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.
James D. McGee, Sr.
I come from a musical family and I have been writing and creating music since I was about seven years old. My earliest experiences with music were with my grandfather, Thomas, Tutti Gadson, and his brother James Gadson, who were integral in the development of our families, musical legacy. Read more>>
Annie Barry
I was always the kid with the camera. I had upgraded from silicone encased, to disposable, to digital, to DSLR by age 12. They were toys, growing up. I spent a lot of high school in the dark-room, going to gallery shows, and competing. At age 16, I became a published writer and photographer, and started working as an editor for a small, local magazine. Read more>>
Ashley Grove
My background is in business, and I’ve been building businesses for most of my adult life – my own, in particular, as well as others. In 2017 I turned my attention to the women’s fashion industry, and began working on creating innovative style accessories, and in 2019 I started a little company called KardiKlips, designing and manufacturing fashion solutions for women’s clothing. Read more>>
Bethany Campbell
It all started with a dehydrator from my mom (thanks, Mom!) and a little holiday project with my school-aged daughters. We began drying fruit, found cute packaging, and put together simmer mixes to gift and share with friends and family. To our surprise, everyone absolutely loved them and before long, people were asking to buy more! Read more>>
Adrian Wilson
I was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, and grew up in a family filled with talented singers. Music was woven into the fabric of my life from an early age. Raised in the church, I spent much of my childhood singing in the church choir, where I developed not only my love for music but also my passion for performing. Read more>>
Monic Houpe
My story begins on the South Side of Chicago—a place with rhythm, grit, brilliance, and a legacy that refuses to be overlooked. Read more>>
Colt
I’ve been playing the piano since I was 6 years old but I didn’t start producing music until 2018 when I dropped out of college. My roommate at the time was an artist himself and kind of got me interested so I just took it from there. Read more>>
Fey B King
The story is kind of winding… I’ve been a crafter and maker for as long as I can remember… I started out with more ‘oddities’ flavored crafts, which I still do on occasion, which ended up leading into resin work. My husband (who was just my roommate at the time) got me into gaming, which led into TTRPGs and eventually into TCGs. Read more>>
Chloe McFadden
Music has always been apart of who I am. I grew up in Kansas City in a family of musicians, so I was surrounded by jazz from the very beginning. I’m a third-generation jazz artist, and my earliest memories are of singing with my family. Read more>>
Sarah Downing
I started in the wedding industry in 2021 while planning my own wedding! The wedding industry wasn’t something I had thought much about before this and quickly fell in love with it. Read more>>
Betse Ellis
I’m happy to share my story, and the story of Betse & Clarke, though brevity isn’t my strong suit! I am a performing artist with 50 years of practice on my instrument. I started studying violin in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and attended the Conservatory of Music at UMKC with a full scholarship. Read more>>
Wil Frost
My story with woodworking started long before Northwood Rustic ever existed. My great-grandfather, who was a carpenter by trade, instilled that passion of woodworking in my grandfather, who instilled it in me, as well as an old neighbor in Minnesota who helped fuel my passion for building things with my hands. Read more>>
Dr. Olayemi Sowemimo
Sunkissed Health & Wellness is a parent company for two unique branches, Naturola & Sunkissed Chiropractic. It was born from a deeply personal journey of healing, purpose, and faith—a journey I first had to walk through in darkness and pain before I could help guide others toward the light. Read more>>
Chris Hudson
I started playing music at an early age hanging out with my dad who is a singer songwriter. I started guitar lessons at age 12 then joined several rock bands & punk bands in my teens early 20s then studied classical guitar & got a degree at the conservatory of music at UMKC with Douglas Niedt as my instructor. Read more>>
Maja Vidrih
I’m Slovenian by birth, but my path here wasn’t direct — I lived in Spain, then China, before eventually coming in Olathe, Kansas with my husband Miguel and our three sons. Baking has been a constant through every move. In China, I actually ran a small business selling Western-style cakes and pies to expats who missed the taste of home. Read more>>
Janice Harris
How Jada’s Tasty Kitchen Began In 2020, my life changed forever. After working for a pharmaceutical company for six and a half years, I was unexpectedly fired. It was one of the most discouraging moments of my life because I had given that job everything I had. I worked overtime, stayed dedicated, and always made sure customers received their medications accurately and on time. Read more>>
Brooke Marsalla
I didn’t start my career in real estate. Before making the transition, I spent nearly 15 years in corporate sales, where I learned the importance of relationships, communication, and truly taking care of people. When the world changed in 2020, it became clear that I needed to make a change too. As a single mother raising three daughters, I wasn’t looking for an easy path. Read more>>
Ellie Loewen
I started my career after graduating from Paul Mitchell The School Overland Park in 2021. From there, I began working at my first salon in Kansas City’s River Market, where I had the opportunity to assist under an incredible mentor who helped build the foundation of my career. Since then, I’ve had a few different chapters in my career. Read more>>
Stacy Goree
I’ve always been drawn to entrepreneurship and building businesses that solve real problems. Over the years, I’ve launched several ventures across different industries, including a wholesale shoe and hair business, an event planning company, and later a skincare brand. Earlier this year, I sold my skincare company to pursue a new opportunity that aligned more closely with my long-term vision. Read more>>
Megan Silveira
I grew up in central California on a small ranch, raising black Angus cattle and Boer goats that I exhibited alongside Quarter Horses. I fell in love with writing in the sixth grade, and I attended Oklahoma State University to pursue a degree in agricultural communications. Read more>>
Valorie Kay
I started Sincerely VK Boutique nearly nine years ago with a passion for helping women feel beautiful and confident through makeup and hair. What began as a creative outlet quickly grew into a business built through referrals, social media, and genuine relationships with my clients. Read more>>
Kelli Alldredge
Chicken N Pickle started with a simple idea: create a place where people could connect through great food, games, and the growing sport of pickleball. We opened our first location in North Kansas City in 2015, and since then we’ve expanded across the country while staying true to our purpose of fostering connection and positively impacting the communities we serve. Read more>>
Kelsi Grove
Looking back on my life from where I am now, I can see how I ended up listening to people for a living. I remember listening to a friend in elementary school who didn’t know anyone else with divorced parents. I remember listening to my best friend’s heartbreak in our adolescence. Read more>>
Maddie Watts
I started posting on social media about four years ago when I was a stay-at-home mom. At first, I mostly shared lifestyle vlogs of our day to day life and relatable mom content. About three years ago, I went through a divorce, and my content naturally shifted to dating stories and navigating life as a divorced mom in her 20s. Read more>>
Emanual Murry
I was born and raised in Kansas City. Growing up in the inner city, I had experiences similar to those of many of my peers. Attending Northeast High School, I reached a point where I wanted more for myself and those around me than what we were being shown. This came to a point during one basketball practice in the dead of winter 2014. Read more>>
Justine Nelson
It was the fall of 2008. I was a college sophomore at K-Sate (Go Cats!) when I got an unexpected call from my mom. She had been laid off, she explained, and my parents would no longer be able to financially support my college education. Read more>>
Quinn Fragassi
I’ve wanted to build things for as long as I can remember. I had a running list of business ideas before I could start one. In college, I launched a couple of small ventures and learned the ropes: sales, operations, the unglamorous stuff that teaches you how a business actually works. Read more>>
Joey Scott
Here is my bio: Joey was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He began his career at Northwestern Mutual as a college intern in 2016. He attended Northwest Missouri State University and was an aspiring ophthalmologist at the time. At eighteen years old he was referred into the program by one of his close friends and teammates on the baseball team. Read more>>
Brenna Castor
I was raised in a very small town in Western, KS(Leoti), but I always dreamed of acting. My parents really supported this and my mom always signed me up for acting classes and camps all around the state, anything she could find. I ultimately got a degree in theatre(BFA) from Emporia State University. Read more>>
Gary Kendall
My name is Gary Kendall, I’m the Catalyst at Unite KC (unitekc.org). I’ve served, first as a pastor for 38 years in Kansas City and then the last nine years as a City Leader in the not-for-profit sector. My wife, Belinda and I moved to Kansas City in 1979 to begin serving in the pastoral ministry. Read more>>
Julian Dubinsky
Started playing guitar and drums at the age of 13, absolutely fell in love with music and the idea of creating my own songs so around age 15 when i felt confident in my ability as a player, I started learning how to record. Read more>>
Logan Smith
I got my start in the service industry in 2013 as a door guy and a barback at The Riot Room in Westport. This is where I cut my teeth in the industry. After years of bartending and eventually managing bars throughout the city, I opened Hillsiders on October 1st of 2022. Read more>>
Preston Hopkins
So my name is Preston Hopkins, and I am a luxury custom cake decorator or artist lol. My journey bloomed I would say unusual. I always had a passion and a love for cooking and baking. When I was younger, I used to help around in the kitchen a lot, especially big dinners. Read more>>
Brody Buster
I am a self taught musician. When I was 7 years old my mom handed me a harmonica and I taught myself to play. We moved from Paola, KS to Memphis where I busked for tips on Beale street. BB King’s team noticed me and invited me to play at BB Kings Blues Club. Read more>>
Josie Williams
In August 2021, we opened F45 Leawood to provide a welcoming space where members could build strength, improve fitness, and be part of a motivating community. We believe that we’ve created a community where members motivate one another, celebrate milestones together, and form lasting friendships. We believe those connections are just as important as the workouts themselves! Read more>>
Philip Jayhawk Chan
I’m Philip Jayhawk Chan, President and CEO of Lightspeed Investing. My path here started on a pre-med track at the University of Kansas, where I was studying Neurobiology and Molecular Biosciences. Read more>>
Shaeeda Sween
My journey has been anything but ordinary. I started my career as a yoga teacher, building a life around wellness, movement, and helping others feel confident in themselves. My life took an unexpected turn when I became a cast member on TLC’s hit reality television show, 90 Day Fiancé. Read more>>
Chandra Ganne
The idea for NaturalZ really started from a personal craving. We realized that while Kansas City has a great dessert scene, it was missing something very specific: authentic, artisanal ice cream that captured the true flavors of South Asia and the tropics. We wanted the dense, rich texture of traditional malai—ice cream made the slow-simmered way, often without eggs, and packed with real, bold ingredients. Read more>>
Erika Hooks
I discovered my love for music at Skateland USA in Grandview, Mo. I starting working there at 15 years old. Worked there for 3 years. It was a Thursday night, Adult skate night. I was working. Probably in the snack bar or passing out the skates. The DJ was running late. The manager started playing some music that I knew nobody wanted to hear. Read more>>
Troy & Alexia Wilborn
Redeeming Furniture Co. was founded by husband and wife Troy and Alexia Wilborn in February 2026. This is a long-time hobby turned side venture, which has resulted in the betterment of over 142 local households, many of which are occupied by low-income families. An Estimated 55% of U.S. Read more>>
Dr. Elika Izadyar
Yes! I grew up with very strong Persian roots and always had the heart to help people. When I was little, I knew I wanted to be a doctor growing up but never knew which route to take. It was when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease that my whole world flipped and opened my eyes to both western and holistic medicine. Read more>>
Janis R. Dickey, PhD
I grew up in Southern California. My parents were a typical family where the father worked and the mother stayed home with the children. My father was a Real Estate Broker and sold starter residential homes, making just enough money for food, shelter, and basic needs. Read more>>
Samantha Duncan
Hi, I’m Sam. I am the creative mind behind Samantha Duncan Photography, here near Kansas City. I’m a self-proclaimed coffee snob, I adore Music, and I’m a lover of thrifting and vintage glassware. I wear many hats, I’m a Mama of 3, and am married to my “high school sweetheart”. Read more>>
Toni Vaughn
I began my career in mental health over 18 years ago after earning my degree in Psychology from Langston University and my master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Webster University. Becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor allowed me to combine my passion for serving others with evidence-based practices that help individuals, couples, families, and communities navigate life’s most difficult moments. Read more>>
Jonathan Mills
I first started my artistic journey at a very young age and have developed my style through many years of exploration, hard work, and determination. I started out using primarily graphite and paper as my medium of choice but have focused more on digital illustrations within the past few years. I am well versed in realism, but I mostly focus on stylized illustration. Read more>>
