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.
Myra Gleason
My husband and I started our careers as touring musicians and songwriters, originally performing under the name Stereo RV before rebranding to GLEESON after the pandemic reshaped the live music industry. We’re both born-and-raised West Coasters and were living in Sacramento, California in 2020 when everything came to a sudden halt. Read more>>
Julie and Richard Jones
While raising our family in Texas – our home always seemed to be the center for hosting our friends and family -partly due to Julie’s love for cooking and entertaining, partly due to having the house with the pool and covered patio!! Read more>>
Bessy McCall
Mavel’s Insurance was born from a deep passion for helping people—especially during their most difficult moments—and making sure they feel they have someone they can trust when challenges arise. From the beginning, our mission has been to support our community, understanding that no situation, language barrier, or circumstance should ever prevent someone from receiving the help they need. Read more>>
Sarah Fentiman
I first picked up a film camera in high school, not with a business plan in mind, but simply because I loved it. Photography started as a creative outlet — something that allowed me to capture moments in a way that felt meaningful and personal. Around 2009, I decided to take it a step further and began working part-time. Read more>>
Rebecca Jones
My oldest daughter and I were talking about my ‘dream job.’ As a stay-at-home mom, I never felt like I reached my potential with that role, but I sure loved helping people plan their vacations. So I told her I wanted to be a travel advisor so I could help other families have as much fun on their vacations as we did on ours. Read more>>
Emily Boston
I have been in the service industry since I was 18- working my way through school at a fine dining steakhouse in Wichita. I have a degree in musical theatre but could never quite shake the hospitality bug, much to the chagrin of my parents! I worked my way through fine dining, breakfast joints, dive bars, you name it. Read more>>
Jennifer Benz
I always wanted to start a photo booth business but never started it until I randomly ran across a photo booth owner at an event who helped me. They sold me our first 360 booth and from there it was off to the races. Read more>>
Jake Edwards
I launched Make It Jake’s Handyman Services in September of 2023 after two decades in pastoral ministry. I was looking for new and fresh way to both connect to my community and provide for my family. Read more>>
Lizzy Hollwedel
Looking back, it feels really obvious now where Lux Counseling started, even though I didn’t know it at the time! When I was 18, I took a gap semester after high school and spent six months serving at a Zambian orphanage. That experience changed me. Read more>>
Angie McKenna
My little adventure started out if my home repurposing furniture. When the opportunity presented itself I opened my store front in Downtown Bonner Springs, Ks. I loved my little boutique and the community. I was open for almost 9 years. Read more>>
Josh Solar
Neither of us had ever made earrings before or ran laser cutters, but we decided to take the plunge and bought a glowforge. Within a month we added a second glowforge & that grew into running a storefront for 3 years while selling our goods all over town in Made in KC locations, Shop Local, the Kansas City Airport as well as popup events throughout the city over the last few years. Read more>>
Abbie Kummer, LMFT
After finishing my Master’s degree, I moved to Kansas City to start my next chapter, not knowing where my path would lead. As I started the interview process I looked for a group practice or community mental health center to start working with clients. However the more I looked, the more I felt like I wasn’t able to find what I was looking for. I wanted a space that felt less clinical and more approachable. I wanted a space that felt like a deep breath as soon as you sat down. Read more>>
Dan Smith
After being in church music & worship ministries for 20+ years, my wife Wendy and I felt called to minister to the under-served. Over time, we decided to open a coffee house in Northeast KCMO to engage the neighborhood with practical help and the good news of God’s love through Jesus. Read more>>
Crystal Tucker
When my daughter Kelcey turned 12, she started begging to volunteer at our local animal shelter. I kept putting her off. She has always had the softest heart, and I knew what would happen — she would fall in love with every single dog and want to bring them all home. And if I’m honest, I wasn’t sure I could handle it either. Read more>>
Elizabeth Wright
I started my journey with a deep desire to help children and families feel supported, understood and empowered. Early in my career, I started working with children and families in the foster care system. I was drawn to working with kids who struggled with big emotions, anxiety, and confidence. I quickly realized how much impact early intervention can have on a child’s life. Read more>>
Nick Nave
I’m originally from Wichita, KS. In 1992, I moved to Lawrence, KS and formed the classic college folk-rock band Huckleberry. Writing songs, recording albums, and touring Kansas, Texas, the Midwest, and the Southeast eventually led me to my next chapter in the late-90s power-pop band The Regulars. Read more>>
Amber Weyrauch
I founded Socially Inspired in early 2021 after realizing it was time for a new season—one where I could build a career that aligned with the life I wanted for my family. Read more>>
Rachelle & Ava Kooi
Hi, we’re Rachelle & Ava Kooi. We started Le Grand Confections from our love of baking and our need for a job with flexible hours. We are a family with a special needs child, and the ability to work around their needs was very important to us. Read more>>
Jeromy Morris
From 1997 to 2003, I was traveling as a professional rollerblader, creating video parts and appearing in magazine spreads and interviews. That period shaped how I think about collaboration, documentation, and visual storytelling. As that chapter began to wind down, I was shooting a lot of photographs and beginning my transition into another form of art. Read more>>
Hanna “Meleah” Teig
When I was 3 years old, my parents gifted me with a Barbie Polaroid camera. I took pictures of every moment with my grand parents, adventures with my parents, pets, stuffed animals and all of my favorite things! This started my love of capturing moments to keep. Read more>>
Ryan & Amber Lierz
Limestone Lodge began as a simple idea to add value to our small-town Main Street. What started as an investment property quickly became a family passion project — and today, it stands as a one-of-a-kind lodging experience. Our beautifully restored historic building now features loft-style, cabin-themed rooms on the main level, complete with log siding walls, exposed timber beam vaulted ceilings, and stone fireplaces. Read more>>
Vanessa Lacy
I’ve been a part of the Kansas City art community since I graduated college in 2007. I was part of the Art Incubator in the Bauer building where I had my first art studio downtown in the Crossroads. Read more>>
Lucrezia Mapelli
I started in makeup over 10 years ago with zero connections and a very clear feeling that this was what I wanted to do. I didn’t grow up in the industry and I didn’t have a big network handing me opportunities — I built everything from the ground up. Read more>>
Bailey Davis
When my daughter was born I knew I wanted to capture every single moment. When she was a couple weeks old I purchased my first nice camera, and books-so many books. I studied posing, prompts, client relationships and more. One day someone asked me to do family photos, which led to more. Read more>>
Jacob Edmonds
I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember. Growing up just outside of Kansas City, music was always around me, shaping my taste and fueling my curiosity. I wasn’t just listening to songs—I was studying them. I’d replay sections over and over, trying to understand why they hit so hard and how certain sounds created emotion. Read more>>
Jake Prater
In early 2020, when the world was grappling with uncertainty, I started looking for ways to generate some extra income. I was already immersed in the off-road scene, with a few Jeeps on my property. I began selling parts. The margins were surprising, and soon I was flipping cars—buying, fixing, and selling them right from the driveway. Read more>>
Taylor Zollinger
As a child, I excelled in art classes, lingering over details and losing myself in color, shadow, and form. Creating wasn’t just an assignment, it was instinct. Over time, that instinct grew into a life shaped by art. I’ve explored everything from traditional mediums to detailed digital work, blending precision with imagination. Read more>>
Colin + Jordan Ridge
Ridge Ln was born out of a pretty pivotal season for both of us. Read more>>
Audra Heller
I began my real estate career with a move overseas to Australia, where I worked with Greg Norman on a golf course community, followed by a similar role in California. Each move deepened my experience in large-scale development, luxury positioning, and working with diverse markets and teams. After several years away, I made the decision to return home to Parkville. Read more>>
David Jackson
I was born and grew up in Kansas City, KS where I also went to a private school. I started using computers when I was about 9, and was first interested in them because of the ability to use computers to create and build things. Read more>>
Christopher Haake
Web Force KC was founded from the combined experience of many companies that did not offer the services and personalized marketing strategies that we wanted to provide. We grew weary of large companies taking advantage of the fact that some business owners knew little about web design and online marketing. Read more>>
Jose Luis Valdez
We began our journey driven by a deep passion for the artisanal production of Michoacán-style ice cream. In 2004, my wife and our two daughters took the courageous step of opening our first shop on the Westside, a community that warmly welcomed us, for which we are immensely grateful. Read more>>
Peter Linde
It all began when Janna took her first bite of a New York Bagel on 72nd street with Pete at her side. Her first words were ‘Wow! This is crazy delicious!’ He smiled knowingly, having grown up eating bagels the way they were supposed to taste in his native New Jersey. Read more>>
Amy “Yarn Rambo” Stevens
I’ve been creating for as long as I can remember. Not quiet-still-life-making. I mean glue-on-my-hands, cardboard-engineering, string it together, “we can build it” making. Most of my favorite memories are tactile and loud in the best way. Craft nights with my Mom where the table disappeared under fabric, glue, ribbon, and possibility. Read more>>
Jason Ellsworth
In January of 2020 I stepped into the role of Lead Pastor at Northpointe Church, just weeks before the world shut down due to COVID-19. Our congregation had been meeting at Staley High School, but when everything changed, we were left without a place to worship. Read more>>
Kenric Cook
For years, my wife and I sat around talking about ‘what if.’ We dreamed of starting our own business, but it wasn’t until the world slowed down during the pandemic that we finally decided to put our conversations into action. In the spring of 2022, we started crunching the numbers. Read more>>
Kelsey Moody
I graduated nursing school with a Bachelor’s in 2014 from the University of Central Missouri. I began my nursing career in 2015 on the Progressive Care Unit on night shift at a local hospital. I worked with very sick patients for about two years here and really enjoyed the fast-pace and my co-workers. Read more>>
Carrie Letcher
Letcher’s ECI, LLC was founded in 2018 by Daniel and Carrie Letcher with a clear mission: to provide independent, objective elevator inspections and vertical transportation consulting focused on safety, compliance, and integrity. Daniel Letcher, majority owner, Certified Elevator Inspector and U.S. Army veteran, has more than 30 years of experience in the elevator industry, including over 15 years witnessing inspections and performing consulting services. Read more>>
Cindy Curd
When my children were in elementary school, our family relocated to Lee’s Summit, Missouri, for my husband’s career. At the time, I had just closed my business in Kansas and found myself at a professional crossroads—searching for something new that would allow flexibility while my kids were still young. As it often happens, opportunity came in an unexpected way. Read more>>
James ‘SugEasy’ Singleton
`At Translation in Movement, I offer weekly classes rooted in authentic Hip Hop instruction. I teach Breaking, DJing using state-of-the-art turntables, mixers, and vinyl, Hip Hop dance, and visual art. I also host creative arts workshops that focus on the core elements of Graffiti Writing and Emceeing. Read more>>
Lindsay Gustafson
My career quickly turned into passion and growth. I began as a labor and delivery nurse and worked at the bedside for 12 years. I loved my role supporting, empowering, and educating families as they welcomed their babies earthside. Read more>>
Beth Hill
A Space for Strength: Why WOMAN.Fitness Had to Exist It didn’t start with a single, grand idea. It was a lot of small moments stacking up until I couldn’t ignore them anymore. The truth is, WOMAN.Fitness was born out of personal frustration and a realization about how underserved women are in the health and fitness world. Read more>>
Diamond Jean Baptiste
My journey into aesthetic and wellness medicine didn’t begin in a treatment room — it began in the intensity of the emergency department. For four years, I worked on the front lines of emergency medicine, where precision, composure, and critical thinking were not optional — they were essential. That experience shaped me profoundly. Read more>>
Jeffrey Lenius
I completed my orthodontic residency in Colorado in 2014 and moved to St. Louis to begin my orthodontic career. I joined a respected private practice there and practiced for six years, gaining invaluable clinical experience and mentorship until the end of 2019. In 2020, my family relocated to Kansas City and I initially planned to partner with an orthodontist or open my own orthodontic office. Read more>>
Kaylee Mitchell-Draisey
It all started with a dream and a slightly chaotic house. Before The Grove ever had a name, it was basically my living room. I was running Lazy Lemons, my creative studio where we do it all. Marketing, design, photography, balloon installs, events. And our house had slowly turned into storage for backdrops, props, inventory, and ideas. Lots of ideas. Read more>>
Sonni Elliott MD
I am a board certified adult psychiatrist born and raised in the Kansas City Metro. I always speak passionately about my story but in short I was trained in great medical environments that demanded that I see the humanity in people. I’ve been taught to always position myself as an educator and champion for their wellness. Read more>>
Micah Hunt
I spent years working in physical therapy and learned a lot along the way. Over time, though, I started to feel a pull toward something more personal — a way to practice that allowed for deeper relationships and more individualized care. I didn’t get into physical therapy to rush through appointments. Read more>>
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>>
