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.
Laleh Eberson
In 2020 I was in a bad car accident, after being in a wheel chair and learning to walk again, I had a new sense of drive that made me want to focus on doing what I love in life and helping people in the process. Read more>>
Asaya Shutters
I was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and moved to the United States as a teenager. Like many people starting over in a new country, I worked a variety of jobs while trying to figure out where my passion and purpose intersected. Photography started as curiosity and eventually became an obsession. Read more>>
Queen Najwa Johnson
I credit my childhood and teen experiences for helping me discover my love for marketing and business planning. However, I realized how meaningful it was for me and those around me while studying Entrepreneurial Studies at Scottsdale Community College, and it was solidified while studying Small Business Management at Rio Salado College. Read more>>
Harley Hope
Harley Hope is a well travelled and seasoned artisan who is continuously exploring and refining the art of living through the attention to detail and aesthetics. Read more>>
Jovanna Penney
I am a relationship therapist and the founder of Bloom Therapist Network. As a first-generation Mexican American, I grew up understanding the importance of connection, resilience, and showing up for one another. Looking back, those values have shaped nearly every part of my personal and professional journey. Read more>>
Kimberly Kling
I grew up in a suburb of Chicago, where the edges of neighborhood streets gradually gave way to farmland. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve gardening with my family, visiting friends’ gardens, and spending hours flipping through my grandmother’s gardening books. I was fascinated by plants from an early age and loved exploring local nurseries with my family. Read more>>
Moshe Bukshpan
I started to play the violin at the age of eight. In 1976, I came to the United States to continue my studies, and in 1979, I received a Master’s degree in violin performance from Northern Illinois University. In 1982, I moved to Phoenix, AZ, and have been performing and teaching music since then. Read more>>
John Fees
John Fees is an American entrepreneur, education advocate, and civic-minded business leader best known as the co-founder and CEO of GradGuard, the nation’s leading provider of tuition and renters insurance programs designed specifically for college students and universities. Over the past two decades, Fees has built multiple companies building technology-enabled ventures at the intersection of financial services and education. Read more>>
Jasmine Loger
Well, if I’m honest, I had a serious car accident when I chose to change my life and choose a career. The career I chose was cosmetology I had to move back home because I was out of town when this happened. I didn’t have a lot of help but I finished open up a shop, “JMF HAIRSTYLES” in 2017. Read more>>
Byron Maclean
I often describe myself as a father, traditional medical doctor, activist, teacher and lifelong student. My journey has never followed a conventional path. It has been shaped by a deep curiosity for healing, justice, culture and humanity’s relationship with ancient wisdom and the natural world. Read more>>
Nidia Janeth Ruiz
My journey into healthcare started from a very personal place. For years, I struggled with my own health challenges, including hormone imbalances, gut issues, weight gain, and not feeling my best physically or mentally. Read more>>
Richard Huggins
40 years ago, my wife received assistance from the Catholic Charities at Christmas time for food and presents for her then young children. She promised God she would give back when she could. Fast forward 21 years ago, Rich ended up being very sick and knocking on deaths door. Rich was told by God to move to Arizona which we did from Southern California. Read more>>
Joseph Sota & Tony Nazario
It all started off at Mesa Barber School. Tony and Myself both attended the same school but later met at a local barbershop, where we both worked at for a few years. Tony and I became good friends and quickly realized we had the same vision on where we wanted to take our barbering careers. Read more>>
Linda Criswell
My business partner Alicia Flatin and I opened bungalow in 2001, 25 years ago! When we opened we carried vintage one of a kind case goods and a unique line of imported teak furniture pieces that were exclusive to us. We also sold upholstery. Over the years we have evolved into a full modern mercantile. Read more>>
Colleen Biggs
I’ve always been someone who believes that life’s biggest opportunities often come disguised as challenges. Over the last two decades, I’ve built my career around helping others launch, grow, and scale businesses. Throughout that journey, I’ve had the privilege of helping hundreds of entrepreneurs start businesses of their own, coaching leaders, hosting conferences, building communities, writing books, and speaking on stages across the country. Read more>>
Scott Fischer
I graduated from Arizona State University in 1986 for the bachelors degree in nursing. It was one of the few men in the program at that time and nursing was largely female dominated. I’ve never quite understood why my professional path is always been to go where a few other others go, but that’s really a lot of my story. Read more>>
Kayla Windsor
My name is Kayla Windsor, I was born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona and don’t ever want to leave because I love it so much here. I had an incredibly fortunate childhood. Read more>>
Brooke Massey
I started out in photography pretty organically, not through a formal path, but through curiosity and observation. I’ve always been drawn to the way small, ordinary moments can hold a lot more meaning than they first appear to. Read more>>
Julie Xander
’ve always had a passion for health, wellness, and connecting with people. I earned my degree in Exercise Physiology from Arizona State University and started teaching fitness when I was just 16 years old. Helping people feel stronger, healthier, and more confident has been a common thread throughout my entire career. Read more>>
Dr. Melissa Estavillo
I became interested in psychology because I was fascinated by why people do what they do and how relationships shape our lives. My never-ending stream of questions led me to pursue a doctorate in psychology and eventually become a Licensed Psychologist in Arizona. Read more>>
Jessica Kjeldsen
You know, I’ve been thinking about how to tell this story for a while. And I think the only way I know how to tell it honestly is to start at the very beginning. It explains everything about why I do what I do now. Ever since I can remember, movement was my first language. Not English. Not words. Movement. Read more>>
David Cosme
It started with an idea to build a community through Afrobeat music. Originated by Fela Kuti, afrobeat has a strong history of roots, rebellion, and resilience. We have had many players throughout the years, but currently have a strong core that continues our message of unity and community. Read more>>
Adrian Schwab
Growing up as an only child on a farm, creativity was always a natural part of my life. Some of my favorite childhood memories are Friday nights spent at my grandmother’s house with my aunts, sharing pizza and working on whatever craft project inspired us that week. Read more>>
Simona Lauren
My journey into the culinary world began with a deep appreciation for food, family traditions, and the way a thoughtfully prepared meal can bring people together. Growing up, I was surrounded by home-cooked meals and seasonal ingredients, which inspired my love for cooking from an early age. Read more>>
Laila Eldridge-Holifield
My platform, Becoming With Laila, started as a personal journey before it ever became a platform. For a long time, I was focused on reaching the next milestone—graduating, advancing my career, becoming more disciplined, becoming more confident. Along the way, I realized that growth isn’t a destination you arrive at one day; it’s a continuous process of becoming. Read more>>
Anastasia Carpenter
I am Anastasia—meaning Resurrection, like a Phoenix rising. I’m a third-generation Arizona native, born and raised in Phoenix. I started my art business designing custom nursery decor from a corner in my bedroom—pieces that gave each child’s name a special, personal magic. From that small start, I grew into mixed media realistic pop art—incorporating bright colors, diverse skin tones, and 3D elements. Read more>>
Tim G. Young
I began my journey on Wednesday, January fourth, 1950, just before noon. Seventy-six years later, I find myself in Clarkdale, Arizona, where I write prose, poetry, and songs. I began with poetry in high school, in Easton, Pa., inspired by a very uninteresting English teacher. Instead of listening to her ramble on, I turned to the blank page with my pen and had fun. Read more>>
Tanya Amelia White
My entrepreneurial story is a bit unconventional. Beauty was never part of the original plan. I went to college thinking I would eventually become a criminal investigator or attorney. After graduation, however, I found myself working in the mortgage industry during a difficult economic period when foreclosures were affecting families across the country. Read more>>
Nita Mallya
My Mother introduced me to this ancient art of Bharathanatyam at a young age, soon it became passion, today its my profession. Read more>>
Corey Richason
My path into massage therapy started with a personal experience that changed how I thought about the body. I served in the Army during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and while I was in Saudi Arabia, I suffered a severe burn to my hand. I was told I might not regain full use of it. Read more>>
Thabang Molefe
I have always always had a passion for drawing since I was young and it was only later on during my highschooldays where I found out that making are was a career path. I studied printmaking for 3 years and It became a central part of how I make my art. Read more>>
Jin Hee Sonu
I’m thrilled to share my journey with you! Growing up in the vibrant city of Seoul, South Korea, I discovered two things that truly sparked joy in my life: the delightful scent of desserts baking in the oven and the pure happiness of creating things by hand. Read more>>
Rachelle Navarro
We love HypnoBirthing and support people through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. We help empower parents and families and create a calm, peaceful space for your body, mind, and spirit as you prepare for parenthood. It all started with my sister and I taking a chance on a dream! Now it has become even more than we could ever imagine. Read more>>
Kimberly Mylls
My first real job was selling shoes. It was the best job for a 16 year old. I didn’t want minimum wage, I wanted to be able to make commissions. From an early age I wanted to be in charge of my destiny. It’s where I learned so many important sales lessons. I always loved magazines, and after college, I started in advertising and publishing. Read more>>
Laura Dillion
For more than 22 years, Laura Dillion has built a reputation as one of Arizona’s most recognized and relationship-driven professionals in the title and escrow industry. As a sales and marketing executive with Empire Title Agency, Laura has become known for her high energy, innovative marketing strategies, and genuine passion for helping real estate agents grow their businesses. Read more>>
Suhani Parikh & Jay Pinheiro
House of Chaos was created between 2 people with a genuine love for capturing the beauty in the chaos. Suhani’s introduction to the wedding industry was through bridal henna, where she started her business Suhenna Creations (suhenna.com). Read more>>
Haley Mahannah
I was in my bachelors program for psychology and science at the University of Utah. Money was very tight. I’d been sleeping on a friend’s sofa and my car was broken down again. Read more>>
