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.
Elisheva Kletzkin
I was alwasy into gymnastics as a child, I did not go to lessons until I was a teenager as my family could not afford it, I started teaching gymnastics in high school, I bought some gym equipment on craigslist from a gym that was closing down, rented a truck with my dad, borrowed a couple thousand dollars from a kind neighbor of ours ( I’m sure he thought he would never see the money again..) I set up a mini gym and started giving lessons, only a few months later I knocked on my neighbor’s door to return the money to his surprise! Read more>>
James Webb
Photography has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I bought and developed my first roll of film in 1982 with a little Kodak camera. We had just moved from Guam to Connecticut and I had discovered MTV for the first time. I loved the music videos so much that I tried taking photos of scenes on the television. Read more>>
Chiara Savastano
Growing up, I was given a very vibrant childhood. I was surrounded by art, different cultures and music. Both of my parents have artistic talents , my mom is a fine arts major and art teacher. Read more>>
Jamie Schmidt
I grew up in the cleaning industry working alongside my grandfather, where I learned the value of hard work and taking pride in every job. When I started my own pressure washing company, I made plenty of mistakes along the way. Those experiences taught me valuable lessons and inspired me to help other contractors avoid the same challenges. Read more>>
Isabelle Ferreira
ISABELLE M. FERREIRA I was a teacher in Middletown and retired in 2025. I retired after a car accident. I am a local from Long Branch, NJ. I am no stranger to community service and I am including my resume so you can see that. My brother was diagnosed with brain cancer and subsequently died from the disease. I started pedaling. Read more>>
Kristen McClure
THRIVE was born out of a significant need within our community. Through a member of our leadership team who serves on the county’s Overdose Fatality Review Board, we became aware that there were no local programs specifically designed to support grieving children and youth. Read more>>
Roberto Faltz
My family is from Sicily and had various pizzerias and restaurants. My entire family cooked. My grandfather was the main cook in our household. I was always in the food industry since I was 13 working in the supermarket industry. Read more>>
Barrington Jordan
It all started back in high school, where drawing and sketching became more than just a hobby—they were how I expressed myself. At one point, I seriously considered attending art school, but I ultimately chose a different path, believing that pursuing psychology would offer a more stable future. As life often does, it had other plans. Read more>>
Michael Venturini
I grew up believing I had to earn my worth through other people’s approval. After losing my father when I was young, I spent years searching for acceptance anywhere I thought I could find it. That search eventually led me into addiction, homelessness, broken relationships, and more mistakes than I’d like to admit. Read more>>
Larissa Montecuollo
Looking back, my career has never really been about marketing. It’s been about helping organizations that are doing important work communicate their purpose and connect with the people they serve. I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of creativity, technology, and strategy. Read more>>
Nicole Dougherty
We are a small, family-owned and operated business, specializing in Interior and Exterior Painting. Our business was started as the result of an unexpected job loss. My husband, Alan, was employed as a union painter at Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia for 12 years. Prior to that he was a painter in AZ with his dad, starting at age 18. Read more>>
Rebecca Boothroyd
My journey didn’t start in a wellness studio, it started in a medical laboratory. I spent years working as a Medical Technologist, rooted in science, data, and clinical precision. But life has a way of calling you toward something deeper, and for me, that call was impossible to ignore. Read more>>
Jenna Irizarry
I’ve had a camera in my hands for as long as I can remember. Even as a child, I was always taking photos and documenting the people and moments around me. Photography was something I loved long before I ever considered it as a career. When my daughter, Freya, was born, we had her newborn photos taken by a professional photographer. Read more>>
Christine Dolahan
My journey has been anything but linear, and looking back, I’m grateful for every twist and turn because each experience contributed to the work I do today. I was born in Switzerland and raised between cultures, eventually earning a Magister degree in Art History in Germany before moving to the United States. Read more>>
