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.
FINAL IMAGES 
FINAL IMAGES are the pioneers of a originally crafted ‘Halo Noir’ genre. The duo is based in Washington, D.C., and consists of composer, guitarist, and producer Brandon Hanzlick, and singer, songwriter, and bassist Miina Garon. Hanzlick, a classically trained musician born and raised in Santa Clarita/Valencia, LA, has been in several musical groups on the West Coast. Read more>>
Eugenia Siero 
District Sitter began in 2017 with a personal understanding of what exceptional childcare means. Founder Eugenia, a former nanny for high-profile families for over a decade, brought firsthand experience supporting busy households and a vision to make finding trusted care more personal and thoughtful. Read more>>
Bassam Medawar 
We are Bassam and Jill Medawar. Bassam immigrated to the us in 1984 and lived in flint, mi for 1 year where he graduated high school. He moved to Woodbridge in 1985 and began working at Sea Sea & Co as a dishwasher. He quickly moved through the ranks and became the general manager a few years later. Read more>>
Peninsula Girls Walk VA 
Peninsula Girls Walk VA was created in October 2023. We started as the Williamsburg Walking Club, a sister group of City Girls Walk VA. City Girls holds walks in the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area, while Peninsula Girls holds walk in Williamsburg, Newport News, Yorktown, and Hampton. The group was created to give womxn a safe place to walk, try new coffee spots, and build community. Read more>>
Xandra Hucklebeary 
I am a migrant farmer, revolutionary and student. My earliest teachers were my great grandmother’s garden, long antelope hunts with my grandpa and cleaning fish by the river with my mom. They taught me respect for the animals and the cost of their lives. The patience to grow food from seed. Read more>>
Cree Garrett 
I’m a foodie who loves trying new things! It started with me taking pictures of my food and sharing my reviews, and that’s how Eats_inthe703 came about. Since then, I’ve branched out from just food to exploring different restaurants, trying new experiences, traveling, and sharing my adventures with my viewers. I love discovering new places and bringing everyone along for the ride! Read more>>
Katie and Eric Evans 
Our story actually started with a movie night and a bunch of alpacas! Back in 2021, Eric was hosting movie nights at his farm. He had alpacas and this dream of creating a place where people could come out, spend time with the animals, and just enjoy being there. Read more>>
Lucy Dakwar 
Growing up in a Palestinian household, food was always a huge part of my life. It was what brought our family together, whether it was a birthday, a holiday, or just a random night at home. My mom was always cooking, my aunts were incredible cooks, and my dad was just as talented in the kitchen. Read more>>
Lexi Fontaine 
From the time I was a little girl, creation, music, and storytelling have been pillars in my life. As a child, I used to dance around the living room to the theme songs of my parents’ favorite shows, and was so in love with the magic of the holidays that it was often a full production every year between me and my mom. Read more>>
Linda Ha 
Hi, I’m Linda! I’m a Virginia-based creative director and stylist specializing in editorial design, wardrobe styling, branding campaigns. My work blends nostalgia with a contemporary perspective, guided by an elevated aesthetic eye and an appreciation for texture, balance, and form. My creative journey may have started a little later in life, but creativity has always been a part of who I am. Read more>>
Keshia Brown 
My story is one of faith, purpose, perseverance, and a willingness to serve wherever God opens a door. My journey began in Chesapeake, Virginia, where I developed a passion for healthcare at an early age, serving as a candy striper at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center. Read more>>
Chamise Bellamy 
You know the saying, “I didn’t choose this career; it chose me”? That’s truly how I feel about my story. Before I knew what this work would look like, I knew the impact I wanted to make. I once heard someone say you can recognize your purpose by paying attention to what bothers you most. A hairstylist notices split ends from across the room. Read more>>
Emily McGraw 
I began my Esthetics Business in 2016 only a few short months after moving from Louisiana to Virginia. While building up my clientele I worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. Two years after opening my business I was able to go full time and drop the other part time work I picked up. In 2019 I expanded and hired my first staff member. Read more>>
Eleni Koliopoulos 
Before opening Sip & Smile, I worked as a Licensed Professional Counselor at a nonprofit, providing trauma therapy to individuals navigating some of life’s most difficult challenges. While I loved helping others, the work could be emotionally demanding, and I found myself looking forward to one simple thing every morning: my coffee. Getting my morning coffee became my motivation to start the day. Read more>>
Theo Morrow 
Drawing, painting, and a love of art have always been part of my life but really blossomed in my late teens. Back then, my school days were mostly spent in the art classroom, while at home I indulged in the golden age of tumblr. Read more>>
PATRICIA DE LIMA 
I’m from Valencia, Venezuela, and I moved to the United States in 2004. I’ve built so much of my life here, but the Venezuelan in me is always there—in the way I talk, the food I cook, and definitely my sense of humor. I joined El Zol 107.9 in 2008. Eighteen years! Read more>>
Cora Ingram 
I started doing pottery in the fall of 2019 and had to take a short break because of covid. But I’ve been continuing steadily since summer of 2021. I have an in home studio as well as belonging to CIY Pottery studio in Ashburn, VA. Read more>>
Adrienne De Leon 
I’ve always loved fashion. I grew up with what you could call very humble beginnings, and some of my earliest memories involve writing down dream outfits on scraps of paper. I’d list the shirts, shoes, pants, and accessories I wished I could wear if we had the money. I spent hours browsing clothing websites, creating outfits I couldn’t afford to buy. Read more>>
Justin White 
My mom would tell you that my journey as an artist started with pushing finger-paints as a toddler. She often recalls the day I created something with a distinct background and foreground, and she filed my art away as a potential talent. Read more>>
Abbie Eastman 
This house had been a dream of ours for a long time and we finally made it a reality in 2023. We’re from the DC area, have two young kids and a menagerie of animals, and wanted a place on the water within an easy drive of home where we, our family and friends could escape the hustle and spend more time together. Read more>>
Hana Inhee Yang 
Making art has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. For more than twenty years, I explored charcoal, oil, acrylic, and watercolor — always searching for the voice that felt most like my own. That search was a long river, and it carried me back to the spring where it began: home, to my roots. Read more>>
Martina Forgey Lay 
I’ve always loved to cook. I grew up in a home where my mother loved cooking and entertaining, and where food was about much more than what was on the table. It was about bringing people together, trying something new, and enjoying the process. It was about the experience, too. Read more>>
Natathaporn Singthong 
Our story began on October 18, 2022, when we opened Nice Thai Cuisine in Chesapeake, Virginia. We started with a simple dream — to share delicious, authentic Thai food with our community and create a place where everyone feels welcome. Our chef graduated with a degree in International Culinary Arts. Read more>>
Mary Phillips 
Growing up in Loudoun County, I spent a good part of my childhood taking horseback riding lessons and working on farms for fun. In high school I moved on from stable work to pet sitting where I learned the many different lifestyles that pets can lead. Throughout my college career I worked at a therapeutic horseback riding facility as an Assistant Instructor and Director’s Assistant. Read more>>
Claire Bickley 
Looking back, I actually think it’s funny how I started my business! As a child, I really enjoyed taking my mother’s little digital camera around our family’s beef cattle farm and photographing the flowers and various animals we had. Never in a million years did I think that would turn into a serious career! I almost stumbled into photography in 2013. Read more>>
Maggie Interpreter-Kim 
I think it’s been about 8 years now. Give or take. Warning, this starts off on a sad note. But don’t worry, we get a happy ending! 8 years ago, I was living with my best friend, sister, mother, she was kind of everything. Her name was Nancy. She was 23 years older than me. Read more>>
Urooj Maree Baloch
I didn’t grow up dreaming of building an AI company. I grew up watching, from what felt like seven seas away, the people I quietly believed were the more successful version of me. Read more>>
Lise Pampaloni 
I’m Lise — mom to five amazing humans, granny to eight sweet littles (and counting!), and the hands behind Blessed by Bread. When I’m not elbow-deep in flour, you’ll find me savoring a rich espresso with my family, writing children’s books, gazing at the stars, or curled up by the fire on chilly winter nights with hot chocolate and my Bible. Read more>>
