The Change-Makers: stories that inspire

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.

Maya Cytron Glazer

I’ve always been passionate about design and creativity, but my journey into interior design happened quite unexpectedly. I started my career as a footwear designer and had my own shoe brand. When my family and I moved to the United States about 13 years ago, my original plan was to continue my footwear business here. Read more>>

Jessica Ishak

I started doing hair in California. I worked under a Wella educator at Alan Edwards. After my training I went to work in a small salon on my own in Tarzana. Then I decided to work at John Of Italy in Westlake Village. I received more training, European and American.. After several years working at the salon I got to work under amazing educators. Read more>>

Ryan White

My path into entrepreneurship started with a lesson I learned through baseball. After playing in college, I coached young athletes. I remember sitting in a training facility in Warner Robins, Georgia, watching other instructors work while I waited for someone to ask for me. I knew I could help, but the parents did not know me. Read more>>

Natalia Lee

In my first job out of college I did a lot of paperwork, filling out forms, and waiting months or years for a case to be resolved. I had no outlet for creativity nor sense of completion and needed something tangible to satisfy that part of me. Read more>>

Prentice Howe

I started my career as a writer, and grew into a strategist, creative director, and eventually an advertising agency owner. After graduating from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, I spent my career working at advertising agencies in Dallas, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Austin. Read more>>

Leigh-Ann Scroggins

My career has taken a few twists and turns, but looking back, I can see a common thread running through all of it. I’ve always loved helping people, bringing ideas to life, and creating experiences that make a positive difference in the world. Read more>>

Akshita Mehta

I’m a dual board-certified physician – neuroradiology and lifestyle medicine – and I’ve spent the last several years splitting my time between reading imaging as a neuroradiologist and building Dive Into Health MD, a company I founded to bring a food-and-lifestyle lens to how people think about their health. Read more>>

Traylon Goolsby

My roots are in Palestine, Texas, and my path into real estate has been shaped by my background in communications and my experience investing in properties. I spent nearly a decade as a spokesperson for Union Pacific Railroad, where clear communication, preparation, and trust were essential. Read more>>

Wiley Ross

I moved to Austin in 2005 and began living out of my van because it was closer then California or Seattle I had never been to Texas let alone Austin. I had moved to pursue music and started a band called street light suzie . We toured around and released 2 albums. Our second album was recorded by Guilby Clarke of guns and roses fame. Read more>>

Deen Moodley

My journey has been anything but conventional. I was born and raised in South Africa, where I built a career spanning finance, business management, hospitality, entertainment, and technology. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset and a passion for identifying opportunities, developing ideas, and turning them into successful ventures. Read more>>

Jaime Salcedo

My journey started in Brooklyn, New York, where I grew up understanding the value of hard work, resilience, and creating opportunities for yourself. I’ve spent over 15 years as a tattoo artist, eight years working in emergency medical services, and nearly a decade serving as a New York City firefighter. Read more>>

Louren Molina

My journey into the beauty industry began with a passion for helping others feel confident and comfortable in their own skin. I’ve always believed that beauty goes beyond physical appearance. It’s about how we feel about ourselves, the confidence we carry, and the moments we take to care for ourselves. Read more>>

Danniela Padilla

I’m Nela Medina, a mom of two from South Texas, and I feel like I’m still in the process of figuring out who I am and who I want to become. My journey hasn’t been a straight line. Between raising my children, going to college, and trying to build something for myself, I’ve learned that life doesn’t always go according to plan. Read more>>

Jake Bryer

The full story is a correlation of two separate instances in my life (it’s not brief). First, in 2006, I was at the tail end of working in advertising for a local newspaper. I wanted to make a major career move, but not a lateral move. Read more>>

Sean Tipps

I love our city and have called Austin home since 1997. Before getting into real estate professionally, I spent more than 22 years in hospitality and food and beverage management. That experience taught me how to listen, communicate, solve problems, and stay levelheaded when things get stressful. Those skills have been a big part of how I approach real estate. Read more>>

Ginger Morris

I grew up in McAllen, Texas, where theatre was pretty much my entire world. There weren’t a lot of opportunities in the arts outside of school, but about 20 miles away was a little community theatre housed in an old water reservoir that had been converted into a performance space. Every summer, that’s where you’d find me. Read more>>

Mandi Hickman

In 2017 I moved to Austin from New Jersey. I was craving a creative outlet so I started to really get into cooking and photographing my recipes. I was also so inspired by the restaurants and food in Texas. After a few years it turned into a career. I got paid through brand partnerships and ads on my website. Read more>>

Chris Kocek

I got my start in advertising and branding at BBDO New York and GSD&M before eventually launching my own branding studio, Gallant Branding, where I’ve had the opportunity to help companies like Vital Farms, Richard’s Rainwater, NadaMoo! and many others build brands for a better world. Read more>>

Claudia Castro

Del Sol Yoga and Kung: A Journey of Coming Home By the founders, Thomas and Claudia Some journeys begin long before we understand where they are leading. They begin with a moment, a question, a feeling that there is something more to discover. Read more>>

AJ Reyes

I’ve always liked attention. The first time I sang on stage was in a pre-k Thanksgiving concert. I remember hand-traced paper turkeys, construction paper-hats, and applause. When I was little-little I sang as much as a could, and did the most with everything. When I sang the alphabet, it was more of an R&B ballad. Read more>>

Sara Biggs

My path has definitely not been a straight line. I’ve always had a creative side. I took piano lessons as a child, sang in choir and played in band in high school. I’ve always loved music and the arts and I’ve always been drawn to beautiful things, whether that’s nature, architecture or animals. Read more>>

Merilee McKinley

I’ve never been someone who had one clear vision of what I wanted to be when I grew up. Instead, I’ve always been curious about a little bit of everything. That curiosity eventually led me into marketing, where I discovered how much I love combining creativity, storytelling, strategy, and problem-solving. Read more>>

Iris Davis-Quick

I’m influenced by the independent films of the late 90s and early 2000s. As a born and raised Austintine, I spent my weekends at the Dobie Mall theater on UT Campus watching whatever obscure film was showing at the time. These films hit my heart in ways mainstream movies weren’t and I saw myself in a lot of the characters up on the screen. Read more>>

LeTishay Trotter

I always thought that being beautiful was something you were just born with. I mean, right? The girls who always looked put together with stunning hair, perfect outfits, and just the right amount of makeup for the occasion. You’d think they never planned it — they just woke up and “knew.” I grew up in a small town in Virginia, and I loved sports. Read more>>

Joanna Howerton and Michael Cross

Michael Cross & Joanna Howerton – The Duo Michael and Joanna, both long-time Austin residents and professional musicians, began playing together as a duo in 2017. They released their first album in 2019, “A New Love Begins”. That year they were selected as New Folk Finalist for The Kerrville Folk Festival, and also had a showcase at the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance. Read more>>

Estani Frizzell

Music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, but I was never raised on just one kind of music. My dad loved artists like Bob Seger, Buddy Holly and Otis Redding, and when I moved with my mom, the soundtrack changed to Billie Holiday, Linda Ronstadt, Heart, along with a whole lot of Conjunto and Tejano music. Read more>>

Chris Freeman

I started my career in HVAC at the very bottom, working as a helper making about $500 a week. My oldest son was still a baby at the time, and like most young families, we were just trying to find our footing and build a better future. Read more>>

Blakley Dancy

I’ve known since I was young that making people feel good about themselves was what I was meant to do. I started in Austin, doing weddings and makeup. Brides trusted me, and I learned how to calm a room and make someone feel understood. In 2017 I moved to Houston to train at one of the city’s premier salons. Read more>>

Nova Garza

My name is Nova Garza, and I was born and raised in Laredo, Texas. Growing up, I spent much of my childhood watching sci-fi and dark fantasy films, which left a lasting impact on my imagination. I started making tons of short films at a young age, and that passion eventually led me to study film at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. Read more>>

AZ Moyer

I started my career in public accounting, where I earned my CPA license and quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit for me. I wanted to have a more direct impact on my clients and be involved in their businesses, not just their year-end numbers. That led me to the startup world, where I learned what it means to wear many hats. Read more>>

Brittany Doan

My journey into the beauty industry was definitely not planned. I actually went to UC Irvine on a soccer scholarship, studying Public Health. Unfortunately, I had to quit soccer my second year due to a concussion. For the first time in my life, I had free time, so I decided to study abroad. That’s when I completely fell in love with traveling. Read more>>

Stephanie Lindsey

Design started at home for me. My mom could upholster, sew drapes and plan a room, and I’d come home from school to find the whole living room rearranged. In high school I was hooked on Trading Spaces and wanted to be Ty Pennington. Read more>>

Blair Hunter

I’ve been drawn to health and wellbeing for as long as I can remember. I started practicing yoga over 20 years ago and have been meditating for almost 15 years. Along the way, I’ve explored a wide range of ancient and modern healing modalities to support my own health and vitality and to help others feel their best. Read more>>

Dylan Ward

My name is Nesi Dylan Ward. I own and run DogDayswithDylan dog walking, daycare and boarding. I have always been an animal lover and even more a dog lover. Read more>>

Rebecca Crawford

I began my photography journey when I was just 16 years old. I really enjoyed taking photographs of my friends, and I thought that working for a photographer could be a fun summer job. I printed out a binder of my favorite photographs, and went door-to-door to studios, messaged friends of friends asking for connections, sent emails, etc. Read more>>

dulce mac

I never in a million years thought I would do any type of public speaking, if you ask people who don’t know me they would probably say I don’t speak but if you ask my friends they’d say I’m funny and talk a lot. I used to be really shy and insecure about my voice as well, with English being my second language also. Read more>>

Mo Pittle

Morris “Mo” Pittle was born in Cleveland where his father was finishing school. 3 months later, they relocated to El Paso, Texas where he was raised in one of the most multicultural communities in the country. After high school, he attended the University of Texas at Austin where he graduated with a degree in Advertising, specifically, Texas Creative. Read more>>