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.
Aaron Nixon
The Philadelphia running community has always been special to me. It’s guided me through a storm in some of my dark days, and has been a constant positive reinforcement when there’s nothing to feel but joy and happiness. I started running after high school as a way to stay fit. What I didn’t know then was how much running would consume my every being in the most transformative way upon lacing up those first pair of running shoes and stepping out the door. The lessons that I have learned through running—both physically and mentally rewarding—yet challenging at the same time, have become woven into every fiber of my body both on and off the road. Read more>>
Corinne Nanfeldt
First and foremost, I’m a mom to three incredible little humans. While I have a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, my dream was to stay home and raise my babies, just like my mom did. “Mom” will forever be my favorite title. It’s a role I wouldn’t trade for the world, but as so many women can relate, it’s also one of the hardest. Read more>>
Altisha Glaster
My journey has really been about growth, purpose, and following where my passion for helping others has led me. I actually earned my Master of Public Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University first, along with certificates in Human Resources Management and Administrative Science. Read more>>
Vitaly Zaslavsky 
From a Nine-Year-Old on the outskirts of Moscow to a Dojo in Elizabeth My martial arts journey started when I was nine years old, growing up in Moscow, Russia. It was a very different time. The city was big, life was not always predictable, and there wasn’t always much order on the streets. Read more>>
Mario Hong 
My wife and I began our journey by building Just Wow Marketing, a marketing company focused on helping small businesses grow through branding, digital marketing, advertising, and customer outreach, Sign installations, designs etc. Read more>>
Charity Herndon 
I had a breast cancer scare last summer that resulted in having two tumors removed. This was a massive wake up call. I realized how much of life I hadn’t lived, (or was to afraid to) so I purchased a 7×14 landscaping trailer with the intention of turning it into a bookstore on wheels inspired by Jane Austen, my favorite author. Read more>>
Alyssa Poplaski
I’m a 32 year old New Jersey based Technical Designer working a 9–5 in the NYC fashion industry, with content creation as my passion project side gig. I was always the girl with the digital camera in middle school, high school and college, documenting everything, and like most millennial girls, I grew up watching YouTube. Ironically, I refused to download TikTok for the longest time. Read more>>
Violet Shin 
I think I was drawing a lot as a kid, more than I read for sure (although I read a lot of picture books growing up..) When I was in early elementary school, I remember I was reading so many graphic novels (Totally Spies, Winx Club, and a lot of Korean novels) that I was completely neglecting “actual” books. Read more>>
Rachel Lee Cronin 
My journey to creating Soul Center Holistic Health has been a beautiful evolution of both my personal and professional experiences. My background is in Psychology and Social Work, and I have always been deeply interested in understanding the mind-body connection. Read more>>
Joanne Hoelz 
My journey with Ribbons and Wreaths By Joey started about five years ago with something I simply enjoyed doing—creating beautiful things with my hands. What began as a creative outlet and a love for ribbons, wreaths, and seasonal decorating slowly grew into something much bigger than I ever expected. Like many small business owners, I started by learning as I went. Read more>>
Michele Marason 
My journey into energy and sound work began unexpectedly in 2010, when my two-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a rare illness. What followed was a long and challenging journey, but thankfully, she is now healthy and living her best life. That experience profoundly changed me and became the catalyst for my own spiritual awakening. Read more>>
Traci Morris 
I’m a small private Midwifery office. I started this to provide a low tech, high touch form of women’s health care. Read more>>
Tyler Blendowski 
Tropical Seas Clothing started with a love for the ocean and a simple idea: represent the lifestyle I loved while making a positive impact on the place that inspired it. I grew up living on the back bay at the Jersey Shore, spending my early years fishing and exploring Brick, Brielle, Point Pleasant, Manasquan and Spring Lake. Read more>>
Lydia Gibson 
Founded in 2025, ComForCare Home Care South New Jersey was established by Lydia Gibson, DNP, CRNP, FNP-BC, a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner with extensive experience providing compassionate, high-quality care to individuals across the lifespan. Read more>>
Bryan Maiorana 
Balance Point Creative really grew out of my years working in television, commercial production, and corporate creative. Over the course of my career, I had the chance to work on all kinds of projects and with all kinds of businesses, and I kept adding to my skill set along the way. Read more>>
Danielle Hutchinson 
I started out as a language arts teacher, working with young students on reading and writing every single day. I loved the classroom, but at some point I looked at my skills and realized I could push them further on my own terms. So I gave freelancing a shot. My first projects on Upwork were small, simple gigs. Read more>>
Julianna Miller 
JM Events really started as a creative outlet for me. I’ve always been someone who loves bringing people together, paying attention to the little details, and finding ways to make celebrations feel extra special. I began by planning and designing events for family and friends, and through word of mouth and referrals, what started as something I simply loved doing gradually grew into a business. Read more>>
Cindy Campos Alves 
Well, I was spawned somewhere between Portugal and the United States, and I feel like I’ve been working since I was born. If you consider the hard work it took simply to navigate my family situation, that’s probably true. Before I was even 20, I had worked at General Motors and run a travel agency. Read more>>
Nayyer Abbas Sayed 
I am a bollywood celebrity hairdresser. I have a salon back home where we have a lot of celebrities coming. I have traveled around the world for bollywood movie shoots and have migrated here 4 years back to expand. I have collaborated with pink’s hair & beauty studio wth my bollywood brand A’zquare which a well known brand in Mumbai. Read more>>
Maria Howard 
I’m originally from Ecuador, where I studied Digital Arts and worked in marketing. Photography was always part of my work; I photographed brands, products, and corporate events, but I’ve always had a special love for portraits. Read more>>
Shannon Bramham 
I was always interested in photography, but never really had the opportunity to start the process because I was so busy with dance. After college I went on to be a professional dancer performing all over the world for 10 years. I underwent a surgery on my hip, that made everything worse so it forced me into a retirement. Read more>>
Reubena Spence 
Madeline Gale (Co-Founder and Board Member) and I, Reubena Spence (President and Co-Founder), have always believed that community is about more than simply living in the same town—it’s about feeling seen, welcomed, and knowing that you belong to a safe and supportive community. That belief was at the heart of why we co-founded Out Montclair. Read more>>
Matt Panayides 
My entire life, I’ve been fascinated by the guitar and in love with playing music. It was something I had to work very hard at to get better, yet it also always made sense to me. I remember being young and finding it difficult to get the information and guidance I needed. Read more>>
Luisa Rinaudo 
The Therapy Garden really grew from both my personal life and my professional experiences. My brother, Sal, has Down syndrome and is non-speaking, so the disability community has always been a part of my life. Growing up alongside him shaped the way I view communication, independence, inclusion, and what meaningful support should actually look like. Read more>>
Alyssa Yackle 
Marie Bee has been a part of me since I can remember. It started as my childhood nickname for “Alyssa Marie,” and it somehow turned into an imaginary business when I was little where I’d make greeting cards and art prints for my family. Read more>>
Willie Johnson 
My journey began on Christmas of 2020. I had asked for a camera so that I would be able to capture moments of my daughter. Santa heard my wish (My Wife) and boy did she delivered. I received a Sony a7iii with a 35mm prime lens. And ever since I was i was hooked. At first I didn’t know much about photography, but. Read more>>
Neil Goldrosen 
Cluck-U Chicken started on the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick in 1985, which is where I first became a customer. One day, I saw a sign that read “Franchise Opportunities”. This was around 1991. I graduated Rider College (now called Rider University) in 1990 with a degree in business management and was working in Friendly’s to get experience in restaurant management. Read more>>
Derrick Cowit 
I’ve always been excited about bringing people together. Long before I thought of it as a career, I loved the idea of creating an environment where strangers could share an experience and leave with memories shaped by the people, the place, and the host who brought it all together. Read more>>
Lisa Williams-Sorensen 
My professional journey began in communications and public relations. I worked in the entertainment industry starting at Arista Records and later at MTV Networks and finally opening my own Los Angeles based public relations firm (Lisa Sorensen Public Relations), supporting high-profile athletes, artists, major brands and events. That work taught me how to shape meaningful stories, build relationships and create experiences that connect with people. Read more>>
Isaiah Sosa 
My journey as an artist has been about turning opportunities into milestones and continuing to push myself to bigger stages. I started by performing at my own high school homecoming, which was one of the first moments where I really got to see how my music could connect with a crowd. From there, I continued building my name and performing wherever I could. Read more>>
Nora Dracup 
I decided when I was serving in Afghanistan for the US Army that if I made it home, I was going to do something that was worthwhile and worthy of those who didn’t make it home. I started college for Physical Therapy Assistant, after graduation I then completed my bachelors and began working in geriatrics. Read more>>
Emily Mercado 
Downtown Doggies really started from my love for animals and wanting to build a life around something I genuinely enjoyed doing. In the beginning it was very small and very hands-on. I was doing everything myself, walking dogs, pet sitting, communicating with clients, managing my schedule and building relationships one client at a time. Read more>>
Rachel Lopez
Photography began as a side job that helped me to pay for my college tuition. At the time I was pursuing a career in the medical field and photography was supporting that career path financially but also satisfying my creative side. As I met more couples, booked more sessions and weddings, my business began to grow. Read more>>
Derene Derricotte
My professional journey has taken me through different chapters, but one thing has remained consistent: I have always enjoyed solving problems and helping people understand complicated information. Before entering the health insurance industry, I worked as an electrical engineer. That background taught me to be analytical, pay attention to detail, and approach problems methodically. Read more>>
