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.
Brittany Phillips
Throughout my work life, I’ve held various positions, including banker, teacher, and financial manager, but my dream was to build my own business, while channeling my creativity. I have always enjoyed design, so when our community was in danger of losing the local flower & coffee shop, I took the opportunity to buy the business. Wanting a fresh start to the business, I rebranded the flower and coffee shop with my own vision as “Blooms on Main” with “Blooms’ Brews Coffee Cafe’.” Read more>>
Chris Steele
In 2011, my little sister passed away and I quickly realized how fragile life can be and that you only live once. She was 19 years old and in college at the time, and I always encouraged her to follow her dreams. Read more>>
Jenna Gerdes
I started my career knowing I wanted to help people – that quickly led to getting my Masters in Social Work. Read more>>
Sirel Rayburn
My story did not start with clarity or confidence. It started with survival. I became a mother young and learned early how to carry responsibility before I truly knew myself. For years, my life was shaped by reaction rather than intention. I moved through seasons of instability, addiction, incarceration, and deep identity confusion. On the outside, I learned how to keep going. Read more>>
Norma Donlon
Born in a tar paper shack at the Camp Jerome War Relocation Center in Denson, Arkansas during WWII, I began life with my family incarcerated along with 120,000 Americans of Japanese Ancestry in 10 relocation camps built across the United States. Read more>>
Max Muller
I grew up in the Kansas City metro. I have an awesome family and had a fairly normal childhood. My high school years were great for the most part, but that’s also when I started experimenting with alcohol and other substances. I didn’t realize it at the time, but drinking and using did something for me that it doesn’t do for everyone. Read more>>
Meigan Nettles
I discovered photography during the pandemic, shortly after the birth of my fourth daughter. During a period of significant personal transition and family challenges, I realized I was losing my sense of self. I picked up a camera initially to document my children’s lives, but it quickly became my way of reclaiming my identity. Read more>>
Bernadette Hursh
From my first disposable camera in the ’90s to now, I’ve always known my greatest loves to be nature, animals, and photography. I spent much of my childhood hiking the midwestern woods with my dog by my side and a camera in hand. By high school, I was signing up for every art and photography class I could fit into my schedule. Read more>>
Avery Poindexter
I originally thought I wanted to be a doctor or a physician assistant, but as I studied psychology and behavioral science, I became fascinated with the human side of science and health. That interest deepened when I was trained as an advocate for sexual assault survivors during my time as an undergraduate student. Read more>>
Yung English
Yung English is kind of like a record label but there’s no contracts. It’s a collaborative space for artists, comedians, poets, etc. The people apart of the group can choose to represent YE loudly or quietly. But we are here to help them in personal development as well as artist growth goals. YE is a movement and a statement. Read more>>
Angela Lovell
A Slice of British: How a Home Kitchen Became My Small Business When I moved to the United States over nine years ago for my husband’s work, I pressed pause on my own career. I’d left a veterinary office job behind and chose to stay home with our children, helping them settle in and navigate their early school years. Read more>>
Craig Thompson
Friends of Kaw Point Park (FOKPP) is a 501 c 3 organization established in 2006 to maintain and enhance Kaw Point Park in the Fairfax district of Kansas City, Kansas. Read more>>
Fernanda Reyes
Chef Fernanda Reyes Chef Fernanda Reyes comes to Kansas City to revolutionize the American palette and give Mexicans far from home a fresh remembrance of the classic homemade flavor of Comida Casera. Read more>>
Cory Jackson
Bridging the gap between today’s modern country and the timeless sounds of the genre’s golden era, Cory Jackson is an independent singer, songwriter, and entertainer whose performances combine faith, heart, and true country storytelling. Born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in 1995, Cory’s rural upbringing continues to shape both his sound and his spirit. Read more>>
Ken McClain
Polly’s Soda Pop was brought back to life by Ken and Cindy McClain, who were inspired by the nostalgic legacy of the local soft drink originally produced in Independence from 1923 to 1967. Their journey began with a dream of reviving the brand, which led Ken to acquire a vintage bottling line which had originally been housed at Union Station bottling Fitz Rootbeer. Read more>>
Danyell Brown Victoria Weddle
Modern Arc Wellness started with a long friendship and a lot of conversations between the two of us. We met over ten years ago while studying psychology at Northwest Missouri State University and stayed close as we built our careers as therapists. Along the way, we kept noticing the same thing. Read more>>
