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.
Eddie Paik
Paik’s Piano House was founded by my wife and I and we continue to operate it between the two of us. There was a need for this art and trade in our area so we decided to bring our talents together to provide our services to the community. Our goal is to provide a personable and professional experience for your piano tuning and accompaniment needs. Read more>>
Taryn Lewis
Hey, I’m Taryn – known online as @tiktoktare. I’m a former Fed turned full-time content girly. As a child, I’d always imagined myself in a creative field like film or digital photography. Creating came naturally to me. You’d catch me drawing after school, dancing at home, painting ceramics, dabbling in photography and acting through college. Read more>>
Paras Juneja
Honestly, I didn’t start out thinking, “I’m going to work in motion design and advertising.” I just really liked making things move. I was messing around with design and animation out of pure curiosity, watching tutorials, breaking stuff, recreating things I liked, and spending way too much time tweaking tiny details no one else would notice. Read more>>
Harold Berry
Art has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve always created, but it wasn’t until my late 20s that I decided to fully commit and take my work seriously. That’s when I began developing my practice in both digital art and traditional painting. Read more>>
Devin Hancock
My journey with food began long before I ever understood it as a calling. Growing up in Virginia, my mother and grandmother taught me that cooking was an act of love, faith, and service. Our kitchen was a place of prayer, conversation, and connection. Read more>>
Zahra Rahimi
My story begins with movement, between countries, cultures, and responsibilities. I arrived in the United States from Afghanistan in 2019, and from the very beginning, I became aware of how much adjustment was required, not only for my family but for many others around us. Read more>>
Timika Cousins
I started my journey in 2014 due to a close relative being killed due to domestic violence as well as my own life experiences with domestic violence. Our organization provides support and encouragement to victims and survivors and their families within the community going through domestic violence. Read more>>
Austin Moore
Squirrel Saloon Trading Company started as an idea between friends while we were deployed together in Iraq. Like a lot of conversations overseas, it began as a way to pass the time—talking about what to do with the extra room in our house and the idea of building a home bar like all young men want to do. Read more>>
Juicee Bub
Juicee Bub was led to become an artist by a family member who he frequently hung out with back in 1998, who at the time was an artist. Read more>>
Tammy McGee
Tammy Gweedo McGee is a nationally recognized highway safety advocate and the founder of the Gweedo Memorial Foundation, established in loving memory of her only son, Conner, who was tragically killed in a preventable crash. From personal tragedy, Tammy has created a movement of education, action, and advocacy that is saving lives and transforming how communities across Virginia—and the nation—approach teen driver safety. Read more>>
Reema Kapani
Reema Kapani – A Journey of Grace, Grit, and Divine Purpose My story did not begin on a grand stage or under bright lights. It began quietly — with a little girl who believed that movement could speak when words could not, that rhythm could heal when silence felt heavy, and that art could touch souls where nothing else could. Dance was my first language. Read more>>
Miasha Gilliam-El
My journey began as a healthy mother whose life changed dramatically after childbirth. In 2012, following the birth of my 6th child, I developed Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) and went into cardiac arrest. I was without a heartbeat for approximately ten minutes and spent several days on life support, unable to breathe on my own. Read more>>
Kendyll/Travisa Myles/Skinner
The Hike Crew is a DC Metro–based organization founded in January 2021 with a mission to uplift the African American community through outdoor activities, social engagement, and community service. Our roots trace back to the summer of 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more>>
Andrezza Haddaway
I’m Brazilian, from a city in the Northeast called Natal, surround by beautiful beaches and nature where the summer lasts all year long. I come from a very tight family. Me, my mother and sister through it all in this life. I studied Journalism in Brazil and it was there I fell in love with Photography classes. Read more>>
Tausha Nunez
Before Puck It Apparel was a brand, I was simply a mom and a hockey family in motion — trying to keep up with the schedules, support my kids’ dreams, and still keep my own identity in the middle of it all. Read more>>
Terrence Huggins
Terrence Esquire Huggins, Latin Grammy nominated music producer, is a phenomenal composer with a new-age sound and a unique array of music compositions. Esquire’s soothing chords along with experience in production makes this young producer bound to bring original flavor into this world of music! His inspirations include production from Virginia’s own Pharrell and Timberland. Read more>>
Sam Frontino
My journey with Aerial Pointe Drone started as a creative passion that slowly grew into a business. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated with flying. My grandpa had his private pilot’s license and flew a Cessna in the 1970s and 1980s. Read more>>
cally logan
For me, every part of life can be defined as a story, and every facet of life connects piece by piece to a greater story that connects us all. I have had a passion for sharing stories since before I could read or write. I am an author, writer, and speaker as well as a school teacher from Richmond, Virginia. Read more>>
Jerzie Lozada
My journey started with wanting more flexibility and purpose in my life. I became a licensed esthetician because I wanted a career that allowed me to still be present as a mom, a wife, and a daughter without sacrificing my work ethic. In the beginning, I offered multiple services and tried a little bit of everything. Read more>>
MichelleLynette Hughes
As the eldest daughter of a mother who was a Nurse and a father who helped his brothers in a family cleaning business, I was exposed to business at an early age. In college and post-graduate education, I pursued a Medical career as a Physician Assistant with Pathology specialization. Read more>>
Shojuan Spence
I started out in the heart of Covid, where things didn’t seem to work out so good, but sky rocketed towards the end. Finally working out in the world i went and networked with my coworkers and building clientele and the rest was history! Read more>>
Amie Santiago
I didn’t start AmieArtistry with a business plan or a long-term blueprint—I started it with a deep love for creativity, connection, and helping people feel more at home in themselves. What began as a passion for beauty and artistry slowly turned into something bigger. Read more>>
Frances Armstrong
I opened my business doors almost twenty years ago, during a time when big-name companies were going out of business. I had lost my job, we had two babies, and we had just purchased a home. It was intimidating, but my fear of never trying my hand at business was greater than my fear of starting a business and not succeeding. Read more>>
Maresa Talbert
As a young girl, I always knew I wanted to be an attorney. My path into law started early. At 13, I volunteered in Teen Court, a peer-driven diversion program for first-time juvenile offenders. I served as a teen “attorney,” helping other young people resolve cases through accountability and education rather than punishment. Read more>>
Patrice Chappelle
MelanBrand Skin started from a very personal place. I’m a mom who spent years searching store shelves for safe, gentle skincare products that actually worked for my son’s sensitive, melanated skin—and kept coming up empty. Everything was either too harsh, overly fragranced, or clearly not made with our kids in mind. So instead of settling, I decided to create what I couldn’t find. Read more>>
Jacobo Laya Jr
We are Jacobo and Mackerrlly, owners of Jac&Mac Photography, an endeavor we started together in 2008, as a husband and wife team, no only because we love photography, but more importantly, a focus on wedding photography because getting married, aside from our children, it has been the greatest gift God has given us. Read more>>
Shoko Yasuda
I started my business from a very personal place — as a mom, a maker, and someone who grew up in Japan with a deep awareness of not wasting things. The idea of mottainai — respecting resources and using things with care — has always been part of my life, but it really came back into focus after I had kids. Read more>>
Darryl Bourgeois
I was born & raised in South Jersey. The love of music & life began at an early age but the djing bug bit me at 11 years old. My older brother Derek introduced me to it & forever thankful for that! https://voyagevirginia.com/interview/conversations-with-darryl-bourgeois Read more>>
Katie Thompson
I am the one-woman show behind The Pink Chickadee – a preppy fashion and Grand millennial travel blog based in Northern Virginia. The Pink Chickadee started out of my desire to have something of my own during my college years. I clicked ‘post’ on my first-ever blog post on January 15, 2020 on the brink of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more>>
HoneyDo Socials East Coast
We found a major gap in the wedding industry when we were brides! HoneyDo Socials was born after our own weddings, when we found ourselves wishing we could relive everything right away. The day flies by in such a blur, and waiting weeks for our photos and videos left us craving for those tangible memories even sooner. Read more>>
Aaron Adams
My partner and I moved to Virginia Beach from North Carolina two years ago to pursue other career opportunities. Choosing to move to Virginia Beach was a great decision because it offers a coastal region along with the environment of a vibrant city. While in Virginia, I have continued working in healthcare to expand my career while also exploring my personal interests and hobbies. Read more>>
PETYA Evtimova- Ivanova
Thank you for the opportunity to share my story. My name is Petya, and I am a second-generation artist. My father was an artist, and some of my earliest memories are filled with the smell of his studio. Read more>>
Vaughn Barker
I have been immersed in the life of the church for as long as I can remember. I was raised in a family deeply rooted in ministry, watching my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins faithfully serve the work of the Lord. Read more>>
Tammy Jones
I grew up in the Midwest, raised in public schools and surrounded by a strong sense of community, faith, and responsibility. Those early years shaped my worldview and instilled in me a deep belief in education, service, and meaningful work. Read more>>
Mary Lou Kerins
I grew up with a younger sister who has Down syndrome and was naturally cast into a helping role from a young age, so it always felt like second nature to support others. I know that’s also where I developed patience with people who process and function differently than I do. Even as a child and into young adulthood, I noticed that others often came to me for support, guidance, and advice. I seemed to attract people who were seeking to know themselves better, make good decisions, and wanted my help in doing so. Read more>>
Stephen Valdivia
Recently I had the pleasure of directing the art and animation for a short film called “Blueberry”. Written and directed by my friend Steph Glover, Blueberry is a wholesome traditionally animated film about a boy’s change of heart when his favorite food comes to life. It was a blast working on the film, and we had an insanely talented team of artists. Read more>>
