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.

Sasha Bruno

My journey into holistic health started when I was a teenager. I was drawn to yoga, nature, herbal remedies, nutrition, and Eastern philosophies long before I knew where that interest would lead me. I went on to study anthropology at Boston University, which deepened my interest in people, culture, and the different ways we understand health and healing. However, I am originally from Miami, FL. Read more>>

Charles Nnamdi

As a first-generation Nigerian-American, I’ve seen the world through kaleidoscopic lenses: curious, structured, analytic, freeform, but what began as simply documenting the world quickly evolved into a rigorous pursuit of capturing essential beauty, ultimately securing CFDA credentials to capture New York Fashion Week. Read more>>

Joseph Rebman

I am from Finneytown, Ohio, a small suburb just north of the Cincinnati city line. Finneytown is predominately lower-middle class families, and my family was exactly that. Read more>>

Breanna Bates

I started on the dispensary floor. Today, I help shape the stories being told about the cannabis industry and the communities behind it. My name is Breanna Bates, though many know me as **The Ebony Hempress**. I’m a Columbus, Ohio-based media personality, cannabis educator, creative director, and cultural storyteller. Read more>>

Pilar Castrillo

My story begins with my own experience as a Venezuelan immigrant in the United States. When I arrived, I had to start over, learn to navigate a system I knew very little about, overcome barriers, and rebuild my professional and financial life. Read more>>

Karyn Locke

I launched my website, Sand and Snow, well over a decade ago as a dedicated home for authentic, first-hand travel coverage, focusing on everything from family road trips and regional hidden gems to major theme park strategies and winter mountain getaways. Over time, as digital publishing evolved, I expanded my focus beyond traditional storytelling. Read more>>

Jeff Foran

I started Strangeology in 2020, right at the beginning of the pandemic. Like a lot of people, I suddenly found myself spending more time at home and looking for a creative outlet. I’d always been fascinated by the strange and unexplained-cryptids, UFOs, paranormal encounters, ancient mysteries-and I decided to start an Instagram page where I could share those stories. Read more>>

Authisa Aston

The journey for Sapphire & Blue Sweets started during the pandemic. I have always had a passion for entertaining and pulling things together. And gift-giving is a real thing for me. Who does not enjoy a good edible gift? While many of us were homebound, I began trying new things in the kitchen. Read more>>

Katie Speelman

My husband, Tyler, and I never really set out to be in the vacation rental business. But somewhere along the way, what started as one property turned into Comfort Acres, a collection of unique vacation homes around Grand Lake St. Marys, Ohio. Read more>>

Andrew Salzbrun

I’ve spent most of my career exploring the intersection of culture, creativity, and community, and how those things can fundamentally change the trajectory of a city. I’ve always been drawn to the idea of building things that bring people together. Early in my career, I became fascinated by how creative ideas could influence not just consumer behavior, but the identity and energy of entire communities. Read more>>

Alex Semchishin

SemBro Designs was started by me and my brother Leo. We worked as painters in Idaho and had the unique experience of seeing a house in two different stages; empty (when doing the first painting job) and post-furnishing (when completing touch ups). While doing touch-ups, we would always be amazed at how a finished project turned out. The kitchen would draw us in. Read more>>

Ann segal

As a liberal arts student at the University of Wisconsin, Madison in the late 60’s I drifted into fine arts…I majored in art history at Boston University, learning history through art, particularly enjoying the history of photography, mass media, design and color theory, and received a B.A. in Fine Arts in 1970. Read more>>

Naomi Loera

Na’s Pottery started with a love for creativity and the joy of making something with my own two hands. What began as a hobby and a way to express myself slowly grew into something I never imagined could become a business. I fell in love with the process of creating pottery, from shaping the clay to adding the finishing touches. Read more>>

Oz Neal

At Mommy’s Little Heart, our story begins with love. Founded in 2018, Mommy’s Little Heart was inspired by a nickname my mother lovingly gave me when I was born: ‘Mommy’s Little Heart.’ That simple phrase became a symbol of unconditional love, comfort, and family. In 2009, my mother lost her courageous battle with breast cancer. Read more>>

Jae Kristoff

The Cleveland Lottery League as a project began in 2008 as a creative experiment built around a simple idea: What would happen if you took musicians from different bands, backgrounds, and corners of the local music scene, randomly put them together, and gave them a couple of months to create something entirely new? The idea was to remove some of the usual ways bands form. Read more>>

Scott Fitt

Was just chilling with friends one night and my homie was tattooing himself and it got to a point it was hard to reach and he was like you cab draw… wasn’t to finish this? I didn’t want any part of it but a few drinks later i was tattooing this guy and just never stopped.. Read more>>

Dylan Bogus

My name is Dylan Bogus, I am 25 years old. I served 4 years in the United States Air Force from 2020-2024, as a military police officer. I also deployed to qatar for 6 months. Read more>>

Marva Jones

I own a private practice (Tree of Life Counseling and Training Center) that provides therapy for mental health, addictions, marriage and family counseling, sports performance, and major life transitions such as retirement. Since the age of 8 or earlier, I dreamt of being a therapist and helping others navigate through the challenges of life. Read more>>

Andrea Archibald

Columbus Girl Gang was founded in 2018, alongside the launch of my creative agency, Beachwood Creative. But the idea really started years earlier. From 2012 to 2018, I spent my days running retail stores that showcased locally made products and hosting large-scale vendor events. Those spaces became so much more than places to shop. Read more>>

Heidi Jensen

My passion for interior design began long before I ever imagined turning it into a career. Growing up in the Midwest, I was surrounded by entrepeneurship, leadership, education and real estate through both of my parents. I was always fascinated by the process of transforming something old into something new or creating a new space. Read more>>

Kellie Shells

In 2020, I was working as a head preschool teacher when COVID-19 changed everything. Suddenly, I found myself at home, wondering how I could continue providing for my children while navigating such an uncertain time. Then one phone call changed my life. A friend called and asked if I could do her makeup for a date night—something soft and pretty. Read more>>

Kristy Yurichak

I earned my bachelor’s degree in business administration, and owning a business was always my long-term ambition. My first job out of college, however, left me professionally and personally unfulfilled. I knew pretty quickly that I needed work that didn’t feel like work—something that connected my love of problem-solving with the compassion I’d felt for others since childhood. Read more>>

Octavia Moore

Though my name is Octavia, I am fondly known as Octavia | The Surrendered Gem. I have a business that is slowly also turning into ministry, called Gemstone Coaching & Consulting LLC. Through Gemstone, I mentor women to go deeper in their faith walk with God by learning what it means to surrender, obey, and become disciplined. Read more>>

Kathryn Houghton

I started off sharing my thoughts and photos with others through sheer love of books alone, back in 2019 in Florida. Since then I’ve published two of my own books and working on more, if writers block ever frees me. Fast forward to the present, and I’m sharing local haunts in Columbus, Ohio. Read more>>