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. In coming weeks we’ll be sharing some amazing stories from Tampa, St. Petersburg and the surrounding areas. Check out our favorite stories from across the Voyage family.
Zoe Lim
My path has never really been a straight line, and I think I’ve finally come to appreciate that as one of the best parts of my story. Professionally, I built my career in financial services and insurance and eventually built a large life insurance agency that I still own and continue to grow today. Read more>>
Marina Lofley
Crowned Care Transport really started because of my grandparents. As they got older, I saw firsthand how difficult transportation could be for seniors and people with mobility limitations. Something as simple as getting to a doctor’s appointment could become stressful when you needed a wheelchair-accessible vehicle or someone you could actually depend on to show up. Read more>>
Tianah Jones
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools closed and my brothers and I found ourselves spending more time at home, we were constantly looking for new games and activities to keep ourselves entertained. What began as a search for something to do eventually sparked an unexpected journey into skincare and entrepreneurship. Read more>>
Liz Dimmitt
I grew up in the adorable arty town Dunedin, FL. My mother is an artist and my dad is an entrepreneur and 3rd generation car dealer. Today, I am a good mix of them both. After college, I moved to NYC to work in Finance, but was more drawn to the city’s cultural scene. Read more>>
Sanjam Chawla
Jewels by Sanjam started from a very personal place — my love for jewelry, travel, and the stories we carry with us. After almost 15 years in the travel industry, I found myself wanting to create something that was truly my own. Read more>>
Ian Belanger
Belanger Media Group really grew from a combination of my love for music, technology, and creating memorable experiences. What started years ago as DJing and helping with local events gradually developed into a full-service entertainment and production business. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to be part of hundreds of weddings, community events, corporate functions, school events, and private celebrations. Read more>>
John Peter Barbie III
ABOUT ME! I am originally from Ybor City. The cigar capital of the world! Both of my Cuban and Sicilian great grandparents immigrated here at the end of the 19th century. Both of these cultures are rich with traditions and have a great love for food. So my Journey begins here. Read more>>
Kelly Flannery
I was born and raised in Tampa, so this community has always been home for me. After graduating from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science, I spent several years in Chicago working in the hospitality industry before returning home to Tampa in 2008. Read more>>
Jonathan Calhoun
Videography and photography actually weren’t my first interests. When I was 12, I had my heart set on creating video games. I spent two summers in Houston learning how to design, build, and animate worlds using Unreal Engine. Then, completely by chance, everything changed. One day, my instructor had an emergency and sent our class over to the video editing department. Read more>>
Faronda Davis
My entrepreneurial journey started more than 20 years ago with a children’s culinary program, which introduced me to the business of creating experiences around food. From there, I expanded into hospitality and began creating concepts that blended food, design, entertainment, and community. Over the years, I’ve built everything from a dessert boutique to private dining and membership-based experiences. Read more>>
Talia Davis
My story has become less about how I started my business and more about how I found my purpose. There was a season when I was asking God, “What is my purpose?” At the same time, I was facing some of the hardest experiences of my life, including homelessness, abuse, isolation, and having to rebuild from the ground up. Read more>>
Angel Shackleford
Buss Down Scrub Down Cleaning Services began in 2014 with a simple goal: to provide quality cleaning services while creating opportunities for my family and building something that could last for generations. As a mother of five, entrepreneurship became more than just a way to earn an income. Read more>>
Katie Faust Trish Scarborough
Our story really began long before The Surrogacy Agency existed. Trish and I started our careers in the surrogacy industry and met each other many years ago at the first surrogacy agency we both worked for. Read more>>
Margot Griffin
I have been a professional calligrapher since the day in 2016 that I decided it would be the perfect job for me! It combines structure, creativity, and craftsmanship in a way that’s both meaningful and aesthetically pleasing. I really relish the opportunity to become a part of people’s special moments, whether they are gifts, ceremonies, or commemorations. Read more>>
Marianila Franceschi
I’m a chemical engineer by training. But alongside my career, for about 20 years, I’ve studied and practiced more energy-based disciplines — massage therapy, numerology, crystals, and eventually tarot. For a long time it was a passion I practiced quietly, with people close to me who knew that other side of me. Read more>>
Havix Boyz
Bryan Puffinbarger Aka Badidea & Russell Dillard Aka Relly Glo started making music when we were teenagers in a city called Davenport, Iowa. We were just like the rest of the musicians trying to make a way make a name for ourselves were two best friends were brothers. Read more>>
Gracie Miller
building myself up from rock bottoms basement… growing up was rough, as everyone in their mid 20’s says. through hardship and never catching a break, finding the strength to pull through it all and persevere will always be the most interesting thing about me. Read more>>
Amber Newman (Greyskies)
I’ve always been a creator. From drawings to videos I have always loved taking my ideas and bringing them to life. Growing up I was always drawing or painting which grew into a love of art. Read more>>
IRENE RODRIGUEZ
Born in Havana, Cuba, I trained in both Spanish dance and classical ballet, eventually becoming Principal Dancer and Choreographer of the Spanish Ballet of Cuba. In 2012, I founded my own company Compañía Irene Rodríguez, which went on to tour internationally and perform at prestigious theatera and festivals including the Kennedy Center, The Joyce Theater in New York, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Read more>>
Adam Brown
A little more than 3 years ago, me, my brother, Dylan, and our Dad, Matt, came together to open a store at the oviedo mall. Prior to then, we each had our own online business; I made tie dyes, Dylan made themed candles and bath and body, and the old man did laser engraving. Read more>>
Lea Tran
My story began with survival, but it has grown into a life of service. I was born in Vietnam into a Chinese-Vietnamese family. In 1979, when I was a teenager, my family and I escaped Vietnam by boat. We were among 502 people crowded onto a small vessel, spending seven uncertain days at sea before reaching Indonesia. Read more>>
Lena Wilson
My story has really been shaped by transition, both professionally and personally. I spent 25 years in corporate HR. During that time, I had the opportunity to work with leaders and employees through so many different seasons of change. I supported people through career growth, leadership challenges, reorganizations, uncertainty, and some really difficult moments. Read more>>
Jake Coughlin
This photography journey has been one for the books, that’s for sure. It all started when I was about 2 or 3 years old, on one Halloween night. I was dressed up, as a Dalmatian, so I’m told, and stole my mom’s camera. Read more>>
Cybele Shana Lerman
I used to paint and do other creative art projects many years ago in my early twenties, but as life went on and I married and had a baby girl, it seemed my creativity was pushed to the side as I focused more or raising my daughter and developing her creativity. Read more>>
Betsy Johnson
I founded Set the Scene Luxury Picnics to create meaningful experiences that bring people together. What began as a creative outlet has grown into a boutique event design business specializing in luxury picnics, proposals, and intimate celebrations throughout the Tampa Bay area. Read more>>
Stuart Andrews
I started painting in watercolors when I was 14. I took classes for a while and painted for years in that medium. Then I got really into photography for a while (film photography, before digital took over). I had a black and white darkroom set up, all kinds of camera bodies, lenses, filters, all that kind of stuff. Read more>>
Ana Ruiz
Back in January of 2023, I had just graduated with my Bachelor’s degree and was job hunting. It took a few months to land a job, and during that gap I felt very discouraged. I remember wondering why it was so difficult to find a job even after earning my degree. Read more>>
The Girls Who Get It Alaysha & Dahlia
We became friends in 2021 when we realized we had very similar life stories. Over the years we spent time finding things to do around Tampa but there wasn’t much that really peaked our interests. We also wanted to make more friends but it was hard to do that without events that attracted people with similar interests. Read more>>
Cirea Oliver
My story is deeply connected to my walk with God because I honestly cannot explain how I got to where I am today without Him. I began my journey in the beauty industry as a makeup artist in Georgia. Beauty and creativity were already a part of me, but my life took turns I never could have planned for. Read more>>
