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.
Carmela Randazzo-Stevenson
There are only a few lavender farms in the region. As far as I know, I am the only one that invites everyone to come out and pick your own lavender, have a picnic in the field, and shop our amazing line of lavender products in our shop. To the best of my knowledge, there isn’t another immersive video lounge anywhere in the US. Read more>>
MICHELLE WILLIAMS
Kevin is my why. His story is the reason I stand in my truth today and the reason I dedicate my work to making sure fewer families ever have to experience the same pain. What I’ve learned through all of this is that this epidemic grows in silence and shame. Too often, families feel judged instead of supported. People don’t talk about it until it’s too late. I wanted to change that — to replace judgment with knowledge, fear with resources, and stigma with action. Read more>>
Austin Ashby
There were moments where money was tight, time was tight, and the only thing I had was the belief that I could make it work if I just kept going. Starting a shop added an entirely new set of challenges. It’s one thing to focus on your own art, and another to take on the responsibility of a business—managing clients, schedules, finances, and the environment you want to build for other artists. There were setbacks, unexpected obstacles, and days where it felt like nothing was moving fast enough. Read more>>
Tayla Henry
Although time apart from my children can be tough, I’ve learned that perseverance and resilience can transform even the darkest moments into opportunities for growth. I remind myself daily that life’s greatest challenges often pave the way for remarkable strength and transformation. With unwavering determination, I face each challenge head-on, empowered by my ability to rise above and create positive change. Read more>>
Kathy Lock
I was born and raised near Carrollton, MO, and was one who said I would never live here once I finished college. Carrollton was way too small and didn’t have what I wanted in life. That’s what all 18-year-olds say, right? Read more>>
Anthony and Andrea Johnson
MadHatter’s started first as a personal hobby (and a general appreciation for Alice in Wonderland) – Anthony had always been interested in pipes and pipe tobacco but hadn’t been able to previously pursue the curiosity. Curiosity turned into what if, and what if turned into a leap of faith. Generic Amazon starter pipes quickly became Savinelli, Peterson, and Chacom. Read more>>
Thomas and Macey Robinson
Thomas’s journey in construction began hands-on, learning each trade through real experience — from working with sheet rockers to joining framing crews and taking on remodels during evenings and weekends. Over time, he expanded into building homes on his own, gaining a deep understanding of what it takes to bring a project from an idea to a finished space. Read more>>
Geoffrey Kump
Helping the Heartland began in early November 2024 from three brother Andrew, Charles, and Geoffrey Kump. It came from a simple realization that there are many people in our community doing good work who see real needs every day but do not have the structure, funding, or nonprofit status required to truly scale their impact. Read more>>
Sheriee Rusk
I always say that Farm To Able didn’t start with a business plan: it started with a feeling I couldn’t ignore. I grew up a sixth-generation farm kid on my family’s century-old cattle farm in Maysville, Missouri. My childhood was tractors, horses, and long days beside my grandfather. I loved that world, but even then, there were moments that didn’t sit right with me. Read more>>
Darby Davis
I started Moonlit Petrichor after I purchased a bar of soap from a small shop that is no longer in business. I fell in love with the way their soap made my skin feel. I learned how to make soap. I made so much that I couldn’t use it all. My ex suggested I try to sell it. So I did. And here we are! Read more>>
Madison Bollinger
Growing up as a lover of fashion and curating different looks, I always knew I had an entreprenuial spirit and wanted to combine the two. After graduating with an Apparel Marketing degree I had plans to move to Chicago when COVID happened. I decided I’d launch an online boutique while I figured out my next step. Read more>>
Renae Carter
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and over the years I became the person friends and family turned to when they needed help. Whether it was organizing operations, building simple systems, or using tech to make things run smoother, I loved stepping in and solving problems. Those moments showed me how naturally I gravitated toward bringing order, clarity, and confidence to the way people work. Read more>>
Benjamin Ward
I started Hope Spring Counseling out of a deep calling to meet a growing need — especially among those in rural areas and communities with limited access to behavioral health care. Over the past 16+ years, I’ve worked across a wide range of settings, witnessing firsthand how trauma, chronic illness, disability, and mental health challenges can profoundly affect a person’s well-being. Read more>>
Steve Heim
In 2008, my two brothers and I were looking for a truck to haul grain with on our small farming operation. When we came across a dump truck that our local county had traded in. We bought it and first just used it to haul grain with then started doing small rock hauling on the side of our full-time jobs. Read more>>
Rachael Messner
We started Messner Bee Farm in 2014 with a couple of beehives in our backyard and a fascination with making things with our hands and sharing joy with our community. In the early years, we spent our evenings and weekends experimenting—learning beekeeping, selling honey at small markets, and slowly growing product by product. Read more>>
Karen and Jeff Shipley
We are Shipley Acres looking to tell our story to Voyage KC magazine. Jeff purchased the 100-acre property in 2008. Honeybees and hives were on the property when he arrived. He learned the art of beekeeper through a class and old-fashioned trial and error. Read more>>
Tonia Haakonstad
I have dedicated my life to reaching the most vulnerable and underserved youth in our community. I lead with compassion, empathy, and an unwavering belief that every child deserves to feel seen, valued, and supported. My story is not just about founding an organization—it’s about inspiring hope and new beginnings for countless young lives. Read more>>
Brock Swindler
I first became interested in chiropractic care after a football injury in high school. While recovering, I built a close relationship with my chiropractor, who not only helped me heal but also encouraged me to consider it as a career. That experience planted the first seed. Read more>>
Geony Rucker
Let me start by saying, I never wanted to start a nonprofit. That was never the plan. Even as a child, ‘entrepreneur’ and ‘community activist’ were never on the list of things I wanted to be. But, after experiencing a date-rape as a freshman in college, everything changed. Read more>>
Evan Verploegh
My background is fairly wide-ranging, and it certainly was not a direct path to the position I hold today. I was initially hired by the International Relations Council as our program coordinator. This includes booking speakers, coordinating with event spaces, handling catering – details like that. Read more>>
Georgia Stull
I have been a sewist as long as I can remember. I made some of my clothes in high school. I made extra money by sewing clothes for others. After I made my wedding dress, I started making wedding dresses and formal wear. I enjoyed it for many years–until I just couldn’t deal with brides anymore! So, I started stitching up home decor. Read more>>
Debbie Buchholz
One of my sons, started a 501 (C)3 years ago when he was in high school, and has since moved on with his life’s journey. When I took over running Deaf International, the focus changed from producing Christian videos for the Deaf community to working with Deaf refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants in the KC metro. Read more>>
Attorney Andres Hernandez
I started in immigration and personal injury work because I saw firsthand how confusing, overwhelming, and sometimes intimidating the legal system can be for immigrant families. Many people don’t know their rights, don’t have access to reliable information, or are afraid to seek help. I wanted to build something that felt different—something rooted in service, trust, and community. Read more>>
Keith Bachand
Hearty Leaf Microgreens began in November 2022, but the idea started even earlier. I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart, and at the time I was searching for a new hobby and side business that also supported my personal health goals. Read more>>
Mason Barry
I grew up in Warrensburg, Missouri, always making stuff as a kid. Drawing, clay, running around outside, just building things out of whatever was in front of me. School never was my thing, but I managed to get into UCM, stuck it out, and graduated in 2018 with a double major in graphic design and illustration. Read more>>
Michael Brock
During my service in the United States Marine Corps, I often found myself thinking about what direction I wanted to take once it was time to transition back into civilian life. Read more>>
Matthew Vincent
I grew up in a small town in central Kansas called Lyons, but my ‘adult’ life story really started when I left home for college. The start of that journey brought me to Ft. Scott Kansas where I played collegiate football for the FSCC Greyhounds as a Punter. In my opinion, this is the best position to occupy in all of football. Read more>>
Kylie Vannaman MD
When I first learned about the concept of direct primary care (DPC), I was struck by how differently it approached medicine: personal, relationship-driven, and free from the pressures of the traditional insurance model. That idea resonated deeply with me. Read more>>
Adrian Levy
I was born in Jackson Mississippi to My parents Lj and Lavell the were kind of young my daddy was 21 and my mama was 18. I think their first apt was in a place called Walnut Grove, Ms, where the brought me home. I dont think we stay there long, my cousin Duke told me they moved to Carthage a couple mths afterwards. Read more>>
Heather Beem
Beemer Plumbing was founded by James Lee Beem Jr. in early 1980.00. He was Joined by his son Jeremiah Beem full time in late 1990. They worked hand in hand until James Lee Beem Jr. passed unexpected very soon after his son joined his side full time. Read more>>
Lisa Nickel
I’ve always been a naturally optimistic, sunny-side-up thinker, but my real story is about choosing happiness as an intention and a practice and then teaching others how to do the same. Through decades of volunteer leadership, raising a family, and now navigating the empty-nest season, I’ve always been drawn to growth—my own and others’. Coaching became the natural step to share what I’ve learned. Read more>>
Allison Bowman
I’ve always loved making art and being creative from a very young age. I went to college to study art and received a Bachelor of Fine Art from Kansas State University in 2017, which kickstarted my creative practice. Read more>>
Hayden Holden
The man I have become can only be attributed to the trials and tribulations I have overcome. So much heartbreak, so much rejection, so many unmet expectations and disappointments. Such a blessing it is not to have been presented a normal life. If everything was the way it was supposed to be, I would not be me. Read more>>
Abby Peoples
Throughout my life, I’ve discovered a deep love for capturing memory-making moments—mist dancing between mountains, the way evening light saturates a Manhattan brownstone, the life story written in the face of someone I’ve only just met. Read more>>
Gideon Madison
My momma and my grandparents raised me. They have always been highly encouraging of me and my creativity. As a kid, I loved playing pretend and making stories with my toys. It was how I felt most free to be myself. I was very shy and introverted. I was an observer of people, always admiring them from afar, wondering how I fit in. Read more>>
Justin Strickland
I love leadership, and I have always had opportunities to lead and grow as a leader. From my time being captain of my basketball team at the YMCA to starting clubs in high school and college, my story is filled with the ups and downs of leadership. Read more>>
Mikaila Martinez
I started my small business, Palomai, as a passion project, but it quickly became so much more. It grew into a brand centered on confidence, positive self-talk, and helping estheticians and beauty professionals feel amazing in their own skin. Read more>>
Mayra Flores
I’m Mayra, a permanent makeup artist in Kansas City. I create soft, natural enhancements that make women feel even more confident. My journey hasn’t been linear or glamorous, but it’s been real. I didn’t grow up knowing exactly what I wanted to do, but I’ve always been creative and naturally drawn to anything that lets me transform something into its best version. Read more>>
Tiffany Lor
I didn’t grow up imagining I’d work in government or communications, but I’ve always been drawn to helping people understand what’s going on around them. I actually got my first real experience in communication through broadcast journalism. I worked as a news anchor at KMMO, covering local government across seven different counties. Read more>>
Elan Portnoy
I was born and forged in New York City—forty years in the concrete jungle that taught me everything I know about music, rhythm, and survival. I learned to play guitar, to write songs that actually meant something, and to form bands before I was even old enough to drive. I started my first band at age ten (The Decades). Read more>>
Brynne Mellon Bailye Colbert
We, Brynne Mellon & Bailye Colbert, started our business in December of 2018. Bailye had attended an auction in STL, our first one knowing we intended on buying the quilts to try to resell them. Before, the buying and collecting quilts was just a hobby. We had some experience in soaking and washing quilts, but only for use in our homes. Read more>>
krissa miller
When I first learned about this career path dedicated to sustainability, improving home performance, and helping people live in healthier, more efficient homes, it immediately resonated with me. The idea that I could contribute to both environmental stewardship and better living conditions for families was deeply fulfilling. Read more>>
Calvin Thompson
I grew up in Wyandotte County and attended Wyandotte High School. I played basketball and was voted the best player in Kansas in 1982 and then went on to play for Ted Owens and Larry Brown a the University of Kansas. Drafted by the New York Knicks of the NBA and played two seasons in the CBA before venturing overseas to continue my playing career. Read more>>
Janice Nastav
I’ve been a crafter all my life. Spent my adult life raising my kids on a farm about an hour away, started building and selling birdhouses at shows & markets… Post ’empty nest’, I needed more community, so i bought this old building on Main Street not knowing exactly what it would be. Read more>>
Anne Wisdom
You know that moment when everything seems to come together and make sense? It’s like those popular posters from the 90s, where you had to stare at them in a certain way until the blurred, distorted shapes revealed a clear image. Read more>>
Krista Wilson
I grew up in a farm family and my husband started in agriculture as kid in 4H then continued on to study animal science and ag econ at K-State. We always had livestock on our farm after we got married, mostly show lambs and a few chickens and pigs. Read more>>
BJ Reed
Some of my earliest memories were dreaming of being a teacher when I grew up. When I had to settle down and select a major in college, I chose to complete my bachelor’s in business administration. When our daughter was a toddler, I knew I wanted to homeschool her. My family joined a local homeschool group in 2009. Read more>>
Nicole King
I started working in the nonprofit sector as a school administrator of a PK-8 public charter school. Throughout my life and career, I always have had a passion for helping people and pets. I saw firsthand how economic hardship impacts families and pets. Read more>>
Matt Lane and Chad Barnes
Matt Lane and Chad Barnes opened F.I.T. Muscle & Joint Clinic in Shawnee, KS in 2012 with some aggressive goals in mind. Not only did they want to develop and grow a cutting-edge clinic, offering the best in musculoskeletal rehab, but they wanted to develop a model changing healthcare. Read more>>
Randy Winchester
We purchased the 70-acre farm in 2010 and in 2011 brought 7 Highland cows onto the farm. 1 bull and 6 cows. I grew up in small town Kansas, where our family owned a grain elevator, a feedlot, and farmed a few hundred acres. When I left for college, I swore I’d never go back to that. Read more>>
Emily Elkins
My journey into canine behavior really began in 2016 when I became a kennel technician at a veterinary clinic and met my first behavioral dog, Angel. I was in school at UMKC to become a lawyer, but that quickly shifted. Read more>>
Brian Thomas
From my early career in technology to eventually becoming a technology executive and influencer is a 25 year story. As I mentioned, I’m a known tech influencer that served in various technology leadership positions for the past 25 years, to include Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Read more>>
Sonia Rivera
Hi, I’m Sonia Rivera, a graduate of Ferris State University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Generalist since 2016. For over 15 years, I’ve been working as a Community Health Worker in Kent County, and now I also support families, particularly expectant mothers, as a doula. Through this role, I’ve had the privilege of providing prenatal and postnatal support to numerous women. Read more>>
Laura Schneider
I spent the first five years of my career as a college advisor and post-secondary coach. I worked at two non-profit organizations during this time, focusing on college admissions, financial aid, retention, internships and careers, and college graduation. About six months into my tenure at one of these organizations, a data analyst was hired. Read more>>
Jeremy Kneeland
I, like many brewers, started brewing beer in my garage. My wife, Sunni Kneeland, bought me a brewing kit and said ‘here, brew your own beer’, and so the obsession began. Around 2014, brewing beer every weekend in my garage was how I spent many hours. Brewing new styles, new flavors, and repeating brew days to perfect a recipe. Read more>>
Samantha Crouch
I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Central Missouri, and shortly after graduating, I began my career in education. Over the past decade, I taught high school and middle school English, and in my final three years, I served as a behavior intervention coach. Read more>>
Kelly Jackson
My introduction to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) started when a co-worker recommended coming to a Family to Family class in 2017. My husband was having unusual behavior, severely depressed, suicidal, irritable and he was in the process of being diagnosed with a mental health condition. This class was an absolute game changer for me and my family. Read more>>
