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.
Marche Pearson
My story begins with my faith. My walk with Jesus Christ. I graduated with my Bachelor of Art in 2010 and love using my creativity to uniquely express my faith. Most of the images pop in my head as a daydream. Read more>>
Ehab Amir
I actually started cutting hair by accident while I was in college. It began as a hobby—I would cut my roommates’ and friends’ hair just for fun. After graduating, I continued cutting hair by traveling to friends’ homes as a mobile barber while working full-time in education. Ironically, although I earned a business degree, my real passion at the time was education. Read more>>
Rich Swift
I was a dual sport high school athlete participating in baseball and football. In 1990/91, I had a Kansas City Royals scout express interest to see me play again. Less than a year later I tore my ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow of my throwing arm. My baseball dreams and basically plan A-Z were shattered and no longer a possibility. Read more>>
Trene’ Forbes
Trene’ Forbes is a wedding and portrait photographer serving clients from Baltimore, Washington DC and worldwide. With over 16 years experience in the industry, my work has taken her across the globe to South Africa, France, Haiti, and the Caribbean. Photography is more than just a profession; it’s a way of connecting with people and immortalizing their most special moments. Read more>>
Clara Brown
My name is Clara Brown, I was born and raised in Africa. While earning my bachelor’s degree in Economic Education, I began my entry in the beauty industry in 2009. I learned how to become a makeup artist from a local professional. I began freelance work for weddings, shows, and other events. Read more>>
Hannah Greaver
Building Blocks Pediatric Therapy was founded by my husband and me. I’m a speech-language pathologist, and he’s an occupational therapist. Throughout our careers, we discovered how much we enjoyed collaborating and how much better we were able to support children when we worked together. Read more>>
Darrell Stoney
Before the world saw my photography, what inspired me to get started was my love for architecture and the beauty of nature. Whenever I visited the beach or went on my early morning walks, I was captivated by the way the sunlight painted the sky with different colors. Every sunrise seemed to create a masterpiece, and I wanted to preserve those moments through photography. Read more>>
Jahniah Kum
I am where I am today because of the love and support of my parents, who nurtured my curiosity as a child, but also because of the community that encouraged my interests. Most significantly, many of my teachers and professors, while I pursued my academic career in the arts, became mentors who shaped my understanding of what an artistic life could look like. Read more>>
Louie Bagz
Music has always been more than entertainment to me, it’s been my way of making sense of life, telling stories, and connecting with people. Growing up in Prince George’s County, Maryland, I was influenced by everything around me, from D.C. Go-Go and hip-hop to R&B, reggae, jazz, and even Cuban timba through my family roots. Those different sounds helped shape the artist I am today. Read more>>
Nanny Trippe
What began as shared space between two artists friends has evolved into the town of Easton’s liveliest and most respected art gallery on the eastern shore of Maryland, popular with locals as well as visitors. We started as neighbors with small office space studios at Tidewater Studios in 2009. Read more>>
Natasha Lamalle
I picked up a camera for the first time when I was 16, growing up in Burgundy, France. It started as a way to see the world a little differently, and it turned into a lifelong obsession with capturing real moments as they happen. My background is in photojournalism, and that training shaped everything about how I shoot today. Read more>>
Ashley Beatriz
I have been in the beauty industry for almost 7 years now. I started doing freelance makeup , started my own cosmetics company, and transitioned into a lash designer. I have now opened up my own lash and brow salon ASHLASHBEAUTYY Studio March of this year 2026. I have four amazing women entrepreneurs working under me. Read more>>
Spilt Milk
This band started with-and still is-a group of friends who all just so happen to play music. We all joked about starting a band together…then we did! Read more>>
April Banks
SincerelyB started as just a blog and it pretty much created its own legs and have flowered into something that I didn’t anticipate happening. The rhythm of blog spearheaded from X formerly known as Twitter and how I would watch different things on tv and tweet about them. Read more>>
Thrace Sherman
Hello! My name is Thrace and I am an artist that specializes in many forms of mediums from acrylic painting to enamel pins. Since elementary school I’ve been using artistry as an outlet, and it wasn’t until I joined a club called Destination Imagination where I realized my passion for artistry runs deeper than i thought. Read more>>
Hillary Schwartz
My interest in interior design started when I was a little girl, constantly rearranging and redecorating my bedroom simply because I loved it. That instinct eventually grew into a 27-year career in the luxury interior design industry. Read more>>
Alexandra Adams
I started working events about four years ago, and that experience really opened my eyes to how much the right team can impact an event’s success. Being behind the scenes taught me how important organization, professionalism, communication, and guest experience are. Read more>>
Zhanna Hountz
It began after my husband Larry Hountz suffered a traumatic brain injury in a rear end car collision in 2011. He worked as IT Security consultant and after the accident he lost his ability to perform at his previous employment. Read more>>
Heather Franks
I started my practice offering speech and language therapy in January of 2006 My vision behind this small private practice was to open a small office where families could come and receive quality services focusing specifically on the needs of the clients. Read more>>
Ali + Jordan Virden
We’re twin sisters, lifelong treasure hunters, and honestly, vintage feels like something we grew up around. Our Nonna collected beautiful pieces from her travels around the world and had a deep love of antiques. Our mom has always collected antiques and painted, so creativity and old things were always part of our home. Read more>>
Emily Dove
I remember graduating high school and feeling like everyone else had a plan except me.I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life- I changed my college major at least four times, everything from sports management (I played soccer at Towson University and, for a while, thought I’d coach college soccer) to elementary education and everything in between. Read more>>
Josanne WRIGHT
We started “Autistically Speaking” from our real-life journey as a family navigating Andre’s autism diagnosis at 18 months old. What began as learning how to understand his needs, advocate for him, and find support slowly turned into sharing our experiences online—honestly, the highs, the challenges, and everything in between. Read more>>
Chad McCowin Jr
My journey into photography actually started with my love for fashion. At the time, I was running a fashion blog and media company called DMV Stylish Society, where I built a team of incredibly talented creatives. One of those creatives was my good friend, Antonio Diggs, who served as our photographer. As Instagram continued to grow, photography became the primary way we shared our vision. Read more>>
Leslee Bry
Looking back, no one in my family or friend group was surprised when I decided to pursue psychology. From a very young age, I was always trying to understand people and bring them together. Read more>>
Rose Oladele
I’ve always had one passion FASHION! Not just wearing clothes, but putting outfits together, mixing colors, creating looks, and helping people feel confident in what they wear. Styling has always been my happy place. One day, someone said, Why don’t you open an Instagram page, style yourself, and start posting? To be honest, I had absolutely no clue where to begin. My very first video? Read more>>
Lili Leonard
I’m a lifelong Marylander, and in many ways my story has always been rooted in community. I grew up in Montgomery County, was educated in Maryland public schools from first grade all the way through my doctorate, and started my career in education and nonprofit work because I cared deeply about people having access to the resources, opportunities, and support they need to thrive. Read more>>
Kate Bowman
About 25 years ago I had a very sick dog named Doodad. I was a veterinary technician at the time and despite trying all kinds of prescriptive foods and pharmaceuticals to get his IBD under control, he continued to rapidly decline. Read more>>
Tina Jay
I started singing around the age of 6 years old. I sang in church, small talent shows and in my free time with friends. It was always something I loved to do and knew I was great at, but didn’t realize I could make a career out of until my late teens. Read more>>
James Hughes
I grew up a DIY child of the 70s and 80s who rejected the first wave of the digital age. I desired to be a craftsman versus using a computer to do what my hands were capable of doing on my own. My father, a car restorer and my mother a master quilter. Read more>>
Brandon Stevens
My story is rooted in service, adaptability, and a desire to create opportunities for others. As a military brat, I grew up moving from place to place and learning how to connect with people from all walks of life. Those experiences taught me resilience, flexibility, and the importance of building relationships. These skills that would later become invaluable in both my career and entrepreneurial journey. Read more>>
UNICE YEO
From Runways to Residences: The Remarkable Journey of Unice Yeo My story is not a straight line — it is a series of pivots, each one shaped by courage, circumstance, and an unwavering desire to live with purpose. I began my career as a fashion designer in South Korea, immersed in the world of creativity and aesthetics that I loved. Read more>>
Alaga Adufe
I started my hosting duty career in 2010 from a very small event with my mom. From birthdays to weddings and other social events. I major in English and Literary Studies and this has a lot to do with public speaking and presentation. To a very large extent, this helped and shapen my hosting duty. Read more>>
Daniel Wolkoff
In NYC 1975, at 21, I was showing my India ink art Nouveau drawings to other people who like me were committed to LIJ Hillside Hospitol. I had taught myself to do these from my sister’s book of illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley. Read more>>
Heather Duke
My name is Heather. My business name is Essential Onsite Solutions established in 2020.. As I was overcoming quitting a career after 14 years, I sat distraught as to what to do next in life. Read more>>
Damon Modarres
If I’m honest, I almost stumbled into music on accident! I had originally planned on pursuing a career in soccer but it became clear to me relatively that this was a path that wasn’t quite going to work out for me. Read more>>
Emily Relyea-Spivack
I grew up dancing at a pre-professional level, and began experiencing dance-related injuries as I got more serious about pursuing a professional dance career. In 2010, during my senior year of high school, I was training in The Alvin Ailey School’s Junior Division program in NYC. Read more>>
Ari Chibbaro
I went to Esthetician school in 2005, became licensed immediately after, and worked at several spas in Maryland. The idea to open my own studio came after bad treatment from my last employer. While I was on vacation in 2018, I received texts from my regular clients who were unable to book with me. Read more>>
Jamillah K. Abdullah
My journey into bridal design and alterations began long before I officially launched Jamillah Bridal. Sewing has been a part of my life for more than 30 years, and what started as a creative passion eventually grew into a business. Read more>>
Hélène Taylor
I was born and raised in France, and I moved to the United States in 1996 after completing my college degree in Marketing and Accounting. My entire family still lives in France. I later got married and had four children. Read more>>
Sade Boyea
I was born and raised in the beautiful twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Growing up there shaped who I am, my culture, resilience, creativity, and deep love for people. By the time I turned 18, I wanted to explore opportunities beyond what I could see in front of me. So, I took a leap of faith and moved to Washington, D.C.. Read more>>
Laken Reno
Beauty became meaningful to me when I realized how much it could shift the way someone feels about themselves. There’s something really special about watching a client look in the mirror and visibly light up with confidence. That emotional connection is what initially drew me into this industry and continues to inspire me today. Read more>>
MATTHEW KILLIAN
I have a video on YouTube- 5PeaksWarriors/ 10th Anniversary video in it you’ll see how 5 Peaks came to be. In short, born in Florida. Picked on and had anger problems at 5yo. Karate kid came out summer of ’84. Mom saw how locked in on the previews i was. saw it opening day. She signed me up the next week and it changed everything. Read more>>
