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.
Stephanie Davidson
I received a degree in graphic design in 2007 from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and quickly moved back to my hometown, Belton, Missouri. I went to work as a graphic designer for a small, family-owned toy company. In 2010, I took a design position with a local startup seeking to build a presence within the gifting industry. Read more>>
PK Mitchell
To put it briefly, I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. But I started getting more serious around 2024 when I decided I wanted to break into the art world, sell my work, and explore my personal style. Pretty early on in that year, I found my would-be art mentor, DINKC, through one of his last ‘How to make a T-shirt’ classes. Read more>>
Brittany Marshall
I’d love to! I was working with adults with disabilities, and I had one patient who would always come in walking like he was in pain. He would constantly tell me how he was uncomfortable. One day, his massage therapist, Peggy Greene (I’ll never forget her), came in and gave him a massage. Read more>>
Maggie Perales
I will be the first to admit that I am a beauty school dropout! 1999 was a long time ago, in a land not too far away. I was going to cosmetology school so I could make money while I was in nursing school, or at least that was the plan! Life had other ideas for me. Read more>>
Amanda Lacey
I’ve been creating jewelry for more than 12 years, but about three years ago, I transitioned into making bags. The art of bag making had always intrigued me, but for a long time, fear kept me from learning. Eventually, my curiosity outweighed that fear, and I decided to explore the construction side of bag making. Read more>>
Ashlee Burlile
I’ve loved to draw and paint since I was practically a baby. I would always be drawing while watching TV or when I was supposed to have some quiet time. Throughout my high school years I took every art class I possibly could from 2D Art, 3D Art, Ceramics, AP Studio Art, etc. Read more>>
Rhianon Brown
I started my journey in photography when I was a kid. My mom would buy me a disposable camera before every family vacation and I loved getting home to see what the photos looked like after they developed (most of them were photos of stray cats). Read more>>
Josh Luke
The journey begins with a love for music and a passion for rhythm. My whole life, I’ve tapped and pittered on anything that’d make a cool enough sound. From 9-12 years old, I took drum lessons, and throughout highschool had mentors and attended camps that helped build my foundation. Read more>>
Diane Huckshorn
I actually wasn’t looking for a new job when the Executive Director position at the Belton Chamber of Commerce became available. I was working at the School District and serving on the Chamber Board as the Events Chair when the Director at the time had unexpectedly just moved on, and the Board asked me to apply for the position. Read more>>
Lindsey Nhingsavath
My path to CTRL Creative Agency definitely wasn’t a straight line, and I think that’s a big part of why I approach business the way I do today. For a long time, I thought my future would be in medicine. I worked in healthcare as a surgical assistant and was also in medical school with the goal of becoming a surgeon. Read more>>
Heidi Mills
A little over six years ago I was standing in my yard, with my one-year-old on my hip, talking to my husband about my future career goals. I had just graduated with my business degree with a minor in nonprofit management at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic and had no idea where to go from there. Read more>>
David Roberts
2026 has been a difficult year for our us. Being a family business and having health struggles can really weigh you down or even worse, make the business no longer be able to operate. I’ve had several ambulance rides this year and I’ve been off work due to my health and following the doctor’s orders more often than I’d like. Read more>>
Dorcianna Cortez
I got started in the entertainment industry largely due to my therapist, some research, and a little bit of luck! After getting divorced, I began this chaotic and emotional journey of self-love and self-discovery which included focusing on my physical and mental health. Read more>>
Dylan Buyskes
Born in South Africa, raised by an entrepreneur mother in small business. Moved to Buffalo NY, USA in 1987 at age of 13. Opened my first business, a coffee shop at 22. Then to carry on that style of business until 32 opening 3 additional cafes, selling one, and managing coffee shops at a university for 3 years. Read more>>
Taylor Jackson
I started creating press on nails while I was in college as a creative outlet. It was all just for fun and would make free sets for my friends. Eventually, I started getting asked to create nails to sell, and my little hobby turned into a business. Read more>>
Ryan Thompson
Wound for Sound actually began in 2015, but back then we never realized it would later become a record store. Initially, I gave guitar and bass lessons out of our home. Meanwhile, our vinyl collection continued to grow. In 2018, having wrist surgery forced me to take a break from teaching. Read more>>
Robbyn Layne
I grew up in Kansas City and peaked as an artist at the age of five. That was the year I won my first “art prize” for a crayon drawing of an apple tree and a very enthusiastic, slightly lopsided American flag inspired by my dad’s red, white, and blue race car. I got a big purple ribbon. My dad was incredibly proud. Read more>>
Tracy Ford
Speakeasy smoker was a product of covid. A local bar served smoked Cocktails and during the shutdown they served cocktails to go with a bag of wood chips. They held a facebook competition to see who had the best way of using their wood chips to smoke their drink. I came up with a prototype and won the competition. Read more>>
Christa Ellis
My path into experiential marketing wasn’t a straight line, and that’s probably the most honest way to start. I spent years in corporate learning and development at Sprint, building virtual experiences for teams around the country. That’s where I first got hands-on with photo booth technology, not as an event add-on, but as a tool for connection. Read more>>
Scott Martinez
I’ve been a musician my entire life so it was kind of a natural progression to get into guitar making, especially after I switched from base to guitar because guitar opened up a whole new world to me. My creativity created a desire to experiment like never before and that included modifying guitars that I was buying. Read more>>
Kidron Harris
I always remember enjoying art. My dad is a musician and was recording songs when I was a kid and my mother and her family enjoyed drawing and making clothes, so being creative and making things feels like an integral part of life to me. I wasn’t really making art regularly until I started my freshman year though. Read more>>
Tricia Keightley
I started my career in web development and technology, earning my degree in Web Development in 2011 and immediately building Web Worx. I had two little girls at home and I wanted to be able to walk them to school and have the freedom of an entrepreneur. Read more>>
Amy Boll
In 2017, my husband and I and four daughters moved from Clearwater, Florida (I am a Florida native) to Kansas City (my husband is a Missouri native) to be closer to extended family. I like to say we arrived in Kansas City at the same time Patrick Mahomes did! My husband joined the staff of our local church as the missions pastor. Read more>>
Michelle Villalobos
Honestly, I never set out to be a welder. In the summer of 1999 I left a job at Citicorp. Good job on paper, but it just wasn’t me, and I couldn’t tell you exactly why — it just wasn’t. I took a seasonal maintenance job out at Smithville Lake, mostly because I loved being outside. Read more>>
Kiran Reddy
Reddy Consulting really grew out of both my professional experience and how I was raised. I grew up in an immigrant, entrepreneurial family, so business was always very real to me. I understood early that time is money, and relationships and trust matter. I carried that perspective into my legal career. Read more>>
Nina Lewis
Man, looking back at the journey is definitely a trip. I started my cosmetology career at House of Heaven right in the heart of Kansas City. MO. When I saw that 1,500-hour requirement to graduate, I thought there was no way I’d ever hit it, but I did. Read more>>
Luke Collier
I think a lot of my story started long before I realized I was building one. When I look at where my creativity and entrepreneurial mindset came from, I can trace them back to two very different influences in my family. My mom gave me my creative side. She introduced me to graphic design and helped shape the way I see things visually. Read more>>
Sarah Wright
I have always been pulled in by the art of photography. As a young girl I remember looking at old photos that my parents had taken on their film camera and it bringing such a spark of creativity and excitement into my life. From their travels, to images of my sisters and I as children, I was intrigued by it all. Read more>>
Philo Northrup
I make sculptures and ArtCars from objects that others throw away. The sculptures take a month or so to make; the ArtCars take over a year to create (ArtCars are street-legal cars that have been permanently modified into an artwork). As a child I would steal away to the basement to escape the sound and fury of my bickering parents. Read more>>
LORRIE BOYDSTON
My story begins in the suburban northland area of Kansas City, MO where I grew up. I took an interest in art at a very young age with drawing and painting being my strongest areas in school. Read more>>
Aubre Springer
About 12 years ago now, I took my oldest daughter to have her 6 month photos done at a local big box store’s portrait studio and saw they were hiring and thought it might be a good way to get some extra cash since we were just barely making it by at the time. Read more>>
