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.
Maryann Simmons
I decided to start my own company because I wanted to offer a woman owned company that brings integrity back to a darker industry. Doing that alone is a service to my community, Read more>>
Kristina Salazar
I became a mom at 17 during my senior year of high school. I graduated early, I wasn’t completely sure what I wanted to do next. I originally thought about becoming a therapist, but my mom encouraged me to look into beauty school because I had always enjoyed doing hair and makeup. Read more>>
Michelle Villacis
It all started in 2020, when I tried salami and cheese together for the first time at a friend’s house. It wasn’t something that had ever caught my attention before, but the moment I tasted it, I was hooked and wanted to explore more flavors. Read more>>
Beatrice Longoria
What began as an unexpected pause during COVID became the beginning of something I never knew I was searching for. I went from office work, sales, and wearing pumps to grinding barrel hoops, sanding charred wood, and creating with my hands. What started as a hobby refinishing furniture changed when a customer asked me to create a barrel head. Read more>>
Salvador Santos
I’ve spent more than 27 years in the concrete industry, learning the trade through hard work, hands-on experience, and dedication. For many years, I worked for someone else, gaining the knowledge and experience I needed to eventually build something of my own. In 2019, I decided to take that risk and start Mayans Concrete. I started with one truck, one job, and one dream. Read more>>
Samantha Guzman
Hi! I’m Sam. I just started my own micro bakery, but I didn’t just start my culinary journey here today. I’ve put in a lot of time and hard work to get to a point that I felt confident in starting something of my own.. I never planned to be a chef, I honestly didn’t think it was a real job. Read more>>
Manuel Christoffel
My very first career was in the culinary world. I love food, I love cooking. I have learnt a lot in a professional kitchen environment – deliver a high quality product, regardless of time of day, day of the week, or pressure. Read more>>
Jessica Martin
My past story circles around a lot of loss as a child and young adult. My dad died from cancer right before my 6th birthday and my mom died in my twenties. Both caused me to pay closer attention to people and the world around me through photography, but it took me a long time to recognize that connection. Read more>>
Emily Litteral
Dandillie grew out of a love for art, childhood, and the pieces we hold onto long after our kids outgrow them. As a mom, I kept thinking about how much of childhood happens in sleepwear. Slow mornings, bedtime routines, family photos, and all of the ordinary moments that somehow become the ones you remember most. Read more>>
Addie Kiely
Growing up in rural Maine in the 1990s, my siblings and I had to get creative with how we spent our time. Endless hours were spent outside, making pinecone potions and building forts in the woods. Read more>>
Zaya Walker
My name is Zaya Walker, I am a Transgender woman currently finishing my second to last semester at Texas State University. I am a Studio art major, which means I strive to creatively-cultivate and express my artistic abilities through many different types of art forms. Read more>>
Erika Palacios
Hi my name is Erika owner of @nailsbyerikap. I’ve been doing nails since the age of 15 it’ was my outlet for everything. I started doing press on nails 2023 and it really changed the nail game! To be able to have high quality nails delivered right to your door was the right move! Read more>>
Hannah Stewart
I always knew I wanted to work with animals so when I discovered Dog Grooming it was a no-brainer. I started as a bather at corporate salon in 2011, fell in love with the job, and knew I wanted to turn it into my career. I trained to become a pet stylist as soon as I could. Read more>>
Kathy Hill
Redbud Artisan Market was started in 2017 so that I would have a show to do regularly full of handmade art and that I could look for and choose amazing artists for the show, in all mediums of art. It started out in Dripping Springs, Tx but I moved it to Fredericksburg, Tx west of Austin, in 2020, where we will remain. Read more>>
Oscar2saucy
Well I am an open format DJ that is born and raised in Austin TX (northeast area) and it all started with the love of music I’ve had over the years. Growing up I remember many times when I would grab my sister’s mp3 player when she wasn’t home and just browse and listen to anything that would grab my attention. Read more>>
Cameron Gordon
Before I got into Cinematography I originally was planning on being a stop motion animator. As a kid (and still today) I was heavily influenced by comic books, movies, anime, music videos, and was also really into collecting action figures. Read more>>
Imani Ogunro
As a children’s book author, a community advocate, and an educator, all of those things were very present in my life since I was young. Being that my mom founded one of the longest-standing nonprofits on the East Side of Austin, I was raised on the morals of helping others to strengthen the sense of your community. Read more>>
DJ Mel
From a very young age, I’ve had a love for music. My memory for music was uncanny. I could remember lyrics, guitar solos, bridges, and changes in songs with ease. Being a musician from grade school into adulthood gave me a leg up when I decided to learn how to DJ. Read more>>
Crystal Kilpatrick
I’ve always believed that some of the best paths in life are the ones we never planned. I grew up in Houston and moved to San Marcos to attend Southwest Texas State University. Like a lot of college students, I worked while going to school, and one of those jobs happened to be at an apartment community. Read more>>
Terry and Sarah Snow
From childhood projects to adult jobs we’ve both had lots of experience fabricating and working with our hands, including creating with wood. One of Terry’s first jobs was working in his girlfriend’s dad’s carpentry shop and in college Sarah had a work study job building exhibits at the Children’s Museum. Around 2012, Terry became serious about wood crafts after taking some woodworking classes at ACC. Read more>>
Karshif Adams
My cousin Lamont actually got me started. He had a line that he shared with a friend. I was a big fan of what their brand stood for and the logo it displayed. He persuaded me to start my own because of my love for fashion. It did take some time but he was pretty convincing. Read more>>
Catie & Danielle Fitzgerald & Henderson
Catie and Danielle are both full-time marketing professionals and co-owners of their own digital marketing agency. From 9 to Mom actually started as an experiment — a way for us to learn the podcasting side of the industry firsthand so we could bring that expertise back to our own clients. What we didn’t expect was how quickly it would resonate. Read more>>
ashley cantu
My journey has been a mix of creativity, entrepreneurship, and constantly evolving into the person I’m meant to be. I started my career in the beauty and entertainment space, working as a licensed cosmetologist, model, dancer, brand ambassador, and event professional. Those experiences naturally led me into social media, content creation, and marketing. Read more>>
Faith Tepoel
I started pursuing photography in high school, and by the time I graduated I was already booking paid shoots. I knew I wanted to travel and build a life that didn’t feel tied to one thing or place, and photography became the way I could actually do that. Read more>>
David “Boston” Jones
I’ve been a musician for most of my life. I started as a drummer, eventually attended Berklee College of Music, and spent years performing and working in music. My path took a pretty major turn when I became a firefighter with the City of Dallas, where I worked from 2018 to 2023. Read more>>
Elly doss-fleegal
I began my journey making soaps and skincare due to my own sensitive skin and I also struggled with eczema. I started creating my own products from scratch and incorporated my harvested wildcrafted herbs off my land and from my gardens. Everything I make is inspired by nature and intended to bring beauty into what would otherwise be mudane moments. Read more>>
Scott Wharton
My story? My redemption arc doesn’t begin until November 2025. Life from childhood until that point is a series of misfortunate events and terribly made decisions. Growing up in a household full of alcoholics, a child of divorced parents, growing up with dad in his parents house. Read more>>
Ruben Caballero
Beginnings My focus was always on writing music. I wanted to be a composer but I also loved to sing. I had a voice coach that got me singing broadway tunes and I loved it. Only ever in a private space, but Lucy Hargis encouraged me to go try it for real at an audition. Read more>>
Mariah Stolfi
I’m originally from Wisconsin and moved to Austin seven years ago, where so much of my personal growth has taken place. Over the last five years, I’ve lost more than 140 pounds by choosing to prioritize my health, stay consistent, and create habits that fit my life. What started as a weight loss journey has turned into a complete lifestyle change. Read more>>
Jorge alcocer
Jorge joined the four seasons hotel at the age of 18 as a line cook. He gave the hotel 30 years, the hotel supported his career when they realized he had a passion for cooking. Read more>>
Jose Vega
Its a long story but briefly, After going to college for animation and working just afew years doing 3D work in Florida I stopped doing art for a while. I moved around and ended up in Puerto Rico which is where I grew up. It was not till my mid 20s where I started pursuing Concept Art in Games again from Puerto Rico. Read more>>
Portia Riggins
I’m Portia Riggins currently a first-time candidate for Austin City Council District 1, running for the opportunity to serve the community that raised me. I’m a born-and-raised East Austinite, and my family’s roots in Austin and East Austin go back generations. Read more>>
Mariah Alise
I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember, and music has always been a major part of who I am. Growing up in Austin, I found myself drawn to R&B and soul, especially artists like Keyshia Cole and Jazmine Sullivan who weren’t afraid to be vulnerable and tell real stories through their music. Read more>>
France Garrido
France Garrido is best known for her highly detailed and intricate mixed media/collage works that exemplify the Visionary & Surrealist genre. Born in NYC’. My work incorporates sacred geometry, specifically the circle and the circle in the square, developing my own visual language. As a young girl I visited The Met, where I witnessed Dali’s ‘The Crucifixion’. This painting had a profound influence on me. Read more>>
Nina Tupusheva
I have been in nursing since 1998, and my career has taken me through emergency care, plastic surgery, primary care, and aesthetic medicine. Each stage taught me something different, but I have always been especially interested in the connection between clinical knowledge, precision, and the individual needs of the patient. Over time, my work in aesthetic medicine became much more than performing procedures. Read more>>
Yogini Prajapati
My journey to Starlight Pediatrics has been a little unconventional, but every step has shaped the way I care for children and families today. I actually started my career as a chiropractor, where I developed a strong interest in whole-body health and the importance of looking at the person as a whole rather than focusing on just one symptom. Read more>>
Christian childs
We started our furnished housing and temporary relocation company almost by accident. I’d just wrapped up a marketing and digital consulting business and was looking for what was next when I found this niche — fully furnished housing for medical workers, relocating families, military personnel, and workforce housing. We started small: a two-bedroom single-family home in Northwest Austin. Read more>>
Paola Ward
My story has been shaped by migration, curiosity, and the need to create. I was born in Colombia, in the Andes, and later moved to New York City, where I lived for 20 years. My path was not always centered on art. I worked in different environments, including scientific research, while continuing to develop my creative practice. Read more>>
Liz Love
I have always been passionate about sound and music and aliveness. I’ve been Producing my own experiential performances since I was in middle school. I was raised as an American Sikh and my parents invited kundalini yoga daily at a very young age. Read more>>
Arlen J
I never wanted to die in a bad mood. That was something I thought about, and took seriously, in my youth. Somehow, I had this idealistic notion that if I had any say in the matter, I wanted to meet death consciously. Read more>>
Maria Jose Fabrega
My journey began at the Rhode Island School of Design, where I trained as a jeweler. In those early years, my world was rooted deep in the art jewelry sphere—exhibiting in galleries worldwide and participating in international art biennials. It was an incredible foundation, but over time, I felt a pull toward something more intimate and daily. Read more>>
MyBrothaVan
I didn’t choose to be a public performer, it seemed to choose me. I began making music later than most due to my athletic career being over. I was inspired by artist who were a jack of all trades so I decided to buy home studio equipment and started making making beats and recording myself as a new hobby/outlet. Read more>>
Joel Engulu
My story is rooted in faith, resilience, leadership, and a desire to create opportunities for others. I am a Congolese-American entrepreneur, marketing strategist, former athlete, and community leader. From an early age, I learned the importance of perseverance, discipline, and making the most of every opportunity placed in front of me. Basketball played a major role in shaping who I am. Read more>>
Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Incorporated
Lambda Theta Alpha’s story begins in 1975 at Kean University, where 17 visionary women set out to create something that didn’t yet exist: a sisterhood built specifically to support Latina students navigating higher education. At the time, Kean had just introduced bilingual studies, opening the door for more women of Latin descent to attend. Read more>>
Sarah Peterson
Creativity has always been part of my life, but I don’t think there was ever one moment when I decided, “I’m going to become an artist.” Photography became my way of noticing the things people sometimes walk past—the light, a storm, an animal, or a moment that disappears almost as soon as you see it. Read more>>
Cate Myer
I have always been an artist at heart. I grew up taking art lessons and spent years painting, but photography became deeply personal for me when I became a mom. I wanted to hold onto all of life’s tiny details, the expressions, the stages you swear you will remember forever but somehow start to blur with time. Read more>>
Katie Gray
Like many people, my life journey has been both challenging and profoundly beautiful. For many years (17+), I battled an addiction to food and bulimia, and hid my pain behind a facade of being ‘fine’. Inside, I felt very alone and ashamed. Read more>>
Brandon Toohey
My journey in martial arts began in Austin in the summer of 1996, when I started training in karate. A friend invited me to try a TaeKwonDo class in 1999, and after that first class, my parents, my brothers, and I all signed up. What began as an activity quickly became something our entire family shared. Read more>>
Nory Cruz
I’ve been a hairstylist for 30 years, and I can truly say this industry has been such a huge part of my life. I started behind the chair with a love for making people beautiful, but over the years, that passion grew into something much bigger. In 2013, I took a leap of faith and opened BeYOUtiful Salon in Belton,TX. Read more>>
Becky Wooster
I’ve been a physical therapist for almost 20 years and for 15 of those years of specialized in pregnancy and postpartum and pelvic physical therapy. Narrowing my focus to women’s health especially the pregnancy and postpartum years was personally inspired by my pregnancies and postpartums. I found a lack of care especially in the movement system during these precious times in my life. Read more>>
Jayde ‘Scooby’ Graham
My story really started with curiosity. Growing up in a military family, I had the opportunity to live in different places, including Germany, and was exposed to different cultures, people, and ways of life at a young age. I think that experience gave me a natural interest in exploring the world and telling stories. Read more>>
(531.am) Armando Cajide
Thanks for having me. I started up my brand 531.am just this last year in 2025. I’ve been living in Austin since 2005 when I originally moved from Dallas. I was born in Miami to first generation Cuban immigrants. Music has always been a part of my identity since I’ve been young. Read more>>
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