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.
Kristie L. Farley 
Voyager Baltimore The beginning of my writing career started in first grade. My teacher loved my fantasy story I did for homework. She even wrote my parents a note. They were proud and it gave me a quiet confidence. From that point on, I started participating in different writing competitions and got used to being on stage. Read more>>
Erica Miller 
Honestly, Be Still Bakery started from something really personal to me. I was diagnosed with celiac disease when I was 14, so I know what it feels like to go somewhere and not really have anything you can eat. Read more>>
Vanessa Kellner
Wholesome Healing is the destination at the end of a windy, at times seemingly fragmented and tangential path; the result of many converging story lines in my life.
The facts are deceptively simple. I started the LLC in 2012. I opened the doors of the practice in 2016. I moved into our current location in 2018… and have expanded in two big bursts since then, bringing the practice to where it is now. What started as a solo practice with just me, is now a group pediatric mental health practice, encompassing a team of phenomenal clinicians, serving as a training center for graduate internship programs, and operating as a continuing education provider for other mental health professionals. Read more>>
Tiffany Harris 
I started my real estate career in 2014 while working full time in government. What began as a new opportunity became a passion, and in May 2018, I stepped out on faith and left my government job to pursue real estate full time. Read more>>
Cierra Blake 
I’ve always been the one to come in clutch when it matters most . Which is how i received the nick name “Clutch” . Then i decided to make Clutch into a brand for people who also come in clutch. It’s more than just a brand it’s a community. Read more>>
Lindsay Staton 
I’m a former picky eater turned foodie whose love of food eventually led me to entrepreneurship. As a kid, my preferred diet consisted mainly of buttered noodles and the occasional raisin snack pack. According to my parents, getting me to try anything else was a battle they rarely won. Ironically, that experience now shapes how I approach food. Read more>>
Qionna Irby 
You may not know my name, but I can almost guarantee you’ve seen a photograph I’ve taken, a story I’ve shared, or an organization I’ve helped highlight! And honestly, that’s a pretty big part of my story! I’ve been volunteering since I was a teenager, but photography gave me another way to give back. Read more>>
Brooke Good 
East Coast Cowgirl was born from a combination of my love for country music, country music culture, and my lifelong passion for creating. I’ve always been drawn to the energy and sense of community that comes with country music. There’s just something about the atmosphere of a country concert, the fashion, and the lifestyle that I’ve always loved. Read more>>
Niya Thomas 
Hello! My photography journey officially began in 2024 when someone I knew reached out and told me saying they’d pay me for my services, in regards to being the photographer for her daughter’s birthday party. My immediate thoughts were, “What services? What prices? With what CAMERA???”. Since it was for her little girl (you’ve got to love the kids!), I agreed to do it. Read more>>
Ryan Hampton 
As a lens based creative, I got started by getting a Canon T6 Rebel for Christmas in 2017 and began taking bad pictures of literally anything and anyone of my friends to get familiar with the camera. Read more>>
Natalia Hall 
My story begins with family. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting in my grandmother’s living room watching The Little Rascals and the original Annie while she hot-combed my hair. I can still remember the familiar smells in her home, especially her greens. Read more>>
Dana Mueller 
My journey as an artist has taken a few unexpected turns, but looking back, the thread connecting everything has always been a love of art and the natural world. I studied Fine Arts at Oakland University in Michigan, where I developed a strong foundation in drawing, painting, and the traditions of representational art. Read more>>
Kirthana Michael 
My connection with pressed flowers began in spring 2023 as a response to somehow make my way through a very difficult time period in my life – I was dealing with the grief of losing my father and being a few months post-partum. There was something very calming and restoring about growing flowers in my own garden and preserving them. Read more>>
Jay Wilkins 
Fired at 9. In Business by 11. On August 9, 2017, at 9 a.m., I was fired. By 11 a.m. that same day, I had started my own business and had my first client. That is how Wilkins Wildlife & Pest Solutions began. Nine years later, that two-hour turnaround is still the shortest version of my story. Read more>>
Zoe Willard
I started working with clay from a high school ceramics class about 10 years ago. I signed up for the class to get my required art credit to graduate and to be very honest I wasn’t very good at all. But, I just kept taking classes, my second year taking the class, I had a new teacher, Mrs. Read more>>
Alexandra Stelfox 
Basketball was my first love. I was fortunate enough to play at the collegiate level and eventually pursue my dream of playing professionally overseas. But my passion went far beyond the game itself. I was obsessed with understanding how to become the best athlete I could be, both mentally and physically. Read more>>
Alex Schroeder 
I started DevourDC in 2020 without really knowing what it was going to be. I was between jobs, and like everyone else, I was looking for ways to get out of the house during COVID. For me, that meant going on runs around DC, exploring different neighborhoods, and always ending at a local café to grab a coffee and a pastry. Read more>>
Patricia Trammell 
I was the face Painter in the White House hand picked by Michelle Obama to do the face painting ect for the kids that toured the white House as well as the Easter egg roll every year. I then moved from there and toured with the UniversoulCircus for 5 years. Read more>>
Dazhane Clark 
Boxed & Buttered was born from my love for baking, creativity, and bringing people joy through something as simple as a delicious cookie. What started as a creative outlet eventually became something much more meaningful. Read more>>
Gigi Sellers 
My story is a testimony of redemption. I grew up in chaos and turned to the world for comfort. I searched for happiness and peace in the world, and made counterfeits for myself out of partying, travel, and thrills, but I always ended up feeling empty. I grew up in the church, but didn’t know Jesus. Read more>>
Deborah Godfrey 
My journey has been shaped significantly by my parents. Their experiences, sacrifices, and influence have played a major role in shaping my values, ambition, and drive to pursue my passions. I am a recent Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate passionate about promoting mental wellness and making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. Read more>>
Uche Eke 
I grew up in Brookeville, Maryland, the younger son of a Nigerian dad and a mom from New Orleans. I started gymnastics at 3, after a friend dared me to backflip off a couch and I landed on my head twice. My mom decided I needed a class. Read more>>
Nahum Matthew 
My journey has been built on faith, sacrifice, discipline, and, perhaps more than anything, a willingness to bet on myself. Coming to America was an opportunity I never wanted to take for granted. A lot had happened throughout my life that left me uncertain about different things, but when I discovered my passion for photography and filmmaking, something felt different. Read more>>
Justin Mukasa 
I’ve always been intrigued with Hip-Hop production growing up, getting acquainted with the likes of RZA, Kanye, 9th Wonder and The Neptunes as a kid. It wasn’t until high school when I actually started having thoughts of wanting to try beatmaking when I discovered folks like Madlib, MF DOOM, Dilla & Pete Rock. Read more>>
Earl Young 
My story begins in Baltimore City, Maryland, where I was born and raised. Growing up in neighborhoods such as Sandtown-Winchester and Northwest Baltimore, I witnessed firsthand the challenges of poverty, limited opportunities, and negative influences that often shape the lives of young people in underserved communities. Read more>>
Iryna Gunsallus 
My name is Iryna, and I am the founder and owner of Ideal Solutions Admin Services and Ledgify LLC. I moved to Maryland in 2011 and launched my first business here in 2023. Growing up in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine, I developed a passion for foreign languages and cultures early on. Read more>>
Martina Sestakova 
My name is Martina Sestakova and am an artist based in Kensington, Md. I am original from Prague, Czech Republic, but have lived in the United States for over 24 years. I have a small business called RADOST (which is the Czech word for joy). I focus on three things: wearable art, art education, and original paintings in the Healing Garden series. Read more>>
Srinivas Polisetty 
My journey in education started over 20 years ago during my undergraduate studies and continued through earning my Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Nebraska in 2009. After years in academic research and university-level instruction, I recognized an urgent need for clear, high-level guidance for middle and high school students facing demanding STEM tracks. Read more>>
Heavenleigh Villar 
My name is Heavenleigh Villar, but most people know me as Hev’s Journey. I’m a 13-year-old pop and R&B singer and songwriter, and music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My musical journey began when I was just 5 years old. Even at that age, I loved singing and expressing myself through music. Read more>>
Tebonye Crawford 
My journey with Zinnia Virgo Soaps, LLC began with a passion for creating handmade soaps and body-care products and a desire to help people feel more confident and comfortable in their skin. What started as a creative passion grew into a bigger vision: building a brand that makes self-care meaningful while offering thoughtfully crafted products for a variety of skin-care needs. Read more>>
Armin Aramian 
I was born and raised in Iran, a country with a rich history and cultural heritage that I’m proud to carry with me. At 18, My professional journey began in Germany, where I earned my Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. In 2006, I moved to the United States to pursue greater opportunities and continued my education in Information Technology. Read more>>
Sarah Goodwin 
My path into science communication and education started at the lab bench. I was a PhD student at the University of California, San Francisco in Dr. Ron Vale’s lab when Ron founded iBiology in 2006. His idea was to film talks by leading scientists and make them freely available online to anyone, anywhere. Read more>>
Paola Henriquez 
My name is Paola Henriquez, and I was born and raised in Colombia. I moved to Maryland in 2018, but my love for makeup began 17 years ago, when I first stepped into a makeup academy in Argentina. Over the years, I had to keep that part of me hidden. Read more>>
