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.
Iiris Kokko
I am KOKO, a musician, singer-songwriter, model and an entrepreneur originally from Finland. Based in Brooklyn New York. I have always been an artistic soul. I have played the alto-saxophone since I was 8 years old, been part of choirs, music conservatories, music classes and I also have a background in theatre and musicals. I love to perform, I love to share my truth. Read more>>
JK Foley
Growing up, I was surrounded by creativity & craftsmanship. My dad was a home builder & cabinet maker, while my mom has always had a natural artistic ability, so I believe the foundation for a career in design was instilled in me from an early age. Although those influences shaped my interests, it was an advisor at Texas A&M University who encouraged me to pursue a degree in architecture – a decision that ultimately set the course for my career. Read more>>
Clare Sheehan
I grew up in Denver, CO and worked my way through the hospitality industry there for ten years. Bartending, managing, and event work led me into the wedding industry and my career eventually took me to the Caribbean where I managed events at an estate on the north side of St. Thomas near the famous Magen’s Bay in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The estate hosted local and destination weddings, corporate events, and live music. Read more>>
Kobi 
I was born on Georgia streets but ended up in Texas sheets! Doggies gotta explore. Read more>>
Chele & Erin Robinette & Andrus 
We are moms and friends who have each recently sent our youngest children to college. The first year they were gone, we enjoyed getting together with friends and building care packages to send to the girls. Read more>>
Lala Guerrero 
My mom had me in commercials since I was a toddler, so I’ve been acting since I was young. I did theater in middle school but switched to sports in high school and when I eventually got to college, the stage was calling my name again. Read more>>
Keun Rose 
My photography journey actually started during COVID-19. Like so many people during that time, my life changed. I had lost my job, the economy was uncertain, and I was also going through some things in my personal life. During all of that uncertainty, I picked up a camera as a hobby, something to do, something to explore, and eventually something I realized I genuinely loved. Read more>>
Jill Chamberlain 
I started as a frustrated screenwriter living in New York City. I had gotten a little bit of paid work but not enough to live off of. I was getting a note about my writing along the lines of ‘this is a situation, not a story.’ I could tell something was missing in my writing, but no one could tell me how to fix it. Read more>>
Momiji Tsukada 
I moved from Japan to the U.S. when I was 19. At the time, especially in Japan, it was still quite difficult to build a career around DJing and making music, and there wasn’t really much of an agency or management system for artists like me yet. I felt like moving to the U.S. would give me more opportunities to pursue music seriously. Read more>>
Rob Fajardo 
I grew up in New Jersey, and the first thing I ever took seriously was baseball. Baseball taught me the two things I still build everything on: you have to show up every day whether you feel like it or not, and you can fail seven times out of ten and still be one of the best in the world. Read more>>
Roland Guerrero 
I started when I knew my first kid was about to be born… I started making more music and then I paid someone for a music video and I didn’t like it so I had to learn how to do it myself. One day during sxsw Sauce Walka called my phone.. Read more>>
Courtney Deavers 
My career in medicine began in fire and emergency medicine. I worked as a firefighter and paramedic with Las Vegas Fire & Rescue before becoming a registered nurse and, ultimately, a board-certified Nurse Practitioner. Read more>>
Madison Morris 
My career did not begin in real estate. I started in advertising and had the opportunity to work with some of the industry’s leading agencies and brands, including CP+B in Boulder and Leo Burnett in Sydney. That experience gave me a strong foundation in branding, strategy, storytelling and understanding what makes people connect with a company, person, or an idea. Read more>>
Marinicia Cordova 
I’ve been doing hair for 9 years, I began immediately after high school. I’m from Denver and worked doing hair there for 6 years prior to moving to Austin. Deep roots has been the only salon I’ve worked at since moving here. I went through a fast tracked apprentice program there where I learned advanced color techniques as well as a technical haircutting course. Read more>>
Kleigh Westphall 
I grew up with an entrepreneurial father who found success in residential remodeling. Cabinet making was something I learned initially through reading many books and watching every cabinet related youtube video I could find. I’ve made it a central priority to surround myself with the very best area tradesmen and build my knowledge in this trade through sharing information. Read more>>
Marissa Hornsby 
I’ve always loved creating, connecting with people, and having real conversations about things we don’t always say out loud. I started The Pretty Candid Podcast because I wanted a space where I could be myself, share my thoughts, and give other people a space to do the same. Read more>>
Hannah Johnson 
I moved to Austin in 2017 for a relationship with my partner at the time who I thought would be my husband. After just a few months of living together, my libido took a significant dive and it had major negative implications on our relationship. But this was a pattern for me. Read more>>
Megan Kaluza 
My journey as a GoGo dancer started when I was about 19 years old. I was a big-time raver back in the day, and I taught myself how to spin poi and fire just for fun. What started as a hobby unexpectedly turned into my first opportunity to perform on stage at a small rave in my hometown of Butte, Montana. Read more>>
Daniel Swayze 
I studied from my teens to be a classical pianist. Read more>>
Maira Torres 
Eight years ago, what started as a simple curiosity quickly turned into a worldview. Armed with a camera, I began capturing anything and everything that caught my eye—from the quiet beauty of the outdoors to the chaotic, joy-filled moments of family birthday parties, family outdoor events, wildlife etc. Every frame was a lesson in light, texture, and timing, but more importantly, it was pure fun. Read more>>
Urban Ninja 
Street art was something I always admired from afar. I wanted to try it but I believed you had to know some secret handshake to be part of it. What I found out was if you just jump right in and do it, that is the best way to try. I tried it and so glad that I did. Read more>>
Cynthia Dominguez 
My journey into esthetics started from a very personal place. As a teenager, I struggled with severe acne. I remember what it felt like to feel uncomfortable in my own skin—to not want to go out, or hang out with friends because I was worried about how my skin looked. That experience stayed with me. Read more>>
Leon O’Neal 
My story as a DJ began on the campus of Huston Tillotson University here in Austin. What started as a love for music became an opportunity to bring people together and help create the soundtrack for campus life. That foundation taught me how powerful music can be when it reflects the people and culture around it. Read more>>
Stuart Dupuy 
My entrepreneurial journey started long before I knew what entrepreneurship was. In middle school, I mowed lawns in my neighborhood and discovered that I enjoyed serving customers, earning my own money, and building something from scratch. My wife, Kathy, and I made it official in 1994 when we founded Mom’s Best Friend, a nanny placement agency in Austin that we still own today. Read more>>
Kim Cox 
I found my passion at the age of 40. I was a divorced single mother of three with zero support from my ex. I woke up one morning and was giving a notice of in thirty days all support would be ending. At the time I felt it was a catastrophe but now I am so beyond grateful for that shift. Read more>>
Bruce Alexis 
Bruce ‘VII’ Alexis, a New Orleans native, in & out of prison from the ages 18-33 years old, overcame adversity of 3 prison convictions of guns & violence to become the Founder/CEO of his own brand entitled ‘REBEL L7FE™️’! Read more>>
Pete Salazar 
I have over 20 years of experience working for non profits starting right out of college working for US Vets, in Las Vegas. I eventually returned to Austin where I joined Goodwill of Central Texas, then Caritas of Austin where I left to run for Austin City Council.. I did not win, but I served on commissions for over a decade. Read more>>
Amanda Kitchens 
Hello all! I’m a professional accordion player & singer/ songwriter.. I was born in Houston & raised in Bastrop. My dad was an Austin Firefighter at the time (recently retired). My mother put me in ballet at the age of 4 & I danced until 8th grade. I began piano lessons at age 7. Read more>>
Jordan Patino 
What started as a passion for nail art quickly grew into Tell Me I’m Pretty, my nail brand, where I was able to turn my creativity into a business and build an amazing community of clients. As my business grew, so did my vision. Read more>>
Lauren Perkins 
Creativity has been a constant throughout my life. I was always drawing in the margins of my notebooks during class and making paintings as gifts for family and friends. After earning my undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Texas at Austin, I began my career in marketing, working with nonprofits and established brands such as Tacodeli. Read more>>
Jeannie Kakizaki 
# The Work of Becoming: How My Own Healing Became a Life of Service Long before I founded The Hive Chiropractic & Wellness, I experienced the kind of change that quietly divides a life into two parts: who you were before and who you became after. In 2004, while working in a Network Care office in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I began receiving care myself. Read more>>
Joe Perna 
My journey into entrepreneurship started while working in a retail setting building bikes. I enjoyed the hands-on work, but I quickly noticed a common problem: customers often struggled to get their bikes serviced due to time constraints, lack of transportation or lack of bicycle technicians. I saw a clear need in the community for a more convenient solution.. Read more>>
Jay Henry
Hawaii Nei Cafe My family and I moved from Hawaii to Austin Texas in the summer of 2017. By March of 2018 we created our humble small business Hawaii Nei Cafe, LLC. When we arrived in Austin we were hard pressed to find any restaurants that offered the flavors from our home state Hawaii. Read more>>
Dauss Miller 
I’ve been building a life around creativity for nearly three decades. I started my career as a photographer in the late 1990s, shooting epic weddings and eventually creating commercial fashion, lifestyle, and advertising work for brands including Target, Adobe, Google, Pepsi, and others. Photography gave me an incredible career, but more importantly, it taught me how much perception matters. Read more>>
Jordan Skye 
Animals have always been a huge part of my heart. For years, I was the person friends and family called whenever they needed someone to care for their pets. I welcomed every opportunity to spend time with dogs and cats, so pet sitting never really felt like work to me. Read more>>
Milani Cruz
For sure. I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember, and that’s always been the thing informing every other part of my journey. I went to school for Screenwriting and graduated straight into the industry in 2021, right out of COVID. Read more>>
Abby Milan 
Willinglee started because we couldn’t find a decent thank-you gift. Once upon a time, Alex and I were planning our wedding and hit a classic roadblock: what do you give the people who traveled miles to celebrate with you? We wanted something meaningful but not cheesy, useful but still special—and somewhere between venue hunting and vow writing, that perfect gift stayed perfectly elusive. Read more>>
Faith Elizabeth 
Well, it started back in 2016… musical.ly was a huge thing during that time, so I decided to hop on that train. After making silly comedy skits for a couple years, I got a comment that was like, ‘You sound like Barbie’. Read more>>
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>>
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