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.
David Long
During the planning phase, friends and family told us they’d love to support us but couldn’t eat anything because they were Celiac or gluten‑free. That stuck with us. I grew up in a family that always wanted to make sure everyone was included. When reviewing our recipes, we realized there were very few items containing gluten. We quickly decided to make our entire menu gluten‑free so everyone could enjoy our food and time together. We didn’t advertise it loudly at first; we simply put a small sign in the window, did a LOT of research and made sure we could answer any question with confidence. Read more>>
Savannah Bass
I’ve always had a love for anything artistic and crafty. I used to paint and doodle on everything as a child. Once I graduated high school and picked up that nail brush, I never put it down after that. I absolutely love being able to go to work every single day and not dread it. I get to be creative and love what I do. Read more>>
Kristin Page
I became a full time boudoir photographer completely by fate. I was working retail full time and doing wedding, maternity, and newborn photography part time starting in 2012. I always wanted to do photography full time but was scared. In 2018, the universe made the decision for me and I got fired from my full time job. Read more>>
Gloria DuChaine
After becoming a mother nearly nine years ago and managing my own health challenges, I realized how disconnected many families are from the healing traditions that used to be part of everyday life. I began studying herbalism, gardening, and sustainable living not just as a hobby, but as a way to care for my family in a deeper, more intentional way. Read more>>
June Ni
I didn’t begin my career in art. My background is in technology, and for many years I worked in that world. When I began pursuing visual art seriously in 2021, I naturally started with digital tools and AI-assisted processes. I was comfortable there. I understood structure, iteration, and how to refine an image quickly. Over time, though, I began to notice something missing. Read more>>
Shaniqua Knight
I started Sheaniq Skin Care due to me having eczema. The products that I was trying was too harsh on my skin so I started by making body butter for myself and my family and friends. From there my passion grew to create more products and also put an emphasis on self care as well. Read more>>
Penny Wasmund
As far back, as I can, remember, I have always been a creative, whether it was sketching people for fun, learning to knit or crochet, sewing clothes for my children, or creating and painting sets for community theater productions. A few years ago, I was working as a respiratory therapist in a Charlotte Hospital when I had to undergo six months of chemotherapy for cancer. Read more>>
Elie Casey
I studied Retail Merchandising and Product Development in college at Florida State University, where I learned extensively about designing commercial retail spaces. I then went on to work in retail where I found my love of working directly with customers. Read more>>
Jennifer Zewe
I have worked in the service industry my entire life. I have always had a passion for serving people, trying to positively impact their day. I started at RallyPoint in August of 2012 as the daytime bartender, back when we didn’t even have servers and I ran the entire restaurant. Read more>>
Jyoti Singh
As a child, I always wanted to act and help peopleMake a difference in this world. In early 2000 my sister and I decided to register a non-profit, RVP charitable Organization. After doing that, we only took projects that we had to visit, so we could tell people where the funding is going. Read more>>
Bill Conlon
I had a 40 year corporate career and managed a number of businesses successfully during that span. When I left the corporate world, I decided I wanted to buy my own business and run it. Read more>>
Jasmine Jones
My life has been an ever-evolving journey, but at its core, my mission has always stayed the same: helping girls love themselves, build confidence, and understand that their lives are beautiful and worth nurturing, both internally and externally. It all started when I was just 16 years old. Read more>>
Hunter Beattie
After reading about Desmond Tutu’s decision to choose aquamation (water cremation), my wife and I opened a modern, eco-friendly funeral home. No maroon carpet, no floral wallpaper, no Readers Digests. We have a modern, light-filled space, with real (not plastic) plants and an urn gallery with urns made by local artists. Veronica and I had never considered working in the funeral industry. Read more>>
Anna Watkins, MSW, LCSW
Kildaire Counseling has been in the making for many years whether I knew it or not. My grandparents played a huge part in raising my twin sister and I. While a grad student at the UNC School of Social Work, I knew the Silver Tsunami was coming. Read more>>
Joy Tandon
The Common Community Workspace was created out of both opportunity and necessity. At the time, I was working as a therapist while raising three children, and my husband and I owned a commercial property with unused office space. I needed a flexible place to meet with clients but wasn’t interested in committing to a traditional private practice or the overhead that comes with it. Read more>>
Ashley Ferrell
I grabbed this off of my website I created….. The Feathered Farm Co. began alongside my husband, Zeke, rooted in both creativity and the farm life we love so much. I’ve always had an eye for design and detail, but it was the encouragement of family and friends that finally gave me the confidence to take the leap and turn a passion into something more. Read more>>
Daniel & Rachel Cuenca
Mammoth Metal Structures began in 2023 when Daniel and Rachel saw an opportunity in the metal building industry to provide high-quality, customizable structures that truly meet the needs of our clients. We started in Winston-Salem, learning the ins and outs of the industry and building a reputation for reliability and personalized service. Read more>>
Mark Zecher
For Me, the path to owning South Front Tavern in Wilmington, North Carolina began long before the doors opened in August of 2024. It started with a formal education in hotel and restaurant management and a clear focus on the back-of-the-house foundations that make great restaurants last. Read more>>
Onicas Onassa
Artist Onicas Gaddis calls his painting “Spiritual Expressionism”, which describes his work in general terms, but merely touches at describing the depth and breadth of where his paintings come from. Onicas has been painting for over twenty years. He discovered his talents at drawing after an artist visited one of many group homes he had lived in as a child. Read more>>
Miguel Pineda
I started at the University of Arizona studying business until I came to the conclusion that I was studying something that I did not like or enjoy learning. I decided to take a semester off and once ready back to study I went to Pima Community College, graduated with an Associates in studying film. Read more>>
Cherrelle Morgan
My story is rooted in struggle before it ever turned into success. I didn’t start with a blueprint, funding, or connections. I started with faith, determination, and a lot of unanswered questions. I entered the beauty industry simply trying to make a way for myself, not fully realizing how much I would have to grow in the process. Read more>>
Vanessa Coble, PHD
Seniors Medical Supply was founded to address the lack of quality care and supplies available to rural North Carolinians. We opened in March 2005 and operated only in the deepest and most impoverished areas of North Carolina. Read more>>
Monica Alvarez
Alvarez House started as a monthly park event, supporting our local homeless Veteran community. Read more>>
Tamara/Laura Webb/Adkins
We have been friends since high school. We have always both been passionate about our careers and helping others. Laura has 21 years of experience as a licensed Hairstylist specializing in cuts, color, formal hairstyles and hair health maintenance. Tamara has 20 years of experience in customer service, business management, client relations and operational oversight. Read more>>
Betsy Hockaday
I I have been in the fitness industry since 1992, teaching group fitness throughout Cary and Raleigh. For more than three decades, I have had the privilege of standing in front of rooms full of women at places like the YMCA, Lifetime Fitness, Peak Fitness, Spa Health Club, and Rex Wellness Center, helping them move their bodies and build strength. Read more>>
Demi Tucker
I began my career in nutrition science, graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) with a deep understanding of how food shapes health and community. After working in the corporate sector, I made the intentional decision to leave and return to the land, continuing a five-generation farming legacy rooted in family stewardship since 1881. Read more>>
Contina Walker
New Beginning Community Outreach Worldwide was founded in 2011 with a simple yet powerful vision from God: to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals both locally and globally. We believe that people everywhere are searching for real, practical solutions to navigate the challenges of everyday life. Read more>>
Erin Bircher
I’ve always been deeply curious about human behavior how communication shapes relationships, how conflict escalates, and why some people grow through challenge while others feel stuck inside it. Growing up in Northern Virginia, I knew early on that I wanted to experience more than one place and perspective. Read more>>
Charles Morris
Like many Americans at the time, I chose to join the United States military shortly after the events of September 11. Serving my country shaped my character in ways that continue to guide me today. The discipline, responsibility, and commitment to excellence learned in uniform became the foundation for everything that followed. Read more>>
Shawnda Berry
Bloomberry Bouquets began in 2020 during the pandemic as a personal project called “The Art of Giving Flowers”. What started as a hobby quickly became a meaningful way to connect with others through flowers. As Bloomberry grew, we spent two years working under an established floral designer from 2022 to 2024, refining our technical foundation and deepening our understanding of floral design. Read more>>
DeAndre Hansley
I loved taking photos for as long asi can remember. It all started when I finally left fostercare and got my first phone which was a Nokia touch screen and the camera was awesome. Read more>>
Catherine Laurenti
Sorella means “sister” in Italian, and it’s the heart behind everything we do. My sister Sarah and I started our permanent jewelry business together after getting permanent bracelets together the morning of her wedding. Getting permanent jewelry that day wasn’t just about the pieces themselves, it was about marking a milestone and carrying it with us long after the wedding day was over. Read more>>
Amanda Harrell
Farming was my families COVID pivot. When things paused we took stock and rearranged our life to better suit our true priorities; working to together as a family, being outside, and providing something of value to our community. We found a little bit of land to rent with zero infrastructure, but it was enough to start a little market garden farm. Read more>>
Jaynine Howard
For 20 years, while in the Marine Corps, I saw people leaving the military with no goals for the future and no life or sparkle in their eyes. I always helped my Marines set long- and short-term goals and design strategies to reach them. I wanted them to leave the military with money in the bank and to have met a particular educational milestone. Read more>>
Latoya Taylor
I started my career in corporate learning and development, where I’ve spent over a decade designing training, building curriculum, and leading instructional content teams. Storytelling was always part of my work, but it lived inside slides, systems, and structured learning experiences. Over time, I realized what I loved most wasn’t just teaching information, it was shaping how people experience a message. Read more>>
Meg Carpenter
2005-2011: A Teacher’s Vision to Make a Difference, One Student at a Time In 2005, a recent college graduate began her dream job—teaching kindergarten to an underserved population in an impoverished school. Read more>>
Maximilian Shafir
I started my career while I was still in school, volunteering in Chapel Hill with adults living with severe and persistent mental illness. Once a week, I would take clients out into the community — for coffee, for walks, for connection. Those conversations changed me. They gave me a real understanding of dignity, isolation, resilience, and what happens when systems don’t fully support people. Read more>>
Genna Rittenhouse
I’ve always loved dogs, but I didn’t grow up with one until I was almost 12. After that dog passed and I was out of the house, I started working part-time at a gun dog training facility in Northeastern Connecticut—first as a kennel attendant, then as an apprentice trainer. I learned the foundations there: board-and-train programs, obedience work, and how to read dogs under pressure. Read more>>
Keiko Bury
I started working at an independent pharmacy in my hometown of Jacksonville in Eastern North Carolina when I was in high school and fell in love with the pharmacy profession there. It was family owned and they knew everyone in the community. Read more>>
Robin Stevens
I started preparing taxes in the year 2000 for just a couple of friends and that couple of friends grew into my now more than 500 clients. My business mainly grew by word of mouth and continues to grow by the same methods today. Read more>>
Corinna Dunn
My journey started with a simple but powerful realization: healing is possible, and we don’t talk about it enough. Like a lot of people, I’ve navigated seasons of growth, setbacks, reinvention, and learning how to prioritize my mental and physical health in a real way — not just the curated version. What began as personal work evolved into public conversations. Read more>>
Leon Steele
Prior to moving to North Carolina, I spent several years focused on downtown revitalization across 37 communities in Louisiana as part of the State Main Street program. In 2017, I transitioned to my current role as the Director of Downtown Kinston Revitalization. Read more>>
Anastasia Sagalovich
While living in Miami, Florida, I spent years as a struggling designer working behind the scenes with high-profile figures in the fashion industry and a handful of celebrities. Despite proximity to influence, my voice was consistently minimized. Read more>>
Danny Mullen
My real estate journey didn’t start with listings and closings, it started with learning the game from every angle. I’ve been in real estate long enough to know there’s no single lane to success. I’ve bought and sold homes, invested in buy-and-holds, taken properties down to the studs, flipped them back to life, navigated 1031 exchanges, and worked both pre-existing homes and new construction. Read more>>
Katherine Scott Crawford
I’m a child of the Carolinas: born and raised in South Carolina, with long and tangly North Carolina roots. I was raised by Southern storytellers, and I spent a childhood outside. I’ve been a college professor, a backpacking guide, a newspaper reporter, a columnist, a student, mom, and more. Read more>>https://voyageraleigh.com/interview/conversations-with-katherine-scott-crawford
Diep Nguyen
The idea behind Girlhood-Charlotte (GH-C) was started on a soccer field in 2023. As mothers of two best friends, we had a conversation while watching our then 11-year-old daughters playing a soccer game that we needed to talk to them about puberty. Read more>>
Shelley Ward
I didn’t enter esthetics through a straight line. I arrived here through lived experience. For years, I moved through different seasons of life, raising children, working in leadership roles, earning my degree in business. What I began to notice in every chapter was this: I’ve always been drawn to spaces where people feel safe enough to exhale. Read more>>
Brandon Leake
Brandon Leake “OneTakeJake” founder of Yo! Customs. I began my videography journey in 2021, creating commercials and content for a car dealership. Utilizing my creativity to create eye catching content for their social media platforms and also marketing online. As time passed I expanded into other industries such as fashion, hospitality, and films. Read more>>
Justin and Meredith Kate Petrilli
Absolutely! Banks Builders grew out of a desire to build homes that truly serve the Crystal Coast and the people who call it home. Justin and I felt a deep responsibility for our coastal communities, a desire to build homes with greater care, preparation, and accountability. Read more>>
Tiffany Fisher
In 2015, I said yes to something that scared me. At the time, I was part of an online Bible study with a few business partners—nothing out of the ordinary, just women gathering virtually to grow in faith together. When the study ended, the group leader reached out to me privately. Read more>>
Tiffany and Milton Moye
I was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and Milton was born in Greenville, North Carolina. Though we grew up in different states, we were both raised with strong family values and a deep understanding of hard work and perseverance. I come from a large family with three brothers and two sisters. Read more>>
Crystal Scott
I didn’t just build a salon — I built a space that reflects who I am and what I believe women deserve. With over 18 years in the beauty industry as a veteran behind the chair, my journey began with a deep love for transformation. Not just hair transformations — but confidence transformations. Read more>>
Joseph Ross
My journey was a little different than others, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, specifically a barber, however it was always something I just thought would pass. My grandfather was a barber and owned multiple shops, so I was always in the barber shop environment, so naturally it was in my blood ! Read more>>
Michael & Amanda Cox
We moved to this community four and a half years ago, as a family of four (Myself, Michael, Ben (8), and Addi (4)) with a dream of building something meaningful together. When we first purchased our property, there wasn’t much here except the house, cabin, a utility building, and land. Read more>>
Mikel Frank
This is a joint venture between Queen City Art and Guild of Charlotte Artists. Last year I co-curated an important and timely exhibition with Joanne Rogers and Carl Heyward and Akiko Suzuki of Global Art Project called “CrossingBorders: We Are All Immigrants.” We exhibited in two venues. The show was made up of members of GAP and selected Charlotte artists. It’s first stop was New York City at Westbeth Gallery and then in Charlotte at Nine Eighteen Nine Studio Gallery. Read more>>
Emily Chaffee
After my high-risk pregnancy with my son in 2015, I experienced firsthand how invaluable consistent, compassionate support can be for birthing individuals and family. With a background in massage therapy, I already had the skills to provide hands-on physical support, and I knew the next step in my journey was to pursue birth doula training. Read more>>
