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.
Sophia Maroon
Hi, I’m Sophia. I make Dress It Up Dressing, a line of salad dressings available at retailers nationwide. I started the business in 2012 while raising young children in the wake of an unexpected divorce. Salad dressing wasn’t the plan, just keeping my children intact while navigating a new landscape and finding a way to support our family was the only goal. Read more>>
Steve Gale
Tiffanee & Co Bakery, first named Tiffanee’s, was established in 2011. Originally, the bakery was home based and was more of a hobby, as so many passions start. Once business began to pick up, and the concern about strangers knowing where she lived grew, she decided to put some thought into obtaining a store front. Read more>>
Megan Lautz
I started my career as a dietitian and strength coach, but my path changed when I began working directly with firefighters, police officers, and other first responders. I quickly realized that most nutrition advice was not designed for 24-hour shifts, interrupted meals, sleep deprivation, high-stress calls, and physically demanding training. That experience led me to specialize in first responder nutrition and eventually start RescueRD. Read more>>
Manoj Karyampudi
For nearly two decades, my life was defined by the corporate grind, working in high-pressure environments for Big 4 consulting and major tech companies. But no matter how demanding the corporate world got, my true boardroom was always the kitchen. Cooking was my creative outlet, but for a long time, I treated it as just a passion. Read more>>
Veronika Balch
After planning my own wedding on a tight timeline and struggling to find a florist because my October wedding date was so popular, I decided to create my own flowers. I quickly realized there was a need for more wedding florists in our area, and that I truly loved the work. Read more>>
Kara Tettimer
I never imagined my career would take me from the classroom to the farm. I spent years as a teacher, earning my bachelor’s degree in English, my teaching certification, a master’s degree, and my certification in Administration and Supervision. While I loved education, I eventually realized my passion was leading me in a different direction. Read more>>
Kenneth Wright
With a doctorate in Special Education and years of experience as a school teacher and vice principal, I dedicated my career to helping others learn, grow, and reach their potential. Today, I’ve traded the classroom for the gym, where I continue that same mission as a coach. Read more>>
Elana Mendelson
My journey into design started at George Washington University, where I earned my MFA in Interior Design. That program grounded me in the principles and elements of design, form versus function and function versus form (both equally important), and taught me to think like a designer. Read more>>
Talbot Mayo
I was born and raised in a small town called Hereford, Maryland surrounded by a large, musical family who congregated on the family farm to play bluegrass music several nights a week. Read more>>
Christiana Hanson Okoh
My journey into event planning started with a genuine love for bringing people together and creating meaningful experiences. Even before launching Phoriah Events, I found myself naturally organizing celebrations, coordinating details, and helping family, friends, and my church bring their events to life. What began as something I simply enjoyed doing gradually became a passion/calling. Read more>>
India Cooper
My story, has it been easy, whew-No, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I think that’s part of what gives my writing its heart. I come from a broken home. My mother struggled with substance use, and some of my earliest memories are of instability. There was a time when my mother, my sister, and I experienced homelessness. Read more>>
Sean Kim
I came to the United States from South Korea in 1992. My father had immigrated before the rest of our family and worked incredibly hard doing whatever jobs he could to support us while saving enough money to pursue his dream. In 1993, one year after I arrived, he opened King Tiger Martial Arts. Read more>>
Alexandra Jones
I’ve always been active. Honestly, I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t moving. Growing up, my parents kept my sister and me involved in different activities, and I loved every minute of it. I was the kid riding bikes, trying to double Dutch , roller skating, bowling, climbing trees—if it was outside, I wanted to do it. Read more>>
Cassandra Hurley
Cassandra Hurley is the founder and CEO of XO-Cass LLC, established in 2021. As a psychic medium and celebrity life coach, she has dedicated her career to helping individuals heal from childhood and adult trauma while guiding clients toward personal growth, clarity, and success. For over a decade, Cassandra has worked with clients around the world, including artists, influencers, actors, actresses, musicians, and professional athletes. Read more>>
Miran Dalley
After college, I got into real estate, where I stayed for 17 years. I had met married a man with 2 kids from his previous marriage. Having grown up with divorced parents who were remarried, I knew it came with some challenges, but I had no idea how much on the parent side of a blended family. Read more>>
Kristen Noelle Freddie Butler
Kristen: Honestly, it started with frustration. I’d been running my business KN Digital Marketing for a while, helping smart, accomplished people (speakers, consultants, government folks) build their brand identity, their voice in business, and land clients. And I kept hitting the same wall. Their strategy was solid. Their content was not. Read more>>
Jordan Forrest
Crackshack bbq started after I cooked for my daughter’s first birthday party. Everyone asked where I bought the food and I explained how I cooked it all my self. My cousin Maddison said she would pay me to cook for her son’s first birthday party. After further thought I posted a feeeler post on Facebook to see how it would turn out. Read more>>
Osita Osagbue
I have had a sincere love of teaching children since a young age. I always wanted to know how the mind works when it comes to learning. For me, school was easy and I loved it. However, I often wondered why others struggled academically. From 1999- 2015 I taught Sunday School and Children’ s Church ast every congregation I attended. Read more>>
Remy Brisueno
My name is Taylor Brisueno, but I go by Remy or Remy the Artist. I am 19 and currently attend Anne Arundel Community College pursuing an Associate of Arts for Studio Arts; with plans on pursuing higher education to become an art therapist. Read more>>
Jonathan Harris
My name is Jonathan Harris. You can call me by my stage name Big Jon. I was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and I have a love for writing songs, singing and rapping. I’m an up and coming Hip Hop Artist and I have been rapping and writing my own songs since I was 16 years old. Read more>>
Niko and Mary Negas
Plenty of men and women may say they married the person of their dreams, but Niko and Mary mean it in quite the literal sense. As a child, Niko suffered a recurring nightmare in which a T-Rex burst through his bedroom window (bear with us). Read more>>
Johnny Alucard
My name is Johnny Alucard, and I am a Maryland-based drag artist. I moved to Maryland in 2019 for work, and immediately fell in love with the robust art and diverse cultural scene in the region. Read more>>
Esther Kim
I launched my private practice as a solo therapist in 2022, but my path to this work began long before that. I’ve been in the mental health field since 2010, and every role I’ve held has shaped the therapist and person I am today. The truth is, becoming a therapist was never part of my original plan. Read more>>
Leeann Randow
Mala Mantis became a practice 3 years ago, and began as a fledgling private practice with only myself as a clinician. Over the past three years, we’ve added 11 other clinicians to the practice, focusing on bringing high quality, holistic and individualized trauma-informed care to our community. We specifically focus on supporting families navigating the transition into parenthood and perinatal moms. Read more>>
Raynell Hay
My journey into massage therapy began with my background in healthcare and my passion for helping people feel better. Before opening Chapel Cove Massage, I spent many years working as a massage therapist in spas and chiropractic settings, where I gained experience working with a wide range of clients and health concerns. Opening my own practice was a major leap of faith. Read more>>
Hope Wasserman
I started Day to Day Fitness in January 2020. My goal for Day to Day Fitness is to help your everyday person to truly enjoy fitness and reach their goals. These days everyone is on the run and by bringing the gym to their homes I am saving my clients time and energy. Read more>>
AMY Chmara
I graduated from the Corcoran College of Art + Design in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art Photography. While I was in school, I discovered my love for wedding photography and knew it was the path I wanted to pursue. In 2014, I founded Paperbird Photography, and I’ve been documenting love stories ever since. Read more>>
Annie Morris
My path to becoming a mental health counselor and sport psychology professional doesn’t feel like something I stumbled into—it feels like something that was quietly unfolding long before I had the language for it. Growing up, I was surrounded by environments where mental health struggles were present but rarely named. Anxiety, fear, constant comparison, and the pressure to hold everything in felt normal. Read more>>
Tre isaacs
Hello world I go by Tre Isaacs, The King with Soul who refused to walked on. How did this journey start?! Well late 90s to mid 2000s, I actually started dabbling with writing lyrics. My first “song” ever wrote was to the Bookshelf Riddim, Mr. Vegas song to be exact (jack it up). I know, a weird start for a hip hop artist lol. Read more>>
Nikesha Straker
My name is Nikesha, but I go by Niki. I’m an entrepreneur with many titles, running a transportation business and launching a nonprofit youth leadership organization that connects different roles with seniors in the community. I’m a wife, mother, writer, and poet. Read more>>
Lakel Ebb
My journey began with my background as a Registered Nurse and my passion for helping people care for themselves from the inside out. I have worked in healthcare for over 20 years and have seen firsthand how often people wait until they are depleted, burned out, or unwell before they begin prioritizing their health. Read more>>
Nadja Cox
I was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Maryland, where my passion for the arts began at an early age through painting, cinematography, and creative expression. While studying English with a minor in Digital Media at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, I taught myself photography and became the lead photographer for a modeling organization. Read more>>
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>>
