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.
Marcus E.T.
Inspired by watching animated series like Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and reading books like Redwall and Animorphs, I started writing stories and reading them to my classmates when I was 8 years old. From then on, I was always consuming media in every form and developing my own fantasy worlds. Read More>>
Samantha Kniskern
I moved to North Carolina in the summer of 2017 only knowing one person, with just the belongings I could fit in my Kia Forte and my dog. I just got off of active duty and was trying to start the next ‘chapter’ of my life. Read More>>
Stephany Mejia
My path to becoming a therapist, business owner, DJ, and trauma informed sound healing practitioner has been anything but linear. As a first-generation low income Latine college student, I spent much of my early adulthood trying to figure out how to pay for school, work enough hours to survive, and decide what I wanted to do with my life. Read More>>
Joshua Shelley
My career has been shaped by a willingness to take on challenges that, at the time, seemed bigger than I was ready for. I spent 13 years serving in the U.S. Army, where I learned resilience, accountability, and how to stay focused on a mission even when the path forward wasn’t always clear. Those lessons stayed with me long after I left the military. Read More>>
Karina Akouka
I came to Real Estate after a 20 year career in Social Work. For years, my work centered on advocacy, listening deeply, and guiding people through some of the most stressful and emotional transitions of their lives. Over time, I realized that those same skills translated beautifully into real estate, especially when it comes to helping people move, relocate, or make big life changes. Read More>>
Naquette Porter-Burwell
My journey in the beauty industry began long before I became an esthetician. In 2003, I opened my first business, a hair salon, which I owned and operated for five years. That experience introduced me to entrepreneurship and gave me a firsthand understanding of what it takes to build a business, serve clients, and create an environment where people feel confident and cared for. Read More>>
Nick O’Keefe
I started Oak City Coatings in 2021 after spending more than a decade in the paint and coatings industry with Sherwin-Williams in sales and management. During that time, I worked closely with homeowners, painting companies, architects, engineers, and contractors, and I learned how much of an impact the right product, process, and communication can have on a project. My background is a little unexpected. Read More>>
Bianca Anderson
My husband Marcus and I were schooled, inspired and scared into making more informed choices about our food. After watching a documentary named GMO OMG on Netflix , we decided to change our everyday food items to non GMO / organic foods. So, we cleared out all of our food items at the time, and bought all organic produce and ingredients. Read More>>
Scott Tarpley
Success doesn’t happen overnight, and neither did Spartan Tactical Solutions LLC. Like many business owners, I started with a vision, a strong work ethic, and a desire to create something that would truly make a difference in my community. My journey into the industry taught me that clients need more than just a security presence—they need professionals they can trust. Read More>>
Da’Maria Hodges
My name is Da’Maria Hodges and I am a 29 year old pastry chef from Charlotte, NC. Unlike most people’s upbringing, I didn’t grow up baking in the kitchen, I more so watched it on television. I absolutely adored the Food Network as a child and would watch it faithfully afterschool. Read More>>
Sara Ondrako
I got my start in nonprofit work by doing things the wrong way at first, learning from it the hard way, taking a much-needed break, and then completely rethinking my solutions to a complex community problem before diving back in. Read More>>
Tricia Monteleone
Plastic Ocean Project started in a classroom, our founder, Bonnie Monteleone, went back to school at 50 to get a masters. She was tasked to read ‘Plastic Ocean’ by Susan Casey, and couldn’t believe what she was reading. Read More>>
Felix Bordon
I’ve been involved in the aquarium hobby for most of my life and started Reef Savvy in February of 2006. Like many businesses, it started small. I was passionate about the hobby and saw opportunities to improve upon many of the aquariums and techniques that were common at the time. In the beginning, I wore every hat imaginable. Read More>>
Elif Dilekoglu Nuriye Taskin
When I moved to North Carolina, we were looking to buy a house, and I was searching for a real estate agent. By coincidence, I came across Elif’s business card at a Turkish market. I took her card immediately—there were other cards there, too, but I chose hers. That’s how we crossed paths. What started with buying a house turned into a wonderful friendship. Read More>>
Venkat Lokula
My Journey being in the Pharmacy field started while I was pursuing my Masters in New York, Licensed to be Pharmacist is great feeling–Job security is the foremost, helping customers with their health needs has been most satisfying part of being a Pharmacist, I enjoyed listening to customers, they talked about their family, their health, grand kids and pets. Read More>>
Rhonda James
Smart Azz Auntie started as something I never expected to become a business. I’ve always been the person with the sarcastic comment, the side-eye, the practical advice, and the ability to find humor in situations that would normally stress people out. Like many Gen X women, I’ve spent years balancing work, family, responsibilities, and life while learning that sometimes laughter is the best survival skill. Read More>>
Arlon Robinson
My journey began decades ago when I was in elementary school. I use to draw pictures of Dragonball z characters and continue to draw anything, my eyes and hands could imagine. In middle school I started my graffiti stage. Coming up with characters and making them stylish. I sold artwork on paper . Read More>>
Reneé Steed
I learned how to braid when I was about twelve years old. I used to sit and watch my sister and aunt braid my various relative’s hair in amazement. Then one day I picked up my Kenya doll and started practicing on her. From there I began to practice on my own head, then my cousins and friends’ heads. Read More>>
Kristine Holm
Kristine Holm — Director of Operations, BOLD Real Estate A native of New Jersey, Kristine brings well over 25 years of executive experience in real estate and mortgage to her role. She relocated to the Triangle in 2007 to take a VP position with a national lender and quickly fell in love with the area. Read More>>
Rebekah Parks
In 2020 I lost my job because of Covid and started working at a hair salon in downtown apex as a receptionist. I was so intrigued watching the stylists, everyone was so creative, they were working with people on such a personal one on one level, making people feel good about themselves and offering an ear to listen. Read More>>
Renee Ridolfi
I started my career as a fifth grade teacher, and as time went on I realized my favorite part of the job was relationship-building. Students previously labeled ‘difficult’ often needed a deeper level of understanding and compassion that wasn’t always accessible in the span of a school day. Read More>>
Amie Prendes
I made my way to the Raleigh area from Omaha, Nebraska, where I taught middle school band for seven years while also owning my own piano and brass studio. Read More>>
Octavia Maxwell
My journey to becoming the founder of Skin Deep Naturals was not a traditional one. Like many women entrepreneurs, my path was born out of both passion and necessity. I started Skin Deep Naturals in 2017 with a simple vision: to create natural, effective self-care products that helped people feel confident in their own skin. Read More>>
Nisha Cash
I started my Journey with. Group of friends who were all into music. I didn’t know where to start but I knew I wanted to do music since I was young as 5. Read More>>
Joshua Clark
My journey into photography started in 2018, when I was a 17-year-old freshman in college. It was simple, really — people around me needed a camera, so I got one. What I didn’t expect was how quickly a practical decision would turn into a passion. I didn’t have formal training. I learned by watching YouTube videos, getting around other photographers, and absorbing everything I could. Read More>>
Page Stroud
My story has really been a journey of passion, purpose, and creating spaces where people feel celebrated. I’ve always been the person who noticed the little details — the way a room feels, the way people connect, and the moments that become memories. My professional journey began in corporate environments where I developed a love for organization, relationship-building, and creating meaningful experiences. Read More>>
Jo Tomsick
I grew up in Cleveland, the birthplace of Rock n Roll, as the only visual artist in a family of extroverted musicians. I spent my youth escaping into books and video games, and finding companionship with imaginary friends. My sketchbook became my playground, where I imagined all the weird and wild environments and creatures I might encounter in my own made up stories. Read More>>
Donald Thompson
My grandfather told me I was going to be the first millionaire in our family. I was seven years old, sitting in his living room in Bogalusa, Louisiana, and he meant every word of it. I’ve spent my entire career making sure he wasn’t wrong. Read More>>
Andy Eversole
I grew up in Kentucky. Basketball courts and golf courses. A kid who was competitive, curious, and always felt like there was something deeper underneath the surface of things. That curiosity pulled me toward philosophy at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC — and then, halfway through, China. A semester abroad that cracked me open. Read More>>
Jezreel Sirach
I started out with a laptop and ideas. I began writing when I was in high school. After graduating, my peers had cameras so I looked to them to help film. That didn’t work out so I bought my first camera and even then I didn’t get much help from friends and people close to me. Read More>>
Lindsey Chester
Lindsey Chester earned her BFA from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of Art with a focus in Printmaking and Drawing. Fresh out of school, she used her drawing and sewing skills to become a women’s clothing designer in New York City for 15 years. Read More>>
Dalia Wimberly
I’ve always carried a vision of a world where people learn to respect, accept, and even be fascinated by our differences—and where young people are supported in discovering their own gifts and leadership. Read More>>
Ellen Ransom
I’m 69 years old. I grew up in Glen Ellyn, IL 8th of 9 children, in a house my dad built himself. It was a good area to grow up, graduate, go to college, and get married and start a family. Midwesterners are salt of the earth people, but I always knew I wouldn’t stay there, I wanted a more southern climate. Read more>>
Christine Stevralia
I grew up in Pennsylvania. Despite being top of my class, I was ignorant of the outside world. The summer before senior year of high school, I watched the movie Hotel Rwanda. I was 17, and until then, had believed that war was a thing of the past. Read more>>
