Baltimore’s Most Inspiring Stories

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.

Lucretia Jeans

In 2023, after COVID 19 and completing graduate school, I found myself burnout. I was seeking a hobby that brought me joy. I remembered how dance brought me joy in my formative years. It was always a great outlet for me. My gym at the time, started to offer barre fitness. I was so excited because I tried barre in the past and enjoyed it. Read more>>

Rachel and Lauren (Bridgwood and Anderson)

We like to say that Sweet Root Village started with the two of us over a glass of wine trying to turn our creative passions into a full time way of life back in 2010. As one did in that era, we started a blog! Read more>>

MJ Roark

We are KidsCare Home Health. We started in Texas in 2003 as an in-home provider of Speech, Occupational, Physical and Feeding Therapy. We expanded into Maryland in 2022 and in to Northern Virginia in 2023 and in to DC in 2025. We treat patients from birth up to age 18. We accept both Medicaid and Commercial Insurance. Our mission is simple C.A.R.E. Read more>>

Kuku Rose

After graduating from college, I became intentional about saving money to launch my beauty business. Like many entrepreneurs, securing startup funding was an uphill battle. I applied for loans and grants and faced rejection after rejection. During that same season, I experienced one of the greatest losses of my life. Read more>>

Jen El-Haddad

I didn’t grow up thinking I would become a wedding and brand photographer. My career actually began in corporate marketing, where I spent years learning strategy, messaging, and how brands truly connect with people. That foundation shaped the way I see storytelling today. In 2020 and 2021, I experienced layoffs that forced me to reevaluate everything. Read more>>

Joshua Vennell

I was originally born and raised in Woodbury NJ. (The Greater Philadelphia Area). My name is Josh but everybody knows me as Traps N Trees (Traps) Philadelphia is already a huge core part of south jersey’s identity. But I started my true personal Philadelphia journey with the skateboard community as a younger teen. Read more>>

Samantha Handy

My name is Samantha Handy, and I’ve been a professional photographer for more than 15 years at SHPstudio. When I first started, I photographed just about everything you could imagine, but over time I found my passion in capturing families and children. Read more>>

Linda Chaney

How Evolution Dance Studio came about started with a memory from my childhood in elementary school. I used to dance in our basement with friends from the neighborhood. We would create choreography, have little competitions between ourselves, and simply enjoy genuine fun and happiness through dance. Read more>>

Connie Lamothe

Connie Lamothe is an award-winning filmmaker, director, producer, and talent manager with more than 25 years in the entertainment industry. Read more>>

Thoressa Sanford-Love

My journey to becoming a business owner wasn’t traditional, but it was purposeful. Before opening Royal Rinse, I spent 16 years in federal government service, where I served in leadership roles within Human Resources. I led incredible teams, managed large scale staffing operations, and built a career centered around service, leadership, and helping people grow. Read more>>

Cristin Garfield

My journey to founding Pura Vida Lactation & more, LLC began long before I ever imagined owning a private practice. I’ve spent over a decade working as a speech-language pathologist, with a significant portion of that time in the NICU — a world that is simultaneously heartbreaking and incredibly rewarding. Read more>>

Randy Borland

After retiring from a 20-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2017, I traded military operations for the unpredictable challenge of the open ocean. Read more>>

Lily Gomez

My journey in makeup started 10 years ago! I was in college at the University of Maryland and feeling totally lost, as we all do at 20. I was an English major on track to do a Master’s program right after graduating that would set me up as a high school teacher. Read more>>

Jeremy Ives

My path into photography wasn’t linear — it was intentional. I spent years in corporate environments, building skills in communication, project management, and visual thinking, but always feeling like I was working toward something rather than in something. About five years ago, I made the decision to leave that world behind and build Jiveshot Media into my primary focus. Read more>>

Robin Davisson

Robin Davisson is a Washington, D.C.–based abstract painter whose practice merges decades of scientific inquiry with an intuitive and material-driven painting process. Before turning to painting full-time, Robin spent nearly three decades as a biomedical researcher, leading major NIH-funded laboratories and research teams. That deep foundation in experimentation and hypothesis-driven thinking now informs her artistic practice. Read more>>

Karol Dale-Montz

My journey into massage therapy began with a genuine passion for helping others feel better and heal. I was drawn to the power of touch and its ability to reduce pain, stress, and emotional tension. As I trained and gained experience, I realized this work was much more than a profession for me it was a calling. Read more>>

Jamie Kramer

I started my career in the events and communications industry, where I spent years building experience in planning, strategy, client management, and creating meaningful experiences for people. For a long time, I had the goal of eventually starting my own business, but like many people, I kept waiting for the “right” time to take the leap. Read more>>

Dr. Maurice “Rich” Robinson

I started Rich Grillz with a passion for creativity, culture, and craftsmanship. What began as an interest in custom jewelry eventually became a way for me to explore how art, identity, and entrepreneurship intersect within Black culture. Read more>>

Claire Danaceau

I have been working in the fitness industry since 1996 and am certified to teach many modalities including yoga, reiki, sound therapy, Yamuna Body Rolling, Shamanic Healing, and Pilates. I opened Studio Claire in 2012, training private clients out of my home. Read more>>

Fia Thomas

Fia’s Fabulous Finds was born from a lifelong love of resale, sustainability, and community. I am originally from California, and my first introduction to the resale business began as a young girl. My parents purchased storage units through auctions when owners failed to pay for them, and together as a family we would sort, clean, and sell those items at local flea markets. Read more>>

Larry Poncho Brown

As Larry Poncho Brown continues to expand his influence beyond the studio and into the realm of cultural leadership, his curatorial aspirations are emerging as a defining chapter in his evolving legacy. Read more>>

Jamil Honesty

Born and raised in Staten Island , New York City . I moved to Baltimore as a teen in the mid 90s. Baltimore became my second home I quickly adjusted because although very different from the Big Apple I still identified with Baltimores tough blue collar east coast vibe . Growing up here it was just me my mom and little brother . Read more>>

Kelly Ward

Our business has been a family-owned operation serving the community since 1961. It was originally founded by my great-uncle near Lanham Hills Fire department in Lanham Md. The business was later taken over by my grandfather, who relocated operations behind the 7-11 on Finn’s Ln in Lanham. My father began working for my grandfather during that time. Read more>>

Courtney Addison

Our story began with a vision that was always bigger than just haircuts. Together, we leveraged our experience in barbering, business, and community development to build a brand that goes beyond the traditional barbershop experience. Dave brings more than 35 years of experience in the barbering industry and has built a reputation as a master barber known for precision, professionalism, and strong client relationships. Read more>>

Chauna Lawson

The HBCU Convention was created to celebrate and bridge-the-gap between historically Black institutions and the Black nerd community. As a nerd and HBCU grad, I saw a great need to create a more explicit, deeper, and intentional connection between the HBCU community and industries such as the arts, gaming, tech, and more. Our events are typically family oriented and open to all ages. Read more>>

Katherine Horrigan

My story really begins in the dance studio. I spent over two decades as a professional dancer, performing with companies like Ailey II and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, and those experiences shaped both my artistry and my discipline. Read more>>

Melody Holmes

My family is from West Baltimore. My mom moved us out of the city to Elkridge and that’s where I grew up. Being in Howard County, most of my school mates lived in big houses with both of their parents. I lived with my mom and brother in an apartment and we were very poor. Read more>>

Alan Inman Gail Hambleton

This is the story of how two people from very different backgrounds, Gail Hambleton and Alan Inman, both deeply committed to peacebuilding and racial reconciliation in Baltimore, came together as co-coordinators of the Baltimore Cross-Community Reconciliation Project (BCCRP). Their work in Baltimore centers on building stronger cross racial relationships, reducing bias, and nurturing empathy, understanding, and real collaboration. Read more>>

Benson Fischer

I’m a seasoned entrepreneur with an exciting, fast-paced 45-year track record across a wide spectrum of industries. Over the decades, my journey has been all about building, launching, and managing ventures in commercial real estate, restaurants, food and beverage manufacturing, distribution, marketing, and business consulting. Read More>>