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.
Jeany Birdeno 
I am born and raised here in Astoria. I am the youngest of 3 girls. My Mother’s family has been here since turn of the century and Father moved here in the 60’s. Having my Mom’s roots here has always been very special to me. My Grandmother was the 3rd oldest of 13. There truly is a certain pride you feel being from here. Read more>>
Lewis Birdseye IV 
This is a hard question to answer. I’m most certainly a product of my experiences and my journey. There are layers to me. I consider myself, first and foremost, a human being—a member of the human race. I suppose that I have always wanted to make a difference during my time on Earth. Read more>>
Sinittha Spofford 
I’ve always been someone who has been drawn to creativity, people, and entrepreneurship. I grew up in Oregon and spent a lot of my early working years around my family’s restaurants, which gave me a front row seat to what it actually looks like to build and run a business. I think that experience shaped me more than I realized at the time. Read more>>
Ashley Oakes 
I grew up in a small town, and some of my earliest teachers weren’t people, they were horses, animals, and the land around me. I spent years riding and competing in horse shows, and looking back, I think that’s where I first learned to pay attention to things you can’t always put into words. Read more>>
Go Wildly Podcast 
Who we are: We’re Emily and Heather, the hosts of Go Wildly, an outdoor storytelling podcast rooted in Southern Oregon. We record every episode outside and in person with people whose lives have been shaped by wild places, including guides, athletes, conservationists, and outdoor entrepreneurs. Each conversation comes back to one question: what’s the pivotal outdoor moment that changed you? Read more>>
Jessi Pranski 
I have been doodling since a young kid. I always had a pencil or marker in hand. In 2019 I wanted to finally start sharing my art with the world by selling it in sticker form. Then life happened and 2020 happened. My family packed up and left the town I had lived in for 39 years to move to Southern Oregon. Read more>>
Megan Martin 
Furnish Hope began with a simple belief: everyone needs hope and a place to call home. But the story began before there was a nonprofit, a warehouse, a storefront, a staff or even a name. In late 2018, Furnish Hope founder Megan Martin was walking through one of the most difficult seasons of her own life. Read more>>
Phong Tran 
My story started in private healthcare managing multiple clinics. I went to buy my very first property and during the transaction I was completely lost and on my own. At the time I didn’t know better, I just assumed that’s how it was supposed to be where you do everything on your own. Come to find out my agent wasn’t working in my best interest. Read more>>
Vegas Flights 
I started the art of drag in 2018, after my childhood best friend past away in a car accident. It flipped my world upside down, and I needed somewhere to escape. I used my drag as a way to collide my artistic practices as a film photographer & painter, and created a world where I could be celebrated for things I was normally criticized for. Read more>>
Marianne Cox
I started SDH because of my first time traveling abroad – was in college and visitied Mexico w/ my family. It was the first time I saw street dogs. I saw them running down roads, hwys,, begging for food. I was with my now husband at the time and said I wanted to save one of those dogs. Read more>>
Steven Greinke 
I have been an avid listener of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) since high school (approximately 2010). I attended my first live event in 2013, at which point my passion for the music grew exponentially. I started attending larger events and festivals and quickly became immersed in the culture and community. Read more>>
Michael & Christine Mallar 
We are Mike and Christine, and we opened Green Dog in August of 2004. We were originally New Englanders; we met and lived in Boston, then moved to Atlanta for 9 years, and moved joyfully to Portland in 2001. We finally found a city that suits us perfectly – we’re really home now. We make a good little team, professionally speaking. Read more>>
Skip Benefiet 
I started Malachite Silver Co. during peak quarantine, mostly to occupy some of my down time, but it quickly turned into something so much more. I fell head over heels for every aspect of silver-smithing and starting a small business. Read more>>
Evy Killough 
I was always very into animals and conservation as a child. My science teacher had all sorts of reptiles like alligators and pythons that I would often help her handle. When I started getting pets of my own, I decided to start an instagram page documenting my journey with the animals. Read more>>
Karisa Patton 
I got my Real Estate license in 2018. My husband and I had discussed selling our old house and getting something slightly larger. We were in a 3 bed home on 1/3 acre. in a part of town we were getting tired of. Read more>>
Anna Blazevich 
Our Story. Our Hope. Hummingbird Heart Co. | Ashland, Oregon Hummingbird Heart Co. opened its doors in July 2021 as an apothecary and boutique with a mission to support independent, sustainable brands and create a space where mind, body, and spirit could thrive. Read more>>
Lauren Sannazzaro Peterson 
I always loved creating art ever since I was kid. I got really into drawing in High school and began taking art classes at the local community college in South Lake Tahoe. Once I transferred to Humboldt State University, I was able to take my first jewelry class and absolutely fell in love with everything about it. Read more>>
Chelsea Stephen 
They say that around 27 you have your Saturn return or something of that nature, and whether it was planetary, an epiphany, or a quarter-life crisis, I decided to leave a pretty steady career path in marine resource management and go to art school at 28. Read more>>
Max Oliver 
I started producing / Djing 2.5+ years ago. I made the decision after attending lost lands festival because I love heavy dubstep and I wanted to be able to create my own heavy drops and mixes for myself at the gym. Another reason was; other artists usually only play like 1-3 heavy drops and I wished they would play more heavy drops. Read more>>
keith mcdonald
Due to an unfortunate accident, I was paralyzed from the waist down in 1991. Thru the talents of a very gifted team I was able to regain use of my legs. This inspired me to help others and I became a Massage Therapist in 1996. I have gone on to get my Masters in Acupuncture. I work, primarily, with the injuries and pain management. Read more>>
Paige Moreland
Louiza began by taking over the historically Black coffee shop and laundromat known as the Eliot Emat Cafe. The cafe had been owned and operated by Mr. James Posey for 15 years. When he was ready to retire, it was important to him that the lease and presence in the neighborhood remain in the hands of minorities, particularly as NE Portland was experiencing significant gentrification. Read more>>
Kseny Duke 
I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember. I was always drawing or trying something creative: sculpture, photography, graphic design, anything that gave me a chance to make something beautiful. For many years I worked as a fashion designer, but drawing and photography were always the things I loved most. Read more>>
Shoka Stonelake 
For the past ten years, I have had the privilege of sharing Japanese traditional arts with my community, including Japanese calligraphy (Shodo), Etegami—Japanese picture postcards—and Ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arrangement. My mission today is to continue mastering these arts as deeply as I can, and to pass what I learn on to the next generation and to people in the global community. Read more>>
Kelsey Eshelman 
I’ve been working with animals in one way or another for most of my life. Even in elementary school, I was the kid going around the neighborhood offering to bathe people’s cats, walk their dogs, and scoop their yards for a little extra money. Read more>>
Jeremiah Fite 
About 15 years ago, I went in to book a memorial tattoo for my mother. I had always been drawn to art, but sitting in that space, something clicked. I saw tattooing not just as a medium, but as a unique, living form of artistic expression and a real path forward for me. Read more>>
Elizabeth (Lizz) Bacon 
I’ve been an entrepreneur for most of my working life. Back in 2007, I founded Devise Consulting, helping product management teams with research, design, and strategy at the earliest stages of inventing something new, and I still run it today. Read more>>
Kiran Cheema 
I started Kulfi in 2019 with my husband, Gagan. I was born and raised in Vancouver, BC, and when I moved to Portland, I found myself really missing a lot of the flavors I had grown up around. Being South Asian and growing up in such a multicultural city, Asian flavors were just a normal part of my life. Read more>>
Oregon City School of Music 
Oregon City School of Music is the Home Studio of Chelsea Luker and Dan Duval. A small family business, they offer private instruction and rock band class for voice, flute, sax, guitar, bass, piano, drums, mandolin, ukulele, and songwriting. Outside of their teaching, Chelsea and Dan play in the Jam Band / Space Rock band Moon Music. Read more>>
Darby Briar 
When I was 15 years old my brother died tragically in a car accident. Our family dog died with him. There are sounds and emotions from that day that have never left me. I watched my mother experience grief I didn’t yet have the words for. I had to call my dad and tell him his only son was dead. Read more>>
Tracy reed 
I grew up in busy Riverside, CA, a city girl who always has a love for animals, but especially horses. Living in the city, the chances of owning a horse were slim, but my parents surprised me with a horse when I was 12 yrs old, a dream I never thought possible! Read more>>
Anders Johnson 
We are a small indie wine and cider producers who collect rare apples and make some interesting drinks inspired by European cider culture, west coast slow food movement, and the local abundance of absolutely world class grapes. We support all local small Organic growers and make wines naturally and often utilize unconventional blends and varietals. Read more>>
Cassidy Meek 
I took digital marketing and business marketing as college credits, and immediately fell in love with marketing, however I did not know where to start in order to make that my long term career. I also did not want to continue college without knowing exactly what I was there for. Read more>>
Keegen Mueller 
I have a love for food and a love for my community. I wanted to make a positive impact where I live in Klamath Falls and Leap seemed like the place to make that happen. I took over leap back in 2018 and wanted to help push the focus of great quality food with the best sourcing as possible. Read more>>
Jennifer Serna 
When I was a little girl spending time with my Mexican Indigenous Grandma, she taught me about herbs and plants as teachers. Upon moving to Wapato Island( Sauvie Island), I knew that I wanted to tend land according to my people teachings. We now grow over a 100 different herbs, make medicines for community, and host Wapato Table. Read more>>
Danii Callahan 
I began taking mat Pilates classes when I was in my early twenties at a rec center in my hometown of Lake Oswego, Oregon. I was always the youngest(by far) person in the classes and I remember wondering why there weren’t more younger people in class- they were challenging and always left me sore – in a good way! Read more>>
Dorsey Beckman
Maybe my story starts with a girl who always felt deeply connected to nature—the mountains, flowers, waterfalls, and streams. Or maybe it starts in Fort Collins, Colorado, where I met my husband at a local rafting shop. We spent the next twenty years building a life together—getting married, moving to Golden, becoming parents, and raising three boys. Read more>>
Caitlin McDonald 
I started my career in live sports production at the University of Oregon, which was fast-paced, unpredictable, and probably the best possible training for what I do now. After graduating, I moved to the Bay Area and began producing weddings at a luxury villa, which gave me a unique lends into deeply details and organized events. I completely fell in love with it! Read more>>
autumn swisher 
In the late 80’s early 90’s as a kid my grandmother gave me a 110 film camera. I started to shoot photos and feel in love. Life goes by fast and it took me until I was in my mid 20’s to finally go to school for photography at PNCA a contemporary art school. PNCA showed me ways to work that I never considered. Read more>>
Tyson Dixon 
I wanted to take a moment to introduce the team behind Rogue Built Construction. I’m a husband, and father to two little boys, Jalen and Tatum and together as a family we’ve built Rogue Built Construction. I was born and raised here in Southern Oregon and spent my childhood in the construction industry. Read more>>
Emily Green 
Before I ever picked up a camera, I used to sit with my grandfather’s stacks of National Geographic magazines and get completely lost in them. I was mesmerized by the photographs of people and animals from all over the world. I started taking pictures in high school with a simple 35mm point and shoot. I can’t really say why it interested me. Read more>>
Sara Brennan
My husband and I founded Trail Distilling nearly ten years ago, inspired by a shared passion for spirits and a desire to create something meaningful in our community. Read more>>
Jud Turner
I grew up in Eugene, Oregon, and I’ve been making things for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t start out with a clear plan to become a professional artist. I studied Sociology and Fine Art at the University of Oregon and worked in social services for a number of years. In 1995, I took a Welding for Artists class at Lane Community College, and that really changed the direction of my life. Read more>>
