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.
Michelle McNeil
Hello I advocate for Mental Health Awareness and for any child or adult who needs therapeutic support. Read more>>
Chuck Klingsick
Chuck was born in the St. Louis area before moving to Indiana where he met his wife and started a family: he eventually made his way to Kansas City where he now resides. Chuck grew up with pets and always felt that they brought a family closer together. Read more>>
Andrey Cherevichnik
My story began with a passion for technology and a belief that strong engineering can solve real-world problems at scale. I studied computer science and engineering, and over time I found my professional path in financial technology — an industry where innovation, security, and reliability directly affect how financial systems operate. Read more>>
Piaget Long
I started as a little girl, just humming in my bedroom, dreaming of connecting with people through my voice. Over time, that dream became a reality. I stepped out into Kansas City’s music scene, and from that first moment, everything began to shift. I had my first performance, and the response was overwhelming. Read more>>
Cindy Newland
For years, I struggled with my relationship with food. I was stuck in cycles of overeating, quick fixes, and frustration. No matter what I tried, nothing seemed to last. I felt tired, discouraged, and defeated. Everything started to shift when I had a back injury. I realized I had brought it on myself through overeating and lack of exercise. Read more>>
Bobby Hines
The You Matter Movement was created because of loss. We got to where we are today through support of the community and people believe in our mission Read more>>
A to Z Theatrical Supply and Service
A to Z Theatrical Supply and Service is celebrating over 65 years in business. In 1959, Dick McGehee started the company working out of his home, selling theatrical lighting and rigging equipment. As the business grew, Dick hired his brother Bill, and they expanded into a 6,000 square foot space in Kansas City. Read more>>
Tinetra Pouncil
I started as a teenager with a dream that turned into reality, born in the 80’S my siblings and I was a victim of the crack era and we didn’t have a mother, so it was a rough time for me especially since I’m the only girl out of 6 brothers in total. Read more>>
Mery Jane Diaz
Art has always felt like a universal language to me. Since I was young, I’ve had a deep appreciation for creativity in all of its forms, and over time, that passion naturally evolved into photography and graphic design. Read more>>
Bob Prisby
I am originally from the Chicagoland area. During high school and college summer breaks I worked as a laborer for a sewer and water company, saving money to pay for college. I was the first person in the family to graduate college; Purdue University. Shortly after college I worked for a demolition company based in Chicago but traveled all over the country performing demolition work. Read more>>
Jay Hoston
Mellow Fellow started as a simple frustration in 2018, packing up the car and driving 30 minutes north just to give our dog a proper bath. Living in rural southern Johnson County, it felt like pet care options were always just out of reach. That inconvenience slowly turned into an idea… and then into a vision. What if there was a place closer to home? Read more>>
Tara Myers
With deep roots in the Kansas City horse and rural lifestyle community, Tara Myers built her real estate career by combining firsthand equestrian experience with a passion for helping people find properties that truly fit their way of life. Read more>>
Kelsie Johnson
Well, I actually got into the DJ business completely by accident. About 5 years ago, I had just come back from New York City, where I’d been studying acting, and I desperately needed extra money. I was so broke at the time I could barely rub two dimes together…….literally. Read more>>
Sarah Horns
Sarah Mae Photography began as a big dream that I was too afraid to share for a long time. I’ve always found joy in photography and the excitement that comes from capturing a beautiful image. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed college photography courses, photographed close friends’ weddings and special events, and documented my family’s milestones. Read more>>
Tiffanie Weekley
Our story really begins with God using some of the hardest and most humbling moments in my life to lead me into my purpose. As a young mother, I struggled with breastfeeding two of my three children. I felt overwhelmed and unsure, but in that season, I leaned in and started learning everything I could. Read more>>
Andrew Cook
I’ve always been drawn to being creative and making things look good. Growing up, I tried a little bit of everything, just about every craft you could think of. I never really stuck with one thing long term, other than photography. Read more>>
Jake Silliman
I started Albatross (formerly Sports Cards KC) at the beginning of 2018 out of an interest for sports cards and a passion for people. Previously, I worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City as an Analyst for two years right out of college. Read more>>
Bettie Auch
I first walked into Cedar Cove in August of 2001, before it had really become what people now recognize it as. It was still taking shape—something being built day by day with a lot of hard work and a clear sense of purpose. Read more>>
Nikki Gouge
I started in the restaurant world at 15, and my career truly began at Miss Kitty’s when I was 21. At the time I was dating the owner’s son, Aaron Gouge—we were high school sweethearts. After trying a few ventures away from Glasgow, I realized Glasgow was home and where I wanted to raise a family. Read more>>
Brett Fuller
The WellSky Foundation began in 2019, rooted in a belief that has long been part of WellSky’s identity as a company—that we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to do more in the communities we serve. From the very beginning, WellSky has been driven by a mission to improve care, and we recognized that impact shouldn’t stop at the point of care. Read more>>
Meghan Stevens
I spent 14 years working in nursing, where I built a deep passion for caring for people during some of their most vulnerable moments. My career allowed me to focus on patient care, education, research, and emergency response: all centered around the goal of helping individuals recover, heal, and return to health. Read more>>
Hometown Olathe Family Farm
Hometown Olathe Family Farms has grown into what it is today by leaning into something people are craving more than ever; a place to gather. While it’s rooted in a traditional farm setting, the real evolution happened as it became clear the community wanted more than just a place to visit, they wanted a space to spend time, connect, and come back to regularly. Read more>>
Raymond LaPietra
I quit my career in corporate America in February of 1982 and went into business for myself, starting Career Images Model & Talent Agency, Inc. I started with 12 female models and no business loan. Within the first 5 years, I owned 5 model agencies (one in New York, another in Florida, and three in Kansas City). Read more>>
Hole In Da Wall
Two cousins from Kansas City are revitalizing urban neighborhoods with their passion for good food and community connection. Drawing from our rich family traditions and culinary influences, we aim to create an experience that feels like home. We believe that everyone deserves access to delicious, nutritious meals, regardless of where they live. Read more>>
John Nielsen
Becoming a piano teacher was just about inevitable. I grew up in a very musical family. Mom and dad met in college, sitting next to each other in the orchestra. Dad was a high school band director, mom taught piano lessons from our home. She was my first teacher, sitting me down at the keyboard when I was 5. Read more>>
Matthew noreturnapparel2025@gmail.com
NoReturn was born in the hours most people sleep — between concrete shifts, late-night study sessions, and the silent promise a father makes when he looks his daughters in the eyes and knows he has to become more. I’m building this out of Kansas city, Missouri, working a journeyman labor job by day and pouring everything else into a desk by night. Read more>>
Kevin Elder
I began my auto repair journey as a small child. My dad was an aviation mechanic for years and always worked on our vehicles and those in our neighborhood growing up. Helping him sparked my interest in mechanics and how things worked. I took many of my childhood toys apart to see how they worked. Read more>>
Angel Hovey
I began my journey at nineteen in management and continued to lead teams and individuals throughout my adult life in both employee and volunteer roles. I have owned, operated, and successfully sold three businesses and worked with several non-profits in different capacities. All of these experiences held lessons that have shaped how I interact, receive and deliver inspiration, and lead others. Read more>>
Max Ambrosio
I came to Wichita Kansas on vacation in 1987 from Brescia Italy. I had a friend that invited me for a Thanksgiving trip. I fell in love with the Midwest, its simplicity and the friendliness of people. I met my special someone and later married her in 1988. I had a small job after getting my work permit that paid $3.95 per hr. Read more>>
Toya Harris
I founded Providing 4 Our Veterans as a direct result of the challenges I experienced transitioning from military to civilian life after serving in the Air Force. Like many veterans, I struggled to navigate a new identity outside of the structure and purpose that military service provides. Read more>>
Michael Hall
I got into bartending on accident. I originally pursued a career in audio engineering. However, after a few short years working in music, I decided it wasn’t for me. Overall, I’m happy with that experience because it gave me the opportunity to travel all over while I was very young. After coming back, I got what I thought was a temporary job as a bartender. Read more>>
Bob Pennington
\Bob Pennington – President Rock and Mock Productions A lifetime of experiences helps me lead this team. It has enabled me to assist in making your event or needs meet your requirements. I have surrounded myself with leaders and knowledgeable individuals in all areas of the music industry. For over 29 years I have been a part of the music community in many ways. Read more>>
Sydney Winders
I started Creative Care Music Therapy, LLC in 2024, when I had been a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) for three years. Prior to that, I was practicing in more urban areas, where access to music therapy services and community resources was more readily available. When I moved to Ray County, Missouri, I quickly realized how limited that access was in a rural setting. Read more>>
Natasha Rubinetti-Kul
I have created art my entire life. I wanted it to be my career but did not feel that anything other than commercial arts would really take off so I studied filmmaking and animation in college. If I had known the difference between fine art and commercial art at the time, I personally would have gone to a different college. Read more>>
Angie West
I came into the world with a soapbox in my diaper, at least that’s what my mom always said. I grew up in Hutchinson, Kansas, where agricultural wealth and working-class poverty lived right next to each other, and my family sat squarely in the middle, one paycheck away from the other side. Read more>>
Kristen Philip
I had never known what exactly I wanted to do career-wise, but I knew I wanted to do something creative and people-oriented. I went to K-State thinking I would go into advertising, but radio broadcasting won me over. I worked in the industry from 2009 to 2013, and I had another part-time stint from 2018 to 2024. Read more>>
Drew Woolery
I started in photography back in high school. I’ve spent the many years since exploring much of the visual world in terms of both video and photography. Everything from working corporate in house jobs on their creative teams, to working for an ad agency in town on their internal production team. Read more>>
Sonja & Frankie Beal
I was Nine in a Half years Old, And I can Home and Ask my Mother I want become an Entrepreneur and that I would like To start my Own Business ,” She Stated Cool let me see What I can do, I have Less than $100 ” I can Spare … I told him Let Me Figure out Something, He Stated Cookies, My Mom And I Work on Several Different Desserts Ideas An One Day we Went out An Cold Sell At a Parade in The Kansas City Area in March of 2019 Just Bf The Pandemic. Read more>>
Sara Kelly
My path into skincare was deeply personal. I struggled with persistent acne from my early teens into my mid-20s, and like many people, I tried everything—dermatology treatments, prescriptions, and countless products—but nothing created lasting change. It was not only frustrating, but it also affected my confidence in a real way. At the time, I was on a completely different career path. Read more>>
