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.
Stacy Kou 
I moved from Taipei, Taiwan, to Austin in 2011 and started a new life without my beloved family around. It was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. I started cooking and baking because I missed home. In 2022, I had my first pop-up at Broth & Basil. The owners were so kind and generous, offering me the space and support I needed. Read more>>
Miguel Tio 
I began my painting studies with artist Elías Delgado while attending the School of Fine Arts in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where I was born. I later studied Publicity and Graphic Design at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo. I worked as an in-house draftsman and sketch artist for Teleantillas TV and as an illustrator for the Dominican Department of Education. Read more>>
Anna Gryglewska 
I’ve spent more than 16 years producing events and experiences, but many of the skills I rely on began much earlier as a NCAA D1 swimmer. It taught me discipline, preparation, teamwork, and how to remain calm under pressure; all qualities that continue to shape how I lead today. Read more>>
Bijal Ghelani 
I began my career as an architect in India, where I worked for several years before taking some time off to travel through Europe with my husband. What was meant to be a short exploration eventually became home. Inability to continue in architecture due to linguistic barriers, I shifted my carrier direction. Read more>>
Casey Gonzales
CRAMT was always a dream of mine. I’ve been in the industry since I was 15 when I started laying tile with my uncle. Read more>>
Maree Chmelik 
I officially started in comedy about a year ago, after I got let go from a job I really cared about. I found out I was being let go around the end of July, and went through the typical stages of grief for about a month. Read more>>
Sydney Duleba 
I was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and I’ve always been creative, ambitious, and curious. I knew I wanted a big life; I just didn’t always know exactly what that meant for me. I followed a fairly traditional path at first. Read more>>
Danielle Perrecone 
My journey has been anything but linear. At 18, I received a Division I scholarship to play field hockey at Miami University. From the outside, I probably looked disciplined, driven, and capable, but internally, I was often battling intense anxiety, distorted fears, emotional reactivity, and the feeling that everyday life required far more effort than it seemed to require for everyone else. Read more>>
Paige McCartney 
I actually started my nail career by complete accident! After high school, I attended cosmetology school at The Aveda Institute, thinking I’d do hair. After graduating and getting my license, I never felt comfortable in the hair salon setting. I ended up working at Ulta doing eyebrow waxes. After getting my first paycheck, I decided to treat myself to a manicure! Read more>>
Lauryn Newman 
I’ve been in Austin for six years now, which is kind of wild to say out loud. I moved here in my early twenties, and I don’t think I could have predicted what my life would look like today if I tried. In a lot of ways, I feel like Austin and I have grown alongside each other. Read more>>
Marissa Kashani 
I grew up in Austin and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Fine Art focusing on painting. I worked in the retail furniture industry for several years after graduation, but never let go of my true joy – painting. Starting in 2019, I set a goal for myself: create one painting a month, no excuses. Read more>>
Ryan Bailey 
My path to starting Canine Keeps wasn’t necessarily a straight line. I’ve spent much of my career in the corporate world, working across operations, product management, and strategy in both the CPG and tech industries. I learned a lot during that time, but I always had the desire to eventually build something of my own, ideally something connected to a problem I genuinely cared about. Read more>>
Kishdom 
My name is Kishdom, an abstract artist, entrepreneur, investor, and creative leader whose work has always centered on one idea: creating something meaningful enough to change the way people see themselves and what is possible for their lives. Read more>>
Melissa Rios
I am Puerto Rican and Filipina and I serve dishes from both of my cultures. I was laid off during COVID and began cooking food out of my home. It became a passion, so I found a brick and mortar. During the renovations, we suffered a house fire and lost everything causing a delay in the restaurant opening. Read more>>
Rey Teysse 
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always loved drawing and creating things through art. I honestly don’t remember when it started — it feels like it’s been with me for as long as I can remember. Over the years, that interest just took different forms. Read more>>
Lindsey Neuhaus 
Back in 2018, I was selling jewelry for another company when I decided it was time to build something of my own. I’ve always loved fashion, especially beautiful embroidered pieces, and that love became the starting point for Bizzy Lizzy Boutique. From the very beginning, I wanted Bizzy Lizzy to be a boutique where more women could find something that made them feel great. Read more>>
Sarah Payan 
The start of my business is actually simple. My husband(and business partner) does jujitsu and at his club Aces they have their own little 6am tribe. One of the girls Gen always made sweet treats for everyone and my husband had been asking her to make tres leches cinnamon rolls for over a year. Read more>>
Juliet Maggio 
Growing up, I always wanted to try everything, never just one career or one way of life. Television let me do exactly that: 18 years jumping between Michelin-star kitchens, surgical suites, and FBI interrogation rooms, all in the name of telling someone else’s story well. Read more>>
Tamara Brown 
I was born and raised in Austin, TX, a young Black American raised in a family of four with my twin brother and parents in the secluded hills of Westlake. I began my academic studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson and graduated Cum Laude from Texas State University with a degree in Advertising and Mass Communication. Read more>>
Mikayla Weeth 
I fell into the hair industry, and I haven’t looked back. Before hair school, I was actually attending community college studying Multimedia Interactive Technology—graphic design, website building, and things like that. I was about two months away from graduating when I went to Great Clips for a haircut one day. Read more>>
Ameria Juhas 
Originally, I wanted to become a pianist. A traumatic experience many years ago left the tendons in my left hand injured, and the full motor function of two of my fingers could not be restored. I had to let go of my dream of becoming a pianist. I learned another profession and continued with my life. Read more>>
Stefanie Fix
Most of my life I had been a professional singer-songwriter. I officially launched my jewelry line in 2013; creating a beaded line of Men’s Jewelry that I made available on Etsy. As I honed my skills, I began to explore working more and more with metal fabrication. In 2019 for the first time, I made many of those pieces available to the general public. Read more>>
Mikaela Pace 
My journey as a singer and teacher started long before I ever imagined I would make a career out of music. I grew up in Carrollton, Texas, and singing quickly became one of the most important parts of my life. Read more>>
Naomi Phelps 
My love for photography honestly started before I even understood what photography was. When I was about two years old, I was obsessed with my dad’s camera. I was always fascinated by it and wanted to hold it. By high school, that fascination had turned into a genuine passion. Read more>>
Lulu Robles 
Sure! Music has always been a huge part of my life. Spanish is my native language, but I’ve been speaking English since I was three because of my mom, so both languages have always felt like a big part of who I am. Today, I write and make music in both English and Spanish. Read more>>
Matthew Guthrie 
I’m a third-generation builder and a lifelong Austinite, so construction has always been a big part of my life. I grew up around the industry and eventually found my way into high-end residential construction, working with some great builders and learning not only the craft side of the business, but also building science, project management, and what it takes to create a really thoughtful home. Read more>>
Karla Andrillon 
My entrepreneurial journey has been anything but linear, and I think that is what has made it meaningful. I’m originally from Puerto Rico, and my journey has taken me through different cities, industries, and seasons of life. Read more>>
Maria Kanevskaya 
I’ve always been a creative person, but photography became the way I could express myself most naturally. I started simply because I loved creating and connecting with people, and over time it grew into something much more meaningful to me. I’m still learning, experimenting, and growing as an artist and I think that’s what keeps me excited about what I do. Read more>>
Sheridel Sevilla 
Sometimes I look at everything we’ve built, and it’s hard to believe all that had to happen to get us here. I started in the beauty industry as a teenager, never imagining that my first experience would grow into a passion, a lifelong career, and eventually, Beauty Couture Medspa. We are celebrating 20yrs in the industry! Read more>>
Aubrey Carroll 
Hi, I’m Aubrey Carroll, a mixed-media artist based in Central Texas. I’ve felt a strong connection to art from a very young age, exploring everything from photography and anime-inspired drawing to printmaking and three-dimensional work during my college years. I’ve always loved experimenting with new mediums and creative processes, and I enjoy finding ways to bring them together. Read more>>
Connor Rodriguez 
My story really grew out of a love for photography, Texas culture, and the western lifestyle that still runs deep throughout Texas and the surrounding communities that is Central Texas. Read more>>
Pingback: Homepage