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.
Benjamin Novotny
Of course! I grew up in West Homestead, Pennsylvania, a small suburb outside of Pittsburgh. My parents, though not professional musicians by trade, always fostered an appreciation of art and music throughout my life. As my father jests, “the only instrument I play is the radio!” My mother was a clarinetist through college, and my godmother was an experienced pianist. Read more>>
Kali Grace
In my final days of graduating from Antonelli Institute in 2018 we were faced with the obvious questions. What is our plan for our future? What do we want to do? Not only the simple parts of life, but at that time Antonelli was going through a merge and our professors were unsure what their futures would look like as well. Read more>>
Shakeema Layne
I’ve always had a love of taking pictures. When I was a small child one of my favorite things to do was to sit on the floor and flip through all the albums my mom put together over the years. Read more>>
Mariam Zaki
My Story Behind the Camera Photography has been a part of my heart for as long as I can remember. As a child, I was always fascinated by cameras. I would save my money to buy digital cameras and spend hours capturing the world around me. Read more>>
Roshan Dave
Hi, my name is Roshan, and I’ve been DJing for a little over two years in the Philadelphia area. My journey started with my best friend at the time when we began learning to DJ together as a B2B duo, primarily playing fraternity parties because we thought our music choice was better than my friends playlist. Read more>>
Firas Abdelahad
I founded Pittsburgh Design & Engineering Services after spending years working in various areas of engineering, construction, fabrication, and consulting. Throughout my career, I noticed that many property owners needed an independent engineering expert they could trust—someone who would provide honest guidance and help them understand their options rather than sell them a product or repair. Read more>>
Tara Immel
Our adventure at Nittany Meadow Farm began in 2021, although the farm itself has a rich history dating back to 1816. What started with just five goats and a plan to have a few farm pets quickly grew into something much bigger than we ever imagined. At first, my husband, Michael, and I had no intention of offering public events. Read more>>
TOM LUGO
I was born in Chicago to Puerto Rican parents, and my family moved around the United States several times before settling in Puerto Rico when I was ten years old. It was there that I spent my formative years, attended school, and discovered my passion for music. Read more>>
John Tarallo
My name is John Tarallo and I’m the owner of Steel City Salt Company! We began in 2014, but my interest in food and salt goes back much further! I grew up in a large Italian and Polish family where food was always the center of everything. Some of my favorite memories are having dinner with my Sicilian grandfather at least once a week. Read more>>
Sharon Johnson
My entrepreneurial journey began during the chaos of COVID-19, right in the middle of a job transition. In that uncertain time, I found myself reflecting on my next steps. A conversation with a project manager sparked a revelation: my extensive knowledge of healthcare could translate into consulting. Offering the expertise I have garnered for businesses as a service. Read more>>
Lauren Zajac MHS, PA-C, AFMCP
I’m a board-certified Physician Assistant, and throughout my 21 year career I kept seeing the same pattern: women were experiencing real, disruptive symptoms, but were often told their labs were “normal” or that what they were feeling was simply part of getting older. Read more>>
Chauncey Brown
Arm’s Reach began with a question I couldn’t stop asking: why does luxury fragrance so rarely reflect the people who have always understood what it means to mark a moment, hold a memory, carry a room? I founded Arm’s Reach as a fragrance and culture house rooted in qualitative research. Every collection starts inside a community, a space, a lived experience. Read more>>
Jeff Seleyo
My journey of becoming a fitness professional and business owner began withv my own transformation. I was not living a healthy lifestyle and decided to get help to make some changes in my life. Talking to a therapist really helped me get to where I am today. Read more>>
Kara Hand
As a young girl, I spent as much time as possible on my Aunt Helen and Uncle Forrie’s farm–The Kerrstead (Colmar, PA). Family picnics with hayrides or shoveling horse manure were not only some of my BEST childhood memories, but formative as well. I watched my Uncle drive his tractor through the fields; his the planning, planting, tending & harvest. Read more>>
Mia Campagna
I’ve always had a creative eye and enjoyed taking photos and videos growing up. I would always make my two younger sisters pose for photos and direct them in short films on my iPod touch. Read more>>
Melissa Jenkins
Freeform Fitness is the culmination of a lifelong passion for helping people move, grow, and live healthier lives. My business partner, Ivan White, and I bring more than 50 years of combined experience in the health and fitness industry. While our backgrounds are different, we’ve always shared the same belief: movement has the power to transform lives, and true health goes far beyond exercise alone. Read more>>
Nicholas Olsen
I didn’t take a traditional path into photography. After high school, I earned my GED and started working in guest services at a resort. While I enjoyed working with people, I knew I wanted something more creative and fulfilling. Read more>>
Megan Leo
My journey into photography began with a simple desire: to help people feel seen. After graduating from Hallmark Institute of Photography in 2013, I spent years refining my craft and building a career centered around storytelling, connection, and empowering others through imagery. Like many entrepreneurs, my path wasn’t straightforward. There were seasons of uncertainty, personal challenges, and moments that completely reshaped my understanding of success. Read more>>
Tim Gebhart
I’ve always believed that sports have the power to change lives. Growing up, I loved baseball and eventually had the opportunity to play in college. After graduating, I earned my master’s degree in special education because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of kids who often don’t get the same opportunities as everyone else. Read more>>
Joe Brewer
After graduating from art school, I ended up in sales for a National company selling outdoor electrical signs throughout the USA…When my wife said what are you going to do when you retire I said I have no idea. She said I wish you would get back into your artwork so I painted my two of my grand dogs. Read more>>
Amy Manoff
Amy and Gary started working this farm land right out of college. We cleared brush, put up a deer fence, added a well and drip irrigation. We worked other jobs for 15 years to sustain the farm. Read more>>
Kayla aspen
It’s funny because growing up, I always had a digital camera with me to capture memories, but I had absolutely no interest in photography itself. I actually did some modeling in high school and always wanted to be on the opposite side of the camera! Everything changed after the birth of my first child. Read more>>
John Williams
Started doing music in my neighborhood then branches out in different cities and states Read more>>
Tori Grin
I was born in Odessa, Ukraine, where I began studying art at a young age and later graduated from the Grekov Odessa State Art College. Creativity has always been part of my life, although my path to becoming a full-time artist was anything but traditional. After college, I briefly worked as an interior designer, creating projects for private clients. Read more>>
Jurgita Stahlecker
I was born and raised in Lithuania and have always been drawn to beautiful design and craftsmanship. After living abroad and eventually moving to the United States, I decided to follow my passion and create my own brand, JURGI. I started JURGI with the belief that accessories should be timeless, functional, and thoughtfully made. Read more>>
Jeremiah Williams
I started my career as a personal trainer, part-time in the evenings after my day job. It became clear to me early on that I needed to fully commit to this line of work if I wanted to make it as a professional coach. Read more>>
Russ Firestone
My name is Russ Firestone and I currently serve as the President of the Homestead Cemetery. Our group of volunteers are working tirelessly to preserve the dignity of the Homestead Cemetery, as well as share the stories of those who rest within the hallowed grounds. The Homestead Cemetery was first incorporated in 1886 to serve the burgeoning community growing in the Monongahela Valley. Read more>>
Madison McLemore
I want to start by introducing myself. My name is Madison McLemore, and I am the owner and photographer behind Madison Raine Photography. I officially launched Madison Raine Photography in 2022 as a creative outlet and a way to ‘fill my cup’ outside of my career as a special education teacher. Read more>>
LaMonica Carter
My journey into photography started from a love of storytelling and visual expression. I’ve always been drawn to creative work, which led me to earn a degree in graphic design. Through studying design, I developed a deeper understanding of composition, visual communication, and how powerful imagery can be in telling a story. Read more>>
Jen McKen
I wish I had some glamorous story about how I got started in photography. You know, the kind where I grew up knowing it was my “passion” since I could walk, or where my great-grandfather passed down a vintage camera and a legacy, or where I was the third generation stepping into the family business. Read more>>
bob safran
MY EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND WHY I CREATED EGUMPP My name is Bob Safran. I was born and spent my first 18 years in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I graduated from North Braddock (Scott) High School in 1962 and earned my degree from Indiana State Teachers College, now Indiana University of Pennsylvania, in 1966. Read more>>
Jennifer Pearce
A little over 5 years ago my ex husband left for another woman and we got a divorce. In the short term I was shattered, having excruciating pain find me. Losing my marriage and family was devastating for me. It was all I ever wanted. It was also happening amid the pandemic which was already wildly challenging. Read more>>
Katie Tlush
During the Pandemic it came to fruition- like many other families- that I {Katie} was to stay at home with our two young children… To which, I suppose, my ‘newly found free time’ ‘ birthed a new opportunity. A way of creating income for our family that allowed me to be with my children as much as possible. Read more>>
Zack Jarosz
I’m a young photographer that came from a small town in central Pennsylvania. I studied in Orlando at Full Sail. After a cancer (and covid) diagnosis in 2020, I moved back to PA to start treatment. Throughout my treatment, I dove deeper into my creative expression in an effort to inspire those who were watching. Read more>>
Geliece Golson
Get Up’n Joe mobile coffee cart didn’t start as a business idea. It started at a kitchen table.
Some of my earliest memories are of sitting with my aunt, Gracie Golson, affectionately known as GG, taking small, quiet sips of coffee and just being together. GG was so much more than an aunt. She was a mother, a grandmother, a cosmetologist, a teacher, a community anchor, and one of my biggest supporters. As a young girl, it wasn’t really about the coffee. It was about connection and feeling like I mattered. That feeling stayed with me. Read More>>
