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.
Jocelyn Waga 
A couple of years ago, I unexpectedly lost my brother. I was a little lost myself after that, and I knew I needed to take better care of me. So I started working out, and it changed more than my body. Reformer Pilates and strength classes became my anchor, and I found friendships that carried me through. Read more>>
Katharina Miguel 
Our journey started when my two best friends, who were getting married in 2020, had their wedding canceled. As their maid of honor, I planned an impromptu ‘we love you’ backyard party with their closest friends and family to still celebrate them. Read more>>
Christina Cusack 
My husband Rich began cooking professionally at a young age and went on to work in some incredible kitchens, including Daniel in New York, Le Bec-Fin, Parc, Bibou and Le Chéri, as well as Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris. French cooking became his passion, particularly the classic techniques and traditions that aren’t seen as often anymore. Read more>>
Jamiyah Spaulding 
My journey started off as a child on the porch, braiding and yelling at my Bratz doll head for moving as if she were a real person. I grew up always having my hands in some sort of hair, whether that was my sisters’, my aunts’, my friends’, or even my own. In middle school, I was faithfully on YouTube learning all the natural styles. Read more>>
Cheryl Karcher 
I was always attracted to plants and our natural world. We grew up in a mostly rural area surrounded with fields and forest. My parents, my father , a native American, instilled in us as children, respect, value and wisdom of our natural world and I am incredibly grateful. Read more>>
shannon sharma 
I began my professional journey with a strong background in Health and Science, which gave me a foundation in supporting people’s wellbeing in practical and meaningful ways. In 2020, I found myself at a crossroads and—quite honestly—needed a change. After all, even the most dedicated professional benefits from taking a deliberate step back to reset. Read more>>
Priness Faraj 
IT STARTED WITH A NEEDLE AND THREAD My story began when I was eight years old in Africa. There was a tailor who lived and worked underneath our home. I would watch him work, fascinated by the fabric, the patterns, and the movement of the needle through the cloth. That little tailor shop became my first classroom. That was where I learned to hand-sew. Read more>>
Hazel Secco 
I was born and raised in South Korea, in a family where the women held everything together. My grandmother ran the household and managed the money. My mom did the same, and she was also the breadwinner for our family. They took care of everyone, including our extended family, and they almost never put themselves first. Read more>>
Tara Ricci 
Creativity has always been at the heart of who I am. Long before Confetti Creatives, my first love was fashion. I taught myself to sew at a young age and, by 13, was already working in a tailoring shop, where I gained early hands-on experience in garment construction and craftsmanship. Read more>>
Gina Brugna 
The Peaks Pet Nanny really started out of a problem I was experiencing myself as a pet parent. Back in 2004, I was working in an office in Parsippany and living in Lake Hopatcong with my Golden Retriever. Like so many working pet parents, I worried about leaving him home for a long day. Read more>>
Louis Kishko 
I’ve been working in sales for about five years, including experience in tech sales, which really helped me build a strong foundation in communication, relationship-building, and understanding customers’ needs. More recently, I joined ABA Centers of NJ, where I’ve been able to bring those sales skills into a mission-driven environment. Read more>>
Meet Soni 
I’m Meet Soni, a third-generation photographer and filmmaker, and the son of the late photographer Paresh Soni. My story starts with my family, long before I ever picked up a camera. My grandfather was a photographer in Borsad, Gujarat, India. My father followed in his footsteps and eventually brought that passion to New Jersey, where he established Ami Photo Video in 1999. Read more>>
Alyssa Eckerd 
My name is Alyssa Eckerd. I have had a special interest and passion for animals, dogs, and dog training since I was young. Read more>>
Leah Tranovich 
I grew up in New Jersey in a large, loving family. As a naturally curious person, the wonders of the universe around us and within us have always fascinated me. I entered high school in 2008 and began thinking about my future amidst the financial crash and following Great Recession. The messaging around me became clear: a good job = money = happiness. Read more>>
William Krasner
My healthcare career began as a **volunteer EMT**. From there, I became a **Registered Respiratory Therapist, Registered Nurse, and paramedic**, eventually becoming a **Family Nurse Practitioner**. My career has included extensive experience in EMS, critical care, and primary care. Along the way, I also **earned my JD and MBA, became a licensed attorney, and obtained my MSN as a Family Nurse Practitioner**. Read more>>
Quiahna Barber 
Qrafty-Q Qustoms started in 2021, but creativity has always been a part of who I am. What began as me simply enjoying learning to craft things during covid gradually turned into something much bigger than I expected. I started with custom apparel, party favors, stickers, labels and other personalized pieces. Read more>>
Jamie Maltabes 
My story definitely isn’t a straight line, and I think that’s a big part of why I am where I am today. There were periods of my life when I never could have imagined I would eventually become the founder and CEO of a multimillion-dollar medical and wellness company. Read more>>
Blake Guss 
My journey really started during a difficult period in my early twenties. I was struggling with severe anxiety and reached a point where I knew I needed to find a different way to live. That search eventually led me to meditation and, more specifically, the practice of self-reflection and letting go. Read more>>
Judy Buchnick 
I understand what it means to start over in a new country, because I have done it twice. My family moved to South Africa when I was just two months old, and I spent my childhood there until we relocated to Israel when I was 12. Decades later, I made the journey again, this time with my own family, to New Jersey. Read more>>
Cori Barnes 
Cori Barnes is a multifaceted artist, choreographer, actress, creative director, dance educator, performing artist, producer, and movement consultant whose relationship with the arts began long before she stepped into her own career. Cori was raised in a two parent home surrounded by creativity and the arts. Her mother, Ethel Barnes, is a professional singer who performed on Broadway. Read more>>
Andrew Dudich 
I started cooking at a young age with my mother who was a classically trained chef. After attending Johnson & Wales University in Providence with my BS, I worked at several fine dining restaurants in the New England area. After the passing of my mother I came home and purchased a food truck, which was then named in honor of her. Read more>>
Tiff Urquhart 
I moved to Philadelphia with what was probably a slightly delusional goal: I wanted to be on the walls of the city. Not me. My artwork. I wanted to make things that stopped people for a second. Something that made them feel something, think about something, or see their city a little differently. I didn’t really have a roadmap for how to make that happen. Read more>>
Alisia Kazoleas
Music and movement have always held a very special place in my heart. As a child, my life wasn’t always easy, and music seemed to provide a safe space where I could express myself freely. I especially loved playing the piano and dancing. I would put on little productions for my mom and her friends, and those moments were often the highlight of my day. Read more>>
Heidi Neufeld 
My story with Amazing Escape Room began in August of 2015, just weeks after the doors first opened. My longtime friend of 30 years, Howard Klotzkin, asked me to join him in creating something fun that he could enjoy with his children and that would give everyone an opportunity to have a great experience together. Read more>>
Don Moraud 
For as long as I can remember, I have been a helper. I enjoyed bringing peace of mind and relief to those around me, and I hated the thought of anyone feeling alone. I didn’t have a name for it back then, but I knew that what I offered mattered. Read more>>
Lourenso Ramautar 
I started photography in 1996 and graduated from Parsons School of Design, class of 2000. My first major job in the photography business was to shoot for Macy’s catalogue from 2000 to 2004. While I was at Macy’s catalogue, I was working on a book documenting the West Indian American carnival in the US. Read more>>
Edward Cuneo 
Wear LIC, Inc. was founded in 2016 by Stuart Lowitt, a graphic designer who moved to Long Island City in 2009. At the time, Long Island City was beginning to undergo major redevelopment, with its population growing rapidly from 20,000 to over 45,000 residents today and still growing. Read more>>
Alisha Shah 
After earning my Doctor of Physical Therapy, I started my career as an orthopedic physical therapist. Over time I noticed I was seeing more and more women with low back pain, hip pain, and other aches that started after having a baby. In ortho, we didn’t really ask about things like leaking, pelvic pressure, or pain with intimacy. Read more>>
Will Han 
We’re Will and Shell. We met in college—it feels like a lifetime ago. We study Fine Art in New York, and dreamed of seeing the world. Our story has unfolded quietly over the years. Nothing dramatic—just real life. In 2014, we photographed our first wedding for a friend. Read more>>
Sky Schenkel 
I was the kid who always wanted to be outside. Spending countless hours exploring the woods, fields, and streams close to my home, the outdoors was the place where I never felt lonely. Nature was my playground, but it was also something more—a sense of connection and belonging, a reverence that I didn’t feel anywhere else. Read more>>
Ash Rouse 
I initially picked up photography as a hobby back in 2019 while I was still working as an EMT. I had modeled for one of my friends while she was practicing her own newfound camera skills, and had so much fun doing it that I wanted to get my own camera to experience what it feels like to be on the other side. Read more>>
Jacquie Bird 
I’ve done many things in my life–I was a performing artist on Broadway, stage, TV and film. I was a guest teacher/choreographer where I got to travel to many countries and around the U.S. Read more>>
Sebastien Gehin 
my name is Sebastien Gehin and I started Nj Scatman one year ago. I always wanted to create a business just never knew what and I found myself working for a company scooping dog poop and had the idea why don’t I start my own dog waste removal business. Read more>>
Chris Simmons
I started my professional career as most music teachers do, in a school, and teaching private lessons on the side. The Charter school that I worked closed after my 3rd year of working with them. But I had 22 private lessons at the time. Read more>>
Isabel Abreu 
My Story Villa Bella Events I was born in Brazil and moved to the United States when I was nine years old with my mother, father, and my sister, Kelly. We left our entire extended family behind, and for me, the transition was incredibly difficult. Read more>>
Taylor Belcher 
My journey with Perfect Paws started in 2020 with Perfect Paws House Calls. I’ve always had a huge love for animals, as well as entrepreneurship. After graduating grooming school, I had been thinking of starting my own business, but just didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. Read more>>
