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.
RACHEL LONDON
Topsy Blends really started because I was trying to solve a problem in my own life. For years, I dealt with chronic stomach pain and nausea on an almost daily basis. I had been to doctors, changed my diet, tried different exercise routines and home remedies, and nothing seemed to make much of a difference. Eventually, my sister introduced me to essential oils. Read more>>
Darren Peters
I dunno, I really haven’t thought about my personal story. Would probably be a better thing to talk about. I also really have a story more for DJ Disco Dino, as they are kind the persona I use for DJing. I tend to focus more of the music, persona, and dinosaur aspect of DJ Disco Dino, rather than my actual self. Read more>>
Haley Alexander
I was 29, a relatively new mother, owner of a brand new camera and with an idea that I should take pictures of my friends. Moms deserve beautiful images to look back on and I had a solution. Read more>>
Michael Peck
Books have always been a passion of mine, whether as a reader, collector, or seller. For many years I have written stories, essays, and reviews for several print and online magazines and journals, as well as the author of a published novel. Shortly after moving to Oregon, I started an online rare book business that ran for a few years. Read more>>
Rachel Casanova
I began my journey as a young mom wanting to be able to have convenient meals that felt homemade and full of nutrition for myself and my family. I began to deep dive into reading labels after my daughter was born and tried to start making everything from scratch to cut out all the artificial ingredients and noticed how much better I felt all around. Read more>>
Melanie Smoke-Solmes
My husband and I moved to Oregon in 2013 on a whim after a road trip along the Oregon Coast, with no jobs and no real plan. I spent years working in marketing for a large timeshare company in Depoe Bay, Oregon. We moved from the coast to Central Oregon in 2015 to help open a new resort in Bend. Read more>>
Nicol Alcain
We moved from the east coast a few years ago. Kazuki has been adventuring with us since he was a kitten. He has traveled through most of the United States and several times to Mexico and Canada. We have gone camping and road tripping and enjoy hiking a lot. Read more>>
Annette Solis
Bombaci Pasta started in Spring of 2024 from a desire to bring high quality fresh pasta to Bend. Gabriel was a professional chef and I (Annette) come with lots of front of house and hospitality experience. We specialize in handmade stuffed pasta that incorporates local seasonal ingredients whenever possible. We also have bronze die extruded noodles and a few staple sauces. Read more>>
Rachel Feriend
The Jasper Fox Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families navigating the heartbreak of miscarriage and stillbirth. We craft handmade stuffed foxes weighted to match the exact birth weight of the child who passed away, offering grieving parents a physical touchpoint of remembrance. Our mission is simple: to ensure no mother has to experience empty arms after a loss. Read more>>
Gabrielle Urbani
My relationship with sound began as a deeply personal one. Many, many moons ago, my therapist suggested I try a sound bath as a way to quiet my busy mind and ease the stress and anxiety I was carrying. Within minutes of that first experience, I felt something shift. Read more>>
Kimberly Costa-Stearns
I was born and raised on the East Coast, in Maryland. I have loved art my entire life and started drawing and painting around age 5. Growing up on the East coast, I was lucky to spend a lot of time in museums and art galleries. Read more>>
Molly Hughes
I started off as a seasonal business in a very small shed that I had built on my property. I moved the shed to a location in a very small town just outside of Bend, Oregon. I grew the business very slowly and in May 2025, the business moved into a beautiful year-round space and we are currently a year-round Farmstand and market. Read more>>
Trystan Nguyen
My journey started at around 8 years old when my dad helped me make my first sword. It was made from aluminum so if I fell on it accidentally I wouldn’t impale myself. I used to run around in our local forest going on ‘adventures’ with it. My parents loved it, they had me clearing the bramble bushes with my mighty blade! Read more>>
Stephanie Mai
Creating, and exploring visions through illustrating gowns and silhouettes has always been rooted in stephanie’s passion. stephanie always knew that her creative output and growing artistic talent would lead her down a path toward fashion. stephanie continued to pursue her childhood goals by attending the art institute of college, earning her ba degree in apparel design. Read more>>
Diane Wavra
Growing plants has been a part of the Wavra family for many years. Dan started growing his own cannery crops right out of high school. Diane taught school for a few years, and then took time off to raise their kids with the intention of someday going back to teaching. Read more>>
Alivia Holden
My story honestly started with burnout. I was working in healthcare and knew I couldn’t see myself doing it forever, so I enrolled in beauty school almost on a whim, with absolutely no idea where it would take me. I started waxing out of my house just one month postpartum because I didn’t have any clients or money yet to afford a studio. Read more>>
Candi Nielsen
La Grande Farmers Market has grown from humble beginnings into a vibrant and much-loved community gathering place in downtown La Grande, Oregon. The market began in 1980 as a small open-air market with just a handful of vendors, originally known as the Blue Mountain Producers. Read more>>
Tatiana Andrade
Hello my name is Tatiana Andrade, im very proud of my Bolivian roots. I was raised and lived in La Paz, Bolivia for 25 years of my life. Originality born in Eugene, Oregon where I currently live with my years old daughter. 14 years ago, after finishing my degree in Business Administration in Bolivia. Read more>>
Paula Guevara
I guess I’ve been an esthetician my whole life—I just didn’t know it. I grew up in Costa Rica, and I spent most of my childhood outside, but home was emotionally unstable and chaotic. I’m also a highly sensitive person, so from a very young age I learned to find little ways to soothe myself. Read more>>
Bill Hernandez
I was fortunate to have an amazing 24-year career at Nike, and I’m incredibly grateful for everything that experience gave me. But music had always been a passion of mine—something I loved doing whenever I had the opportunity. Right before COVID hit in 2020, I decided to retire from Nike and finally give that passion the time and attention it deserved. Read more>>
Jennifer Colestock
My love affair with Spanish started in college, leading to years of traveling, living across the Spanish-speaking world, and spending over two decades in public education. While I loved teaching middle school, high school, and university students, I found myself increasingly drawn to adult learners—people who show up with a crystal-clear ‘why’. Read more>>
Jacklyn Wiebe
Come this November, I’ll have been a full-time photographer for an entire year. I decided to take the leap when my husband was preparing to return home from deployment. He saw how passionate I was about photography and encouraged me to finally take the chance on myself. Without his support, none of this would have been possible. Read more>>
Kate Pritchard
Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to have a career in helping people. I graduated in 1992 from USC with a degree in Occupational Therapy. I have worked as an OT for over 30+ years in hospitals, outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home health, and schools. My passion has been advocating for people who are marginalized, underestimated, and excluded. Read more>>
Eric Keppler
Growing up in a small town in central Pennsylvania, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen baking with my Nana. She taught me the joy of making things from scratch and gave me an early love of chocolate that never really went away. Read more>>
Stevie Murdock
I first picked up a camera in journalism class in high school. While I loved capturing fun moments during school events, it wasn’t until I got married and had kids that photography really took ahold of me. I wanted time to stop. I wanted my sweet babies to stay little forever, and the only way I found to do that was through photography. Read more>>
Regan Sanders
Not far into my full time career in marketing, I landed what I thought would be my DREAM job. I was hired on in my home state of Louisiana on the State Office of Tourism, right under Lieutenant Governor’s Office. On paper, the job was perfect. Read more>>
Megan Hunt
I’m a Bend native and third-generation Realtor, so real estate has always been part of my world. My career took me to Los Angeles and New York, where I spent nearly 20 years in the entertainment industry, including 15 years as a talent agent representing professional dancers and choreographers. That career taught me how to negotiate, market, build relationships and fiercely advocate for my clients. Read more>>
Silver Sorensen
In the early 2000s, I was the bass player of Norwegian rock band, Guards of Metropolis. We flew over to the US and toured the West Coast in a 25-year-old red Camaro with a homemade trailer for our gear, cramming all 5 of us in a single motel room or sleeping on someone’s couch. Read more>>
Elizabeth & Kekoa Fagan Rodby
Well we started this journey almost 4 years ago. We had been playing with the idea of opening a restaurant for years and when my(Elizabeth’s) parents passed away in 2022 we felt inspired to make this dream we had a reality. We realized how short life can be, and we wanted to build something together. Read more>>
Kristen Oliver
I grew up in Springfield, Ohio, and began my career as a costing analyst at an Owens Corning roofing facility. It was not the most glamorous introduction to finance, but it gave me an invaluable foundation. I learned how products are made, how operational decisions affect profitability, and why understanding the story behind the numbers matters just as much as reporting them. Read more>>
Spencer Holland
I started playing piano in 5th grade and ever since then have loved learning different instruments and songs. My favorite instrument is still piano but I tend to play acoustic guitar more at retirement homes, which I absolutely love. Growing up, I would listen to older music all the time, from the Beatles to The Eagles. So playing for senior communities comes second nature. Read more>>
Janessa Bork
At a young age I was obsessed with making, crafting and painting things. I decided after high school that I wanted to study design and enrolled in Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Ore. I graduated with a Bachelors in Fine Arts with a major in Illustration in 2011. For many years I did freelance projects as I honed in my skillset. Read more>>
Emma Garrow
I grew up loving and expressing myself through art, I was obsessed with anything and everything creative. I started painting and live music performance at 5 and started musical theatre when I was 11 years old. Makeup and costuming was my favorite part of the process, it gave me so much confidence, happiness, and made me feel closer to myself. Read more>>
Atlas Hubbard
Music had an impact on me for most of my life. I knew I wanted to become a music artist at the age of 13. In the year of 2021 I made my first demo song ‘Megalodon’ and later made an official version for music platforms. In 2022 I started publishing music to music platform with music about Going Back to school and energy Rap. Read more>>
Makayla Gorsage
My passion for hair and makeup sparked young, I believe subconsciously because my mom was a hairdresser growing up, so I spent many a days in a salon and around the beauty space. My grandmother even had a room-sized closet with a makeup desk I’d spend hours at, testing each and every product. Read more>>
Steve Anderson
I was born in California, but I really grew up in the Midwest, in Russell, Kansas, a small town right in the middle of the state. I got my start professionally designing T-shirts for Artex, which at the time was part of Jostens, the company most people know for class rings and yearbooks. Read more>>
Keaton Hudson
Skal has been in business since 2017. In the last nine years, the business has evolved a lot. I graduated college in 2014 with a double major in English and Studio Art—I knew that I would find happiness at work if I was working with my hands in some capacity. Read more>>
Lindsay Blackman
For the past 13 years I have photographed over 800 newborns, and I also offer Newborn Mentoring & Training for other aspiring Newborn Photographers. I am a licensed and insured professional photographer, and serve Portland and Salem. Read more>>
Laura Rubin
In 2015, Branch+Barrel was a seed of an idea that came about as I first explored the possibilities of combining wood and metal. Although the initial creations weren’t the kind of designs I take pride in sharing with you today, they were all I needed to realize the incredible potential and surprising harmony that these seemingly opposing materials can create when combined. Read more>>
Trina Henderson
“Hi, my name is Rod, and I like to party.” If you know Hot Rod, you know the meme. I use it way more often than I probably should. Swap Rod for Trina and, honestly, it fits. I do like a party. But probably not for the reason you think. What I really love is seeing the vision before it exists. Read more>>
Aleksander and Mehama Robles
Little Medicine Ranch Obstetrics is, at its heart, a family affair. The practice was founded in 2026 by Dr. Aleksander Robles, MD, FACOG, inspired and guided by the vision of his wife, partner, and clinic manager, Mehama Robles, RN. A Central Oregon native and seasoned nurse, Mehama envisioned a practice that returned to the true essence of medicine: deeply personal, unhurried, and exceptionally tailored care. Read more>>
Gary Houston
Howdy, my name is Gary Houston and I’m a graphic designer, illustrator and screen printer. I’m also a music junkie, so luckily, that combination adds up to making concert posters and prints. I make these under the moniker of Voodoo Catbox. I was fortunate to grow up in a time when the ebb and flow of posters saw a rebirth in San Francisco. Read more>>
Wil Cochrane
I started in real estate during the pandemic, I had time to reflect and decide what I wanted to do next. My parents were all involved in real estate, my dad was a builder, my mom investor, and step mom was a top sales agent in our town. Read more>>
Heather Jacks
I just turned 60, which is a milestone birthday. People might be thinking about retirement or bucket life items, but me? I’m making my first movie from a script I wrote: One Last Time to Boston. It’s a short film about a granddaughter who spent summers on a porch in Gold Hill, Oregon, listening to baseball games with her grandfather. Read more>>
Tee Leeper
I started my career as a professional photographer and owned my own photography business in Kingsport, Tennessee. In 2015, we moved to Virginia for my husband’s career, and I transitioned into content creation. I’ve always had a passion for helping people, especially women, feel confident and encouraged. I’m the ultimate hype woman, just ask any of my friends… or even strangers lol. Read more>>
Ashlee Smith
I started cosmetology school right out of Highschool. I chose a competency based program, which required less hours ( so I could still work) but I was required more in depth testing. We would have only one week to learn each curriculum and had to score above 85% to move on. Read more>>
Adrienne Garcia
When I graduated from UC Berkeley (go Bears!), I was torn between attending culinary school and going to law school. Read more>>
Christiane Millinger
Christiane was born in Waidring, Austria to an Austrian father and a German mom. Waidring is a very idyllic alpine town and Christiane enjoyed a very close bond with nature in her childhood. Skiing all winter and roaming the woods all summer. Early on Christiane realized that her world was shaped by the strict rules of church and dominant men. Read more>>
Sarahlee Lawrence
Rainshadow Organics is a highly diverse, certified organic farm, offering culinary hospitality with a mission to advance regenerative farming and eating practices. Located just 45 minutes north of Bend, between Sisters and Terrebonne, our family-owned farm has been operating since the early 1970s. Sarahlee Lawrence, who grew up on this land, founded Rainshadow in 2010. Read more>>
Kate Williams
I’ve been in hospitality for the entirety of my career. After years of jobs that were some hybrid of serving and bartending, I realized I had a knack for making fun drinks—and that I really loved the overall vibe of bartending more than floor service. Read more>>
Carrie Beth Langham
I have been with Salem’s Riverfront Carousel since opening day on June 2nd, 2001 – and at this time, I am the last original staff member from the opening year still with the Carousel. I had just graduated from Sprague High School and preparing to go to college at the Art Institute of Portland that September. Read more>>
Katie Russell
NOTE: I am more than happy to hop on a Zoom and go deeper into any of these! 🙂 I started photography as my senior project in high school. I did 17 free senior photoshoots for families facing hardship, as the cost of senior portraits can be an extra burden to graduating high school. Read more>>
Ty Tofel
My Journey into photography started in the 90’s when Anne Geddes blew up and her photographs were in every magazine , on every postcard, Thank you notes, bags, posters etc.. I was a teen then and her photographs intrigued me, they weren’t stoic, stiff and muted. They were literal stories told with a single shot. Read more>>
Willa Via
Before I was a wedding planner, I was a second-grade teacher. Before I was a second-grade teacher, I planned my own wedding in Yosemite, California, from New York. I had the best time and found myself wondering why there wasn’t more for me to do because I loved the logistics of all of it. Read more>>
Porsha Hendrix
When I found out I was pregnant with my son, Porter Lee, I started sewing all kinds of baby essentials: cloth diapers, burp rags, bibs, you name it! Somewhere along the way, I found myself using the burp rags for EVERYTHING around the house. Read more>>
Angie Gervais
I grew up in a Haitian household in Miami, Florida, with a deep love and appreciation for my culture. My mother is from Cap-Haïtien and my father is from Port-au-Prince, and she taught me what it means to be a strong woman and a strong mother who continues to love and support her children. Read more>>
Renee Turner
I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember. I grew up just outside Detroit, Michigan, and began with black-and-white photography before exploring painting, collage, clay, stained glass, wood carving, glasswork, jewelry, and eventually sculpture. I’ve never felt particularly attached to one medium. Read more>>
Kim Abel
My career in interior design began nearly 30 years ago, shortly after my daughter was born. I had always had a passion for design and a natural eye for creating beautiful spaces, but it was the opportunity to build my own 6,000-square-foot custom home that truly brought that passion to life. Read more>>
Mallory Miller
My story, where to begin… I grew up in the small town of Philomath, Oregon and have been a creative person my whole life, drawing as early as I could hold a pencil. Though I didn’t originally go straight into the tattoo industry- I actually was a hair stylist first, believe it or not, and for 10 years. Read more>>
Hannah Marciniak
As a yoga therapist, holistic wellbeing specialist, and dedicated practitioner and teacher of yoga, I help people shift out of pain and dysfunction to balance, vitality, and connection. Rooted in the understanding that body and mind are not separate, the systematic, whole-person lens I bring guides the physiological and psychological interventions I introduce to address root causes of imbalance. Read more>>
Shuína Skó
My story as a Two-Spirit spoken word poet, Indigenous rights activist, and cultural educator really began in third grade when I wrote my first poem. As a citizen of the Klamath (ewksiknii) Nation, storytelling itself is deeply rooted in my culture and has been part of my life since I can remember. Read more>>
Joey Repice
Joey’s Hot Sauce started as an act of love. My wife, Lisa, loved hot sauce, but she was frustrated by how many sauces were filled with additives, preservatives, binders, added sugar, and ingredients she simply didn’t want to eat. So I decided to make one for her. Read more>>
Jessica Diamond
Platinum Leash really grew out of two things that have always been incredibly important to me: animals and family. I’ve been an animal person for as long as I can remember. I grew up participating in 4-H, where I showed rabbits and cavies (guinea pigs) and I’ve always had dogs and cats in my life. Read more>>
Brandie McNamee
In March 2023, my husband Larry (5ht generation rancher to Antelope Valley) and I purchased the former Antelope Café and RV park through a foreclosure sale. The property was acquired strictly *as is*, and the initial condition reflected decades of deferred maintenance. Cleanup required significant hands‑on labor and our goal initially was to clean it up, make the property more marketable to sell. Read more>>
Bart Walsh
When I first started doing psychotherapy as a clinical social worker, I wanted to find the best ways to help people resolve their distress and function well. My curiosity brought me to hypnosis because it allowed me to consult ‘the expert,’ the unconscious, within the client. I began to study with the best authorities on hypnosis I could find. Read more>>
Jasmine Rose
I grew up in Southern California and moved to the Bay Area in 2009 to go to Bauman College, a holistic nutrition and culinary school. After graduating as a Natural Chef and landing my first culinary job as a live-in chef in the downtown Berkeley Buddhist Center, I worked in Berkeley California for a time before becoming pregnant with my first baby. Read more>>
Dana Beebe
My wife and I moved to Central Oregon in 2018 from Houston after I semi-retired from 40+ years in the Deepwater Sector of the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry. The last 20 years I founded and owned a Deepwater Technology Company but closed it during the Offshore downturn in 2015. In 2017 Hurricane Harvey flooded our house with 6.5 ft of water for 2-weeks. Read more>>
Ariel Fabris
I started City Slick Mobile Car Detailing because I saw an opportunity to build something of my own while I was in college. What started as a small side business has grown into a full mobile detailing company serving Corvallis, Albany, Salem, and surrounding areas. Read more>>
Elizabeth Dimick LMT
I was told by many friends I should become a massage therapist. Started Massage school January 2003, East west college Beaverton Oregon,when a family member offered to pay for my schooling., Graduated September 2004 with 600 hrs, past the Oregon massage boards practical exam and NCBTMB written exam and gained my Oregon license March 2005, trained in small animal massage. Read more>>
afua banful
Hello, my name is Afua Banful. I am a Black woman from Portland, Oregon, and the proud owner of Finas Creations, a fashion business centered around creativity, sustainability, and self-expression. For the past two years, I have been creating upcycled garments from fabrics that were once unused or overlooked. Read more>>
Viviana Reyes Climaco
I was born and raised in Puebla, Mexico, with roots in both Puebla and Oaxaca through my parents. I grew up surrounded by rich food traditions and the idea that food always brings family together. I later moved to the United States and, over time, found my way into the restaurant industry. Tropicale started as my brother Alfredo’s dream. Read more>>
Danny West
A couple of years ago, I started creating golf content with a simple goal: get my handicap down to single digits by my 50th birthday in April 2027. I’m currently an 11 handicap, so there’s still work to do, but that’s part of the fun. Along the way, this journey has become about much more than just improving my game. Read more>>
Adrien Calmels
I’m a chef originally from Bend, Oregon, and my career has really been a journey of leaving home to learn as much as I could and eventually finding my way back with a clearer idea of what I wanted to contribute. I started cooking professionally in Colorado at the Flagstaff House Restaurant, an icon of the Colorado fine dining scene. Read more>>
Marissa Creamer
I received my license to practice massage therapy in the summer of 2025 and immediately went into private practice while working at a chiropractic clinic. One year and a few redirections (including a rebrand) later I ended up finding the perfect home for my clinic in a cute little cottage on Hood Avenue in Gresham, Oregon. Read more>>
Harlequin Grey
Honestly, it took me a decade of playing TTRPGs like Dungeons&Dragons, Pathfinder, and Savage Worlds. I’ve always played and enjoyed these games in private. It’s amazing to be able to weave new stories in far-off fantasy lands alongside your friends. It wasn’t until November 2024 that I learned to Dungeon Master (DM) for Dungeons and Dragons. Read more>>
Amy Williams
All Around Hat Co. was originally started in 2022, but our chapter with the business is just beginning! We’ve only owned the company for a very short time, and we couldn’t be more excited about where it’s headed. Katie and I are cousins and have always dreamed about owning and running a business together. Read more>>
Ila Thody
I got my start in banking at 15, working as a teller at U.S. Bank. Looking back, I have no idea why they hired me. I’m not sure I would trust a 15-year-old with that job. I can only assume it was the old-lady green suit with shoulder pads I wore to the interview. No actual teenager would have voluntarily dressed like that. Read more>>
Amy Kelchner
I’ve been in the healing arts field for over 30 years and have worked as a bodyworker, physician, soul guide and intuitive counselor, always with the intention of helping people connect with their inner knowing and follow their own calling. I have an innate trust in the wisdom of the body and the inherent wholeness of the soul. Read more>>
Julia Bowlin
I am very lucky to have had animals in my life even as a child. Canines in particular fascinate me with their intelligence and adaptability. They are found in more climates and jobs than any other animal. I had decided to join a program that rescues dogs from shelters and trains them to do tasks and alerting for deaf people. Read more>>
Lillian Isokpehi
As a fifth-generation Oregonian and being born and raised in Portland, hard work has always been ingrained in me. Both of my parents were self-employed while I was growing up, and they taught me from a young age the value of hard work, perseverance, and believing in yourself. Read more>>
Carnation Contemporary Zeinab Saab
Carnation was founded in 2018 by a group of 6 artists living in Portland, but they quickly expanded the membership and we’ve been around 18-20 members ever since. I am a recent member of Carnation who joined in July 2026 . Read more>>
Nichole Carlton
I’ve always had a love affair with art. Drawing as a child, then diving head first into photography as a teen, I knew that art would somehow be a prominent and permanent part of my life. I met my husband who was a prominent tattooer at 19, in 2001. Read more>>
Brad Franklin
My story with this community started long before Every Body Athletics did. As a freshman in high school, I started volunteering with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities- first at a basketball camp, then in their classroom at school. I loved it, and I made some great friends. In college, I’d come home each summer and see those same friends. Read more>>
Evonne Steele
Ive been throwing tea parties for my friends for years and one day I and a friend were walking in down town Salem and we spotted an empty unit in one of the building. It was so beautiful were both just struck and decided right then we needed to do something with the business ideas we’ve had been tossing around. Read more>>
Jakob Schmidt
In middle school, I had a friend whose father was a brain surgeon. They were able to travel frequently, easily support their family financially, and could literally say his work was brain surgery. Testing the waters with a simple anatomy and physiology class, the intrigue and draw of human health science gripped me. Read more>>
Aliyah Indra
Yoga has been part of my life for more than 20 years, and in many ways, Dear Yoga grew out of everything the practice has taught me about slowing down, paying attention, and staying connected to myself through change. Read more>>
Micah Sharp
I worked in technology for 30 years, sometimes in an office but mostly from home in Eugene, Oregon. I always wanted to get out from behind the computer and become more involved in my community. Read more>>
Cindy Koza
I’ve always had a passion for the arts, and some of my favorite childhood memories are doing paint-your-own pottery with my mom. When I saw an old, empty building in downtown Springfield, I knew I wanted to bring it back to life and create something special for the community. That vision became Made By You—Springfield’s first paint-your-own pottery studio! Read more>>
Jason and Kellie Tonkin
Jason Tonkin has been training dogs and their people for over 27 years. His journey becoming a dog trainer started because he struggled to connect with people so was always drawn to animals. He always wanted them to like him so he wanted to figure out how to get them to like him. Through animals he found connection. Read more>>
Nicole Neu
I studied sculpture and darkroom photography in school, then spent years in a highly creative career that left little room for my own practice. A shift into a less creative job unexpectedly gave me the space I needed — and that’s when NIK NIK was born. I started small, selling wood objects online, then moved into fiber relief work, and eventually ceramic sculpture and lighting. Read more>>
Sidestreet Arts Gallery
Reta Larson retired from Pratt and Larson Tile and started a shop named Sidestreet Gallery and Gift at our SE 28th location selling local and international arts and crafts for thirteen years. Early in 2017, Reta and Michael Pratt sold their ceramic tile business, Pratt and Larson Tile, and with Michael retiring from that, Reta decided it was time to try retirement again. Read more>>
Tony Rivera
I grew up in southern California and at the age of 25, I moved to Oregon looking for better opportunities. I worked in the restaurant industry for about 7 years while living in Lane County. I got the chance to start from the bottom and learn all the things I could about how a restaurant works. Read more>>
Robin Chavez
I spent more than a decade working in financial services, but interior design was something I had wanted to pursue for years. For a long time, it never felt like the “right” time to leave a stable career and start over in a completely different industry. Read more>>
Sherita Coleman
My journey has always been rooted in being a hustler and a busy bee. For years, I worked in operations, administration and leadership, eventually stepping into entrepreneurship as a strategic operations and business partner within the cannabis industry. I was always moving, building, solving problems and figuring out what was next. Read more>>
Joseph Chandler
I started my trade after I had moved up to Alaska and got an offer to paint on federal projects. I took up the job because I loved the trade, the pay, and the opportunity to travel all around Alaska. Read more>>
Ross Steensland
I started my photography journey about nine years ago, when my wife convinced me to purchase my first real camera. I began by fumbling with dials, watching countless YouTube videos, and joining a local camera club. Over time, I gradually built my knowledge and developed the skills to become a competent photographer. Read more>>
Kelsy Myers
I started Girly Pop Soda Shop in 2024 because I loved the idea of dirty sodas and fun, over-the-top drinks, but there really wasn’t anything like it in my area at the time. I figured if I wanted it, other people probably did too, so I decided to just go for it. Read more>>
Luca Ponti
From a young age, I was drawn to the relationship between food & culture. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I spent my youth devouring Mission-style burritos, exploring Boba bars & my own ancestral heritage. I graduated from the University of Oregon in 2014 with degrees in Political Science & Business. Read more>>
