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.
Grace Thomas
I started my journey in fashion at the ripe age of 20 as an assistant stylist to a celebrity stylist. My story continued as I pivoted into a world of corporate fashion, working at the Nike HQ in Beaverton, Oregon and taking on roles in merchandising, styling and buying. Read more>>
Henry Ryals
As the son of an Architect, I’ve lived and breathed construction all my life. Some of my earliest memories are of job site tours (complete with a hard hat that was comically oversized for my little head) and of helping my dad with home renovation projects. Throughout my childhood, weekends and summers were spent working on our home or rental property. Read more>>
Amber Weaver
My journey has many starting points…it’s wild to reflect back on how I got here. Little me wouldn’t believe me if I told her but I know she’d be excited, and every day I do it for her. Ever since I was young I knew I was ‘a healer’ but I just never knew what that would look like as an adult. Read more>>
Erin Farrington
I was born in Busan, South Korea and adopted by a family in Oregon when I was only 3 months old. They didn’t have much financially, but my parents both told me they ‘knew they had another child out in the world,’ and if God wanted it to happen – He’d make it possible. Read more>>
Amanda Williams Iven
My name is Amanda Williams Iven, and this is my story. In 2007, I married my late husband, Mike, and together we had three children. Mike proudly served in the United States Air Force and battled PTSD until his passing in 2019. Losing him left me as a single mother navigating life with our children while carrying the weight of grief and responsibility. Read more>>
Hayley Bagwell
Cedar + Sage Design was born from a love of design, but my path to interior design wasn’t a traditional one. Before starting my design business, I spent 12 years working as a neurophysiologist in the operating room, monitoring patients’ nervous systems during complex surgeries. While I enjoyed the science and problem-solving, I realized my true passion was design. Read more>>
Jason Biga
I’ve always loved ice cream as a treat because it ticks so many boxes on the scale of hunger vs craving. Ice cream hits because it’s an experience you crave for creamy texture, sweetness, crunchiness, chocolate dominance, fruitiness, or richness. Corvallis was missing a neighborhood scoop shop where you could grab a treat to enjoy on the riverfront. Read more>>
Scott Haley
I am someone who likes to work on things. So when I wanted to roast my own coffee for personal use I decided to go big or go home. We purchased a commercial roaster and started creating coffee roast that I liked. We started selling coffee beans online and then started our coffee shop about 16 months ago. Read more>>
Nate Higgins
I started Kure over 15 years ago with a simple idea: healthy food shouldn’t feel like a compromise. At the time, there weren’t many places where you could grab something that was genuinely nutritious, made from real ingredients, and still tasted indulgent. I wanted to change that. Like most small businesses, the early years were anything but glamorous. Read more>>
Jacob Oliver
We started as a small Mediterranean food truck going form beer event to beer event on the weekends while during the week I worked at a local brewery as a distribution manager. Our goa was to look for a location we could permanent Park our food truck as well as open a small taproom focusing on exclusively local and independent craft beverages. Read more>>
SHANNON SEGERSTROM
When I opened inMotion Training Studio 17 years ago, I thought I was opening a personal training studio. Looking back, I realize I was really beginning a journey of learning—about people, business, and what it truly means to help someone live a healthier life. I’m a fourth-generation Bend native, and growing up here shaped both who I am and how I run my business. Read more>>
Elijah Ray
I’m Elijah, a content creator, artist, and entrepreneur based in Portland, Oregon. My journey started by sharing my life online, including my experience as a transgender man, while exploring different creative outlets. Over the years I taught myself rug tufting, home renovation, DIY projects, fitness, and music, and began documenting everything on social media. Read more>>
Jordan Stanton
In my first career I was an ICU nurse, primarily open heart recovery. Following college, and after starting a fairly challenging career, I wasn’t in the athletic shape that I used to be. My ex-wife, Erin, having both been in high school weighlifting classes in the past, decided to give lifting a try once again. Read more>>
Anja Mejia
I became a Family Nurse Practitioner because I’ve always been fascinated by the human body and its incredible ability to heal, adapt, and thrive when given the right support. I wanted to understand not only how to treat disease, but how to help people live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Read more>>
Joshua Dorcak
My story starts in the Bay Area, California. I went to culinary school at the CCA (California Culinary Academy) in 2004. I was 18 years old and fresh out of high school. I had never worked in a restaurant before starting this career path; I just knew that I liked cooking and dining. Read more>>
Christine Jarski
Before becoming an interior designer, I built a career in nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and economic development. I helped nonprofit organizations build support for their missions, worked with businesses to grow and expand, recruited new businesses to communities, and was involved in historic preservation efforts that protected the character and history of the places I served. Read more>>
Christy Jacobo
My name is Christy Jacobo, and I’m a registered nurse with a passion for holistic healing. My journey into wellness became deeply personal after a significant accident left me unable to walk for nearly nine months. During my recovery, I was determined to heal without relying heavily on medication, which led me to discover the incredible benefits of water therapy and acupuncture. Read more>>
Alissa Pulcrano
Alissa was born into a family where creativity was a language spoken fluently. Her mother – an immigrant from Austria, an art teacher, and a prolific painter – filled their world with color and possibility. Her sister became an interior designer; her brother, an alternative journalist. Read more>>
Kristen Martin
I never imagined I’d own a dog bakery. Before Bring!, I spent nearly two decades working in the wine industry after beginning my career in broadcast journalism. Throughout my life, though, one thing remained constant: animals have always been at the center of who I am. As a kid, I was always rescuing creatures, asking endless questions about wildlife, and believing every animal deserved kindness. Read more>>
Alana Spears
I spent 20 years as a creative producer in television and advertising, everything from broadcasting sports to working on shows for networks like HGTV to ad campaigns for major brands. Design wasn’t part of the plan. Read more>>
Roy Long
My path into the food cart industry was anything but linear. From my time in the military to years in sales and eventually working in regulatory compliance for the State of Oregon, each step gave me a unique perspective on service, business, and operations. But despite a stable career, there was always an underlying drive in me to build something of my own. Read more>>
Julie Harden
My journey to creating True Lavender Collective didn’t begin in a lavender field. It began with a decision to walk away from a successful 14-year career in high tech. The career that had once challenged and inspired me was taking far more than it was giving back. Read more>>
Linda Kruusi
Kruusn Quilt Shop grew from my love of quilting, creativity, and bringing people together. I started the shop from my home with a vision of creating more than a place where people simply purchased fabric. I wanted it to be a welcoming space where customers felt comfortable asking questions, learning something new, sharing their projects, and becoming part of a quilting family. Read more>>
Paige Sanders
I bought The Newport Belle about six years ago after spending most of my career in the corporate world as a program and project manager. I had reached a point where I knew I wanted a major life change. I wasn’t ready to retire—I just wanted to slow down a little and do something that felt more meaningful and hands-on. Read more>>
Mitty McVay
We are a husband and wife team and have been in the business in feeding folks in one way or another for the past 15 years. We met working on an organic vegetable farm in Colorado in 2012, and have worked together in fields and kitchens all over the western half of the US ever since. Tackle Box Burrito is our second entrepreneurial adventure. Read more>>
Meg Boyd
Hi, I’m Meg. Movement has always been a big part of my life. I discovered yoga in college, expecting a workout, but what I found was something much deeper: strength, calm, and connection. For years, running was my anchor. I logged more than 2,000 miles a year and trained for the Boston Marathon. Then in 2020, everything changed. Read more>>
Kelle Doran
Steep is the fruit of a 17 year dream. I have loved tea for years and have been to England, Europe, and Asia, which has given me a greater appreciation for all kinds of tea. Read more>>
Jet Thaggard
Johanna and I both received our Masters degree in Nutrition at the National University of Natural Medicine. Read more>>
Josie Wolf
Consignabubble was created by two local Corvallis moms, Lyndsey Zarfas and Josie Wolf. Josie met Lyndsey while she was in the process of purchasing the Corvallis Branch of Mother Goose Resale. Along the way, they became friends and realized how well their combined backgrounds would fit together in a business partnership. Lyndsey has a background in education and child development. Read more>>
Pema and Nurbu Sherpa
After COVID, Nurbu and I traveled throughout Nepal with one goal: to support small local businesses that had been devastated by the pandemic. During that journey, we unexpectedly met the Musahar community, one of the most marginalized and discriminated-against groups in Nepal. The word ‘Musahar’ literally means ‘mouse eater,’ reflecting the deep stigma they have endured for generations. Read more>>
Olivia Martens
I suppose my story starts when my sister and I began elementary school. She was diagnosed with Global Developmental Delay and Autism at the time, and I remember always having one eye on my teacher and one eye on my sister even though she was in the adjoining classroom (only a short bookshelf for a wall). Read more>>
Rachel Jacot
I grew up in the midwest. Went to fashion design school in Chicago and when I graduated moved out west. I landed in LA for almost 10 years working for various high end boutiques and realized I wanted to go out on my own and open my own shop so my husband and I moved to Oregon where we launched our shop. Read more>>
Jeff Jensen
Todd, high school biology and art and Bible for many years in private Christian schools. Move to Bend to teach at a local Christian school and after two years, it just wasn’t the direction I was wanting to go. Read more>>
Scott Harden
Recovery is my story and it is the story of the Gresham Senior Center. In December of 2024 I had open heart surgery to get a new aortic valve. I had lost my job prior to my surgery, and I was faced with finding a new job after four months of post-surgery rehabilitation. Read more>>
Lesley Brighton
My story is a bit unique, most people start their career as alternative practitioner because of their own health and that is not my story. My passion for nutrition began while I was attending—and later teaching at—an equestrian college. I taught Anatomy and Physiology, Nutrition, massage therapy, and chiropractic techniques for horses. Read more>>
Michelle Meister
The Story of Gaia’s Workshop When Michelle was in Middle School, way back in the 60’s, she wanted to play drums in the school band but was not allowed to because she was a girl. The vibrations of Drums, Music and Sound have been, and still are, an integral part of most every culture’s Sacred Practices, Healing and entertainment. Read more>>
Kellie Hobbs
My journey into fitness began 14 years ago when my husband was introduced to CrossFit. We had both worked with a personal trainer for several years, but CrossFit brought something completely new to our routine. It was challenging, exciting, and built around a strong sense of community and friendly competition. Read more>>
Jordan Andrew
I’ve always been drawn to creativity in all its forms. Five years ago, I started A Creative Approach as a way to help businesses tell their story through branding, social media, design, and marketing. Read more>>
Kristine Cooper
I’ve always been fascinated by creating and by the stories objects carry. Growing up, my family spent weekends searching estate sales, thrift stores, and auctions, reselling treasures on eBay during its early years. It taught me to recognize craftsmanship, appreciate quality, and see value where others might overlook it. Looking back, those experiences shaped the way I see art today. Read more>>
Emerald Lockhart and Barbra Steinhurst
Emerald: Colours was established in 2009 and started its journey on 3rd street in historical downtown Hillsboro. I started working part-time with the founding owner in 2011, while attending full-time at Portland State University toward a major in Art Practices and minor in Graphic Design. In 2017, I helped move the local art supply shop to Main street, in the center of old town. Read more>>
Kristin Fay VENUS
I can walk into a room, a conversation, a person’s life, a business, or an organization and see what is needed. I can see where the structure is missing. I can see where someone is carrying too much. Read more>>
Kelsey Davis
Olivia and I actually started out at our husbands’ company picnic. We were sitting on a bench chatting about our mutual love for design and showing each other photos of our latest home projects. As the conversation turned toward interior design and home staging, the spark ignited—and the idea for Sage and Pine was born! Read more>>
