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.

Heather Wentz

My journey into travel didn’t start with a plane ticket; it started with a search for freedom. For a long time, my life felt incredibly heavy. I spent over 15 years struggling with a weight I couldn’t seem to shed—a battle with alcoholism and infertility that I truly believed would be the end of my story. On December 30, 2013, everything changed. Read more>>

Yolanda Murphy

Yolanda Murphy Founder & President, Love for Mankind LLC Owner, Mobile Fingerprinting LLC Solutions & Ohio Pre-Employment Services LLC Yolanda Murphy is a visionary leader and entrepreneur dedicated to fostering independence, dignity, and equality for individuals with developmental disabilities. Read more>>

Jean Dugger

My story didn’t start on a stage; it started with a leap of faith. I had just lost my job in telecommunications and was attending a bariatric support meeting. Because I was a patient myself, I knew the procedures inside and out. Read more>>

Ariana Wyndham`

Thrive Mahoning Valley started out as a bilingual resource guide which existed on our website. From 2017 to 2019, the organization began to establish roots in the Mahoning Valley, connecting new residents in the area to resources; and whenever possible, providing assistance to families who moved to the Valley after natural disasters hit Puerto Rico. Read more>>

Anycia Grady

I have always been drawn to people’s stories, even before I had the language for what that meant. Growing up, I noticed how much people carry, often silently, and I knew early on that I wanted to create spaces where people could feel seen, understood, and supported. Read more>>

Colton Isaac

My path into real estate wasn’t traditional. I was raised in Southern Ohio with a blue collar background, where work ethic and consistency were non-negotiable. My father spent years working long hours and traveling significant distances to provide for our family while both parents led an example of a God centered life, and that example shaped how I approach responsibility and discipline today. Read more>>

Jordan Bewley

Established in 1969, Tom Bewley saw a “diamond in the rough” when he purchased the 50-acre parcel in Brunswick with nothing more than an old barn and a dream. The barn, originally built in 1869, became the foundation for what he envisioned would be a Ski Lodge, but would ultimately become the event center that it is today. Read more>>

Tiffany Lewis

I left corporate in 2019 involuntarily with a mission to prioritize motherhood without tempering my ambition. Prior to that, I started a business that would allow me to be both an amazing mother and a rockstar marketer. In my world, I knew both could co-exist, and if I couldn’t find it, I was going to create it. So, I did. Read more>>

Gloria MacGillis

Glow Up Web Design was created to be more than just a web design agency—it’s a collaborative, strategy-driven partner for businesses looking to grow with intention. It began in 2021 when Gloria MacGillis decided to create her own opportunity during the uncertainty of COVID, starting with simple website projects designed to feel clean, professional, and beautiful. Read more>>

Joshua Haskins

Before moving to Columbus, I was born and raised in Rochester New York. I went to college at Buffalo State and lived in Buffalo (Go Bills) for several years where I developed a passion for fitness. I moved back to Rochester where I started a career in athletic training. I met my now wife in 2011 and started a business in gym industry. Read more>>

Tim Scott

I got my start in the late 1990s, long before Gaining and Feedism were visible or widely understood online. At the time, I was just trying to make sense of my own identity and desires, and I found connection in small, often hidden corners of the internet. What began as a personal exploration gradually turned into something more communal. Read more>>

Bob Reynolds

I’ve served as the Mayor of Wooster since January of 2024. I am a lifelong resident of Wooster and have been a downtown business owner (attorney) for over 40 years. Read more>>

Claire Wagner

I’m not a ‘creative’ as some folks may describe them. I’m a retired communicator whose primary skills were editing, writing and public speaking. But in retirement and with Covid quarantines, I learned fast how to get a church service online and make more graphics to illustrate articles. We make decent use of Facebook, a website and YouTube. Read more>>

Laurie Risner

My mom, Nancy Kochel, and my sister, Amber Holmer, and I worked in the green industry many years before deciding to take on a major effort of starting our own greenhouse business in 2010, named Perfection Landscape and Greenhouse, LLC. Read more>>

Amanda Thomas

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, even before I knew what that meant. As a kid, I used to play ‘office’ in my parents’ basement. I created a logo for my own marketing agency and even wrote a weekly newsletter that I proudly ‘sent’ to my parents. Looking back, the foundation was always there. Read more>>

Cassie Brungarth

I got my start in childcare during college, caring for several families—including one who traveled from Italy so their son, Leo, could receive medical care. I spent countless hours with Leo and his brother, both in the hospital and at home, and quickly became their go-to caregiver. I was deeply committed to being there whenever they needed support. Read more>>

Lorraine Stewart

Hello ~ Today, the complexity of artificial intelligence and data analytics is a major threat to standard ways of working in business. The rapid shift to AI is causing stress, vulnerability, and worry for some. Yet, AI generates curiosity and eye-opening fascination for others. The pace of change stuns us and requires our shift in attention. Read more>>

Courtney Miller

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been the go-to person for organizing trips and making sure every detail was perfect. I loved it so much, I turned it into a career. Read more>>

Pamela Georgiana

I actually started my career in the hospitality industry, and from the beginning I knew I wanted to own my own business. After managing restaurants for about ten years, I opened a coffeehouse in my hometown of Mentor, Ohio in 1997. Read more>>

James & Darlene Justice

Architectural Justice started over 40 years ago when I began working out of my home studio. For nearly two decades, I was hands-on with everything—building cabinetry, taking on remodeling projects, and really learning the trade through experience. In the early 2000s, when granite started becoming more popular, I saw an opportunity to expand into the stone industry. Read more>>

Laura Stanley

After graduating from the University of Akron in 1992 with a degree in business, I wasn’t entirely sure what direction I wanted my career to take. Like many people after college, I was still figuring out where I truly belonged and what kind of work would feel fulfilling long term.  Read more>>

Siarhei Alex Pranovich

My journey into the world of home renovation wasn’t something I had meticulously planned; rather, it was born out of necessity and a leap of faith during one of the most challenging periods of my life. For a long time, I worked for a remodeling company, starting as a painter and eventually working my way up to a Superintendent. Read more>>

Rochelle Cross

I grew up in North East Ohio and moved to North Carolina to teach where I met Scott. Life brought us back to the Akron area in 2018 where we are raising our 3 children. I have always had the desire to own my own business and have helped friends with their businesses. Read more>>

Michele Hollister

Bill and Michele Hollister spent decades teaching business and marketing—20 years for Bill and 30 for Michele—before deciding it was time to pour their combined experience into something new. With Michele’s Italian upbringing, where wine was a staple at every gathering and her grandfather lovingly tended his own grapevines, the connection to wine felt natural and deeply personal. Read more>>

Elesha Snyder

Breast Wishes Foundation was founded from a deeply personal place. My sister, Kelli, was diagnosed with breast cancer, and walking beside her through that journey changed my life. While there were so many difficult moments, I also saw how powerful the small moments of joy, comfort, connection, and normalcy could be. Read more>>

Jacob Kerekes

I have always enjoyed growing plants indoors and outside. When Cannabis became medically and then recreationally legal I really wanted to start my own commercial cultivation facility. Turns out that wasn’t in the cards. Instead I wanted to start a store that would allow me to be involved in the industry without as much of a financial investment.  Read more>>

Merideth Polarinakis

While earning my degree in Marketing and Public Relations, I unexpectedly found my way into makeup artistry. Read more>>

Andrea Knight

I was an art Education Major at Bowling Green State University in 1998 and took an ‘intro to stained glass class’ as an art elective. I was instantly hooked on stained glass! Read more>>

T.A. Parsa

My name is T.A. Parsa, and I founded A Ray of Sunshine Floral alongside my wife, Vicki. Before starting the floral studio, I spent years working in corporate roles involving project management, product management, business development, operations, and vendor management. My background has always been centered around building systems, improving processes, growing relationships, and delivering strong customer experiences. Read more>>

Kristi Roberts

My journey into pediatric sleep consulting started with my own experience as a tired mom searching for answers in the middle of the night. When my oldest daughter was a baby, naps became stressful, nights felt exhausting, and I spent far too much time researching sleep and trying advice that never seemed to fully work for our family. Read more>>

Erin Moore

I began as a counseling intern at a community agency in Chardon where Jennifer Emch served as my supervisor. We aligned well both in personality and clinical/humanistic approach. Read more>>

Jennifer O’Herron

As a child my father traveled a lot for work so when he was home he was very hands on with us kids. We’d go on pontoon boats and catch turtles and frogs and release them. I just loved all animals and growing up we had everything from frogs to bunnies to dogs and cats….you name it. Read more>>