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.
Sonia Urquilla
I graduated from university(Montclair State University) and naturally fell into sales. It was the jobs that landed on my desk first. But I didn’t like it. So I decided to invest in a career coaching program and pivot to marketing. I took a bunch of marketing courses. One of them was SEO. Read more>>
Marina Yiannos
My name is Marina Yiannos, I own Marina Y Art, and I’m an artist based right outside of Ocean City, NJ. I graduated in 2024 from the University of Tampa with a Bachelor’s degree in Art Therapy. Read more>>
Victor Pellegrini
As a lifelong video game player, I’d always imagined what it would be like to step into the games I loved. That led me to a company called Icombat, which was building laser tag equipment and software. I tested their gear at a now‑closed facility and genuinely loved the hardware—but the customer service was terrible. Right then, I knew I could do better. Read more>>
Kimber Casteel
I have always been an artistic and creative person. My friends have often referred to me as a “Jill of all trades”. When I was a freshman in college, I opened my Etsy shop and began selling handmade greeting cards, small paintings, and fabric flower hairpins that I previously had only made just for fun. Read more>>
Alex Francis
Howdy! My name is Alex Francis and I’m the ‘cohesively clashy’ artist and owner behind my small business, Alex n Crafts! Currently based in Flemington, NJ, I’d classify my story as a squiggly line rather than a straight one, and for good reasons! Read more>>
Jennifer Willey
When I look back on my career, what surprises me most is that while I’ve had many different jobs, they’ve all been rooted in the same passion: helping people achieve their potential. That journey started when I was just 15 years old. I began teaching fitness classes (or as we called them back in the day, aerobics!). Read more>>
Hector Rivera
My journey into photography started as a hobby. I was always interested in capturing moments and telling stories through images. What began with photographing family events, local gatherings, and friends gradually turned into a passion that I wanted to pursue professionally. Over the years, I invested in learning the craft, improving my equipment, and gaining experience in different types of photography. Read more>>
Dawn Hardwick
“I began my journey as a young mom facing significant challenges—no high school diploma and limited resources—but I was determined to build a better life. Over the years, I started multiple businesses, including a successful payroll company, and became a community-focused business coach. My faith and resilience kept pushing me forward. Read more>>
Carri Degenhardt
I settled down in Jersey City over 25 years ago and operated a Wall Street recruiting firm (Degenhardt Consulting) for 23 years where my art studio and gallery are now located. I was also a columnist for a Wall Street trade rag name On Wall Street Magazine for a decade or so. Read more>>
Lisa Vara
About Women Who Connect: Women Who Connect was created from a simple belief: meaningful relationships are built through connection, not transactions. In traditional networking spaces, the focus is often on what you do before who you are. Read more>>
ALEX (AVEE) VIERA
My journey began in 2006 after I was laid off due to financial struggles within the company I worked for. That moment forced me to reevaluate everything and ultimately pushed me toward entrepreneurship. I realized I wanted to create my own path — one where I could control my time, my income, and my future. Read more>>
Khushbu Agrawal
My journey into entrepreneurship started with a simple goal: helping businesses make better use of technology. Over the years, I worked with many business owners who were great at what they did but often struggled with their websites, digital marketing, or overall online presence. Read more>>
Tennille Ortiz
I started my business with a passion for creativity, connection, and creating moments that make people feel special. What began as a love for baking slowly grew into something much bigger than I ever imagined. Read more>>
Mira Kaga
I’m a board-certified internal medicine physician, which is not the traditional starting point for someone who now spends a lot of her week injecting and running laser platforms. But the path actually makes sense if you look at it the right way. I trained in internal medicine because I wanted to understand how the body actually works – metabolism, hormones, inflammation, the whole system. Read more>>
Ashley Mathers
My name is Ashley and I am 24 years old. I grew up in Ocean City, NJ and love living in this small town! In 2016 I started working at a local pottery studio for about 7 years. I ended up becoming the manager and fell in-love with running the studio. Read more>>
Melissa McAlarnen
I started Shore to Please Designs around 2012, originally creating handmade baby items for new moms… headbands, tutus, baby outfits, and personalized gifts. What began as a creative outlet quickly grew into a busy Etsy shop, eventually expanding into apparel like t-shirts and tank tops. At the time, I was running the business part-time while also working a full-time job. Read more>>
Nicole Chinnici
I’ve loved drawing for as long as I can remember. As a child I dreamed of being a fashion designer, but I went on to study architecture at Cornell University, including a semester in Rome that completely shaped how I see space, structure, and proportion. Read more>>
Dilan Pinar
About three years before I took over this bakery, I first came here because I wanted to rent the kitchen space. At the time, someone else was already sharing the place with the owner, but the moment I walked in, something about it stayed with me. Read more>>
Susanne Reilly
I’m an organizational psychologist by training and have spent my career working with individuals, teams, and organizations to enhance performance and effectiveness—focusing on how leadership decisions, culture, and structure come together in practice. In recent years, I’ve stepped back from full-time corporate roles to focus more selectively on advisory work, while also bringing that experience into community-based leadership. Read more>>
John Lentini
I spent over two decades on Wall Street to start my career. I survived the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11, when a plane literally went through my desk. That life-altering experience ultimately led me to adopt a carpe diem approach to life and to seek global assignments. Read more>>
Melissa Murphy
My journey with Mielou began with a simple but very intentional goal: to elevate what a macaron could be and to bring a level of precision, creativity, and hospitality typically reserved for fine dining into a format that could live in retail, events, and everyday celebration. At our core, Mielou is driven by quality, hospitality, and premium, handmade products that deliver a truly distinctive experience. Read more>>
Stella Chang
I’m a multimedia visual artist based in Jersey City, New Jersey. My work is rooted in painting, mixed media, and installation, and it often explores identity, memory, healing, and the ways we put ourselves back together after life changes us. Read more>>
Tia Trione
Looking back, I’ve always been the kid with a camera in my hand. My first camera was an orange and silver VCam Now from Toys “R” Us. I recently found one on eBay and briefly considered buying it for nostalgia’s sake. That camera didn’t survive my childhood. After that, I graduated to a series of point-and-shoot cameras that went absolutely everywhere with me. Read more>>
Leah Gajderowicz
So this could be super long so ill shorten it a bit 🙂 I went to culinary school with in 2 years out of High School. I worked a few places after but always knew I loved smaller more quaint places. I had babies and was fortunate enough to be able to stay home with them for a few years. Read more>>
