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.

Julie Bondura

I started B&B Marketing back in April of 2024. I had lost my job in January of that year and was so sick and tired of competing with every other applicant trying to be a remote social media manager. Read more>>

Devi Payne

2017-19- Entered college with the intention of being a therapist 2020- Pandemic hit. Decided to pivot to UX. 2021- Dove deep into design 2022- Kept teaching myself design while doing college, graduated! 2024- Got a UX job, and spearheaded an educational initiative. 2025- Pivoted to freelancing 2026- Freelancing and teaching art! Starting my journey to becoming an art therapist as well… Read more>>

Judith Lafrance

I’ve been a hairstylist for over 30 years, and that’s really where everything started for me with Infamous Stylz, my main brand. From there, I expanded into other ventures that reflect my creativity and culture. I created Infamous Tees, a clothing line inspired by Haiti, because at the time there weren’t many stylish options to represent. Read more>>

Sandeep Bathala

I started my career in direct services, working with South Asian survivors of domestic violence at Manavi, and that really shaped everything that came after. Early on, I was supporting clients directly, navigating systems with them, and seeing firsthand how complex those situations can be. Read more>>

Padma Venkatraman

In the year 2000, I walked into a Montessori classroom with my three-year-old son—and it changed my life. I was amazed watching children as young as three and four years old working independently, focused and confident, each engaged in meaningful activity. The calm environment and thoughtful guidance of the teacher left a lasting impression on me. Read more>>

Tiffany Lam

My creative journey started when I was very young. As a kid, I was always drawing, painting, reading, writing and constantly exploring different forms of creativity. But when I moved to the U.S. at 16 to study abroad, those habits kind of faded away a bit. Read more>>

Giuseppe Farruggio

I immigrated from Italy to America in 1970. I had waited seven years for the green card. I came to the USA because I was dreaming the life my uncle described—a place of endless opportunity. When I arrived, I tried everything: painting, tiling, marble work, even body shops. Read more>>

Isaac Palmer

I was raised in construction. My father was a bricklayer and owned his own construction business. That was passed down to my father and then me. I went a different direction in college and pursued a career in hospital administration. After 20 years in various positions from building new hospitals to CEO, I wanted a change. Read more>>

Emre Keskin

My passion for cars come from my childhood, my father always made us wash our car on a sunday morning as a family activity and he used to make me sit on his lap and made me felt like as if I was driving the car. Read more>>

Nelly Sanabria

Hi, my name is Nelly. I’m originally from Venezuela and the founder of Mimonovas. Mimonovas was born during a very personal moment in my life. I’ve always loved creating things with my hands, especially when it comes to giving something meaningful. For me, a gift has never been just about the object, but about the intention, the time, and the care behind it. Read more>>

Dr. Kanita Washington

My journey began in education, where I developed a passion for helping people and leading young people with purpose. I later transitioned into federal service, taking on roles with increasing responsibility and supporting mission-focused programs. Along the way, I continued my education and pursued advanced studies to strengthen my leadership and management skills. Read more>>

Vanessa Moxley

My journey into design hasn’t been traditional. I spent over 24 years in the corporate world, building a successful career, but deep down I always felt like something was missing. I was doing well, but I wasn’t fulfilled. Everything really shifted after the loss of my father to Alzheimer’s. Read more>>

Delly

My background is in program and project management across international development, policy, sustainability, and business. However, on a personal level, I’ve always been very creative and interested in music, songwriting, and art, honestly anything that helps me stay connected to my inner child. Read more>>

Rai Suca

My name is Rai Suca, I have been the owner of Axiom Painting LLC since its beginning early 2021. However, my painting journey began around 2015 when I was still in high school. My family (parents and 2 brothers) migrated from Peru in 2006. My dad Teofilo has since attempted to learn a new trade to make ends meet. Read more>>

Ebony Rickenbacker

My name is Ebony Earth Rickenbacker, and I founded Rickenbacker’s Tax Preparation Services, LLC in 2017. My journey began with a passion for finances and a deep awareness that many individuals feel overwhelmed or intimidated by financial concepts simply because they haven’t been given the tools or understanding to navigate them with confidence. I’ve always believed that finances don’t have to be complicated or frightening. Read more>>

Carolina McCandless

My husband and I moved back to the DMV area from San Francisco, CA after our daughter was born. We opened Cielo Rojo restaurant in 2018 in the current location of San Pancho. After a year- we realized our full-service restaurant would do better in a larger location and it took 2 years for us to build our larger location down the street. Read more>>

Rachel Gaskins

My name is Rachel Gaskins and I am owner of Celestial Tax Service – (CTS) for short. I was born and breaded in S.E. DC Minnesota Avenue to be exact. Raised in the “Reagan” era and I’m an official Marion Barry kid. From all the unorthodox skills I’ve learning and possess I decided in 2007 that I would one day prepare tax returns. Read more>>

Heather Brown

I always loved to sing and have been a lifelong concert-goer, but I always secretly harbored the desire to play an instrument. I never had the opportunity growing up or the time after becoming a working adult and a parent. Read more>>

Elle Yeon

I had a fulfilling career in graphic design, but after my third child (and the one with alllll of the allergies) turned one it was too much to juggle a 9-to-5 with three littles. I quit my job to be a SAHM for at least a year or two. A few months in, I found that being a SAHM was terrible for my mental health. Read more>>

Natalie Ngounou

I had a fulfilling career in graphic design, but after my third child (and the one with alllll of the allergies) turned one it was too much to juggle a 9-to-5 with three littles. I quit my job to be a SAHM for at least a year or two. A few months in, I found that being a SAHM was terrible for my mental health. Read more>>

Ivan Zama

I moved to Maryland in December 2009 from Cleveland OH as the new hospice medical director for Capital Caring in Prince George’s County. However I noticed that the Palliative Medicine needs of the residents of Prince George’s County weren’t met. Read more>>

Khaleelah Harris

My theological training is the foundation of all that I do and really shapes who I am as a person. I attended Yale University for Divinity School and it was through that transformational experience that I really developed a vocational vision that centered the arts and the disenfranchised. Read more>>

Damon Smith, MD

I was born and raised in Baltimore City, the oldest of three boys born to Dwight and Linda Smith. My upbringing gave me a strong foundation, but it also exposed me early to the realities of limited resources and expectations. I graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in 1993 and went on to attend Liberty University in Virginia. My college journey did not start strong. Read more>>

Andrew Lowrey

“Let’s Start at the Very Beginning…” — A Career in Private Service In the words of Julie Andrews, “let’s start at the very beginning.” My journey into private service didn’t begin with grand titles or polished résumés—it began at sixteen years old, in my hometown of Cambridge in the UK. My first full-time role was as a waiter in a four-star hotel. Read more>>

Carmena Ayo-Davies

My journey really began from a place of personal experience and responsibility. I lost my father to lung cancer, and my mother suffered a stroke over 25 years ago that affected her right side. Watching both of my parents go through serious health challenges gave me a firsthand understanding of what quality care truly means—not just medically, but emotionally and logistically for families. Read more>>

Gloria Fajimolu

Conteraa wasn’t something I originally planned to build it was something that grew out of the work I kept finding myself drawn to. Throughout my work in communications, marketing, and events, I kept running into the same situation: businesses with real passion and great products that just couldn’t communicate what they did in a clear, consistent way. Read more>>

Tee Simms

My journey started with a simple but powerful goal: to make a real impact in my community. I saw firsthand how many individuals, especially seniors, veterans, and people on fixed incomes, struggled to find safe and affordable housing. The need was clear, and I knew I wanted to do something that could truly change someone’s life, not just talk about the problem. Read more>>

jay seidel

My journey started with a simple but powerful goal: to make a real impact in my community. I saw firsthand how many individuals, especially seniors, veterans, and people on fixed incomes, struggled to find safe and affordable housing. The need was clear, and I knew I wanted to do something that could truly change someone’s life, not just talk about the problem. Read more>>

Andrea Kennedy

I’ve always been a creative, colorful kid. I was the one singing all the time, recording myself, creating my own little world through music. But the reality is, I didn’t have consistent access to arts education growing up. Outside of church, there weren’t many opportunities. Read more>>

Siem Abebe

My background is in real estate development, where I spent years acquiring and transforming properties in DC. As I worked on more projects, I realized there was an opportunity to activate these spaces in a different way not just as places to live, but as places people could experience. That’s how Mary’s Stay came about. Read more>>

DeChelle Harris

My design journey started in undergrad when during the course of my senior year, I realized I no longer wanted to attend medical school. Read more>>

Linda H. Bassert

After college, I had zigzagged my way into a Shop at Home position selling custom window treatments and other custom products at Montgomery Ward, before I left the field to have children. Read more>>