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.
Rodtranece Mumpfield
My story really starts in education. I have spent most of my career as an elementary educator and have also served as a grade-level leader. Earlier in my education career, I held a separate position as a technology coordinator, where I introduced new tools and helped teachers and staff use technology more effectively. Read more>>
Raven Jae
I started writing songs before I knew I could sing them. I was about 8 or 9 starting one of many songs books. I was incredibly shy. I witnessed a lot growing up, and the one place of safety was with a pen and paper. I had a great childhood but my perception of love was distorted. My parents fought a lot, verbally and physically and music was the escape as cliché as that sounds. I learned from a young age how writing out your experiences can heal. Read more>>
Eva Atkinson 
It began with time spent with my grandmother, who taught me sewing, knitting, and an appreciation for working with textiles. When I was a teenager, she encouraged me to revisit those skills, believing that knowing how to create something with your hands was both valuable and empowering. Read more>>
Jessica Arrington 
I’m a canine nutritionist and holistic pet health coach. I got into this because I no longer accepted the answers I was being given with my own pets. The answer I kept hearing was a prescription or a different bag of kibble, and nobody was asking why the dog was sick in the first place. So I started asking. Read more>>
Jessica Lapp 
I picked up a camera at age 16 and began shooting photos casually for my family and friends. This was back when Facebook was big and Instagram was almost non-existent, so I threw up a Facebook page for my new little business and started sharing. In 2015 I shot my first wedding, free of charge, for friends of mine. The following year I booked 8. Read more>>
Quincy Carr 
Although I don’t remember the exact date(s) of how my comedy career started, I do know it was sometime during March of 1999, or as I like to call it ‘The late 1900’s’. It’s safe to say that’s when the comedy bug bit me. I recall, one year after my US Navy career ended due to medical reasons. Read more>>
Lauren Katz 
Eatloco was founded by Dan Hine, 10 years ago. It started as a small market and has grown to 6 markets currently operating across the DMV area. Last March, I bought the company as Dan moved to SC to retire. Read more>>
Geraldine Davila 
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and I moved to the DMV when I was 21 to pursue my Master’s Degree at Georgetown University and to intern for the federal government. I’ve always been a very determined person. I actually moved to the DC on the same day as my undergraduate graduation. Read more>>
Mallory Schmidt
My journey with theatre started a little later than most. I grew up loving musicals and watching the Tony Awards every year, but actually participating in theatre never felt particularly accessible to me. Theatre was something I loved from the audience, not necessarily something I thought I could be a part of. Read more>>
Chris Peden 
I am the proud father of two autistic children. I earned an accounting degree in college and passed the CPA, CMA, and CFM exams early in my career. I worked at several companies, ending up at Verizon from 2018 to 2025. Read more>>
Brittani Benton 
I got my start in marketing in 2019 when I opened my Etsy mug shop, DUMugs. Like many small business owners, I made the products and figured out how to get people to buy them, so I started teaching myself marketing. Read more>>
Clarissa Law
I was born and raised in Queens, New York, by a single mother alongside my three siblings. We lived in the projects and low-income housing, and I didn’t necessarily grow up in an environment where I was encouraged to dream big or told that I could be anything I wanted to be. Read more>>
Tyrone Faverey 
A big turning point in my story was moving to Puerto Rico for my wife’s career. I left my job, we were raising a family, and I was stepping into entrepreneurship without having every piece figured out. I trusted myself to figure it out along the way. Read more>>
Yrvanie Lynch 
My journey has two sides, and they’ve shaped each other more than people expect. I started in engineering. I earned my Master’s in Plastics Engineering at UMass Lowell, and engineering was always a part of me because it helped me confirm how I process & problem solve and my first ever role was being a process engineer. Read more>>
Rebekah Murray 
I have been an entrepreneur for most of my adult life, although the business I run today is definitely not the business I thought I would be running. I started my career as a photographer and spent more than 15 years photographing destination weddings. Read more>>
Joey Fincham 
My early life began with difficulty. I was removed from my original parents because of neglect and lived with my grandparents throughout childhood, facing severe bullying. I encountered many mental health challenges, sexual abuse, and other hardships while growing up, yet I remained a creative person. I sang in choir and designed clothes, especially dresses. Read more>>
Rian (NorVA Reign) Haley 
I grew up surrounded by music. My dad is a bass player and he was always playing his bass or blasting music in the house thru the stereo system. I remember always getting told not to sit so close the speakers, but I always wanted to FEEL the music. Especially the bass. I wanted to be completely engulfed in the sounds. Read more>>
Jacki Paolella 
In 2017, I found myself standing at a crossroads. I still loved music—it had been my lifeblood for over a decade. But creating, performing, and producing as a profession was no longer sparking the same joy and fulfillment it once did. Despite the success I had found, I was ready for something different. It was time to transition, to find a new path. Read more>>
Coach Miller 
I grew up in Richmond Virginia and was a youth athlete and champion. I graduated Radford University in Political Science, Public Administration, Psychology, and International Studies. My career in state government, non profit small business support, and economic development. Read more>>
Jovan Scott 
I’ve been drawing or painting longer than I can remember. My interest in drawing was an escape and release for all the ideas I had in my head. Watching shows like The Joy of Painting, Mister Rogers, Sesame Street, Pinwheel, etc. fueled my imagination and expanded my creative outlook to more than just two dimensions. Read more>>
Caviar Cinema 
CaviarCinema came about as 3 individuals who believes creativity is the solution to impossibility. Storytelling captured cinematically, Visions brought to life from the purest form of creativity from Short films to photoshoots we aim to just bring fresh new ideas to the world and keep real art alive Read more>>
Nick Hurley 
Our Story: Passion, Perseverance, and Premium Quality For as long as I can remember, I have been captivated by the world of designer and niche fragrances. I firmly believe that a signature scent is more than just a pleasant aroma—it is an extension of your personality. Read more>>
Isa Merlos 
I’ve been creating art since I was a kid and since then it has evolved throughout my life. My art mainly depicts my inner world and my relationship with the outside world, or just my creativity and storytelling. In terms of education, I don’t have much higher educational training, I’m mainly self taught! Read more>>
Alexis Graybill 
I’ve loved sewing for as long as I can remember. My grandmother taught me how to sew when I was just 8 years old, and from there, it quickly became something I truly loved. Over the years, I began designing and altering many of my own clothes, which allowed me to develop my skills and my own creative style. Read more>>
Elaine Bolte 
I was adjusted by a chiropractor when I was a teenager and had a great experience managing my health. I went off to college to pursue fine arts however with a year realized I was not happy and the only other career I found myself interested in was chiropractic. I switched majors and ultimately went to chiropractic school. Read more>>
SHARMAINE BRANNON 
My journey into entrepreneurship wasn’t exactly planned. It started after I was abruptly fired from my corporate insurance job after 10 years. I remember feeling confused and honestly unsure of what I was supposed to do next. I was suddenly trying to navigate life without the career I had built for a decade. Read more>>
Jenna Milburn 
I started working for Premier Health Resources, Inc when I was in nursing school. PHR is an Occupational Health care company that was stared by Lowell Henderson in 2006. When I started we were partnered with two local companies to provide healthcare services directly to their workforce, helping their employees stay healthy while making care more convenient and accessible. Read more>>
Shane Robbins 
Our family was at a winery one evening enjoying a local band and some good wine when I announced that I wanted to start raising bison. I love the animal, and to be honest, I just thought it would be cool to have bison roaming on a farm. My brother, Ryan, immediately said, ‘Count me in!’ That’s how it started. Read more>>
Philip Harrell 
Right now, I’m at Filfest in Virginia Beach to celebrate Filipino heritage. I am not Philipino, nor is my wife but I firmly believe that cultures speak to each other through food. To my core, I believe that we all want the same thing. Good times with our family, to laugh with friends, and good food. Read more>>
Andrew Kim 
Lee Gimbap started in Korea in 2010 with a simple idea: make good, fresh gimbap that people could enjoy as an easy everyday meal. Over the years, the brand grew in Korea, including locations in premium retail and airport environments. When we had the opportunity to bring Lee Gimbap to the United States, we wanted Fairfax to be the first step. Read more>>
Debbie Church 
My story is one of those reminders that sometimes the things we never planned become some of the biggest parts of our lives. Delicate Creations actually started completely by chance. I was working for a school when it abruptly closed, and suddenly I found myself trying to figure out how I was going to make ends meet. I started making cupcakes for extra money. Read more>>
Anetha Evans 
Greetings! I am an experimental artist who is inspired by the magnitude of creative expression. Growing up between the United States and Japan, I was surrounded by unique cultures and art forms held by local communities. The immersion and connections from these experiences greatly influenced my creative journey, and I continue to blend unique perspectives within my stories. Read more>>
Daniel Tatarka 
A homebrewer-engineer and a chef hiking the Inca Trail…have an epithany and decide to open a small home brewery for their retirement gig. That was 12 years ago. WildManDan Brewery is the dream project of Dan and Terri Tatarka located in Afton, Virginia. They host groups of 12 in their 1870 Farmhouse and share award winning brews in the 1900’s Beer Barn. Read more>>
Christian Rosales
Music is the foundation for my creative career. I grew up in a loving Latino household where music was always playing, whether it was rock, pop, Latin, or hip-hop — beautiful frequencies were constantly setting the mood thanks to my family. I learned the trumpet in elementary school, and by middle school I was playing piano through the FL Studio mobile app to create melodies. Read more>>
Nicole Bruce 
My story…I crashed and burned HARD in a social work career that took every little ounce of my soul at the end of 2022. The precipitating factors were numerous and intense. All I knew was I needed to take the next tiny right step towards recentering myself. I found myself on medical leave and so incredibly dysregulated. Chronic burn out compounds like interest. Read more>>
Charleigh Roberts 
During COVID-19, I was working in the hospital, which was such a difficult time for everyone. I needed some sort of creative outlet, something that was joyful and not focused on all of the sickness and sadness going on in the world. My husband, in-laws, and parents all pitched in and surprised me with a camera for my birthday. Read more>>
Brian Patrick 
I’ve always been drawn to things with a story behind them. Vintage clothing, motorcycles, music, art, and the cultures surrounding them have fascinated me for as long as I can remember. My background is in the music industry and creative agency world, where I spent years working with artists, brands, and organizations, including Starbucks, Universal Republic Records and Global Citizen. Read more>>
Eric Battle, Sr. 
From Talking Too Much to Listening More: My Journey of Faith, Family, Leadership, and Restoration One of the greatest lessons I have ever learned came from one of my mentors—and honestly, it was a lesson I probably didn’t want to hear at the time. He told me to shut up. Read more>>
Paula Banks 
I started as a children’s author because I wanted children to see themselves in the books they read. That grew into EION Books Publishing™, and let me tell you, I have learned a lot along the way. Writing a book is one thing. Figuring out how to publish it, get it into people’s hands, and build a business around it is a whole other education. Read more>>
Naayo Rocke
I’ve been doing hair for most of my life and became a licensed cosmetologist in 2012. Over the years, I’ve worked behind the chair, trained other stylists, managed teams, and really found my lane in natural hair care and education. Eventually, I realized I wanted to create something that felt more personal and intentional, which led me to open The Garden — Crown Care Studio. Read more>>
Laura Worrell 
My story with photography really started long before I ever had a business of my own. My mom was a photographer, and she was also a stay-at-home mom, so I grew up watching her balance both. Read more>>
Charlie Getty 
I started creating videos when I was really young, I would make random YouTube videos and Musically’s just because I genuinely loved it. At the time, I never looked at it as a career, it was just something that felt natural to me. Read more>>
JoVia Armstrong 
I decided to be a musician when I was 11 years old. I played cello and French horn in high school, but my passion was orchestral percussion at the time. I studied orchestral percussion at Michigan State University, where I met Francisco Mora Catlett (the son of artist Elizabeth Catlett) in my freshman year, and he introduced me to the world of Afro-Cuban percussion. Read more>>
Ruth Guerrero 
I started cosmetology school in 2013, originally thinking I would pursue a career in hairstyling. After getting my license, I worked in a hair salon for a short time before realizing it wasn’t quite the right fit for me. I eventually transitioned into the restaurant industry, where I worked for a few years. Read more>>
Taylor Ingersoll 
I’ve loved photography for as long as I can remember. I got my first camera when I was around 13, but it wasn’t until 2020 (when I was 21) that I really started investing in learning how to use it beyond just taking pictures for fun. Read more>>
Emma Davis
Viva Espresso Bar started when my husband and I started dating. I was living in Spain, and he would come visit. We explored all the local cafes and grew our love for espresso together. Our favorite drink was called Cafe Bombón, which is on our menu now. Read more>>
Catherine Hillis 
I’ve always been involved in the arts. I won art contests as a child and participated in choruses, bands and theater. I was in television commercials as a little one and eventually majored in Theater, focusing on acting and costume design at the U of Georgia. I worked in repertory theater until I started my family. Read more>>
Andrea Skeeter 
I started my education career in the classroom back in 2006 in Virginia. Schools were just embracing the technological age that was to come and as a young educator, I was all for it. I started teaching 2nd grade for 8 years and then moved on to Kindergarten for a year. Read more>>
Matt Burghdoff 
My journey towards counseling and creating my own practice began after developing a successful career in business development and consultation. A minor medical procedure had some nasty complications, leaving me bleeding out on the bathroom floor. Read more>>
Keeley Yokley 
Content creation started as a way to share little moments of joy, and it’s grown so much from there. I started posting in 2020 as a creative outlet during the pandemic, mostly sharing my meals and workouts while I was a student at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. After graduation, my page changed as I did. Read more>>
Lauren Murdock 
Kentala Behavioral Health was born from a deeply personal journey. Years ago, my life changed when I became a mother to twins who arrived 14 weeks early. What should have been a joyful season quickly became one of the most frightening and difficult experiences of my life. Read more>>
Evan Kaufman 
The short version is that I spent most of my career helping communities reinvent themselves—and then decided to help people do something similar, just with lasers. Before entering economic development, I worked as an EMT and medical aide. Read more>>
Makayla Bullock 
I spent a lot of my time in college searching for what I wanted to do, changing my degree of study almost every semester until my junior year. It took me five years to graduate instead of four, but I loved school, learning, and sampling ideas of what my future could be. Read more>>
Maikel Diane Brown 
I’m an artist at heart and have always loved expressing myself in different ways, whether through drawing, writing, designing something, or simply bringing an idea to life. The Brown Gals originally began as a “Transcendent Space of Creativity,” created to inspire, influence and motivate other creatives to explore their gifts and pursue their passions through art. Read more>>
Hannah Joo 
I was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, and my story really began with the environment I grew up in. Both of my parents were urban planners, so cities, neighborhoods, and the way people live and connect within them were naturally part of how I saw the world from an early age. Read more>>
Rob Roy 
I’ve been a maker for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I couldn’t just watch a movie and move on. I had to make something from it. I built models and dioramas inspired by movies like King Kong, Godzilla and Alien. My mother used to say, “You can’t see a movie without making something about it?” That pretty much sums me up. Read more>>
Lauren Moncure 
My whole dream started to develop around this time last year. Read more>>
Analisa LaCour 
I’m a third generation thrifter- my mom & her mother always loved going to thrift stores & antique shops to find unique treasures & their appreciation for vintage pieces really made an impression on me. When I moved to Richmond in 2024, I was lost, career-wise. Read more>>
