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.
Mike Elder
Holy cow…. That’s a big question. One of those that im not sure how to answer I grew up in south Kansas City. My father restored Corvettes in a small shop behind our house, and my mother made cakes in the basement. Both were artist in their own right, and both were well known for what they did. Read more>>
Shelly Phalen
Jim and Shelly Phalen purchased what is now Phalen Equine Wellness Center and Horse Hotel nearly 9 years ago. The facility has been transformed from a run-down, half empty barn, to a full, thriving facility known for it’s exceptional care and customer environment. Read more>>
Grace Waterman
I’ve been making content for years. Being creative whether that’s through photo or video content/editing is something I’ve always loved. When I first started I was a mom with just my son at the time. Read more>>
DEBRA LAWRENCE
started photography by photographing landscapes. I loved mountains, open spaces, and beautiful light, and I spent a lot of time chasing scenes that felt peaceful and expansive. Somewhere along the way, I had a realization that still makes me laugh. Mountains are beautiful, but they can’t pay the bills. What changed everything was adding people into those landscapes. Read more>>
Chanel Kittle
Chanel Kittle is a Mental Health Psychotherapist, Life Coach, Executive and CEO Business Coach, financial expert, keynote speaker, and published author. She was a part owner in a finance firm for over 10 years, where she specialized in financial portfolio management and financial advising. Read more>>
Jennifer Robbins
I’ve been creating for as long as I can remember. As a child, I filled sketchbooks, painted ceramics, and lost track of time in anything that involved color or imagination. But it wasn’t until high school when college recruiters walked into my art classroom that the idea clicked: creativity could be my future. Read more>>
Emily Ruth
I was born a small child, right here in Kansas. My grandmother’s name was Dorothy and she told me one day when I was six-years-old, leaning forward, conspiratorially, “Ya know … I’m the ‘real’ Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.” I remember trying to decide if she thought I was a dumb kid or she was approaching senility. Read more>>
Huda Alkhatib
Al-Huda Photography began in the most humble and unexpected way — with me holding my phone, capturing moments simply because I loved freezing time. I was always drawn to the little details: the smiles that came naturally, the quiet emotions people didn’t realize they were showing, the beauty in everyday moments with family and friends. Read more>>
Sieglinde Othmer
One morning I woke up and I was eighty. Eighty! Not in a celebration mood! And my husband of 55 years had just died. My three children lived far away. What was I to do? I remembered a time in my youth when I traveled in Western Europe, learning languages, getting to know other cultures and their traditions and dances. I loved my independence then. Read more>>
Aaron Rubenking
What began as a simple 3D printing Christmas gift for his two kids quickly evolved into a deeper curiosity and drive to learn. That spark turned into a full-fledged business, where KC Custom Golf Supply now designs and produces custom golf accessories tailored for fellow golf enthusiasts. Read more>>
Kayla Hayden
I started doing photography when I was in high school- I was briefly in the yearbook staff my junior year. After I got to college, where my initial plans were to go into education, I found that it wasn’t the right fit for me and changed my major to photography. That was where I stayed for the remainder of college! Read more>>
CHASE KLUSMAN
My story begins in a pretty ordinary place. Growing up, I was always looking for ways to earn a few extra dollars—mowing lawns, shoveling driveways, and doing odd jobs so I could walk to the gas station for a drink or stop by Wendy’s for a burger. Read more>>
Kyle Keeports
I’m a business owner, community advocate, and conservation-minded outdoorsman based in Oak Grove. I own and operate Keeports Remodel, where I take pride in delivering quality craftsmanship, honest work, and hands-on leadership on every residential and commercial project. Building trust with my clients and turning houses into homes is at the core of what I do. Read more>>
Brandon Roland
My journey into photography didn’t start in a studio, it started at the local dirt bike tracks. I picked up a camera to capture my friends racing at local motocross events, drawn to the speed, grit, and raw energy of the sport. Those early days taught me how to anticipate moments, work fast, and tell a story in a split second. Read more>>
Henning Schwinum
Back around 2019, I was looking for fractional sales leadership gigs. No agency existed, though, specialized in matching CROs, CSOs, or VPs of Sales with companies needing that exact firepower. Traditional recruiters started from scratch every time, scribbling job descriptions with a pencil. It felt slow, like a shotgun blast when you need a rifle shot. So, I pivoted. Read more>>
Carlton Philpot
I’ve attached two documents to your email. 1. My bio 2. A list of personal codes to live by. I use these when I conduct youth workshops. Read more>>
Kayla Blevins
I grew up believing that if I could just make it to college, I could change the trajectory of my family. Being the first to earn a degree felt heavy in the best and worst ways. Nursing became the path — not because it was easy, but because it was meaningful and attainable. I threw myself into it fully. Read more>>
Zebadiah Willey
I didn’t start Flyover Media Co. with a big master plan. I started it because I liked telling stories and slowly realized I didn’t fit very well inside traditional boxes. I studied journalism and originally thought I’d end up in news or documentary work. Read more>>
Lisa and Clint Fountain
Clint and I have been together since 2000. We got married in 2002 and had our beautiful daughter in 2004. For the past 25 years, we’ve talked about owning our own businesses. Read more>>
Angela D’Souza
I have a background in interior design, and spemt 10+ years at home raising four boys. When my youngest entered kindergarten in 2020, I began taking on small jobs doing decorative door finishes and small art commissions. Read more>>
Kiersten Allen
I have always loved words and the power of storytelling. I earned both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in English from Kansas State University, which laid the foundation for a career rooted in writing, teaching, and community engagement. Read more>>
Alexis Anderson
I started my career in property management at a young age, stepping into responsibility early and learning quickly that real estate is less about buildings and more about leadership, systems, and accountability. I worked my way up fast, often finding myself as the youngest person in the room and having to earn credibility through results, consistency, and execution. Read more>>
Travis Yeargans
in 2006 River’s Edge Christian Fellowship was started with a goal to bring a church to the urban core of Kansas City Missouri that would provide excellence in leadership and Biblical accuracy in preaching and teaching. During the next 11 years we sought to bring that vision to fruition while struggling to find a place to call our own. Read more>>
Deb Calvert
I grew up in Grandview and later worked for 16 years at The Kansas City Star. I took a promotion to The Star’s corporate parent company, Knight Ridder. I relocated to San Jose for a corporate HR Director Role, resettled my family and was barely acclimated to California when the company was sold — less than 3 years after we’d moved. We decided to stay instead of relocating again. I opened my own business, People First Productivity Solutions, to continue working with HR, sales and leadership teams. Read more>>
Allison & Sarah Barkley & Mackin
Quality has always mattered to us, which means we’ve pulled multiple pieces that didn’t meet our standards and fixed mistakes we never saw coming. One of our very first problems was a tiny typo on a design that ended up requiring someone to re-embroider shirts that were missing an apostrophe. We laugh about it now, but at the time it felt like a disaster. Read more>>
