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.
Pretty Late 
Pretty Late started with Rob Sacchetti and Mike Kneeland jamming for friends on a beach in Quincy. Our longtime friend Mike ‘MikeMike’ Young heard us playing, offered to add percussion, and wheeled his drums into Mike’s mom’s sweltering, poorly ventilated basement the next day, where we wrote most of our debut album, Better Late Than Never. Read more>>
Claire Starr 
From a Shared Dream to a Farm-to-Table Legacy In 2013, two young, passionate professionals, Pete and Claire Starr, made a bold decision: to step away from the predictability of corporate life and embark on a journey fueled by creativity, community, and a shared entrepreneurial spirit. Read more>>
MONIQUE WASHIRAPUNYA 
What started as a small side job/cake business from my apartment in college grew into a full retail shop and wholesale bakery. I made cakes in the beginning to help buy books each semester. More and more people reached out about ordering cakes. I outgrew my home kitchen and started looking for a spot to bake from. Read more>>
Christina Rosso-Schneider 
The idea for the bookstore grew out of frustration regarding where Alex and I were with our jobs. I was an adjunct writing professor in the Greater Philadelphia area, and my husband was working as a freelance graphic designer and Twitch affiliate. We felt under appreciated, underpaid, and exhausted. We also were fighting to get time together! Read more>>
Kelly Moyer 
We are three women who used to be involved with another Rescue that abruptly decided to close down. They were leaving approximately 10 dogs without somewhere to go. Taking that into consideration and acknowledging the feeling that we didn’t think that we were done rescuing dogs yet we decided to form OUTCAST Rescue. Read more>>
Kim Knauer
My education is in fine art. I am a sculptor and ceramic artist and spent the past 25 years teaching art. I recently had an opportunity to purchase a small gift shop in the Pennsylvania country side. The building is literally in the parking lot of the local feed store. Read more>>
Lafleur Brown 
I grew up in Florida, in neighborhoods a lot like the ones we serve here in Philly. I was raised in a single-parent home, and I was the oldest. My mom was doing everything she could just to keep us financially stable. That didn’t leave her much time or capacity to pour into me emotionally. Read more>>
Jack Wilder 
I was born in Cobb County, GA and raised all over. I’m one of twelve siblings so as you can imagine, there was never a dull moment growing up. I always loved music. My grandad owned a custom guitar shop in Georgia where I became very interested in how it all worked. Read more>>
Josie Bockelman 
I found clay in high school and was hooked almost immediately. I somehow convinced my school that I needed two periods of ceramics a day. That focus carried through college, where I earned a BA in Studio Art with a concentration in ceramics. After graduating, I was trying to find my place in the arts field. Read more>>
William Altsman
Got out of the military. Served with the 101st airborne division in afghanistan as a combat veteran. Graduated from the pennsylvania gunsmithing school. Started my business in June of 2021. I work on any era firearm both old and modern. Oldest to date I have worked on was 1840 shotgun. Offer various services for rifles, shotguns, and pistols. Read more>>
Brou Quinn 
I’m a chef turned food content creator and the founder of 215PhillyFood and BrouHaHa Social Media Agency. I spent about 13 years working in professional kitchens, so my love for food started behind the scenes—with the people, hard work, and care that go into every plate. I brought that perspective into creating content, highlighting Philadelphia’s food scene and the people who make it special. Read more>>
Bobby Hughes 
Robert (Bobby) Emerson Hughes was born in Wilkes-Barre, at the First Valley Hospital, out of the floodwaters wrath, Mercy Hospital on June 23, 1972, during Hurricane Agnes, was flooded with seventeen (17) feet of water from the North Branch of the Susquehanna River and numerous mothers to be and patients were transferred to the other hospital on higher ground out of the floodplain. Read more>>
Spencer Philips
I didn’t start Scoop DeVille — I fell in love with it as a customer. The shop opened in 1989, and for years I was the guy in line (all the time) wondering why every ice cream shop in America didn’t make ice cream this way. Read more>>
Dakota Alexis 
Okay this may be a bit long winded, my journey has been shaping since 2012 when I birthed my oldest son so I will do my best to give you my story – How you started and how you got to where you are today – a walk through your story. Read more>>
La’Verne Webb 
My journey began with a personal health challenge that ultimately transformed my life and inspired my passion for health, fitness, and wellness. After being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I became determined to take control of my health and find ways to stay active, strong, and energized. As a proud military veteran, I have always valued discipline, perseverance, and resilience. Read more>>
Emma Osborne 
My journey into photography began during COVID in 2020. I was drawing and painting every day, and I could only see one friend during that time. We would go to the lake and take photos of each other. I loved seeing how sunlight affected an image and how much I could change its emotion through editing and color. Read more>>
Larry Neal Jr. 
My journey as an artist really began in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I was born and raised. I’ve always had a passion for art and creativity, but it was during my time at Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School (CAPA) that I really began developing my skills and taking art more seriously. Read more>>
Kayla Harris 
Melanated Minds Collective started as a sisterhood on a mission. I co-own MMC with Dr. Sara Kyles-Royster and Jaquala Lowery, and each of us brings our own lane to the practice. Dr. Sara is the Clinical Director and oversees supervisees and interns pursuing their hours. Jaquala is our skilled college planning director, helping families and high school students prepare for their next steps. Read more>>
Bianca Solari 
Philly Girls Who Walk was created to offer FREE opportunities for people in Philadelphia to stay active, meet new friends, and try new things. Our founder, Bianca Solari, created Philly Girls Who Walk early in her sobriety journey to encourage people to show up for themselves, get outside, move their bodies, and do something good for themselves. Read more>>
Abbi Miller 
I grew up on a small town in south-central Pennsylvania and left for New York City with big dreams. I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology because I resonated with their slogan: where creativity gets down to business. Upon graduation, I decided to pivot into events and landed my first job after college at ESPN radio working creatively alongside my team. Read more>>
Alex Flack 
We came across the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop brand during Covid 19. We saw a concept that was fun, different and built to scale, and thought Philadelphia was the right city for it. Philly is a food city with dense, walkable neighborhoods, students and a lot of foot traffic, and nobody here was doing dumplings like this. Read more>>
Amanda Kaminsky 
Growing up, I always loved photography and videography. In high school, the extent of my video work was strictly silly and creative, mostly for school projects and commercials, until my teacher asked me to film her wedding. I loved it! I pursued my degree in television and digital media hoping to become a producer, and specifically loved my documentary class. Read more>>
Marcella Baietto 
I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and I knew once I got toward the end of high school that I wanted to pursue a career in journalism. I’ve always loved speaking to people and learning about people’s stories. At an early age, I knew the more you listened to someone’s story, the more compassion you could have for their journey. Read more>>
Nikita Thomas 
My journey into the restaurant industry was anything but traditional. In fact, I never set out to become a restaurateur. My professional background is in sociology, fitness, and holistic nutrition. Read more>>
Janine Graff 
Creativity has always been a big part of who I am. Growing up, I loved to paint and draw, was constantly rearranging my bedroom, and never missed an opportunity to decorate or plan a themed party. Read more>>
Jaclynn Wise 
My jewelry journey started with a love of stones. My mom was a geologist, and rock hunting was a regular family activity! I started selling wire-wrapped jewelry in 8th grade at a local art center in my hometown. As I moved toward a different profession, art was always waiting in the wings. Read more>>
Lauren Drumgoole 
I have always loved food and supporting local businesses. In 2015, I began reviewing restaurants on Yelp, and during COVID, I started my foodie Instagram account, @food_flatterer. Over the last six years, I’ve lived in the Philly burbs, Lancaster, and Mechanicsburg. Moving around has given me the opportunity to experience all kinds of cuisine, shops, and local businesses. I especially love discovering hidden gems. Read more>>
Dylan and Eilish Cowgirl Pills 
(Dylan speaking in first person) Eilish and I started dating in 2019. One of the things that we really bonded over was our love of music. On our first date we drove around for hours playing songs for each other and stopping at random thrift stores. The relationship developed. We moved in together a few years later. We got our dog, cowboy, in 2022. Read more>>
Dylan Round 
A year ago, I was miserable working as a network engineer at a university. I always knew I wanted to help people feel better in their bodies through my 200 hour yoga teacher training. However, I had no idea what was about to unfold when I made the bold decision to leave higher education and IT. Read more>>
Patricia Thiel 
I’ve always loved photography. I had a camera but was frustrated when the images didn’t look like what I pictured in my head. It wasn’t until the world slowed down a bit during Covid, that I found myself home with a little extra time, so I dusted off my camera and bought a few courses online. Read more>>
Ignatius Hosey 
I learned to tattoo the old fashion way. I was an apprentice. I took it up just looking for another outlet for my creativity. I had been graphic artist and an illustrator. Tattoo at the time 2001 had gone from premade flash design people would pick off the walls, to people wanting a more personal type of designs. That is what was interesting to me. Read more>>
Michelle Gentilesco 
I was an assistant at a full service salon when I decided that I wanted to go to beauty school in 2012. It was there that I realized I wanted to focus on men’s hair, and had gone back to barber school. In 2014, I landed my career job pretty quickly at a high-end barbershop about 20 minutes from home. Read more>>
Wanda Lopez
I’m Wanda, a passionate lifestyle creator dedicated to advocating for women’s trauma and mental health. My work blends outdoor adventures, local food discoveries, and captivating nature and wildlife photography. I thrive on exploring diverse creative outlets and sharing my experiences to inspire and connect with others. Read more>>
Weston Caple
Started in my parents basement with no idea what I was doing. Over a period of 20-years grew into a significant business with many steps along the way. Read more>>
David Clippinger 
I am often surprised when I realize that I have a business, especially since that was not plan for me thirty years ago as a college professor. I began studying T’ai Chi Chuan (or T’ai Chi) in the early 1990s as a way to balance the stress and responsibilities of my job as an academic and my family life. Read more>>
Jonene Nelson 
I’ve been a photographer since I was about 13, so art has always been part of my life. I went to Temple University’s School of Communications, worked in photography and spent a lot of years around Philly’s music and creative community. I’ve always been drawn to the people who make things—the artists, musicians, DJs and creatives who give a city its personality. Read more>>
Chuong Nguyen 
Stayed at 18 running a pizza shop. Went to school for business hospitality. Did corporate manger training at the Hyatt hotel. Train in all departments at the hotel. Became a bartender and then became manager worked my way up the ladder. Then had an opportunity to open a restaurant with my friends. Read more>>
Beth Kukucka 
I’m a retired photographer of 40 years who is now an inspirational film maker. I grew up with a mother who got her first movie camera in 1957 as a gift from my father, and she filmed everything from birthdays to holidays to the first flower in spring and the first snow in winter. Read more>>
Danielle Pavona 
Since I was young I’ve always been drawn to photography. From having a digital camera and taking pictures at football games, sleepovers with friends etc I was always the girl with the camera! As an adult I became a stay at home mom looking for work. Read more>>
Crimson REd 
Crimson REd, born and raised in Reading, PA, developed a passion for diverse music genres, initially influenced by heavy metal and rock. His musical journey expanded to include Rap/Hip-hop, thanks to his childhood best friend, exposing him to artists like J Cole, Lil Uzi Vert, and Future. Read more>>
Teddy Soto 
Growing up in New York City as a break dancer music has always played a huge part of my life. I moved to New Jersey after meeting my wife who has been in the wedding industry for over 10 years now. Watching her was my biggest inspiration. Starting her own business and doing what she loves while becoming very successful. Read more>>
Julian Caldwell 
I got to where I’m at now by simply never giving up and constantly learning trial and error ! I didn’t and don’t always make the best choices and it always cost me ! But I’m learning through life lessons ! I refuse to give up each lesson has been a blessing! Read more>>
Julie Edgar 
In late 2017 I was 22 years into severe complex PTSD from domestic violence, surviving a shooting, and being trafficked and gang assaulted more than once. A family member was in crisis and moved into my one bedroom house share. Read more>>
Mark Saracino, Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist 
My approach is to work closely with each individual, taking the time to explain the diagnosis and prognosis for every procedure and ailment, as an informed patient has a much better chance for a fast recovery. ‘The human body has a miraculous ability to protect and heal itself. Read more>>
Robert Mckenzie 
I began my journey at the age of 17, assuming the role of CEO and securing six-figure funding for a nonprofit youth advocacy program, all while drawing from my Afrocentric educational background in Philadelphia. Since that pivotal age, I have maintained a clear vision of my aspirations and the necessary steps to achieve them. I have been fortunate to have Dr. Read more>>
Patrick Bratton 
We are a historical fencing school that practices a variety of weapons from rapier, smallsword, to sabre. We are primarily a fun recreational club but we do have some serious competitive fencers. We practice mostly from the Italian and Italian-Hungarian traditions of fencing, with some links to French fencing as well. Read more>>
Mariella Mittleberg 
My name is Mariella. I’m a 34 year old mother of two boys. My oldest son was non verbal for years. I became my child’s advocate and went on a complete wellness journey to heal him. I become a certified integrative specialist so that I can help other families struggling with the same issues. Read more>>
Nicole Spear 
My journey with Stellie Doodles really started with my lifelong love of dogs. I’ve always had a very nurturing personality, and caring for animals has always felt very natural to me. That same part of me is what led me to Penn State University, where I graduated with a degree in Elementary Education. Stellie Doodles is affectionately named after our daughter, Estelle. Read more>>
Sara Myers 
I have been involved with field hockey for as long as I can remember. I started playing and fell in the love with the sport. After playing in college, I decided to pursue coaching as my full-time career, and I coached at the college level from the very beginning. I loved everything about coaching in that environment. Read more>>
Marc Brasof 
Though I started Head Bangin’ BBQ 2024, I had been cooking as an act of joy for family and friends for at least a decade. My band Stereotytan (I’m the drummer) built a community using music and food So, cooking great BBQ and serving it to multiple communities with head shaking music in the foreground became a natural extension of that. Read more>>
Mellanie Sánchez Cole 
My story began in my early twenties, during a time when I was navigating a lot of change and trying to find my way back to myself. I was young, still learning who I was, and searching for a deeper understanding of healing. Read more>>
Indriani Ceballos 
ABI Craft Customs started with something very special to me: my daughter Abigail’s second birthday. While preparing for her birthday celebration, I began creating personalized decorations and special details to make her day memorable. Read more>>
Jay Luke 
My story really begins in 2003, when I started performing as a musician. I knew from the beginning that choosing music as a career was going to be difficult, but I also knew I didn’t really want to do anything else. What started as a passion gradually became a way of life. Read more>>
Chris Nowaczyk 
Drunk Phils Fans (DPF) started with a pretty simple idea: I love Phillies baseball, I love Philadelphia sports, and I love the passion, humor, frustration, and absolute insanity that come with being a fan in this city. I wanted to create a place where people could experience all of that together without taking themselves too seriously. I’m a lifelong Philadelphia guy. Read more>>
Erin Scherer 
Someone had recently asked me when my business Lifted Spiritss started, and I half jokingly replied “Well, on December 14th, 1990 my mum birthed a little girl named Erin Scherer, and the rest is history!” Read more>>
Sharri McIntyre
Sure, my transition to entrepreneurship was a pivot after more than 30 years in leadership and HR roles across some of the world’s most recognized luxury brands, I now bring a rare blend of corporate insight, emotional intelligence, and people-centered strategy to every coaching, training, and speaking engagement I lead. My work is grounded in the belief that thriving, authenticity, and achievement can coexist. Read more>>
Lauren Cross 
I’ve always loved people and the behind-the-scenes work that goes into bringing people together. I love managing the logistics, organizing the details, and seeing all the little pieces come together to create a meaningful experience. When you combine that with my faith and my deep value for the commitment of marriage, wedding planning really feels like the perfect fit for me. Read more>>
Luisa Quigley 
‘Good morning, and thank you so much for having us. I’m Luisa, the proud owner of Fat Boys Deli in Bridgeport. When people ask what I do, I always tell them that while I run the business side of things, my real job is keeping our family united and feeding our community the way I feed my own kids and grandkids. Read more>>
