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.
Roderick Leak
Halfdolo is CHANGING THE GAME, How Call of Duty Icon Halfdolo is Building the Future of Esports Infrastructure From entering the elite 1 Million Kills Club to paneling at the LVL UP Expo, speaking at SEICON 2026, and securing Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights for the next generation, Roderick ‘Halfdolo’ Leak is shifting the culture of competitive gaming. Read more>>
Rochinda Pickens
My journey began with a life-changing tragedy on December 22, 2007. My late husband of more than 20 years and I were involved in a devastating car accident when our vehicle flipped on the highway. He lost his life, and I survived. In an instant, everything changed. Read more>>
Mimi Carter
Hello again and thank you so much for having me for yet another interview! My name is Mimi Carter. I am a Licensed Esthetician and natural born creative. I’ve been a licensed esthetician for three years now. I’ve worked a few jobs in the industry along the way to fund my dream of being a solo esthetician in my own space. Read more>>
Jenna Bodensteiner
I was adopted as an infant from Colombia and raised in a predominately white community. I grew up fairly detached from my heritage, but always very loved and supported by my parents. While I was in college I became increasingly interested in dance classes, yoga classes and spirituality. Read more>>
Brianna Thomas
Hi! I’m Brianna, a wife, mom of two, business owner, and content creator based in Kansas City. I wear many hats, and each one reflects a different part of who I am. I’m a licensed cosmetologist and the owner of House of BStylez, where I specialize in all things hair. My passion for hairstyling started when I was just five years old. Read more>>
Knotty Orchid
I took over what is now Risqué Revelry, LLC in 2021, coming right out of the pandemic as the producer of my old troupe decided to retire from producing. When I took over I wanted to create something special from the groundwork my predecessor had laid, which included getting properly LLC’d and all the ‘fun’ red tape of legal paperwork. Read more>>
Michael Hursey
My first trip to Italy ,was the starting point. I visited this wonderful family the Caponetti’s. caponetti.com They were like a bed and breakfast. It was a cooking school that I found googling. It changed my life , I was there a week and they had people from all over the world. Everyone coming to the table over delicious farm grown food. Read more>>
Braley White
After receiving my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, my husband and I found out we were expecting our second child, which we were over the moon about. I quickly realized that Social Work would always be there for me to go back to, but my children’s childhood wouldn’t. Read more>>
Renee King
(The following information is submitted on behalf of Kevin & Angie Hummer – they are the owners of the businesses listed.) Jesse James Antique Mall is a family owned and operated business, located at Exit 53 at I-29 and Business Highway 71 just north of St. Joseph, MO. Read more>>
SHANICE WHITNEY
I grew up in Kansas City, raised by a single mother who taught me a lot about resilience without ever having to say the word. I went off to college in Iowa, and then, as a complete shock to everyone, including me, I took a teaching job in Kuwait. I ended up staying four years, and that time changed everything. Read more>>
Jess Pierron
I got my degree in graphic design at Mizzou and spent more than a decade working in design and digital marketing before moving into entrepreneurship. In 2018, I co-founded a home decor e-commerce brand, helped grow and eventually sell it, and learned firsthand what it takes to build a business. Read more>>
Taylor Sharp
It all started way back when I was in high school making funny relatable videos with my homeboy. It then slow branch off into pranks and when I got with Bolbi and went on a Colorado trip. That’s when the YouTube adventures started for us. Read more>>
Rae Ellis
I had a rough childhood grew up in Kansas City in the middle of northeast which was not the best. My dad was in the game. My mom was on drugs. I was born in prison actually after about a year and a half with my grandma and my mom, my dad came and got me. Read more>>
Catherine Johnson
I have always loved storytelling. Long before I ever thought about sharing my work publicly, I was writing or imagining stories. Writing has always been how I make sense of the world. I’ve kept a journal since I was ten years old, but for most of my life, I kept my writing to myself as a dream I hoped to pursue someday. Read more>>
Yaipur Cann
I graduated from ATS in 2005, and always wanted to open my own salon. As a kid ownership was always my main goal, no matter the business I had to own it. Years later I started just utilizing my entire license, I never wanted to be limited in my craft. Read more>>
Mel Lee
Born and raised in Kansas. Grew up in a family of five. Two sisters. Always been into skincare since I was young. One sister was the more girly girly while my other was more sporty. One was interested in makeup like art. While my other sister was into sun protection. Being the youngest I got to absorb skincare and makeup artistry. Read more>>
Michael Hansen
I bought my first camera back in 2010 to take photos of just random things, artwork and people. Later on in college in 2014 I had a friend who was also into photography and we would go out and shoot together. This love and enjoyment of photography lead me to booking my first ever wedding for $300. Read more>>
Catherine Deves
Pumpkin Spice KC started from a simple idea: bringing a little more joy to people’s homes during the fall season. I’ve always loved decorating for fall, but every year I noticed the same thing…finding the time to shop for pumpkins, load them into the car, unload them, and create a beautiful display was harder than it looked. Read more>>
Andrew Cooper
And I’m the youngest so all there wins and loses I experienced with the and learned and used that to become my own man.With Growning up and learning from my own mistakes decided to take a different route and invest and become a serial entrepreneur that now just talk about that lifestyle in music.. Read more>>
Theo Davis
Ever since I was young, I have been wildly creative. I grew up living in the urban core of various cities and I developed a deep appreciation for architecture. I loved sketching my bedroom, our house and buildings in our neighborhood. My family moved frequently and I consistently spent my days sketching store fronts, houses and landmarks. Read more>>
Wyatt Ohle
I got my start in the foundation repair industry working on a crew and learning the trade from the ground up. During that time, I began taking on side jobs by myself. A late relative encouraged me to think beyond earning an hourly wage and consider building something that could create long-term opportunities for me and others. In 2019, I started Olympic Foundation Repair. Read more>>
Rikki Terefe
It all started with a late night drive. I was moving back from Colorado, after resigning from my last nursing job. I knew healthcare was not ultimately what I wanted to do. I knew I would be ending my contract in the Army soon. I had just torn my ACL on top of all of that haha. Read more>>
J-Hu$$lanaire
Born & raised in Kansas City, Missouri, I started the journey of doing music when I was 5 years old. I got inspired by Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg ‘Nuthin But a G Thang’. I started with just learning the basics of how to rhyme words together. I didn’t get to the lyric aspect of it til I turn 9 years old. Read more>>
Tom & Beth Jacobs
We’ve experienced many retreats over the years and not only benefited personally, but saw the transformational rewards in other attendees as well. This sparked our passion to be retreat hosts for others working to navigate through life challenges with tools to move forward. Read more>>
Anahi Sepulveda
I’ve always had a passion for expressing my creativity. From a young age, I watched my mom bake beautiful, delicious cakes, and I was fascinated by the artistic side of decorating them. I loved watching Cake Boss and other baking shows, and I would find any excuse to make cupcakes or cakes for family celebrations. Read more>>
Courtney Wasson
My story is deeply connected to Kansas City and the people who make this community what it is. Much of my path has been shaped by relationships, unexpected opportunities, and a growing understanding of how important it is to create spaces where people feel welcomed and connected. I did not necessarily begin with a perfectly mapped-out plan. Read more>>
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>>
