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.
Pegah Kamgar
My journey has been shaped by a blend of professional leadership and deep personal growth. I began my career in the corporate and tech world, leading teams and working in high-pressure environments, while simultaneously being drawn to healing, self-development, and the inner work that supports emotional wellbeing. Over time, those two paths came together. Read more>>
Julee Goeser
We’ve all heard the saying, “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” I’m finally living that truth. It took nearly half a lifetime to arrive here, but I’ve found my calling: helping people gain a clear, accurate picture of their bone health so they—and their medical team—can make more informed decisions about care. Read more>>
Karen Allen
I was a single parenting raising 2 children. Going to school to better our lives and working 2 to 3 jobs to make ends meet. In March or April of 2001, I had foot surgery on both feet. Here I was a person who stayed busy to a person who had to rely on others to care for me. My recovery was a bit depressing. Read more>>
Jordan Yoder
What started as a creative outlet quickly grew into something much more meaningful. I’ve always loved creating cozy, intentional spaces, and candle-making began as a way for me to slow down, be present, and pour love into something tangible. Read more>>
Erik Erazo
Originally from California, I came to Kansas after leaving the military to visit family—never intending to stay, and certainly not planning a career in education. I had applied to Hummer as a mechanic, drawing on my military training and schooling, and while waiting to hear back, I accepted a temporary position as a security guard with Olathe Public Schools. I never left. Read more>>
Jennifer Foster
The Mix storefront opened on August 4th, 2023. There was a need for women to be able to shop locally and offer options that aren’t available at the big box stores. Most of the stores in our mall have closed in recent years and we thought this would be a great way to serve the women in our community. Read more>>
Austin Whiles
The origin of Mokan Labs and the Evolve Consortium didn’t begin in a boardroom—it began at the bedside. As a practicing urologist, Dr. Bristol Whiles spent years treating patients with recurrent and complicated urinary tract infections. Again and again, she saw the same frustrating pattern: despite advances in molecular PCR testing that rapidly identified pathogens, patients weren’t consistently getting better. Read more>>
Rodney Whittington
I am a licensed nursing home administrator for 27 years. I graduated from KSU in 1999. I have operated, consulted with and helped nursing homes across the country for years. I have a consulting company method healthcare and have written a book. I am writing my second book now. I would like to share my experience on a very relevant topic….aging. Read more>>
Amy Tran
This place used to be my tattoo shop with my previous partners until my sister in law which is my partner helped convert this place to a head spa. She helped me through the hardest part that helped me out of debt. Read more>>
Nathan Hall
I never planned to be an entrepreneur. I built Lefty because I had to — the life I was living couldn’t hold what our family was carrying. Zoie changed everything. She was born with a serious heart condition. First open-heart surgery at 31 days old. Three more after that. Procedures I stopped counting. Most kids with her condition don’t make it past childhood. She’s 14. Read more>>
Erin Hawkins
I’ve always known I wanted a career in the helping field. After college, I pursued a Master’s Degree in Counseling and later earned an Educational Specialist Degree in Mental Health in the Schools. I began my career as a school counselor, where I loved working with students and supporting them as they navigated growth, challenges, and big life transitions. Read more>>https://voyagekc.com/interview/meet-erin-hawkins-of-blooming-minds
Kim Kruske
15 years ago I decided I needed to change careers and was ready to go back to my passions….dance and coaching children. I was a getting ready to go through a divorce and be a single mom, move out of our family home with my boys and this risk of starting the studio was scary. Read more>>https://voyagekc.com/interview/exploring-life-business-with-kim-kruske-of-the-studio-ldg
Weston Sparks
In 2017, the skateshop that I grew up skating for was shutting down. With no indoor skateparks in the area, it made sense to build one for the public to access. Read more>>
Alexis Johnson
I started my journey as a mom and entrepreneur the moment I had my son at 17 years old. Becoming a mother at a young age shifted everything for me—it gave me purpose, drive, and a deep desire to create stability, flexibility, and a life I was proud of for my family. Read more>>
Nathaniel Paull
I was born and raised in St. Louis. Read more>>
Courtney Bishop
My story is not a straight line. It is a series of choices, some intentional and some born out of necessity, that slowly taught me how much power we actually have when we pause, reflect, and choose differently. I began my career in education, serving as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and public school principal. I loved the work deeply. Read more>>
Scarlet McKenzie
After surviving abuse, domestic violence and fighting through systems that often silence survivors, including battles with CPS to protect my role as a mother, I made the conscious decision to turn my pain into purpose. I focused on healing, rebuilding, and advocating for those whose voices are overlooked, especially women and children impacted by violence and systemic injustice. Read more>>
The Berry Patch Stephanie Willis
In 1975, Thompson Willis and wife, Penny, purchased the land that is now The Berry Patch. No water, barns, electricity or driveway, they started with a piece of land and many different ideas on how to use it. By 1980, they had tried multiple fruit’s on the land, including apples, raspberries, and blackberries, with very little luck. Read more>>
Sadie Guerra
Over 40 years ago, Autumn Woods was born. My grandparents founded our family-owned and operated health care facility, designing and building it from the ground up with a clear vision in mind. At the time, traditional nursing homes were not yet widely needed, so they chose to focus on Residential Care—providing a safe, structured home for individuals living with mental illness and developmental disabilities. Read more>>
Kendra Hayes
After 15 years in healthcare, working in roles ranging from ICU clinical dietitian to dietitian management and various outpatient clinics, I’ve seen a lot I’ve experienced both the best of healthcare and the areas where there is clear opportunity for improvement. I’ve seen how rushed systems can negatively impact the quality of care. Read more>>https://voyagekc.com/interview/inspiring-conversations-with-kendra-hayes-of-kendras-kustom-nutrition
Annie Wolf
I began my career as an elementary classroom teacher. As a young professional, I poured myself into the role. I loved working with kids, learning from coworkers, and the opportunity to create a positive impact. After my husband and I started a family, I found that I did not have the same amount of energy to give to classroom teaching. Read more>>
Kelly Meiners
I had a fulfilling career as a sports medicine physical therapist in the Kansas City metro area beginning in 1999. In 2012, I earned my PhD from Saint Louis University and later joined the Physical Therapy program at my alma mater, Rockhurst University. Over time, I became a tenured associate professor and Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Exercise Science. Read more>>
Alana Washington
After graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in Journalism & Minor of Theatre, 2020. I honestly did not know what career was for me. I applied to several jobs and landed a recruiting role at Pinnacle Staffing. Although I loved the staff and it was good money, I was not fulfilled. Read more>>
Janel House
What inspired me to start my business began during a season when my health required me to slow down and stay home. I had always been someone who was constantly moving and doing, so that pause was unfamiliar territory. Wanting to give me something creative to focus on while I figured out my next steps, my husband surprised me with a Cricut. Read more>>
Isaac Bonk
I grew up in small-town Nebraska, dreaming of the larger world and all the untapped experiences it held—and, even more importantly, the many different kinds of people and cultures within it. Read more>>
Taylor Brooks
I grew up moving…a lot. By the time I was an adult, I had lived in four different states, and each place shaped a different part of who I am today. I started out in Colorado, in the Denver metro area, where I went to a Montessori school for elementary. Read more>>
Rick Chamness
My personal journey has taken me all over the world and back again. I was born and raised in Kansas City. After high school, I bounced around the country a bit working my undergrad and my first graduate degree. Eventually, I ended up in Taiwan where I taught English and worked with a Christian Church. Read more>>
Laura Nsoh-Awasom
Atielah Fashion was founded in 2022 with a simple goal: to create clothing that honors African heritage while fitting seamlessly into modern, everyday life. Growing up, I noticed that culturally inspired fashion was often reserved for special occasions, leaving little space for pieces that felt both meaningful and wearable day to day. Read more>>
Mandie Harding
I am a mixed media artist and educator whose work is rooted in personal narrative, healing, and the reclamation of voice. Drawing from my lived experiences as a survivor, I use materials like drawing, painting, collage, textiles, and found objects to create layered imagery that explores memory, anger, shame, resilience, and self-care, often symbolized through the color red. Read more>>
Rusty Fulling
THE RIPPLES THAT MATTER Someone recently asked my 10-year-old niece Sammi, “What does your uncle Rusty do for work?” Without hesitation, she answered, “He gives presents to children at Christmas, and he travels around the world to help people in need.” She didn’t mention that I lead a fractional CFO firm. Read more>>
Karen Schroeder
I’ve always had a love of photography, my mom used to get so frustrated when she’d go to use our camera and found that all the film had been used. I bought my first SLR when I went to college – a Minolta x570. Read more>>
Burly Esque
Greetings! I am Burly Esque, Kansas City’s premier opera-singing drag queen. As a drag artist and queer community builder, I champions all things fat, funny, and fabulous. Audiences are delighted by my humor and live vocals, in addition to my larger-than-life makeup and unique sense of style. I was recently awarded The Pitch KC’s Best Drag Artist of 2025. Read more>>
Dayna Schaecher
Dayna Schaecher Founder & Owner, Beyond Ink LLC Pierce, Nebraska Dayna Schaecher is the founder and owner of Beyond Ink LLC, a boho-modern beauty, tattoo, and wellness studio rooted in artistry, confidence, and community connection. Read more>>
Tragik
2025 has been the hardest year of my life. My wife, who I’ve been with for almost 15 years, passed away suddenly back in May. Her name was Felicia, she was 38 years young & It crushed my entire fucking world. Everything stopped. Eating, taking care of myself, and the music. It’s been almost 8 months since she passed, and im starting to pick up the pen. Writing and creating is one of the few things keeping me going. Read more>>
Cassie Anderson
I also had to unlearn the idea that struggle meant failure (thanks, perfectionism). Becoming a therapist required me to face my own wounds, including my own birth trauma, my own anxiety, and the generational patterns that were affecting my parenting and self-esteem. Doing that while learning how to sit compassionately with others in their journeys made my determination that much stronger. Read more>>
