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.
clarence livingstone
As a child, I loved designing and building things with my hands, so I started my career in residential design for several architectural companies in the Triangle area. Designing homes fulfilled my need to be a designer. However, it did not fulfill the need to be a builder. In 2019, I decided to become a certified Home Inspector and General Contractor. After passing both exams in 2019, I opened Enteck Design Group, LLC. Now I can both design and build homes. Read more>>
Isabel Edwards
My name is Isabel Edwards, and I have been working in all sorts of restaurants since I immigrated to this country in the early 2000s. I started at a Deli on 7th St. in Charlotte. I spoke little English and quickly learned what it was to work in a fast pace environment. Read more>>
kristyna alcaide
After trying unsuccessfully for several years to open a restaurant in Florida, we came across an ad for an available space in Apex, a town that we knew nothing about. We quickly did some research, and after visiting Apex, we took a leap of faith. Read more>>
Adyson LeMay
In high school I never felt like I was able to express myself. At times I fell into whatever anyone else was doing with their style, their hair, or their makeup. In preparation for a school dance my senior year, I decided to find my hairstylist. I walked in feeling uncertain and nervous. Read more>>
Erin Foley
Every journey has a start or catalyst, and RCB Fashion was born and has grown from my love of sewing. I was fortunate to learn how to sew at a young age from my Mother, Bobbi. Her guidance was pivotal in my early years in shaping my skill set. Read more>>
Allison Lepanto
Aterak Nutrition began from the ground up. My background is in equine nutrition, pasture management, and soil health. Aterak came from years of standing in barns with horses that weren’t thriving despite owners ‘doing everything right’. Something fundamental was missing. Read more>>
Joshua Scales
Flex-N-Fuel was born out of loss and lived experience. Losing a close friend to suicide shook me in ways I didn’t fully understand at the time and forced me to confront grief and struggles I had never put into words. Even before that loss, my previous work as a police officer had already exposed me to how much pain people carry silently, often without support. Read more>>
Jenny Sherouse
My journey into photography started in a very simple way—me holding a point and shoot camera wherever I went and documenting my life with family and friends. I didn’t have any technical training back then, just a genuine love for capturing everyday life and a natural awareness of people’s emotions and finding their authentic personality in photos. Read more>>
Reuben Mickles
I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, but some of my most formative moments in the kitchen came from time spent in North Carolina with my grandmother. She taught me the heart of Southern cooking—patience, intention, and the importance of feeding people with love. Those early experiences shaped not only how I cook, but why I cook. Read more>>
Alexia Byrd
I founded Black Moon Co. in 2020 during a period of spiritual awakening and personal transformation. Before this chapter, my life was deeply rooted in Christianity, where I served for many years as a worship leader, even singing for one of the largest churches in the country. Read more>>
Natasha THOMPSON
The beginning: a labor of love I honestly never thought that I would have my own business. It was not planned whatsoever. I was in Beauty School and the teacher asked us what were we planning to do with our license once we graduated. At that point in time, I was the oldest of several students that had skills beyond measure in my eyes! Read more>>
Sophia Saltzman
My father began his business in 1986 doing Native American Powwows across the Western half of the United States (he is Métis). We are originally from Montana, where my father, brother, and sister-in law all still live, running our 1 other store in Billings Montana. Read more>>
Shirley Tolentino, Ivonne Olguin N/A
My journey into interior design began with a natural curiosity for how spaces influence the way we live, work, and feel. I was always drawn to the balance between creativity and function, how thoughtful design can elevate everyday experiences while still serving a practical purpose. Over time, that passion evolved into hands-on experience working closely with clients, translating their ideas into comfortable, intentional spaces. Read more>>
Irene Melvin
My name is Irene, and when I founded Fun Faces with KatzNC, my goal was to bring excitement, creativity, and joy to every event through high-quality face painting and glitter/glam services. My journey began by supporting my church in raising funds for various mission initiatives, where I quickly discovered the universal joy that face painting brings to people of all ages. Read more>>
Heather Smith
My path into physical therapy has always been driven by a fascination with human movement, performance, and the ability to help people feel strong and capable in their bodies again. I earned my undergraduate degree in Exercise & Sport Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by my Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of South Carolina. Read more>>
Veronika Sorochynska
My name is Veronika. I am 30 years old, a bridal makeup artist and hairstylist, and the founder of Veronika Bridal Beauty – a professional team of makeup artists serving weddings in the Carolinas since 2023. Originally, I am from Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Since 2014, I built a strong career in the beauty industry as a luxury makeup artist. Read more>>
Angelica Greene
Angelica Stroud Greene is a Durham, North Carolina native whose life has been defined by God, service, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to her community. Raised in Durham, she developed a deep sense of responsibility to the city that shaped her, a responsibility she has honored in every chapter of her life. Read more>>
Kynnée Golder
Within the last few years, my dad would often take me around Raleigh and Durham to look at different commercial properties. One day, with the right connections, we came across a former meat department. At first glance, it might not have seemed like much, but I saw potential in the location. Read more>>
Lily and Jose Rodriguez
My Heavenly Sweets were built through resilience, strategic growth, and the ability to adapt to change, however, but began with faith. While living in Florida, my husband and I received a prophetic word at the church we were attending that we would build and distribute a business outside of Florida. Read more>>
Torrie Powell
My journey into entrepreneurship began in 2021, during a season of deep grief. In that stillness, I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Start your own.” At the time, I never imagined myself as an entrepreneur. My plan was to follow a more traditional path, so after graduating, I transitioned from my W-2 role into a solo practice housed within a group practice setting. Read more>>
Rachel Lerner
Early on, I was always fascinated by how children would respond differently to varying parenting approaches. I remember observing a friend whose father would often yell to get her to follow directions, but it never worked. Yet, when her mother calmly explained what was needed, she listened immediately. Read more>>
Luke Coker
I am Luke Coker: composer, cellist, and conductor. At two years old, I sold toys to raise money for cello lessons. Now, the full-tuition Kenan Music Scholarship funds my musical studies at UNC-Chapel Hill. Musical storytelling took root early; as a young boy, I would improvise on cello as my dad told me stories, capturing characters, moods, and narratives through sound. Read more>>
Autumn Miller
Massage school had been on my mind since I was 14 years old, I was inspired by my mom‘s massage therapist Laurie Castor. When my mom was not able to get to a massage for the week, she would lay on her yoga mat and I would do the best I could doing what I know now was sports Massage. Read more>>
Paul Gala
Since I was a young man, I have always been drawn to the luminous artwork of the Old Masters and the Hudson River Valley school of artists. It wasn’t until I did a foreign study program in Paris, France in the early 1990’s that my love for art truly blossomed. Read more>>
Lynne O’Quinn
Our studio was born in the height of the true ‘cabin fever’ quarantine of Covid 19. Our name Cabin Fever is further derived from the 1940 log cabin the studio is housed in! Quarantine or not, you can’t keep real musicians from playing and creating their music! This studio became a true haven for many musicians to ‘quietly’ gather. Read more>>
Alley Olivier
I first envisioned my career being that of an editor running VIBE magazine or my own. As life would have it, I transitioned from the life of entertainment journalism into education through coaching a step team. Read more>>
Luke Morrison
Opie’s Candy Store has been a sweet little staple in Mount Airy since 2005, serving up classic candy, fun treats, and a whole lot of hometown joy to locals and visitors alike. Over the years, it became more than just a candy shop. It turned into a place where families make memories, traditions are born, and “Mayberry magic” feels real. Read more>>
Katrina Magbie
I will never forget my first massage. It was in 2005, when I was pregnant with my first child, and that prenatal massage left a lasting impression on me. The experience was truly blissful and sparked a deep appreciation for massage therapy—something I didn’t even realize had been missing from my life. Read more>>
Dashirl Roach
My journey into interior design has been anything but linear, and that is exactly what makes it so meaningful. Before launching 16 & Three Designs, I spent over 11+ years building a career in finance, where I developed a deep appreciation for structure, strategy, and thoughtful decision-making. At the same time, design had always been a constant in my life. Read more>>
Ricky Garni
I was born in 1957 and raised in Miami, Florida, watching old Humphrey Bogart movies, reading liquor & tire & and joyful cigarette ads from LIFE magazines from the 40’s, drinking Sunkist soda, eating Shake-a-Puddins’ and popping wheelies on my day-glow lemon Sears’ Gremlin – some of which were modern at the time, and all of which are more ghostly now – all of which were pure and eternal kid stuff then. Read more>>
Angela Richard
I’ve always loved decorating and making a house feel warm, welcoming, and lived in. I grew up in the Northeast, where fall wasn’t just a season but a whole feeling, and homes used natural, seasonal elements to enhance their beauty. When I moved to the Triangle, I noticed a gap in that kind of elevated, nature-rooted seasonal styling, which inspired Autumn & Oaks. Read more>>
Mary Michele Nidiffer
My relationship with style started early. I was about five years old, sitting on the floor of my mom’s sewing room, surrounded by fabric scraps, making clothes for my Barbies. Even then, I knew clothing wasn’t just something you wore—it was something you created. I never questioned it. I just knew this was my thing. Read more>>
Alexandra Evans
Learning to Begin Again: My Journey as an Immigrant, Physician, and Entrepreneur If there is one thing my life has taught me, it is this: there is no single path to purpose—and there is no expiration date on a dream. I was born and trained as a physician in Colombia. Medicine was not just my profession; it was part of my identity. Read more>>
Kate Lloyd
Massage school ended up being incredibly supportive for my life at the time, in ways I didn’t fully understand until later. The schedule worked with my responsibilities as a parent, but more than that, the work itself was healing. It gave me a sense of purpose and helped me reconnect with my own body while learning how to support others. Read more>>
Preference Evans
Aggravation…aggravation with public schools is how Art by Preference got started. I launched it with no real plan in February of 2019 during my last teaching job, after being irritated one too many times. I affirmed for the last time that I was NOT going to teach in public schools anymore and needed to do something independently that I loved. I wanted to help connect art to life for masses of people, which I coined as “Renew, Heal, & Grow Through Art.” Read more>>
Angela Ruiz
Stewarding a business can be challenging, but with Christ, all things are possible! God actually paid for my way through dog training school and helps me stay up to date on staying legal and honoring Jesus in everything I do! In fact, it’s not even my business. I steward God’s business! Read more>>
Maxine Baptiste
I started by helping venues—.back in 2009, I was hands-on with every detail: client communication, timelines, layouts, décor, budgeting, and problem-solving in real time. Fast forward my husband and I purchased our first historic commercial property and transformed them into event spaces. We offer elegant, stress free planning. Read more>>
Mark Andersen
From the time I was a small child I was always drawn to the piano and organ. My Grandmother played every afternoon and from age 3 I would sit right beside her and watch intently as she played. Soon she saw my interest and began to teach me. Read more>>
