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.
Selene soto
I am Artista Selene♡ pronouns: She/They I am a immigrant artist. Juárez mexico-born ☆ but Strawberry Hill kck-raised. I am a Queer Latine artist who pulls from all my worlds mexican roots,Body postivity and turns it into bilingual tracks and stories that hit you in the chest. I perform with my bandmates ‘ The chingona band’ together our sound is a ragey latin pop alt. Read More>>
Anthony Plogger
Nclusion Plus was born out of a challenge that many in the entertainment industry faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to 2020, a group of friends and community members regularly gathered at a local drag venue in Columbia, Missouri. Read More>>
Elizabeth Darcel
I started off singing in church. First in the choir, then doing specials for Easter Sunday or Christmas. I moved into school performances and eventually theatrical productions. Then came GarageBand. I began creating simple backing tracks and recording low quality samples of ideas that I had for covers on an old MacBook Pro that I got from a Pawn Shop. Read More>>
Antonio (L-Moe) Wesley
My passion for the craft of music started when I was 13 years old. After school every day I’d walk to a store by the name of Quigley Music Studios located at 7800 Troost ave In Kansas City, Mo. After saving I would be able to purchase my first Drum Machine. Read More>>
Kimberly Marks
Hi, I’m Kim, owner, designer, customer service representative, decorator, and delivery person known as KcCakelady, with some help from my husband, who had no idea this was going to be part of our journey. Read More>>
Carlton Rashad
Thank you for this opportunity to share my story. Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I was surrounded by it. One of my earliest memories of realizing my passion for music was winning my first talent show at 12 years old. Read More>>
Tina Rojas
My life started in the suburbs of Chicago (1991), with a mother from Kansas City and a father from Costa Rica. I moved to Kansas in my early teens, completed my undergrad at the University of Kansas (2013), and eventually moved to Kansas City at 24 (2016). Read More>>
Kiki Life Jasmine Johnson
Already being great friends, we balance each other so well, that it seemed to be a no brainer that we went into this venture together! Jasmine was already growing in the wine industry and I (Kiki) joined her to support but ended up finding myself as well. The idea for our show literally came from an impromptu tasting on Jasmines porch. Read More>>
Olivia Huffaker-Smith
Growing up in a small town in Missouri, I was always the kid flipping through home plan magazines and rearranging the furniture in our house. I just had this deep love for design and making spaces my own from a really early age. Read More>>
Kaityana Villines
I’ve been in the beauty industry for over 20 years, starting back at the old Mario Tricoci on the Plaza. It was the career change I didn’t know I needed, getting me out of a corporate sales job and into a career that has never really felt like work. I genuinely love what I do. Read More>>
Sheila Ellis-Glasper
Everything that has happened in my career has built on the last chapter, even when I didn’t realize it at the time. I started as a journalism student at Kansas State University and quickly fell in love with storytelling. I worked my way through the student newspaper and eventually became the first Black editor-in-chief in its history. Read More>>
Ashley Cooper
1. I was raised in a household with my grandfather who had a large collection of old albums. My mother was a Jehovah’s Witness and very religious so I was encouraged to listen to my grandfather’s music instead of the music of my peers (gangster rap) in the hopes that it would protect me from bad influences. Read More>>
Emily Bordner
EB and Co. started in 2012 when I was searching for the perfect handbag—something modern, simple, affordable, and high quality—but couldn’t find exactly what I wanted. So, I decided to create it myself. At the time, I was in my twenties and constantly experimenting with different business ideas. I had sold everything from perfume and vegan donuts to kids’ toys and gym equipment. Read More>>
Hunter Frescoln
<p data-pm-slice=’0 0 []’>I have always had a passion for creating beautiful, fully functional spaces. Before Trendy Gardener, that passion begun with my career in kitchen and bath design, spacial planning, custom cabinetry, natural stone, material selections, and the details that make a space feel both elevated and livable.</p><p></p><p>During COVID, that passion began to take on a new direction. Read More>>
Alisha Hargis
When I got married in 2019, I had followed my photographer on social media for awhile and knew I wanted to book her. We ended up hitting it off really well and I was able to shadow her at a Wedding she did not long after mine. Read More>>
Janet Gutierrez
I started my Soap/Body Care Business our of my kitchen about 30 years ago.. I had so many skin allergies and I want to explore making my own soap.. I was a military wife and we traveled the world. I also grew up in a very Slavic eastern European home and my mother and grandparents made everything from scratch. I grew up in NE Ohio. Read More>>
Orion ‘Bad Karma’ Mata
I am a U.S. Army Military Policeman Veteran and 30-year law enforcement professional. I spent my entire adult life on the front lines of public safety as a Patrolman, School Resource Officer, Detective, Federal Task Force Officer, federal court-recognized drug trafficking expert, NRA Certified firearms instructor, SRT Operator, Police Sniper, and Defensive Tactics instructor. Read More>>
Cristina Popovic
My American Dream My name is Cristina Popovic, and I am originally from the Republic of Moldova, a small country located between Romania and Ukraine. Growing up, I never imagined that one day I would build a life, raise a family, and create several businesses in the United States. Read More>>
