six years old, and in many ways music has been the continuous thread running through my entire life. What began as childhood piano lessons eventually grew into classical training, a Bachelor of Music Education from Simpson College, and a career that has spanned more than three decades. Read more>>
Jessica Lombardi
Though I’ve officially been on the Flatwater team for a little over a year, my heart has belonged to this mission since 2012. Before finding Flatwater, I saw cancer mostly through a clinical lens. I was no stranger to the disease, but I hadn’t yet grasped its quiet depth—the profound, cascading weight it places on families, loved ones, and entire communities. Read more>>
Megan Lively
My story starts with my aunt Terry Lively. She started permanent makeup services in 1997 before it was a daily option for women. She started working in a regular tattoo shop and learned on old school coil machines. I started working for her in Nov. 2021 as her office manager. Read more>>
Serena Ruiz
It all started when I bought my first camera in 2015! I’ve always loved capturing every moment—recording what I’m doing, taking pictures of the people I’m with, and finding ways to creatively document life. I became a mom at 18, and I especially loved capturing my son and creating fun photoshoots for every holiday and milestone. Read more>>
Amram Long
Im a Stand Up Comedian and Music Artist (Emcee and Producer), and I started making music in Phoenix where I grew up and then moved to Madison, WI where my daughter was born and continued there. Read more>>
Ronald Ducharme
The Look That Changed My Life My journey into animal welfare did not begin with a grand plan. It began with a Rottweiler named Leo—and a look I have never forgotten. Before Rescue Magazine, I spent much of my career working in newspaper marketing across the country. Read more>>
Eli Halpern
Golden Cricket started with a simple idea: protein could be healthier, more sustainable, and still taste great. I became fascinated with cricket protein because of its nutritional profile—it’s a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids and is naturally rich in nutrients like B12, iron, magnesium, calcium, and zinc—while requiring a fraction of the resources used by traditional protein sources. Read more>>
Steven Brown
My name is Steven Brown, and I am a lifelong East Austin resident. I was born and raised here, starting out on Ninth Street and living throughout the East Side, from the Sam Houston neighborhood to University Hills. Read more>>
Nicholas Lapresa
I was raised in the public housing projects of Bologna, in a complex and volatile environment alongside my mother and twin brother. My youth unfolded on the streets, marked by instability, heavy friction, and severe personal struggles, until I hit an absolute breaking point in 2021. Read more>>
Lauren Halpern
I kicked off my communications career in advertising at Leo Burnett while living in Chicago after college. It was an incredible education in branding, project management, client relations and of course, advertising. I spent five years working with large clients like McDonald’s and Allstate. I’d been a Communications Major in school and this was such a great place to use prctice what I’d learned. Read more>>
Pam Pamslivelovefashion
My journey with fashion really began while I was at home raising my children. After giving birth, I wanted to stay connected to my background in marketing (I worked in marketing for 8 years before having kids) while also making space for something I had always loved — fashion. Read more>>
Ella Gross
I started dancing when I was six and grew up training in Austin at Ballet Austin at the J, Dancers Workshop, and later Rise Dance Company. Dance was a huge part of my life growing up, and I continued dancing competitively through high school with the Anderson Trojan Belles and then collegiately at Colorado State University. Read more>>
Jesseca Smith
Art has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, surrounded by mountains, forests, water and dramatic skies, and that landscape became deeply embedded in the way I see the world. I was always creating, but my path to becoming a professional artist was anything but linear. Read more>>
Candice Berry
My interest in holistic health started when I was young, after dealing with chronic allergies and being introduced to acupuncture by my grandmother. It was the first time I experienced a whole-body approach to health, and it stayed with me. My path wasn’t linear, though. Read more>>
Grant Powell
I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of creativity, technology, and business. My background began in the arts. I studied fine art and graphic design and was a founding member of the bands that eventually became Lifehouse and Dawes. Read more>>
Ricky Castillo
I took a real estate finance class my last semester at Texas State University & absolutely fell in love with it! It probably helped that I had a huge crush on my teacher Ms. Mcnabb haha but as soon as I graduated, I got my license and have been a realtor ever since. Read more>>
Tino Salinas
I started photography back in college 14 years ago. I began by taking a photography class so that I could learn how to use a camera. I’ve always been adventurous and loved the outdoors and traveling so I wanted to document every trip I took in a creative way. Read more>>
Ninellie Chkhaidze
My story has always been connected to creativity, although it has evolved many times along the way. I was born and raised in Tbilisi, Georgia, and studied design at the Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film University. I began my creative career working across art, costume and design, experimenting with textiles, patchwork, mixed media and fashion. Read more>>
Alyssa Olivarez
I’ve always been someone who is driven, organized, and naturally drawn to business, but I don’t think I realized growing up just how much my environment would shape the career I have today. My dad is a builder, so I grew up around construction, real estate, and entrepreneurship. Read more>>
Tris Day
I started pursuing music seriously when I was 13, and Atlanta ended up being a huge part of my development as an artist. I’ve been releasing and performing music independently since around 2014, and over the years I had the opportunity to perform throughout Atlanta at places like Eddie’s Attic, The Masquerade, Atlanta Pride, and a lot of smaller venues and events. Read more>>
Raffaele Marchetta
My story starts at a young age playing with action figures and playing it out like a movie or a TV show. Writing my own stories and ideas in my head and then playing it out with my toys. Then I started acting in school plays and I just fell in love with performing and entertaining people. Read more>>
Joshua Ashy Holden
My brother Nick and I moved to Austin from Lafayette, Louisiana, when we were young and pretty quickly found ourselves pulled into the creative community here. Our uncle, Steven Bruton, was a musician and actor in Austin, and through him we got our first glimpse of what it looked like to actually build a life around making art. Read more>>
Sarah Zuberi
Zuberi Studios was born from a lifelong connection to fashion, craftsmanship, and storytelling. Growing up, I spent countless hours watching my grandmother, mother, and aunt sew. Seeing them create garments with their own hands sparked my curiosity at a young age and gave me an appreciation for the care, skill, and creativity that goes into making something from scratch. Read more>>
Craig Nigh
The short version of the story is… I grew up in Brien College Station, Texas, dropped out of college to pursue my dream of acting, traveled to LA and spent over 15 years there training and working in very suspects of the business. Read more>>
Dustin & Christina Hite
For the last two decades, we’ve found ways to walk alongside those on the margins. We sort of stumbled into this lifestyle in graduate school, when we lived in an affordable apartment complex full of young families who were working hard to make ends meet. Read more>>
Carl Money
Pontotoc Vineyard Weingarten is nestled in a limestone-walled courtyard with a Weinhalle under the shade of lumbering pecan, cypress, and oak trees in historic Fredericksburg, Texas. Similar to the Heurigen of Vienna, Austria, the Weingarten provides a family atmosphere in an intimate environment for sharing a picnic of our 100% Texas Hill Country wines, homemade pastries, and homemade picnic baskets. Read more>>
David Bates II
My journey has been far from linear. Several years ago, I was a college student at the University of North Texas studying Criminal Justice and International Studies, with the dream of eventually working in federal intelligence and counterterrorism. Read more>>
Beth Ebbing Johnson
Beth’s love of nature came from growing up on her family farm. She spent her childhood walking the woods collecting treasures & talking to trees. At 26 she moved across the country to the desert of Phoenix, Arizona & discovered Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, SWIHA. There she studied Herbalism, Hypnotherapy, Aromatherapy, Reiki, Polarity, Astrology, Meditation, Nutrition & much more. Read more>>
Geni Cor
My story isn’t glamorous, but rather a ‘turn your pain into purpose’ kind of deal. I started recording my podcast, House of Impact, 21st March 2024 when I was in Bali. But let me give you some context, 4 months before starting to record, I felt like my career was stagnant…but not only that, I started asking myself: ‘ What’s my thing? Read more>>
Erynn LaRae
I grew up in a small town in New Mexico called Carlsbad, where I always dreamed of living in a bigger city and creating a life filled with more opportunities and experiences. I’ve always been a lover of creativity, people, food, and new experiences. Read more>>
Tara Faithful
For as long as I can remember, I’ve naturally been someone people turn to; a caring, grounded, and supportive presence for those around me. Yet, it wasn’t until I experienced my own struggles with self-doubt, anxiety, and patterns that seemed difficult to change that I truly understood the transformative power of subconscious healing. Discovering hypnotherapy became a turning point in my life. Read more>>
colton wilie
i was born with a camera in my hand always taking photos (with film in those days) and making silly movies with my friends none of which survived to see the internet (thankfully). Before I started studying film at Stephen F. Austin State University I began my career as an intern with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s media department. Read more>>
Saif Khan
My journey started with a dream of building a better future. My journey started at Kingsborough Community College, where I took my first steps toward becoming a nurse. I earned my Associate in Science in Nursing (ASN), but that degree represented so much more than a credential. Read more>>
Lauren Hernandez
Well hello there! I’m Lauren; I moved to Austin over 14 years ago from Tucson, Arizona, and I, like many others, love to eat. And yes…take pictures of my food. Read more>>
Kevin Stewart
I spent nine years in the Navy as an electronics technician on submarines, most of it aboard the USS Miami, SSN 755. A nuclear-powered fast attack submarine. That taught me two things: fix what’s broken, and don’t wait for someone to hand you a working system. After the Navy, I moved into semiconductor manufacturing as a technician. Secure work. Good money. Read more>>
Kara Karnovsky
Fineweld really started with a bracelet I wasn’t planning to get. I was in Asheville, North Carolina, for a bachelorette weekend when our group decided, completely on a whim, to get permanent jewelry. I’d been following the concept since the early days, but experiencing it myself made something click. Read more>>
Marlene Jorge
My story has never followed a straight line, and I think that has become one of its greatest strengths. I am Dominican, an artist, writer, and multidisciplinary professional, and much of my life has been shaped by learning how to bring together parts of myself that once seemed unrelated. Creativity has always been one of the ways I understand the world. Read more>>
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