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.
Daniel Erbach
After working so many years in the ‘public domain’ I was encouraged to start my own private practice by a friend/colleague. As a Christian who believes in certain life sustaining principles for overall mental health and emotional stability, and with my wife’s support we started Sower’s Cove Counseling, LLC. Read more>>
Quinta Li
My story begins with a rather humbling series of rejections. Six years ago, I was 24 years old, fresh out of Columbia University with a Master’s degree in Art. On paper, my path in the art world was perfectly laid out. But I was harboring a stubborn childhood dream: I wanted to run a restaurant. Read more>>
Sandy Bassin
I’ve always been the type of person who makes decisions quickly. I knew I wanted to become a doctor and I knew I wanted to start my own private practice so I could decide how I cared for my patients. My calling came when I was in college and watched a documentary called “What the Health”. Read more>>
Pierre G Antoine
I’m Pierre, founder of The UpScale Tech and owner of a Signarama branch. My journey started at 14 when I was first introduced to computers. I didn’t just use them I took them apart, sketched the components, and taught myself how they worked. Read more>>
Barbara McCloskey
I joined the Denville-Rockaway Junior Woman’s Club 39 years ago. I was interested in volunteering and was lucky to be a stay at home mom and had time to volunteer. I quickly found that I totally enjoyed working with other women to raise funds, and find a variety of ways to support families in need. We developed close friendships, many that I still have today. Read more>>
Dr. Anthony and Mrs. Alexandra Barone
My husband Dr. Anthony Barone and I have been working together and providing care in the communities in which we lived for over 25 years. Serving disabilities through pure natural resources and providing emotional support. In the year of 2018, after a horrific car accident on the Black Horse Pike, Egg Harbor Township Atlantic County NJ. was ultimately, the beginning our 501(c)(3). Read more>>
Robyn Norby
Creating Tranquil Touch Headspa and Salon in my own private space has been one of the most empowering and rewarding journeys of my life. What started as a passion for scalp health and true relaxation has grown into a sanctuary where clients can fully unwind, reset, and feel cared for. Read more>>
Lori Troilo
I came to HIP with little knowledge of housing issues, but with extensive experience in nonprofit organizations and a strong desire to give back to the community where I live and raised my family. It is very important to me to be part of work that advances a more equitable society—and housing is, quite literally, the foundation. Read more>>
Pat Miller
My journey is a story of two beginnings. The first was in 1995 when my husband, Ray, and I started our first company, RPM Construction, with just a $100 from his union layoff check and a shared vision. We built a life and a reputation in the trades together. However, our business went dormant for two years while Ray courageously battled cancer. Read more>>
Alyssa Williams
I’m a mom. Everything I’ve built, every decision I’ve made, and the way I show up in my work all come back to that. I’m a mother of three beautiful (and very loud) children, plus three equally loud German Shepherds, and honestly, that probably tells you a lot about me already. My path to where I am today wasn’t traditional. Read more>>
Shawn Slattery
I got my start in construction working with my uncle in his remodeling business, spending summers and weekends on job sites throughout high school. At the time, though, I thought my future was in medicine, so I went to college with the goal of becoming a physical therapist. Read more>>
Spencr Markoe
I was born and raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and I’m now raising my family in Voorhees. I’ve never really left South Jersey—it’s home, and it’s where my roots and relationships are. Early on, I was a career changer. Read more>>
Hollianne Davidson
I have been in the salon working since I was 16 years old, 17 licensed and behind the chair. So coming up on 23 years this year . It’s my passion and I love meeting new people and helping them with their self image . I owned my first salon at 25 , and some variation of Revolution has existed since then. Read more>>
Moshe Raskind
During COVID I was in private practice in Yardley, PA. We were given a lot of cautionary info about COVID; so I made the decision to go virtual from home (Cherry Hill). There were a lack of video counselors and I grew from 25 sessions a week to 50 and hired 2 1099 employees. Thus Serenity Psychotherapy was born. Read more>>
Alesha Figueroa-Falcon
I was born and raised in Camden, New Jersey, and I am of Puerto Rican descent. I grew up in what we called “the projects,” or low-income housing, and was raised by my grandmother. My mother passed away from leukemia, and my father has been incarcerated in federal prison since I was two years old—he remains there today, and I am now 29. Read more>>
Regina Halper
I have had a love for the beauty industry since I was a young girl. My grandmother always took me to her weekly “beauty salon” appointments with her and that’s where I was really exposed to the business. The artistry, the social aspect, the energy of it all! I loved it! Read more>>
Leeor Gal
My start to becoming a therapist wasn’t traditional. After completing a 4-year degree in communications with a concentration in PR, I decided it wasn’t for me. After some time, I quit my job, went back to school to finish out a few pre-requisits to apply to Graduate school. Becoming a therapist has been the most rewarding change in my life. Read more>>
Albert Casalnova
I started doing stand up comedy in 1988 at an open mic in Philadelphia my home town. My forte has always been creative writing so I got hired a few years later to write for Iconic shows like the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with David Letterman, and Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher. Read more>>
Trinity Jagdeo
The start of this organization began with the friendship of our president, Trinity Jagdeo, and her best friend, Alexus Dick. Alexus has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, also known as SMA. SMA is a degenerative disease that robs people of basic movement like walking, talking, and eating. The pair met in Kindergarten and they have been inseparable ever since. Read more>>
Alyssa Scolari
My journey into the world of mental health began with a deep-rooted desire to understand the human experience and help others navigate their most difficult moments. I started my academic path at The College of New Jersey, where I earned my Bachelor’s in Psychology, followed by a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Rowan University. Read more>>
Vanessa Carranza
After high school, I enlisted in the Army National Guard. When I finished basic training and came back home, I decided to pursue cosmetology school and that’s where everything changed. I fell in love with waxing. Read more>>
Matthew Rembish
I began my business in 2018. After working for a few companies and becoming licensed, I decided to go off on my own and start my own engineering business. By that time, I had a lot of experience with civil and structural engineering and I was flipping houses and investing in real estate on the side. Read more>>
Kelly Feher
I’ve been a stylist in Marlton for 25+ years and worked in some of the biggest, busiest, and noisiest salons in the area. I’ve been a special needs mom for just over 9 years. I came to realize that the places that I’d chosen to work in, are not suitable for everyone, especially the kids that had sensory issues relating to haircuts. Read more>>
Christina Falduto
Studio 89 was never just a business—it was built from belief, resilience, and a whole lot of heart. It all started in April 2019 with a simple Craigslist listing for a small salon in Hampton, NJ. It wasn’t perfect—in fact, it needed a lot of work—but it was an opportunity. With the help of family, we transformed that space into something that felt like home. Read more>>
Margaret Barschow-Blissenbach
I started in the boutique fitness industry over a decade ago, and for a long time I followed the model that was already in place: high intensity, high volume, push harder, sweat more. And while that worked on the surface, I kept noticing the same pattern in the women I was training: burnout, inflammation, inconsistency, and a feeling that their bodies were constantly fighting back. Read more>>
Melissa Wetherington
My love for psychology began in high school during my senior year when I took an introductory course. At that time, I found mental health especially interesting and wanted to learn more. As I continued my studies, my curiosity about human behavior grew—particularly in understanding why we do the things we do and how we can grow. Read more>>
Kevin Walker
Dr. Walker set out to provide private, small-practice orthodontic care to all of Southern New Jersey without barriers to entry for children and adults. One of the biggest obstacles for many patients is insurance coverage, and Dr. Walker works to remove that barrier by accepting nearly all insurance plans, including NJ FamilyCare. Dr. Walker takes pride in delivering detail-oriented, private orthodontic care as an owner-operator. Read more>>
Xachil Joachin
I am a first-generation Mexican-American whose passion for supporting my community began in high school. What started as volunteering at a small event quickly grew into a deeper commitment, leading me to become a Volunteer Coordinator and later a board member for a well-recognized nonprofit organization in South Jersey. Through this work, I’ve also become an advocate for a variety of community-focused initiatives. Read more>>
Stephanie Ballantyne
My cosmetology journey began in 2007, but truthfully, it started long before that. Ever since I was young, I had a natural flair for hair. I was always doing my friends’ hair, and I loved getting my own done too. There was something about sitting in that chair and walking out feeling like a completely new version of yourself that just lit me up inside. Read more>>
Andrea Osei
My journey hasn’t followed a straight path, but it has always been guided by purpose. In 2008, I began my career as a pharmacist, which grounded me in discipline, attention to detail, and a deep sense of responsibility to care for others. At the same time, I’ve always been drawn to beauty, storytelling, and creating meaningful experiences. Read more>>
Rick Seaman
Our story really started long before we opened the doors in January 2023. I spent years working as a Big Box district manager, but my wife and I always loved exploring Main Streets across New Jersey and Pennsylvania, finding small shops, discovering unique products, and just enjoying the experience of local communities. Read more>>https://newjerseyvoyager.com//interview/inspiring-conversations-with-rick-seaman-of-the-happy-peacock
Dr. Greg Rosenberg
My path to orthodontics began in a very personal way. As a child, I was in orthodontic treatment for nearly six years. Three years after completing treatment, the gap between my two front teeth returned. It may have only been a millimeter or two of black space but it negatively affected my self-image and confidence. Read more>>
Angela Krukauskas
No1HungryinEHC began with a promise. After Angela Krukauskas’ husband suffered a cardiac arrest during recovery from knee replacement surgery, he was resuscitated and placed in a coma with only a 5% chance of survival. During those uncertain days, Angela made a heartfelt promise to God: if her husband survived, she would dedicate her life to helping others. Read more>>
Lena Piccininni
I began my career in the beauty industry while still in high school, attending cosmetology school and working in my first salon at 17. During that time, my father became very ill and passed away, leaving my brother and me to take on full responsibility at a young age. As a new stylist, I knew I needed to step up and grow quickly. Read more>>
Alycia Skye Bardon
I have been in the equine industry for a little over twenty years, training and competing. I even received my Associate’s Degree in Equine Science and Management. I wasn’t too sure where I wanted to go and spent some time trying to find my direction. After some research, I learned about equine media and equine marketing. Read more>>
Tiffany Caprice
I’ve always been drawn to storytelling, long before I knew it could be a career. I grew up with a camera in my hand, and that curiosity eventually led me into the world of production, where I spent over a decade in Los Angeles working as an Executive Producer in advertising and entertainment. Read more>>
Paul and Ashley Stewart
Paul and Ashley Stewart are the owners of Cozy Cohost LLC, a short-term rental management and design company built from the ground up through grit, creativity, and an unshakable belief in independence. Together, they have transformed what began as a single vacation rental into a growing, hands-on operation known for its elevated design, strong performance, and client-first approach. Read more>>
Irina Robinson
My journey began in music. I have a strong musical background and hold a Master’s degree in Music and Teaching. Music has always been at the heart of who I am, and it continues to be a big part of my life today—I’m still an active musician and sing at Mass every weekend at a Catholic church in Laurence Harbor, New Jersey. Read more>>
Linda McAllister
Throughout my life, creativity, compassion, and literacy have always been at the heart of my goals. Teaching is the ultimate creative outlet for me. After obtaining my Masters in Education, I worked as a Writing Specialist at Gwynedd Mercy College, a high school English teacher, a writing coach at Purdue Global, and an adjunct professor at local community colleges. Read more>>
John Kissling
I attended University of the Arts in the 1990s where I focused on illustration and commercial art. I got my start thanks in part to a professor who hired me out of school, and those early opportunities gave me a strong creative foundation. Read more>>
Amanda Voinier
My journey started when I was eight years old. I had several experiences with the spiritual world including hearing my Siamese Cat, Sheba meowing after she had passed away earlier that day. I witnessed my first apparition later that summer when my family and I were visiting Cape May New Jersey. Read more>>
Toni Gushue
Nikki Steward and I are business partners and life partners. We met in 2014 as friends, eventually started dating and are now engaged to be married with an October 2026 wedding date. We reside in western Hunterdon County with our keeshond, Stone, the failed crystal shop dog. Read more>>
Rachael Mecholsky Pelikan
I initially went to Graduate school for Art Therapy & Mental Health counseling after seeing how much art making benefited my own healing process. Throughout that time, as well as after graduation, I worked in several different settings including a children and adolescent psychiatric hospital, a non-profit art studio, a trauma center private practice, an inpatient substance abuse treatment center, and a group private practice. Read more>>
Susan Long
On paper, my life today looks stable—I hold both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work, I’m a licensed LSW and LCADC, and I lead a nonprofit that means everything to me. But my path here was anything but straightforward. Growing up, I had a rocky home life and struggled with ADHD and intense anxiety. Read more>>
David Cochran
I grew up in a small town called Linwood on the mainland near Atlantic City, NJ. A residential town, it was a great place to work and play. After graduating from Ocean City High School, I ventured off to Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey) to become a teacher. Read more>>
Natalie Maniscalco
We (Natalie & Irene) met over nine years ago in Nyack at the gym, and we instantly became friends. From the beginning, we shared a passion for bringing women together and creating meaningful opportunities. Together, we led a professional women’s networking group, where the original idea was simple: host a workshop and offer a scholarship for high school girls. And then… the pandemic hit. Read more>>
Jessica Hunter
A lot of people take pain and turn it into something happy, and that’s exactly what I did. I was young, and still testing the waters of the world. I made a lot of careless mistakes, and then being diagnosed with a seizure disorder that changed my whole world. Read more>>
Lloyd Vliet
In 2021, I started Gay Social. The seed of it was a long-running community event in Somerville that had been going for over a decade. Coming out of the pandemic, people were hungry for in-person connection. When Kellen May, who had been running that event for years, relocated to Alaska, he handed me the keys to his audience. I’m grateful for that. Read more>>
