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.
Syreena Jackson 
Reena’s Sweet Shoppee started in 2020 from my love for baking and creating sweet treats for the people around me. What started as something I enjoyed doing quickly turned into something I realized I could build a business from. In the beginning, I was learning as I went trying new recipes, practicing my decorating skills, taking orders, and figuring out what my customers loved. Read more>>
Lexi Styga 
I started Sip and Shine when I was 4 months post partum with our daughter. It was hard to imagine going to work and not spending my time with my our baby. So I called my mom and asked for her advice. She drove 16 hours and brought me everything I needed to start Sip and Shine. Read more>>
Michael Lawson 
I graduated Pennridge High School in 2013 and went on to play water polo at Mercyhurst University. Upon enrolling, all I knew was that I wanted to play sports and work with the most elite athletes in the world. Read more>>
Chelo Manzanarez 
I hail from a single mother’s family where learning to cook was a necessity. Growing up, I spent most of my time watching my grandmother, aunt, and mom cook. As the eldest son, I had to take care of my two sisters while my mom was working, so learning to cook became an essential survival skill. Read more>>
LaToya Hamm Wilson 
My journey into becoming a maternal mental health therapist really began in 2020. It was a season when so many women were struggling under the weight of motherhood, and I was experiencing that in my own life, too. I remember feeling overwhelmed as I navigated homeschooling, parenting, work, and managing my own mental health. Read more>>
Adrian Moody 
Moody Jones Gallery was established in December of 2016. Adrian J. Moody and Robyn R. Jones are its founding principals. The gallery grew out of decades of art collecting by the principals. It has been a lifelong journey that started close to 40 years ago. We both attended Art shows in various cities throughout the years. Read more>>
Hamza Shaikh 
Baking has always been a true passion for my wife, Farah. Once all of our children were settled in school and we found ourselves with a bit of flexibility, she decided to pivot away from her career as a lawyer to pursue her dream. Around that time, a trip to Dearborn, Michigan, completely opened our eyes. Read more>>
Amber Dugan
My journey into balloon décor began with a very personal celebration, my daughter’s first birthday. I have always been creative and naturally drawn to artistic outlets, but balloons weren’t something I ever imagined would become a career. My husband and I had a long, difficult road to becoming parents, including infertility, IVF, and a difficult pregnancy with many complications. Read more>>
Christian Carver 
I began tattooing at 16. I didn’t take the traditional or recommended path into the industry, as I started without a formal apprenticeship. Still, I remained committed to developing my skills and working toward my goal. At 20, I joined a local tattoo studio before moving to a studio in Philadelphia. Read more>>
Brian Taft 
My name is Brian Taft, and I’m the owner and creator of Tee Pee Mowing. I’m a U.S. Army veteran, and what started as a love for lawn care and making videos has grown into something that means a whole lot more to me. Tee Pee Mowing originally started with me mowing yards and creating lawn-care content for social media. Read more>>
Jared Bilsak
Ever since I was very young, I’ve been fascinated by physical story worlds. I was obsessed with Disney World, theme parks, and attractions that didn’t just entertain you, but transported you into another world and told a story. I also loved Halloween. When I was in elementary school, that passion started becoming something I could actually create. Read more>>
Tammy Stocker RN 
Jackhammer Fit started when the pandemic hit and I needed to close my first studio. Clients wanted to move, have personal training, workouts, cycle, and I needed to create another business plan that fit the “new” way of life at that time. I created JackHammer Fit, JHF, and things evolved to what it is today. Read more>>
Katririssa Rose 
My modeling journey started about seven years ago at Scott Church Studios, which is now known as Iron Ore Studio. I started by attending the free events, and I kept showing up, meeting different photographers, and building connections within the modeling community. At the beginning, I was very shy and honestly never imagined how far I would come. Read more>>
Andrew Bryant 
I began dancing in the 9th grade at Miami Northwestern Senior High School In Miami , Florida. Under the direction of Traci Young-Byron. She played the very important role in the foundation I needed to jumpstart my passion for dance. It was there she cultivated and instilled so many great attributes that I still exemplify to this day. Read more>>
Ezinne Okoro 
I actually started with a love for entrepreneurship generally, and that eventually led me into the beauty industry. I didn’t necessarily have this perfectly mapped-out plan of becoming a makeup artist. I just knew I loved the idea of building something of my own, and God used that desire to lead me into beauty. Since then, I’ve definitely done the work. Read more>>
randie snow 
I’m moved to Pittsburgh from Chautauqua, NY, in 1984. My high school art teacher, originally from Pittsburgh, invited several students from art class on a field trip to visit the Art Institute. We fell in love with the city and enrolled in a two-year Associates Degree program in Visual Communications, but I was the only one that remained in Pittsburgh. Read more>>
Roland Caldwell Jr 
I began preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ at the age of nineteen in 2011, following a teenage journey marked by trials, adversity, and difficult circumstances. Growing up on the west side of Detroit, Michigan, I experienced firsthand the realities and pressures of the streets. Yet, in the midst of those circumstances, God’s grace opened a door that I could not have opened for myself. Read more>>
Mike DesMarets 
Growing up, my family never had much money, so from a young age I knew I wanted to build a different life for myself. Read more>>
Mary Abbott 
My husband, Kevin, made me a pair of earrings when we were dating, over 30 years ago. He drew a sun and a moon and shrunk them down to earring size on a photo copier, mounted them on a couple pieces of paper to make them thicker, painted them with a toothpick, and covered them in a clear shellac. Read more>>
Kenshaya Wright 
SeafoodSoulPlates was born during one of the most uncertain and difficult seasons of my life. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the world had completely changed. Everything was shut down, returning to work seemed almost impossible, and during that same time, I experienced the loss of my friend, Jabari Pelle. I was navigating grief, uncertainty, and trying to figure out what my next chapter would look like. Read more>>
Tracy Liberatore 
I started in medicine. I graduated from Marywood University’s physician assistant program in 2002 and spent about ten years in clinical practice here in Pennsylvania. Along the way I kept getting pulled into the legal side of healthcare. Read more>>
Kathleen Giangrande 
My story starts about 5 years ago when my sister in law who had had a cattery in North Carolina for 18 years. I always referred to her home as the ‘House of Happiness’. Being in a house full of litters of kittens I imagined was hard to be sad with the cuteness around every corner. Read more>>
Paula Roseberry 
My story of becoming a hairstylist started when I was 19. I was attending HACC for business and marketing and was actually supposed to go abroad to college in Limerick, Ireland. Around that same time, I started assisting at the salon where I had grown up getting my own hair done. Read more>>
Melissa McCorkle 
It started 15 years ago when I saw an Ad on Craiglist for puppies. We went and looked at the litter and I picked the cutest yellow male that I named Finnegan.. Fast forward nine months and I knew we were starting to have behaviors that were not wanted and I found a local dog trainer and started classes. Read more>>
Lauren Glaser 
When I was in college the career counselor I met with advised me to imagine my dream job and then work backwards to get there. Naturally I assumed the way you become a flavor guru at Ben & Jerry’s was by coming up with fun ice cream flavors that were musical puns. Read more>>
Devon Bond
Devon Bond’s journey to owning Garrick Jewelers began at the jeweler’s bench. After getting his first introduction to the jewelry industry at just 10 years old, Devon became a bench jeweler right after high school, developing the hands-on skills that would become the foundation of his career. Read more>>
Brittany Lupini 
I moved to Berks County, Pennsylvania, in August 2026. At the time, I was a stay-at-home mom, but I had a desire to return to work. I knew I did not want to return to a traditional speech and language therapy setting. I have always had a love for nature, hands-on experiences, education, and integrating childhood learning with nature. Read more>>
Dominic Lau 
After a career designing and building sets and props for theater, the idea of creating a world of my own seemed like a natural next chapter. The vision was to build a shop inspired by the colorful atmosphere of a Renaissance Faire—a place filled with handmade crafts, collectibles, curiosities, and treasures that felt like they belonged in another time and another world. Read more>>
Jameel Hendricks 
When I reflect on my path to dance, I often realize that it was never really a path at all—it was a calling. Dance has been woven into my life for as long as I can remember, existing long before I could consciously choose it. Read more>>
Xavier Thomas 
I’m Xavier ‘Art’ Thomas, an editorial and portrait photographer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I picked up my first real camera in 2010, but honestly it started way earlier — I was the kid obsessed with disposable cameras, the ones you’d drop off at Walmart to get developed. Read more>>
Grace Cousins 
Grace Ryan Designs started from a love of creativity, beautiful details, and the idea that thoughtful design can make an ordinary moment feel really special. What began as a passion for creating and bringing ideas to life gradually grew into a business built around helping others create spaces and experiences that feel uniquely their own. Read more>>
Shushma Nedunuri 
My journey into pelvic floor physical therapy began at a time when I was simply trying to understand my own body. During my first pregnancy and especially after giving birth, I experienced multiple complications that left me feeling unlike myself. I developed a significant diastasis, and even simple, everyday tasks became difficult. Read more>>
Waynesha Brown 
Hi, I’m Waynesha Brown, founder of A Mother’s Hand to Hold Learning Center. I opened the center in 2024, but my journey in childcare started long before that. I was around 11 or 12 when I began helping at my mother’s family childcare center in West Philadelphia. Read more>>
Matthew Schillizzi 
The seed of being a Food Tour Guide got planted in my head when a high school friend came to visit me in Philadelphia and we did a food tour together. She’s the one who told me she could see me doing that, and I held onto that. It just goes to show that your friends know you better than you know yourself sometimes. Read more>>
Gianna Hernandez 
My story is one of resilience, growth, and turning life’s challenges into a purpose to help others succeed. From growing up on a farm in Puerto Rico to building a life in North Philadelphia, becoming a mother, overcoming personal loss, and eventually becoming an entrepreneur, every chapter of my life has taught me something that I now bring into my business and my community. Read more>>
Rodney Murray
I moved to Philadelphia in 2017 to attend the University of the Arts. I actually started my undergraduate degree by studying Directing, Playwriting, & Production. I. grew up as a gymnast and always loved movement, and knew that I wanted to explore dancing in my approach to theater-making. Read more>>
Dr. Walter Copeland II 
My Story My journey has been one of growth, transformation and a commitment to helping others recognize their potential. I began my entrepreneurial journey in October 2011 when I established WC Fitness, where I developed a passion for helping individuals improve their health and overall well-being. As my experience grew, I realized that meaningful transformation extends beyond physical fitness. Read more>>
Vanessa Rivera 
My journey has been one of resilience, reinvention, and a deep desire to help others create a better future. Growing up in the Bronx taught me the value of hard work and perseverance, and community. With more than 20 years in finance gave me a strong foundation in trust, education, and relationships. Read more>>
Josh Moore 
I opened my Instagram account in 2011, and back then I had no idea that what started as a fun creative hobby would eventually become Josh Eats Philly, a now award-winning Philadelphia food blog with a combined following of more than 300,000 across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Threads. Over the years, Josh Eats Philly has grown beyond just restaurant recommendations. Read more>>
John Roskowski 
For more than a decade, John Roskowski built his career in Charleston SC, working everywhere from country clubs and large-scale catering to a wood-fired pizza spot and high-end restaurants. Along the way, he developed a deep appreciation for the food, hospitality, and experiences that bring people together. Read more>>
Xander Spangler 
Hey, there! My name is Xander Spangler, and I’m the owner of LemonBot Creative. Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to draw cartoons and maybe even make video games someday. After school as early back as second grade, I would spend hours drawing in my room creating comics, designing characters, and tooling around in animation software. Read more>>
Haley Beckey 
I have dreamed my whole life about becoming a teacher. In August of 2018, I achieved that dream right out of college. I taught in a brick and mortar school for 3 years, and something was just off. Classroom behaviors were out of control, parents dictating every move I made, and students could care less about school. Read more>>
Anabelle Clebaner 
My path into nutrition didn’t start with fertility. It started with food access. Early in my career, I worked in urban gardening and food policy. I partnered with food banks and nonprofits, and I even lobbied state senators to make SNAP more accessible. I went on to get my Master’s in Nutrition and Public Policy, thinking I’d spend my career working at the systems level. Read more>>
Michael and Holly Otto 
O’Jung’s has been a family-owned business since 2001, and it’s grown and evolved quite a bit over the years! The name O’Jung’s came from the original owners, Holly’s parents, Louie and Bobbi Jung. When they first purchased the bar, they weren’t quite sure what to name it. Read more>>
Melissa Jenkins 
I definitely didn’t take the straightest path to owning a pottery and clay teaching studio! A lot of people are surprised to learn that I’m originally (and still am) a jeweler. When Centered Earth first started out in 2014, I collaborated with the original owner to teach silver jewelry classes through my other business, Narrow House Jewelry. Read more>>
Ihyisha Simms 
Lady G’s Creations started from something I’ve always loved—baking and creating things that bring people joy. What began as something I did for family and friends gradually grew through word of mouth, social media and customers continuing to come back and support me. Read more>>
Jenny Oswald 
In May 2023, I embarked on my first real post-pandemic international adventure- Australia for a family wedding! It was on that trip to Australia, between touring the Sydney Opera House and snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, that I realized how much I had truly missed traveling the world: meeting new people, trying new foods, and learning about new places and cultures. Read more>>
Nahiema Craig
My journey began long before I ever stepped onto a track. Growing up, I was always an athlete, but beneath that was a little girl who quietly knew she was capable of more. I was diagnosed with a heart murmur at a young age, and naturally, my family went into protection mode. They wanted to keep me safe. Read more>>
Nicole Feaster, RN-C 
If you asked my mother, she would tell you I was a natural-born caregiver. She still tells stories about me running home to get supplies and Band-Aids whenever one of my friends scraped a knee. That compassion stayed with me as I grew up. I have always cared deeply about the health and well-being of the people around me. Read more>>
Michelle Schaffel 
Creativity has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a child, I loved art, dance, music, and anything beautiful. I didn’t know then that I would eventually build a business around that love, but looking back, the connection feels natural. Read more>>
Ashley Podolak 
I got my first camera when I was around 16 years old. I’ve always loved taking pictures and capturing moments the way they really were. Read more>>
Candis Ubiles
I’ve spent more than 20 years doing one thing in a lot of different places: helping people heal. My path started in California, where I earned my Bachelor’s in Behavioral Science from Concordia University Irvine and my Master’s of Social Work from Loma Linda University. Read more>>
Krysten Coldsmith
I’ve always been a storyteller, but becoming an author was about more than simply writing a book. It was about finally having the courage to create something that was completely mine. I’m the author of The Forgotten Magic Chronicles, a romantic fantasy series built around magic, soulmates, Romani-inspired folklore, werewolves, history, and, at its heart, the freedom to choose who you are meant to become. Read more>>
Denisha Jenay 
My holistic journey started in 2022 I was always into natural options but I remember I went to a herbal shop to pick up a few herbs and a customer asked me what I was buying I said Blue Lotus and I told him the benefits and he asked if I knew what herbs was good for diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) I helped him and it came natural I was comfortable and confident in the knowledge I was sharing it just flowed. Read more>>
Zeynep Donmez 
Since high school, I knew deep down that I was meant to do something meaningful with my life. I had it all planned out: build a career, travel the world, and eventually settle down and have children. I followed much of that plan—just not in the order I expected. I finished university six months pregnant and newly married. Read more>>
