The Change-Makers: stories that inspire

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.

Łukasz Leja

The road hasn’t always been smooth, but I’ve honestly found the challenges to be exciting. Balancing two careers and learning how to live in a way that supports both has been a constant puzzle. Starting my own business without outside help was another big challenge. But each obstacle pushed me to grow, to adapt, and to discover new ways of working and living. In the end, these struggles have been exactly what I wanted from life—they’ve taught me a lot and shaped me into who I am today. Read more>>

Jenn Ross

Most of my work now consists of polymer clay and glass, often with a mix of other different mediums including beads, paper, ink, powders, solder and metal, and I focus mostly on handmade beads, jewelry and home accessories. I’ve been working on the idea of creating soldered vessels and pendants that contain small spells or charms. I love making stuff for my spooky people to enjoy. If it has anything to do with cats, magik, Halloween, the macabre, or goth culture, I’m all over it! Read more>>

George Vidal

Shortly after, Professor Ludwig Medina himself invited me to cover a fashion event called “Pas Pas Fashion Show” in Caguas, Puerto Rico, thus marking my first formal experience in the world of photography. From that moment on, my growth was constant, until the year 2020, when God gave me the blessing of becoming a father. Due to the tremors that occurred on the island, I felt the need to leave Puerto Rico, arriving – without planning it – at my second home: Cleveland. Read more>>

Gail Trunick

Gail graduated with a BFA from Kent State University with a major in painting in 1980. Soon after graduating, and with the subsequent death of her mother, she found herself more and more drawn to the clay and earth that are her roots. Since this time her artistic concentration has been clay and mixed-media sculpture. Her resume includes numerous one-woman and group exhibitions and she has works included in numerous public and private collections. Read more>>

Sagan King

Through these past experiences I realized the time was right to return to Ohio. I found myself drawn to Cincinnati for many unknown reasons, and now, being in this city, I could not imagine my practice being located anywhere else. Everywhere I look, this city is full of history, culture, and passion, which extends to the people who call Cincinnati home. Although I have only been here since April 2023, I have already felt such a connection to this city and its people. I have been able to slowly and steadily built the practice I have always wanted to be a part of and I am excited to see what the next chapter will bring. Read more>>

Alan Giberson

At that time, 2014, there really wasn’t too much information online to learn from, so I taught myself through old sign painting books I rented from the library (I’m talkin’ books from the turn of the century). I started doing more serious jobs through people I knew, basically doing them for free until it sort of caught on with local businesses that there was another option around town other than slapping stickers on your windows. It just built up from there and I’m very grateful to be able to do this for a living and give storefronts, walls, etc. a more handmade touch. Read more>>

Amber Bowers

As a teen, I was misdiagnosed with depression and prescribed antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications. Later, I was diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia—essentially, unexplained fatigue. I completed a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), where patients take five naps, each separated by two hours, after a full night of sleep. It took me an average of five minutes to fall asleep during every nap, and when the doctor called to review my results, I was told, “Well, you are very sleepy.” The provider prescribed stimulants and sent me on my way. Read more>>

Shashi Watters

My mother was a model, so from a very early age I was completely captivated by the world of fashion. I really admired not just the elegance but the complete artistry and beauty behind it all. There was something so magnetic about the industry’s chaotic beauty…the way it could be both unpredictable and really poetic, the constant evolution– it completely enchanted me. It’s like witnessing living art. Read more>>

Esther Laveck

I have wanted to be a hairstylist since I was 12, and after highschool enrolled in cosmetology school. Soon after I got pregnant with my first child, worked my way through an apprenticeship after becoming a mom and graduating, in Centerville at an Aveda salon, worked there for 7 years and then continued on to open our first salon “937 Salon and Spa” with my husband Jason in Kettering where we employed well over 60 people over the past 6 years, trained young hairstylists in all hair textures, hosted annual community fundraisers, and education classes for staff all year long.  Read more>>

Ayana Aka Yaunnie Hudson

After completing hair school in the late 2000’s, I went on to work my first salon job. Shortly after I had to land a 2nd job to provide for my family as a single mom. I eventually had to stop styling hair for years and returned in 2019. 1 1/2 years later I opened my first small intimate salon. After 4 years my business and brand had grown to a point that allowed me to open a larger salon that offers more services to customers and jobs. When I look back I’ve realized that my consistency and dedication allowed me to revisit and succeed at something that was once difficult to do. Volume Salon has now been open for 5 years. Read more>>

Jessica Shaffer

I started with donation work just to get my name out there. Not long after doing a flyer for a city event, I was receiving more phone calls for small jobs. It was then that I decided to think bigger. I put myself on the Google map, and soon after, a local bar/restaurant called to ask if I designed websites. Though I hadn’t yet, I said yes. I immediately cracked open my laptop and started reading feverishly, learning everything I could. My first website was underway. Read more>>

Jasmine Pixler Skully

My creative journey began with ceramics, where I first explored form, texture, and movement. Along the way, I dabbled in drawing, painting, jewelry smithing, metalworking, and glasswork—each medium offering its own challenges and joys. I especially loved experimenting with materials like glass and metal, which allowed me to see how fire, force, and fragility could transform raw elements into something striking and unexpected. Read more>>

Heidi Roth

A couple years ago, I heard Jon Gordon talk about the importance of choosing one word to be the focal point for each year. So, in 2023 I chose the word “pivot” – largely because pivot seemed to be something I did often in my career (being a mom, then teacher, then business professional, then business owner). However, and maybe more importantly, I learned to pivot in my mindset, through challenges and the unexpected – to choose the positive focus of my thoughts and attitude. Read more>>

Andrei Ilyutsenka

Our very first program, Cosmos Journey, is a guided trip through the Solar System and beyond: the Sun, the planets, eclipses, the asteroid belt, Orion, nebulae, the Hubble telescope, and even a rocket launch. We began work in March, after months of sleepless nights, testing, and endless revisions. My goal has always been simple: to let people step inside a subject, so learning sticks—and wonder comes back. Read more>>