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.
April Kline
She pitched the idea of a doula agency to April in 2022 as a way to meet increasing public interest in having doula support throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum… and the idea became reality. Since the launch of the BWS Doula Agency, we have seen exponential growth and, watching trends in healthcare in this country (the United States is 55th for maternal mortality worldwide according to the WHO and UNICEF), we believe the demand for highly trained and experienced doulas will only increase from here. Read More>>
Joseph Guzy
I arrived at Duquesne with dreams of being a sports writer. Once I walked into the student newspaper’s open house the first week of classes, I quickly realized a lot of other people had the same dream. The photo editor at the time, Claire Murray, overhead me asking about opportunities and asked if I’d have any interest in taking photos of sports. My parents sent me to school with a new DSLR so I figured why the heck not. Read More>>
Godly Foreign
Growing up in Cincinnati, I’ve always felt a deep sense of pride for my city, but I also recognize that it’s often overlooked not only in the music scene but in general. That’s been a big part of my drive, to leave a legendary mark on my city and show the world that Cincinnati is a place where real talent thrives. My mission is to bring visibility to the music scene here and to create a legacy that future generations can be proud of. Read More>>
Caleb Madl
I consider myself a Visual Producer. With whatever means, photo, video or graphic design- my goal is always to hear each client I work with and produce and bring to life the artistic vision they saw in their head. Read More>>
Jaclyn Owdom
Since 1982, Deja Vu has been consigning and selling gently loved women’s clothing and accessories. We carefully curate our selection to offer quality brands in great condition for all styles, sizes and budgets, current and vintage. Constructed in 1875, this building continues to be home to some of the most popular businesses in uptown. We have all the brands you love and know from Chico’s, Ann Taylor, Free People, Madewell and Beyond! We pride ourselves on the quality of the styles we have in store. Read More>>
Anthony Paulino
Not at all—it’s been a journey filled with challenges. One of the biggest struggles has been dealing with censorship and platform restrictions. We lost a Facebook page with great engagement and followers due to cannabis-related content, even though our event is all about community, music, and responsible enjoyment. Social media is a huge tool for event marketing, so having to rebuild from scratch was a major setback. Read More>>
Danielle Yisrael Wilson
I thought we would have a great relationship because our businesses were not competitive in anyway. She turned out to be not very nice and was mad with me about things that were not disclosed to her about the building from the previous owner. After learning the building needed to be rewired she wanted to put that cost on me, I refused, and she turned off the electricity while I had clients! But justuce prevailed. I sued her in 2019 and received a settlement in April 2024. This bump gave me the encouragement to think bigger and had it not happened the way it did, I would not be where I am at now. I’m grateful for every challenge, trial and tribulation. Read More>>
Corey Capone
The first few years were a grind. Working 80-100 hour weeks, missing holidays, birthdays, and trips with friends, the work we put in the first few years built the foundation for the success we’re seeing today. I moved to Cincinnati at the end of 2016 to take on a project for a green energy company with a small team. We grew that campaign bigger and faster than they expected, started to take on more projects with other clients, and now have 7 locations across Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo with over 100 employees. Our goal this year is to double in size, expand into new markets, and take on more projects with existing and new clients. Read More>>
Ryan Miller
After working in restaurants since the age of 13, I decided it was time to try owning and operating one of my own or leaving the industry completely. In 2012, my wife and I relocated from Nashville, TN to Canton, Ohio and decided to open Deli Ohio in Downtown Canton and am thankful that we are still open and operating to this day. Through the past 12 years I have added the title of “micro-developer” to my resume as I have purchased vacant commercial properties around Deli Ohio. The hope is to redevelop the vacant properties and help other small businesses open their doors to our wonderful neighbors of other independent small businesses in Downtown Canton. Read More>>
Sarah Wright
Within the first two years I had grown to the point where I could add my first employee and a second van. Things progressed from there as we grew more. I invest heavily in my groomers’ professional education and skill set. Today we have four vans and multiple employees. We do a lot of fundraising and community involvement. I’d like to think we are the best in town by offering the best, friendly, and most educated staff. Read More>>
Courtney Ranes
There have definitely been ups and downs. Figuring out the financial and business aspects of it all has not been easy and still is difficult sometimes, even after 8-plus years. But I still wouldn’t trade it for anything! I truly don’t know what career I would have if I didn’t have photography! Read More>>
Ashwini Pujari
As I grew up, my creative side flourished. I loved drawing, crafting, and designing. By the time I reached high school, I knew I wanted to be a jewelry designer. There was something deeply satisfying about creating wearable art, pieces that could hold meaning and bring joy to people. But I also dreamed of being an entrepreneur, building something of my own, something that reflected who I was and what I loved. Read More>>
Bryan And Sara Green
On top of that, we need to help people understand that we are not a seasonal shop, but instead a year-round source for that spooky aesthetic that is typically only found around Halloween. Thankfully, our community and fellow small business owners believed in us and jumped in to help when we needed it the most. Small businesses and retailers continue to face an uphill battle as the economy ebbs and flows and uncertainty looms across the country but we don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon. Read More>>
Danielle Deborde
Last year, I decided to create a separate branch of DDP for my business work. f o c u s Images and Branding was created and has photographed doctors, real estate professionals, entrepreneurs, directors, and many events since it’s inception. This year, f o c u s Studios is opening in Beavercreek and will offer not only a home to DDP and f o c u s Images and Branding, but a place for other local creatives to bring their clients. I look forward to serving the community in these new and exciting ways. I am forever grateful to those who have trusted me and continue to hire me to capture their memories. Truly blessed. Read More>>
Alexandra Bowman
I did not want to make this leap blindly. I wanted to immerse myself in the world of weddings and truly understand what it takes to create a flawless, unforgettable day for couples. So, before stepping out on my own, I took the time to learn. I worked for an incredible wedding planner, gaining invaluable hands-on experience. She showed me the nuances that make each wedding so unique. Read More>>
Meliah Moore
At 22, I took a leap and moved to South Carolina, where I began working at The Westin, a high-end hotel known for its fine dining. I started as a line cook at Oceans, the hotel’s intimate restaurant, where I worked with incredible ingredients and learned from some of the most talented chefs in the industry. That experience shaped me. It was there, under the pressure of a professional kitchen, that I fell in love with the artistry, the discipline, and the intensity of this world. Read More>>
Brandy Jemczura
Once people understand what Seeds of Caring aims to accomplish, it’s a pretty quick buy-in to our vision. Who doesn’t want to see kids change the world and build a better future for all? We’ve had amazing support along the way but, like most nonprofits, we’ve had our struggles too. Funding, office space, encountering those who don’t agree with our values—these are a few of the hurdles we’ve had to overcome through the years. And, of course, we recognize that meeting complex community needs can be overwhelming at times. But we meet our challenges head-on and always come out stronger and more dedicated to our mission. Read More>>
Brittany Keller
After nearly a decade of serving and bartending in local establishments, my partner Rob and I knew we wanted to create something of our own—something that would leave a lasting impact on the community. As we searched for the perfect location, we came across The Hilltop in Mt. Adams and immediately knew it was the right space. While we kept the name, we transformed almost everything else—the drinks, the food, and the space—into something that truly reflects our vision. Read More>>
Monica De Lemos Negron
Parallel to my endeavors in jewelry, I serve as a Family Development Supervisor at a nonprofit organization in Cincinnati. This role amplifies my dedication to supporting the bond between mothers and their children, and contributing positively to our community. The fulfillment I derive from this work seamlessly integrates with my approach to jewelry design, as both avenues allow me to connect with individuals and make a positive impact. Read More>>
Denise Miller
My journey began many years ago in Dayton, Ohio, where I grew up with a deep connection to both art and the metaphysical world. In the early 1990s, I embarked on a career as a professional Middle Eastern dancer, a field I dedicated myself to until my retirement in 2018. During that time, I also had the privilege of teaching at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, where I became one of the first to introduce Middle Eastern dance to their Dance Department. Read More>>
Jackie Barnes
It wasn’t until, 8 years ago, when I took a step back in my career, that I realized I didn’t have to choose between my passions. Interior design wasn’t just about making spaces beautiful—it was about shaping environments that influence mood, energy, and well-being. It was the perfect fusion of my love for design, my curiosity about human behavior, and my desire to help people feel valued and at home in their own spaces. Read More>>
Jaclyn Groh
I held so many roles in that season- a primary caregiver to my mother, a maternal figure for my adolescent brother, a supportive team player for my dad, a medical social worker, a collegiate level educator, a sister, a friend, a girlfriend. The grief of losing my mother continues to play a central role in every chapter of my life. She didn’t just miss my graduation a few weeks after she died, I have also had to navigate being a motherless bride, a motherless wife, a motherless mother. The depth of my heartbreak isn’t unique, and yet I am proud of how I have allowed it to break my heart open, gifting me an even deeper intimate ability of holding the hearts, stories, and pain of so many others. I have been mesmerized by the sacredness of humans, and in particular womanhood, and it continues to be the center of my work today. Read More>>
Brittany Winkfield
I worked 9-6p at an insurance office then went to the salon afterwards. Long days and nights was my life until I quit about 3 months in. I applied to work on set of NYFW. Once I got the approval I took a bus to New York, stayed in a AIRBNB and worked tirelessly for 4 days straight. I was always very independent but this was different, this changed everything when I got back to Ohio. I quit my job and went into the salon full time with no clients. I always been a risk taker so I was going to make it happen one way or another. 13 years later, I’m on my 2nd salon and thriving. Read More>>
Jonna Morales-thompson
At that time, I decided to close my office but I moved my business online and saw my clients virtually. Everything worked out well and my business continued to thrive. Then my husband was offered a position as a dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Cincinnati, Ohio so we packed up our family of 6 (2 boys and 2 dogs) and made the big move. After 4 years of settling in, I am opening a new office space next month and continuing to see clients as a Gut Health Coach. My favorite clients are stressed women who are struggling with gut issues and want to have glowing skin, an abundance of energy, a happier mood and a vibrant mind. Read More>>
Channing Seideman
My ability to retain pertinent information during class was impacted by daily absence seizures. Imagine entering each of your classes and while the answer to a future test question was being given your brain decided to space out. I watched as my grades went from A’s to F’s. Throughout middle school and high school I became a dart board for different medications and medication combinations but my seizures continued to worsen. Somehow, I earned my diploma. Read More>>
Alyssa Brown
What sets us apart is our attention to detail and the seamless way we combine craft cocktails with beautifully curated event aesthetics. We don’t just serve drinks—we create an atmosphere. Whether it’s a signature cocktail that matches your theme or décor that enhances your vision, we bring everything together to make your event unforgettable. Read More>>
Christopher Joseph
After my father passed away, my passion for drawing quickly faded. I had always sought his approval since he was the cornerstone of our family. He often scoffed at my artistic efforts, while my mother’s love for art encouraged and supported me throughout my life. During my fifteenth summer, my father finally acknowledged my talent with a casual remark to one of his friends, demonstrating his support. He passed away that winter after Christmas. Ironically, I discovered his secret poetry a decade later, which genuinely inspired my inheritance of my parents’ skills. Read More>>
Mari Nieves
Freelancing was still difficult since artists are still fighting to receive proper pay for their services. Eventually, I landed a position with Kumar’s marketing agency, Underdogs. Here, I have been able to help out on different projects like MGK Day, collabs with the Cavs, collabs with the Browns, collabs with the LeBron James Family foundation, and plenty of other amazing companies. While working this job full time, I also work as a freelance model and dancer now. Between freelancing and working with the agency, I’m often in a different state working. My dedication to being a starving artist has led me to being a full time, professional, artist who doesn’t actually have to worry about the starving aspect of being an artist. Read More>>
Zayne Harshaw
Diagnosed with autism at the age of four, Zayne’s upbringing included speech therapists, a behavioral pediatrician, and some wonderful teachers. Occupational therapists would eventually be needed for almost eight years to address Zayne’s severe dexterity issues. Struggles with tying shoestrings, zipping zippers, and handling scissors made his eventual guitar-playing ability an “unthinkable achievement”. Read More>>
Pun Wilborn
My name is (Marcus Wilborn) but I gained the nickname “Pun” in my freshman year of college at Clark Atlanta University; born and raised in Columbus, OH on the “Northside” is where I gained my passion for fashion. Growing up I’ve always had an eye on the latest trend when it came to clothes; whether it was seeing a family member at a get together or seeing which artists had the best outfits on tv, which I’m glad to say was always a black owned brand (Sean John, phat farm, Fubu, Karl Kani). Read More>>
Taylor King
It also felt like the stars were aligning as a corner space in the downtown Germantown area became available to lease while we were beginning to look at spaces and options for our small business. I knew I wanted to stay in the Germantown community since teaching three out of my five years in Germantown, I had grown to love the small town community. I knew if I didn’t take this space/spot in Germantown I would always live with “what ifs” a few days later we signed a lease for the opening space in Germantown, and got to work. Fast forward almost a year and a half later, and I have no regrets, and still can’t believe it at times! Read More>>
Marissa Zinnecker
In 2023, shortly after stepping into a new senior tax accountant role, I had a defining moment. I remember driving to work one morning when it hit me: Start a bookkeeping business! Funny enough, some friends had suggested the idea just a few months before, but at the time, it didn’t stick. That day, I spent about 20 minutes researching and discovered a support program that guided me step by step through launching my own bookkeeping business. I knew this was my path. Read More>>
Danielle Ninic
I have gone through so many periods where my business was so close to failing and I had to look really deep into what was happening and make adjustments, whether it be ending contracts with insurance companies or how I pay my employees or how productive our schedule is, etc. Another big struggle has always been replacing great SLP’s when they move on to other opportunities. The last thing I want is for our clients to go without services after finally getting a spot, because I’m having a hard time finding someone to hire. While it has not been a smooth road, I am proud of myself every day for still being here. Read More>>
Ellie Gordon
We spent about a year and a half searching for the perfect storefront space, renovating the space to match our high-end luxury vision, meeting with designers, curating gown collections, and educating on ourselves on every bridal topic you could think of until we opened October of 2024, just about 4 months ago. It was the busiest and most rewarding time for us! And thinking back to that planning period, the first and easiest decision we made was naming our boutique: Frannie & Joe Bridal, the names of our maternal grandparents who were married for almost 70 years and opened a Hamilton business themselves! Read More>>
Dominic Felice
I have well over 400 full sets of various bands at various venues spanning several genres on my YouTube channel, I have probably over 20 hours of interview footage as of right now, and I still plan on collecting more. Ripper Fest 2024 is coming up at the end of February, and I plan on filming all 72 bands that are booked to play over the four days of the fest. After that I am going to be taking a break from filming, as I have been filming every show I could make for the past year now, and the fatigue is starting to catch up to me. If things go well, I have a planned release for the documentary in spring of 2026, and I don’t think I will ever stop filming bands live sets completely, but I do think my pace will slow down. Read More>>
Tanesha McClellan
I started out doing different types of small jobs but after a while the ones I got more frequent and was really good at was organizing and cleaning jobs. I created my LLC for my company TD Helping Hand services, Helping Hands for short less than a year from quitting. From there I started and working on my business. At first, for a few years I was ok with just making enough and having a schedule that afforded me to be there whenever my children needed. In 2023, I was informed about the MWBE program to become certified in my city. after about a year I became certified in 2024 and currently working on expanding my business. Read More>>
Mason Mitchell
Music had brought me through those doctors visits and times when I would wonder if I would always live life at a disadvantage. With what I know now, I would have the procedure 100 times. It brought up my self confidence and life is back to the same as it was, there was just a lot of recovery to get there. Now I am writing my own music. Music that I feel connected to, it’s a different kind of connection with my music being stories of failed relationships and wishing to find my person, a connection I hope my audience can have as well. Read More>>
Cyrus Duvernay
Back in 2019 I started booking metal bands for gigs in Lima and a label called Bad Lip Music. Being in a band personally, I felt that the local scene had drastically dried up from what it had been years prior so I wanted to start doing something about it. When you’re from a smaller town, the music and art community is typically much more centered around trying to cater towards the more mainstream or traditional audiences than it might be otherwise in a larger city with greater diversity. DIY shows and the underground are where a lot of musical or cultural movements begin yet they’re not always given due credit. Read More>>
Kimberly Meadows
But I couldn’t shake the thought. I kept coming back to my camera, capturing moments in my spare time, whether it was my kids playing in the backyard or the world around me. The more I photographed, the more I realized that this was what I was meant to do. I wanted to show women their beauty, their strength—something I had struggled to see in myself for years. Read More>>
Carolyn Evans, Meaghan Colville, and Amanda Gilbert
The story of Cincinnati Animal CARE is one of grit, courage and perseverance as we hit the ground running on August 1st, 2020, just two days after receiving our official humane society status eligibility to run a municipal shelter in Hamilton County. What we didn’t know we learned quickly, and so launched our efforts to deliver nationally-recognized animal services to the animals and people of our community. Nearly 5 years later, we’ve just secured a 10 year contract to continue in our endeavor to challenge the status quo and change the landscape of animal sheltering in our region with our “sheltering a different way” approach. Read More>>
Matt Pontius
Our move was inspired by a desire to find a business that allowed us to be our own bosses and provided the flexibility that young families often need. We became believers in the Suite concept business model, which eventually led us to My Salon Suite. My Salon Suite offers a unique business model within the beauty industry, providing fully equipped, private suites for independent beauty professionals. Each suite is customizable, allowing professionals to create a space that reflects their brand and style while managing their own schedules, services, and pricing. Read More>>
Troy Pan
In this home, you’ll find decorations that I love. I have a deep appreciation for marine fish, and as a Bengals fan, you’ll also see touches of that passion throughout the restaurant. Of course, the best part of this home is the food. We are committed to using the freshest ingredients to offer our guests a unique dining experience while maintaining a balance between premium ingredients and reasonable prices. Our goal is to provide high-quality food at an affordable price, ensuring that everyone feels as comfortable here as they would at home. Read More>>
Jodi Westfall
My path to healthcare began through a deeply personal experience. After losing my father to malignant melanoma just after my 21st birthday, I made a promise to become a nurse. This meant dramatically shifting from my fashion design major to nursing. Witnessing the impact of nutrition and alternative energy techniques during my father’s terminal illness became the catalyst for my holistic approach to healthcare. Read More>>
T King
Years later countless hours of trial and error here I am. Honestly I feel you get out what you put in ! I give people the experience and art work I would want myself and treat people as I would want to be treated ! I feel that has got me where I am today remembering where I came from what I had and what I didn’t while staying humble and honest. Read More>>
Brad & Debbie Howard
We know that its the little things that make the difference between a good stay and a great one. When it came to decorating and creating a theme, Debbie wanted the comfort of a nature/boho feel but also having enough for kids to feel at “home”, we think we have created this space at Kingston Cottage. Brad has done so much with the entertainment space; providing ping pong, pool table, and air hockey in the basement. In the summer we have a stock tank boho sitting pool, which children and families seem to love, as well as a chiminea fire pit to sit around in cooler weather. We have a two story tree house as well as a swing, hanging chair, and chandelier lit sitting area. Every inch of our rental exudes details to create an inviting environment. Read More>>
