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.

Donna Quesinberry

My professional story began earlier than most. In junior high school, I won a regional literary contest that came with an unexpected opportunity: a sponsored finishing‑school honorarium. My parents told me I could choose the school or a new horse. As a devoted equestrian, and a young girl not quite ready to leave home, I chose the horse. Read more>>

Michael Thomas

I am a proud product of North Baltimore’s Govans community—a close-knit neighborhood that instilled in me the values of pride and communal responsibility. My foundation was built at home: my mother taught me to read at just two years old, and by the time I entered kindergarten, I was already well ahead of my peers. Read more>>

Tim Underhill

Born in Wales-the land of slate-I took off as quick as I could and followed my future wife to Maine. There I lived as a musician, foot-loose and fancy-free. By no fault of my own, I landed up (1984) in Baltimore, where I found a good bar and fell in with a crowd of mid-western wood-heads. Read more>>

Kyndal Baldwin

My name is Kyndal Baldwin. I am 30 years old, born and raised in the heart of Baltimore, Maryland. I am a cosmetologist, marketing and brand strategist, book club founder, mentor, and the founder of a women-centered benefit organization called Women in Bloom. I attended Bowie State University, where my journey into entrepreneurship and creativity truly began. Read more>>

Chrii Altoal Sthijo

My interest in holistic living and mindfulness began at a young age—back in high school around 2001—watching Deepak Chopra and Rodney Yee on MPT. I would practice yoga postures and follow guided meditations in my bedroom, becoming fascinated with the systems of the body and the Ayurvedic lens of healing. Read more>>

Andre Lambert

I was born and raised in Washington, D.C., in the Brightwood area, and a lot of who I am today was shaped early on. Growing up, sports played a major role in my life. I played football and basketball through the Boys & Girls Club, where many of our coaches were local police officers. Read more>>

Ashley McCutcheon

My journey to becoming a Mental Health therapist began during my first entry-level admin position at a long-term care and rehabilitation facility. I formerly served as an intern in the Activities Department while completing my degree in Therapeutic Recreation. Facilitating psychosocial groups and connecting with facility residents deepened my desire to pursue a career in this role. Read more>>

Alexandria Hampton

I grew up in the Chicagoland area and attended Florida A&M University, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management with a minor in Business. After graduating, I initially struggled to break into my field, which led me to attend a conference hosted by International Organization of Black Security Executives. Read more>>

Nisha McNair

I’m from Brooklyn, NY and before becoming a business owner, I spent many years building a career rooted in discipline and leadership. I’m a United States Air Force veteran, and after my service, I went on to spend 23 years in Corporate America with a global consumer packaged goods company. Read more>>

Meagan Braganca

I had always wanted to work in an eco shop because it seemed like an impactful way to make a difference in creating the new green economy. Eco shops also seemed like a calm place where people can leave stress at the door & browse through products that are better for their health and better for the planet. Read more>>

Sultana Karim

My journey into this work didn’t start in private practice—it started in spaces where people were surviving some of the hardest moments of their lives. Early in my career, I worked with children who had experienced trauma—abuse, neglect, and exposure to violence. I then transitioned into working in sexual assault and domestic violence settings, supporting survivors as they navigated safety, healing, and rebuilding their lives. Read more>>

Elonda Edwards

From Six Children to a Multi-Location Child Care Brand: The Story of Elonda Edwards Elonda Edwards, founder of Everyday Play N Learn Child Development Center, began her journey in child care on January 1, 2016, with a simple but powerful vision—to create a safe, nurturing, and opportunity-filled environment for children and families in her community. Read more>>

Kamau Amen

My name is Kamau Amen. I am a visual artist, music artist, craftsman, and most importantly, a spiritualist and martial practitioner. My relationship with martial arts as a spiritualist has led me to a profound love, resonance, and acceptance of myself and my African ancestry, alongside a deep appreciation for Japanese culture and philosophy. Read more>>

Janelle Jonna

I grew up in the dance studio my mom still owns and runs in Milford, MI. At 18, I moved to New York City to attend college for business—though most people expected me to pursue a dance degree. Instead, I continued my dance training outside of school, studying both contemporary ballet and belly dance. Read more>>

Akshat Shah

My journey began with a deep respect for heritage. I took on the challenge of managing Angelo’s Pizza, Pasta & Deli by honoring the original family recipes passed down to me by the restaurant’s founder. While our foundation is built on those time-tested flavors, I saw a unique opportunity to evolve the business through modern operations and digital storytelling. Read more>>

Andrew Lindsay

I’ve spent nearly three decades in high-tech sales, always drawn to technology and how it can drive real business outcomes. Over the years, I worked across a range of companies and industries, but experienced a recurring pattern of buyouts, downsizing, leadership changes, and instability. Read more>>

Sean Bryan

My journey took off when I moved to Maryland to play football at Towson University, sports was my whole identity. But when COVID hit, I had to redefine myself. I’d always had a love for creativity, cinematography especially. So I bought my first camera off Facebook Marketplace, took a few shots of friends, and when one asked for graduation photos well, that opened the floodgates. Read more>>

Myrja Paul

I had been a therapist for about 10 years at this point and I had worked in various places. I worked for an employee assistance program, a private practice, a college counseling center and I was a clinical director for an outpatient clinic. Read more>>

Samantha Walls

My story starts almost twenty years. I studied elementary education and child psychology in college thinking I would pursue a career as an elementary school teacher. In 2010, I was working as an aftercare teacher while in college and I would have opportunities to substitute in the classrooms for children age 2-4. Read more>>

Junau Louis-Jean

My wife and I stumbled into property management completely by chance. We were visiting a close friend of hers to say our goodbyes before she relocated across the country. Read more>>

Laurel Fisher

I consider my story rather mundane, but it begins here: Born and raised in a small town in New Mexico, I spent my later formative years after my parents’ divorce in the suburbs near Mount Vernon off the GW parkway. After graduating high school, I flew down to Florida to visit a close friend in Clearwater. Read more>>

Hope Qi

The long version of the story of my being a psychotherapist and having my own practice stems from my childhood. Haha, surprise, surprise. As a kid, I remembered clearly that I had the tendency to wonder about the world, about other people and myself. Read more>>

Johanna Weith

I was a young mother with having my son on my 18th birthday. His father and I tried to make it work but 5 years later it ended. Earning money was a huge factor in my life. Read more>>

Gerald Royster

I began photography in 2020 early during the pandemic as a means of escape. My wife got me my first Canon T7 for my birthday that June. I started binging YouTube tutorials, a lot of trial and error and insisting on being a multi niche photographer. I didn’t want to limit myself so I experimented with nature, city scapes, Astrophotography, film photography and portraits. Read more>>

Robert Smith

Although this is probably better told in person, as are most polygraph journeys and experiences… the short story is I had never given thoughts of polygraph a second of my time until I underwent my first polygraph when applying for a police officer position. Read more>>

David Gross

When I was a kid living in Annapolis, my dad used to cut my brother and my hair. Then when I grew up I started using his old clippers and cutting some friends and family around the community. Read more>>

Moe Hakim

I knew pretty early in my training that I was drawn to the more complex side of oral and maxillofacial surgery. I trained at NYU, where I graduated in the top 5% of my class, and then completed my oral and maxillofacial surgery residency in Washington, DC. Residency gave me a strong foundation in oral surgery, particularly dental implants and orthognathic, or double jaw, surgery. Read more>>

Jennifer Flores

I didn’t grow up thinking I would be a business owner, but I always knew I wanted something more for myself and my family. My parents came to the United States and worked in the janitorial industry, and I grew up watching how hard they worked every single day. Seeing their sacrifices really stayed with me and planted a seed early on. Read more>>

Duane Carey

I moved to the Baltimore area in 1999 as a hydrogeologist. That is a geologist who specializes in groundwater. So, I helped industries and governments clean up contaminated groundwater, and also helped municipalities locate and develop aquifers capable of providing large volumes of drinking water. So, how the heck am I a digital marketer with a national niche in dog boarding and dog daycare?!  Read more>> 

Edwin Glenn

I started SWAT Laser Engraving in 2020 while I was still working as a police officer. I wanted a creative outlet that I could grow into something real, so I invested in equipment, taught myself the craft, and started taking custom orders. As word spread, I began working with more individuals and local businesses, and I realized how much people value personalized, high-quality work. Read more>>

Katy Hill

I started riding horses when I was 8 years old. My grandmother enrolled me in riding lessons as a birthday present, and it quickly became the one sport I stuck with season after season, year after year. It was the highlight of my childhood and such a meaningful part of my life. Read more>>

Susan Acker

My journey into education did not start in a traditional way. I began in Chicago, creating a small home based program for children in my West Side neighborhood in a house I had purchased for my mother. She only lived there for a year before she passed away, and in many ways, that experience shaped both my personal and professional direction. Read more>>

Crystal Love

If I trace my journey back, it begins with a vivid childhood memory. At just nine years old, I sat in a hair salon watching my older cousin style hair, completely captivated. Even then, I knew—I wanted to be a beautician. Read more>>

Lauren O’Donnell

Just a mom living on the East Coast with a camera who fell in love when the world shut down. I started my business back in 2020 with a backyard elopement and a couple with a lot of faith. Read more>>

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>>