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.
Kelly Tracy-Holly, CAE, CMLT, CHN 
I’d love to say I was drawn to the beauty industry, but that’s not the case. I’m a no-fuss kind of person, and what brought me to skincare was personal. I had cystic acne in my teens and was never taught how to treat it or the scarring it left behind. Read more>>
Kimberlynn Baggs 
I’m a Portland-based creator, and I’ve been making content for four years. It started when I moved to Portland and fell in love with this city and everything it has to offer. There are so many amazing local businesses that deserve a spotlight and need help getting visibility, and I wanted to be part of that. Read more>>
Lori B. Havas 
An 18-wheeler and a Parkinson’s gym might seem like an unlikely combination, but both are part of my story. I just didn’t know one would eventually lead me to the other. After I stopped driving trucks, I was dealing with severe back pain. Trying to get moving again wasn’t a smooth process. One workout actually set me back further. Read more>>
Jason Marlowe 
I was a full time Worship & Media pastor for 15 years and have a background before that in audio production and marketing/graphic design and started feeling a call away from that ministry position a few years ago but I didn’t know what to transition into. Read more>>
Victor Tito 
My journey has been one of hard work, perseverance, and taking risks. Like many entrepreneurs, I started with a dream of building something of my own and creating a better future through hard work and dedication. Food has always been an important part of my life, and that passion eventually led me to start Isla Bella Cuban Food. Read more>>
Matthew Weekly 
I come from a family of blue-collar workers. The Weekly’s have been in Oregon since the pioneer days, and we have a long history of building things with our hands, making use of what’s available and living off the land. I watched my dad fix things around the house and even remodel the homes we lived in as a kid. Read more>>
Kimberly White 
Sisters Clay Collective started with a little jealousy, actually. Not my proudest moment, but it’s true! I’d been trying to find a space to open a community pottery studio in Sisters for about a year and a half, with one false start after another. Eventually, I’d gotten so discouraged that I’d pretty much shelved the idea. Read more>>
Maggie Yu 
I was trained as a medical doctor at UCLA and graduated at the top of my class. By all accounts, I was living the dream of a successful health care provider. Leading doctors, teaching staff, and caring for thousands of patients as the director of a large clinic. But after the birth of my second child, my own health collapsed. Read more>>
Matrisha Armitage 
I have always felt like I was born with a guiding light and voice inside of me that constantly reminded me that I was meant to do important work in this world. This voice supported me through childhood traumas that included being raised in a family that did not look or think like me. Read more>>
Alex Steininger 
Alex Steininger (Artist Relations + Publicity/Marketing + Management + Record Label owner) For Alex Steininger, music has never just been a job, it’s been a way of life. For more than 30 years, he’s been writing about it, promoting it, working behind the scenes, and, most importantly, rooting for artists. Alex’s journey began in 1995, writing about local and national bands for AOL’s ChipNet. Read more>>
JP Valot 
My story in wine begins in Argentina, a country where wine is deeply connected to culture, food, family, and everyday life. Growing up with that connection gave me an appreciation for wine that goes far beyond what’s in the glass. For me, wine has always been about sharing, bringing people together, and creating memories. Read more>>
Steve Reinhardt 
Some of my best memories come from job sites around the Bay Area, working alongside my dad. Decks were our specialty, everything from patios and pergolas to awnings, and a few of our projects in Mill Valley and the Berkeley hills were big enough to feel like an education on their own. Read more>>
Courtney Yones 
I was working at a large corporation in the sportswear industry in product marketing and had a moment of, I don’t want to do this, anymore. But I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Read more>>
Kevin Davis 
I started a lawn mowing company at fourteen and hired older kids to drive the trucks because I couldn’t, and I’ve been building ever since. I graduated college early with degrees in Exercise Physiology and Business while working full time. By my early twenties I was running health clubs in Phoenix and Scottsdale. Read more>>
Amanda Long 
I’ve always been in awe of animals. As a kid, I brought home toads and fish in my shoes from the lake down the street, keeping them alive in our kiddie pool. I was also driven to draw animals and I remember in elementary school tracing pictures of animals, selling them to my friends for ten cents apiece. Read more>>
Katryna Deuel 
Milkmaid Skincare was born from a deep passion for agriculture and respect of local farmers and ranchers. Growing up in the suburbs of Southern Oregon, I didn’t come from an agricultural background. The only experience I had with agriculture was when I participated in FFA out of curiosity. After finding myself not knowing what I wanted to do with my life, I reconnected with agriculture. Read more>>
shachi kaushik 
I’m a children’s author, producer and storyteller, and my work lives across books, sound and screen. Everything I make comes back to one goal: stories that celebrate culture and help kids feel seen. It started in a very unglamorous place, the children’s corner of the Round Rock Public Library. I volunteered to lead a Hindi-English bilingual storytime, expecting a handful of families. Read more>>
John Bissell 
I’ve been cooking professionally for most of my life. I think a lot of people who cook professionally dream of one day opening their own restaurant, and for me, the timing and circumstances presented themselves to do just that last year. Read more>>
Zebadiah Davis 
My name is Zebadiah Davis. I am a at heart a family man with a deep faith in God. I often talk about Him as much as I can. I have been doing social media as a full-time job for about 3 years now. Read more>>
Andrea Sandoval 
Iron Strike Smash Burgers started with humble beginnings, doing pop-ups at local markets throughout the Portland area with nothing more than a 10 by 10 tent and a 36-inch griddle. We quickly gained popularity, opening our first food cart in Sandy, Oregon, before transitioning to Midtown Beer Garden in downtown Portland. Read more>>
Bridget Knight 
My journey as a fire artist began in 2002, leading to my performance debut in 2006 with the Seattle-based troupe Spinergy Arts. Years later, in 2021, High Desert Fire Artists was born in Bend, Oregon, rooted in a shared passion for artistic connection and creative growth. Read more>>
Savannah Couch 
My journey to entrepreneurship has been a twisty one. I honestly never really imagined I would be here. I didn’t grow up with that mindset, although I come from a family of hard workers, starting a business and stepping into blind faith was not the plan. I wanted to be successful but did not know what that meant. Read more>>
Megan Caldwell 
Like many people’s stories, mine has a lot of twists and turns. I started my career right out of college in education, teaching and coaching in South Central Los Angeles, it truly was my passion and a space I thought I’d never leave. Read more>>
Megan Twilegar 
In 1999, my sister and I found a small piece of raw land for sale on N Mississippi Ave in Portland, OR, and purchased it with the intention of establishing a small urban nursery. Inspired by the shoe-box structures and false fronts of the West, we finished our tiny storefront in 2001. We were the first to build anything new on Mississippi Ave in decades. Read more>>
Angie Reat 
I’m Angie Reat, co-owner and self-appointed General Chaos Coordinator of Portland Wine Company, an independent, winemaker-owned urban winery in Southeast Portland. Portland Wine Company is our home, and Love & Squalor is our first (and national) brand. It all starts with my husband, Matt Berson. He started Love & Squalor with Riesling and Pinot Noir. Read more>>
Morgan Thompson 
Like many in the mental health profession, my journey into the field started long ago as I was learning to navigate through childhood trauma of my own. You know how you can really feel when a therapist ‘gets it?’ That’s usually because they have weathered a storm or two! Read more>>
Carlee Smith 
I’ve been a vintage clothing lover since high school. I grew up in New York surrounded by second hand shops and specialty vintage stores. There is something energizing about finding a garment from another era and breathing a second life into it. For me, it’s a creative practice I engage in on a near daily basis. Read more>>
JASTIN PACHECO 
My story starts with humble beginnings in Hawai‘i, where my love for food and my passion for feeding people became a part of who I am. For me, cooking has always been a way to show love—to bring people together, make someone feel welcome, and share what I have. After losing everything in Hawai‘i, I moved to Oregon to start over. Read more>>
Mia Ponzi Hamacher 
I grew up here in Oregon in a big wine making family. I went to New York to study sculpture and ended up cooking in restaurants for many years. I moved back to Oregon in 2023 yo renovate the house my grandfather built in the 60s and my brother and I opened a three room bed and breakfast here on the historic family property. Read more>>
Helen Pelayo Masferrer 
My Journey began in 2012 when I turned 30 and had just had my third baby. I made a promise to myself that I would live my 30’s different than my 20’s. I wanted to be healthy and not feel trapped in my body. So I committed to moving for 30 minutes every day. Read more>>
Seanna Daniel 
My path has always been driven by a passion for building connection and bringing creative visions to life, but my true story is one of deep transformation, faith, and rebuilding myself from the inside out. I first stepped into the creative world through freelancing in 2018, doing branding, graphic design, and web development. But everything truly shifted in 2023 when my son was born. Read more>>
Libby Dombovy 
I’m Libby, owner of Bandwagon Mobile Bar. I moved to Bend in 2024. I wake up every day filled with gratitude that I get to live in such a special place. I’ve settled into an incredible community filled with genuine, supportive people that inspire me every day. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to start my own business. Read more>>
Glen Lehne 
We are a fourth generation Farm that has been selling direct to the public fruits and vegetables since 1974. We offer our produce at several different locations in and around Roseburg Oregon—directly at the farm where People can come out and pick their fruits and vegetables. The UPick season usually runs from the middle of July to the middle of October each year. Read more>>
Megan Myers 
I’ve been interested in making art for as long as I can remember. I attended Seattle University, where I studied fine arts with a focus on painting. After graduating, I stayed in Seattle, painting in my free time while working in arts administration and surrounding myself with creative people. Read more>>
Tara in Abstract 
My background is in medicine as a family physician. I picked up a camera about 10 years ago as a creative outlet: a reason to get outside and quiet the noise of a stressful job and a noisy world in general. Like most people, I learned by mimicking what I saw. Read more>>
Taylor Crawford 
I worked in public schools for a while, and I’ve always loved teaching and art. Through my time in schools and after becoming a mom, I noticed a real need for more art enrichment opportunities for toddlers and elementary-aged kids. I also found myself and my friends wanting a space and opportunity for more creative outlets. Read more>>
Haley Wilson 
When I was 19, one of my closest friends, Melanie, asked if I wanted to work at the coffee shop where she was a barista in Boring, Oregon. I thought, “Sure, why not!”now, Next thing I knew I was a barista in Boring, OR. About a year later, Melanie purchased the shop, and in such a short time, she grew Country Coffee beyond belief. Read more>>
Meghan Sinnott 
In August 2002, Portland hosted Bike Summer, a month-long celebration of bicycles and bike culture that drew more than 5,000 participants to events including bike-in movies, family rides, bike-repair workshops and more. Read more>>
Ben Bower 
I got started on this journey because I have a passion for helping people. I began by founding a non-profit called the Central Aid Agency that is committed to helping people in their time of need. To get more experience for my non-profit I began volunteering with my local search and rescue team. That led to a career in public safety and private security. Read more>>
Tymon Teichroeb 
I started blacksmithing back in 2007. I was about 13 years old when a friend and his dad took me along to a renaissance fair where they did Blacksmithing demonstrations. The first time I picked up a hammer to learn was in front of a crowd of 20-30 people. I guess you could say I got a trial by fire. Read more>>
Monica Deatherage 
I’ve loved painting since I was a little kid and dreamed of being a professional artist when I grew up. As a young adult I worked a lot of different jobs from waitressing to cookie decorating, trying all the while to get work as an artist. Read more>>
Kate Koo 
I began in sushi serendipitously after applying to a Japanese restaurant as a server but getting hired as a sushi chef. 26 years ago, I fell in love with sushi immediately. The colors, textures, and flavors were all intriguing but it was the discipline required and methodical nature of the craft which really spoke to me. Read more>>
Catherine Murcia 
It all started in 2024, after I had my firstborn son. I never imagined myself owning a business. It was never part of some big plan I had for my life, but looking back, I truly believe God was opening doors for me before I even knew where they would lead. Read more>>
Gabriel Winters 
G Beats Records was founded in 2019 when I was 12. First was started by I, Gabriel Winters. Then in 2022, my friend Atlas Hubbard joined and became the Co-Founder. G Beats Records is a Christian record label in Roseburg, Oregon. We still don’t have a physical location but we do have plans for the future. Our studio is basically, our bedrooms or the outdoors. Read more>>
