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.
Travis Penn
Delta Blues BBQ was built on a simple belief: great barbecue can’t be rushed. What began as a passion for smoking meat the traditional way slowly grew into a dream of creating a place where people could gather over incredible food, live music, and Southern hospitality. We didn’t set out to build just another restaurant—we wanted to build an experience. Read more>>
Angela Hollowell
People often see the businesses I have today, but they don’t always see the journey that shaped them. Like many entrepreneurs, I didn’t begin with a perfect plan. I began with a deep desire to help people discover what they were capable of and build lives that reflected who they truly were. Along the way, I experienced seasons of uncertainty, reinvention, and growth. Read more>>
Jen Jacob
My name is Jen Jacob, and I’m an integrative bodyworker living in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. My partner and I recently relocated from Austin, Texas with our two dogs. While we loved Austin, we found ourselves longing for a different pace of life—one rooted in community, nature, and a deeper sense of home. Read more>>
Emily Poindexter
I started hair school when my daughter was only four months old. I grew to love the industry. I started in a salon and day spa then worked my way up to booth renting then opening up my own downtown Roanoke Salon with employees. Read more>>
Darryl Liechti
My entrepreneurial journey started long before I officially opened my first business. I’ve always loved working with my hands, solving problems, and finding ways to improve things. Read more>>
Aleksandar Tomic
My story is rooted in a lifelong interest in design, engineering, and solving practical problems. I started by building technical experience in 2D and 3D CAD, mechanical design, product development, prototyping, reverse engineering, and manufacturing support. Over the past 15-plus years, I have had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects, from early-stage product concepts to complex technical designs and manufacturing-ready documentation. Read more>>
Kara Loryn Lilly
I started taking photos since I was very little. It was the most exciting thing for me to go with my mom to the local Sam’s club to see how my film developed. There were usually random photos of my family members, pets, beanie baby displays and even a selfie or two (yes, we did those before the phone camera). Read more>>
Guadalupe Silva
Since opening on August 18, 2018, our family-owned restaurant concept has grown steadily over almost eight years. Across our three locations in the historic Williamsburg area, we have earned strong recognition from residents and adventurous visitors alike. Our authentic, made-from-scratch menu has helped us become one of the most distinguished restaurants among our neighbors, and we are highly recommended, with strong ratings across online platforms. Read more>>
Kathleen Le
I’m Kathleen Le, founder and owner of Salon Meraki, Meraki Oasis, and Meraki Headspa in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. I believe beauty has the power to change lives—not because it changes how we look, but because it changes how we feel. As a Vietnamese immigrant, my journey has been shaped by resilience, hard work, and the belief that anything is possible with passion and perseverance. Read more>>
Logan Hale
Photography has been a part of my life since high school, but I never imagined it would become the career I love today. My 9th and 10th grade year I took a photography class. In 9th grade I had a point and shoot camera, which didn’t take very good photos but I liked it; however, it broke during the summer. Read more>>
Cody Stine
When people see Cody’s Auto today, they see the tow trucks, the repair shop, our employees, and a business that’s continuing to grow. What they don’t see are the years of sacrifice, uncertainty, and the countless moments where we had to decide whether to keep going. Long before we ever owned a business, Jenna and I made a commitment to our family. Read more>>
Marquis Cureton
Seems like yesterday. I started very humbly. I worked at a nursery for about 23 seasons consecutively during that time. Read more>>
Anthony Repass, Jr.
I’m a 3rd generation painter and I got my first job as a painters helper when I was 16 years old. My grandfather, dad and uncles were painters. I had really good teachers. I worked for my dad for many years before I started my own company. I started Chesapeake Painting Unlimited in March 2017. I work alongside with my brother and stepdaughter. Read more>>
Merissa Montalvo
I had been working in the public school system for 3 years when I received a call from the owners (family friends), offering me a position opening and directing their new center. After learning that our vision for the center aligned, I hopped on board and have been there ever since! What brought me into Early Childhood Education was becoming a mother. Read more>>
Crystal Vandegrift
I started Crystal Image Photography in 1995 when I was 21 years old. I had just graduated from college with a degree in photography and was working as a photographer for a local newspaper. Ironically, I never set out to become a wedding photographer. One day, a couple walked into the newspaper office looking for someone who could photograph their wedding that weekend. Read more>>
Megan Hughes
I am from Texas, and I started my photography business when I got married 5 years ago. I wanted to capture the special moments of people. I grew up in front of a camera and the creative aspect of life. and capturing the moments of life, with my husband job moving us, I needed to find s creative outlet. Read more>>
Matt Hodin
I’ve always been drawn to creativity, but it took me a little while to figure out exactly where I wanted to focus it. I started college at Penn State in the Stuckeman School of Design, where I spent three years exploring graphic design. Read more>>
David Lee
Education has always been important to me, and I wanted to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children. After serving in the healthcare sector, I was looking for a career where I could give back to my community while helping students build confidence and develop lifelong learning skills. That’s when I discovered the Kumon Method. Read more>>
Kassie Reese
Photography has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Long before digital cameras existed, I was the kid with a camera in my hand, creating stacks of undeveloped film that I hoped my parents might eventually get developed. In 2010, I stepped in front of the camera for a professional photo session of my own. Read more>>
Natalie Hodge
Martinsville is my hometown. It’s a beautiful, rural community in southern Virginia that has survived some hard times. When I left for college at 18, I didn’t ever anticipate moving back. I loved the community and its people deeply, but my heart was set on adventure. Read more>>
Christina You
I’m Christina You, the founder of JeuneBrows Studio and a Master Permanent Makeup (PMU) Artist with over 25 years of experience. My journey began in South Korea, where I studied art at Hanyang University. After getting married and raising two children, my family immigrated to the United States in 2011 in search of greater opportunities for our children. Read more>>
Vu Nguyen
I grew up in Vietnam and developed a strong work ethic from a young age. After moving to the United States, I pursued a career in the beauty industry and eventually built four successful nail salons. Wanting to offer something unique to the community, I opened Zen Day Spa to introduce the Vietnamese -inspired Head Spa experience. Read more>>
Grace Maxwell
I certainly never dreamed of being a mortgage broker as a little girl and am so fortunate that my path led me to the best job in the world. Read more>>
Lionel Sap
My story really started from wanting to build a better future for myself and my family. Before I got into tech, I worked jobs like truck driving and photography while teaching myself web development on the side. Read more>>
Pinky Khatri
I have been practicing as an audiologist since 2009 and have owned my practice since 2015. For me, audiology was truly love at first sight. When I was applying to college, I came across a brochure about speech and hearing sciences. Read more>>
Gary Tritle
Photography has been my language for the past 15 years. What began in a small town in Pennsylvania as a fascination with light, composition, and human connection has evolved into a career that has taken me around the world. I’ve always believed that great photography is about more than creating beautiful images—it’s about creating something people feel. Read more>>
Chastity Rodriguez-hise
Having baked as a hobby my whole life, friends and colleagues began requesting custom orders from me. When COVID hit, my regular business as a Hairstylist had to be put on pause, so I began selling more baked goods out of our home. Orders kept me busy, and then when I was able to reopen my hair salon baking orders were still coming in. Read more>>
Linda Appiah
I was pregnant without a family in the US. Before coming I met someone online who accommodated me here. Now I needed to survive, so I started doing braids in my bedroom. Read more>>
Kevin Elwell
Kevin is the owner and photographer for Get aHead Shot, a Northern Virginia based business that is focussed on creating compelling headshots for busy business professionals. After a 40 year career in serving the aerospace and Intelligence Community as a contractor, he started his commercial business in 2019 and has built it up into a thriving studio. Read more>>
Ivy Smith
My story with tennis began long before I became a business owner. In 1970, my dad opened our family’s first tennis specialty store, and from the time I was little, the store felt like a second home. Read more>>
Glen Schultz
I was an unemployed college professor at age 30 so I went door-to-door looking for odd jobs. Since it was October, several people wanted leaves removed. One man wanted his gutters cleaned and I obliged. I realized I could make more and work faster cleaning gutters so I started Leaf Relief Gutter Cleaning. Read more>>
Candace Harding
Dr. Candace P. Harding PT, DPT, OCS received her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from The George Washington University in 2016 and a B.S. in Exercise Science from Rutgers University in 2013. She is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist with post-doctoral coursework distinguishing her as a Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist. Read more>>
