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.
Aerin Sentgeorge 
I’m Aerin Sentgeorge, a Kansas City-based artist and the founder of aerin.design (my website). My path to becoming an artist has taken a few turns. I earned a master’s degree in art from Indiana University and spent 12 years teaching art before moving into instructional design. Read more>>
Tammy Ball
My journey with the Kearney Food Pantry began in 2017 as a volunteer. What started as a desire to serve my community quickly grew into a deeper commitment to the organization and the families we support. Read more>>
Ryan Freeland 
I started getting into videography because I’ve always enjoyed creating videos and bringing ideas to life. What started as a hobby gradually turned into something I wanted to pursue seriously. I began creating content, reaching out to brands, and learning how to turn my creativity into a business. Read more>>
Jackson Ries 
I started in music when I was about a junior in high school. At 16, I taught myself guitar and ended up taking voice and piano lessons that year as well. I had taught myself a decent amount of piano already, but the lessons helped me enhance my skills for sure. Read more>>
DNA 
What started as two DJs spinning at house parties quickly grew into something bigger. We shared a love for music long before we started dating, but once we got together, joining forces behind the decks felt like a natural next step. From house parties to bar gigs, clubs, and eventually festivals, we’ve been chasing the beat ever since. Read more>>
Boogie Corleone 
I was raised by my grandmother – who was heavy into church- due to my mother passing at an early age & my father was absent . I began spoken word & rapping as an outlet for my emotions without having to own all of the feelings, or to actually have to talk to anyone about them. Read more>>
Marcus Gates 
Thriving Lives really started while I was still in college at Northwest Missouri State University. At the time, I was studying to become an elementary PE teacher and had gotten really into bodybuilding. I competed in my first two bodybuilding shows, earned my pro card at my second show, and started helping other people with their health and fitness on the side. Read more>>
Andrew Joseph 
With more than 25 years of experience in publishing, public relations, and brand development, Andrew Joseph has built a career around storytelling, meaningful relationships, and connecting creative people with opportunities that help their businesses grow. Read more>>
Skylor Alexander 
Blue Heron Pools & Outdoor Living started with two things: a lifelong love of water and the outdoors, along with a belief that your backyard is an extension of your home weather you are building a pool, a deck, or an outdoor living space with us, it should have the same care and design as the inside of your home. Read more>>
Bucky Beckham 
I was an alcoholic for 25 years. When I got out of rehab in 2015 my heart was set on helping other addicts in early 2019 We bought a gym and started Bible Study’s and started privately helping others find sobriety. Read more>>
Rebecca Carroll 
Before photography, I was a care aide for ten years. I started taking photos as a hobby, just me and my friends, and fell in love with it. I took a chance going full time and spent the first few years submitting to lots of magazines and awards. I was surprised by how fast it grew. Read more>>
Rebecca Harrington 
Since the early days of our marriage, my husband and I had a longing to own some land where we could watch things grow. My husband spent his childhood on a large scale farm in western Kansas, so it has always been deep in our hearts. Four years ago we found a piece of land in Lone Jack, MO and Harrington Family Farm began. Read more>>
C O H O 
My interest in beauty started with the women in my family. I remember watching them put on their makeup, dress up in their finest clothes, and spray their best perfume. It was pure magic. I could instantly feel the energy in the room shift by the way they carried themselves, and I was so deeply inspired. Read more>>
Baby Augi 
I started singing in the church choir at a young age at Skylight Baptist Church in Kansas City all the way up until my senior year of high school. Read more>>
Lisa Mckenzie
Lisa McKenzie is a touring drummer, percussion clinician, and co-founder of Mind Body Equine. Grounded in rhythmic mastery and somatic regulation, her work bridges high-level musical performance with transformative, bottom-up nervous system healing. As a professional drummer touring with the Damien Gunn Band, Lisa maintains a relentless drive for artistic growth, studying under world-renowned masters such as Gino Banks, Jim Riley, and Aloke Dutta (tabla). Read more>>
Heather Rainbolt 
I’ve always been obsessed with flowers, and with a degree in Graphic Design and nine years of experience as a graphic and website designer, I’ve always loved creating things that are both beautiful and meaningful. But my love for pressed flower preservation started with something much more personal: my own mountaintop elopement with my husband. Read more>>
Santiago Vasquez 
I was born on July 24, 1964, in Cumaná, a coastal city in northeastern Venezuela. My mother was from Margarita Island, and my stepfather was an immigrant from Sicily, Italy. I grew up in a family of very modest means, and those early experiences helped shape who I am today. In 1982, at the age of 18, I immigrated to the United States. Read more>>
Matt Disney 
I’ve been selling and marketing home improvement products for 30 years, and prior to Covid, I was interested in one of our manufacturer’s products to act as an installer. The product was SportMaster sport court acrylic coatings for professional use. Read more>>
Bobby Kerr 
From Rock Star to Real Estate Authority As the world’s best 1980’s Bon Jovi tribute artist/band ‘Bob Jovi,’ Bobby has played to packed crowds across the globe — commanding stages, reading rooms, and building rapport with thousands. That performer’s instinct for connection never left him. But while the stage taught him presence, the back office taught him something more valuable: visibility isn’t luck. It’s architecture. Read more>>
Rob Love 
How I started was I had a chance to make a childhood dream become reality. I have always been a person who goes for my dreams and takes the path less traveled. I initially saw my journey taking me from a successful NBA career into the world of stand up comedy however that wasn’t the case. Read more>>
Jen Allen 
My love for nutrition and fitness started when I stumbled into my first CrossFit gym 10 years ago. Up until then I had never lifted weights. I was a long distance runner recovering from a tough marriage and an even tougher divorce. At that time of my life I felt weak, insignificant and small in every sense of the word. Read more>>
Jessica Deterding 
I grew up in the Kansas City area, where my interest in business and marketing started at a young age, thanks in part to experiences like Exchange City. That early curiosity grew into opportunities to participate nationally in Business Professionals of America and DECA. At the same time, I developed a deep love for theater and the creative arts. Read more>>
Nick Walker 
I started taking blogging seriously in 2012 after I was told by someone that my voice carries influence and people listen and tune into whatever I post online. I always had a curiosity about the world around me overall. Read more>>
Andrea Thibeaux 
Hi! I’m Andrea—also known as Chef Andi—the chef and owner behind Classy Cuisine. At my core, I’ve always had a passion for food and the creativity that comes with it. I love the art behind creating a dish and watching how a great meal brings everyone to the table. My path here was actually a bit of a journey. Read more>>
Devin Reed 
It all started after I a month long hospitalization for pancreatitis. I originally was going to college to become a radiologist, but life had a different plan. I was told the pancreatitis was due to my drinking habits and after a year of trying to quit drinking/multiple hospital visits I got lost. Read more>>
Alysia Madison 
My story started with me simply wanting to make something that worked. Brown Eyed Babe has been part of my life for about 10 years now. I started making skincare products because I wanted simple products made with ingredients I understood and felt good about using. Read more>>
Mieka Schambach 
I’m Mieka Schambach – I have a business degree from King University and spent over a decade in general surgery administration, which taught me how to run operations, lead teams, and take care of people. My husband Devon Tilley brought the hobby side. Read more>>
Robin Long
My love for crafting began when I was a little girl, watching my grandmother create beautiful ceramics and handmade treasures for family and friends. Her creativity and passion for making meaningful gifts inspired me at an early age and planted a seed that would eventually grow into something much bigger. What started as a simple hobby quickly became a passion. Read more>>
claire lathrop 
For as long as I can remember, I was an artist. Not just in the sense that I liked art class, but that I knew creating things and sharing them with people was what I wanted to spend my life doing. I wanted to make work that helped people express something about themselves. That hasn’t changed, but the medium certainly has. Read more>>
Diana Luppens 
I’ve always been interested in Photography my whole life. I took some classes in College. I started getting paid for photography in 2009 and went Full Time in 2014. I lost my son in 2012. His Army nickname was Switch. After he died, my “Focus” in life drastically changed. Read more>>
Donna Coleman 
Well, really, I think it all started quite simply, growing up in the countryside. Most days I would be outside playing and exploring with my brother. Nature has always been a part of my life, and I grew up with the delight and wonder that it has always offered me. Read more>>
Brady Payton 
I started tattooing in 2005. My mom bragged about my art to some people at her church who happened to own a tattoo shop in Nashville Tennessee. They called me one day and offered me an apprenticeship. Read more>>
Chad Banks 
Ninja Window Cleaning was started when two crew leaders from another window cleaning company decided to venture out on their own in 2017. In mid-2024, Ninja Window Cleaning became solely owned by one of the original owners, Chad Banks. Now it’s more considered a family owned and operated small business with the help of Chad’s wife Josie and oldest son Kyng. Read more>>
Vick-Knew- Zeus 
For years, Kiki, Eden, and I ground it out on social media. I started a group on FB called Universes Collide and grew it to 20,000 members. From there, I moved to multiple apps, including Amino, Vine, and Tumblr, and grew my audience. I did this even while working in Hollywood on other ventures. Read more>>
Kerri Dahl 
I grew up in a musical family and through my early years had exposure to and picked up 8 different instruments, often going in to the orchestra or band at lunch in middle school to play additional instruments. Read more>>
Stefanie Shank 
Weenieton first started as an animation experiment that I created for fun. I started off exploring animations of ocean waves, flowers blooming, and palm trees for my Tumblr account. One day I felt inspired to try to animate my best friend, my miniature dachshund Tooie. Read more>>
Dr Brad Woodle 
My story starts with my dad. He was an automotive machinist, and years of physically demanding work took a serious toll on his back. Chiropractic care helped him keep working and remain active without having back surgery. To me, the most meaningful part was that he could still play baseball and wrestle with us kids. Read more>>
Taylor Asay 
I started esthetics school in 2018, almost right out of high school. I thought it was just something fun to do until I figured out pretty quickly that this was my lifelong career. I fell in love with esthetics the day I started. I was so eager and ready to learn everything I could! Read more>>
Jessica Patterson
My journey into the beauty industry started in 2021, after COVID, when I was struggling to find a career that worked with my multiple chronic health conditions. I briefly found a customer service job, but my health declined to the point that I eventually had to leave. Read more>>
Teresa Roskosh 
I have always loved to bake! I started baking for my family when I was about 10 years old, beginning with boxed brownie and cookie mixes. Before long, I was branching out, doctoring up those mixes with different add-ins, and testing new recipes that my mom would find or someone would share with me. Read more>>
Blessings Abound
Blessings Abound began in 2007 as a small, volunteer‑run thrift effort with one purpose: to generate sustainable funding for Kansas City–area nonprofits. For the first several years, the organization operated entirely through volunteer dedication, growing steadily as the community embraced the mission. By 2011, Blessings Abound expanded into a staffed operation, building a diverse team alongside its strong volunteer base. Read more>>
Janel Bowers 
I’ve learned over the years that some of the most important things we build aren’t necessarily buildings. They’re relationships, opportunities, and communities where everyone has a place to belong. I’m the CEO of Friends of JCDS, a Johnson County nonprofit that has been creating affordable, accessible housing for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1997. Read more>>
Katie Foster 
Hi! My name is Katie Foster and I am a local artist who specializes in unique concepts. Most people know me for my elaborate tie dye, previously owning KC’s only dedicated DIY tie dye studio, or my stage design builds. Read more>>
Lucas Mathew Stein 
When I was seventeen years old I was in a debilitating car accident. I went through the windshield at 55 mph and suffered a major head injury. I had a massive concussion that made it so I could barely stand or walk for most of my Jr. year of high school. I was home schooled the majority of that year because of it. Read more>>
Naveen Moinuddin 
We’re Naveen and Muhammad, the husband and wife team behind Nivi’s Minis, a bespoke snack cart business based in Kansas City. After moving to KC two years ago, we wanted to build connections in our community and create something together. Read more>>
Mattie Alaniz 
Mattie K launched in Northwest Arkansas in 2022 the way a lot of small businesses do: one client, then a referral, then another. Before long, it had grown into a full marketing studio handling social media, branding, web design, content, and events. In 2025, I took the leap and expanded into Kansas City. Read more>>
JW Goodwin 
For me, basketball isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. Spending years running pickup games across local gyms and connecting with ballers across the region made one thing crystal clear: our area was overflowing with real talent. Read more>>
Lina Maria Baquero
I have always wanted to build something of my own; something that would feel like me, reflect my vision, and represent the way I choose to live life. I knew I wanted to create something meaningful, but for a long time, I wasn’t quite sure what that something would be. Read more>>
