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.

Jazman Fendall

All things beauty just seemed to come naturally to me from a very young age. I remember using a curling iron to curl my Bratz doll’s hair, and looking back, I think that was one of the first things that sparked my interest in the beauty industry. I guess you could say it runs in my blood. Read more>>

Jenay Scribner-Brown

My journey started at the intersection of high-stakes execution, community leadership, and personal restoration. I first stepped into the public space as a blogger, speaker, and content creator under MindfullJae – working as a natural hair influencer and brand ambassador. I led and contributed to conversations on self-acceptance and navigating corporate spaces authentically—all while building a demanding career in enterprise project management. Read more>>

Caillete Rose Ashthorn

I started making art as a young child. I had a challenging start; by the time I was in elementary school, I’d already faced domestic childhood torture, abuse, and poverty. I lost myself in creativity, becoming a musician & a writer as early as I could as well. Read more>>

Gina Ramsey

I’ve been in marketing and advertising for over 20 years, and I’ve moved up through the ranks at every company and every role I’ve held along the way. Read more>>

Brittany Graham

My path into esthetics wasn’t necessarily a straight line, but looking back, it makes perfect sense. I originally went to college for nursing right out of high school because I knew I wanted a career where I could care for people and make a difference. At the time, though, I wasn’t quite ready for college and ultimately decided to step away. Read more>>

Joe Piper

I go by DJJD, which My first and middle initial. JD is my family nickname given at birth. I started DJing in 1999 when I was in high school. 10th grade I think. Me and my good friend went half’s on a Gemini DJ in the box. It came with two belt drive turntables and a battle style mixer. Read more>>

Mike Koritko

I was diagnosed with Celiac disease in 2004. At that time, no gluten-free options were available at grocery stores so I began baking gluten-free bread, cookies, brownies and all sorts of pastries at home with my mom. Read more>>

Kemi Sanni

My cake making journey started as a child growing up in Northern Nigeria, watching my mom bake cakes. I remember being so fascinated with the process and offering to help mix (and lick) the cake batter! Something about the process of being part of putting all the ingredients together and bringing it to life through edible art has always been a joy for me. Read more>>

Toni Brown

I’ve been designing and building brands for more than 15 years, but I didn’t start with some grand plan to become a brand strategist. I started as a designer and entrepreneur who was good at figuring things out. Over time, I realized that what interested me most wasn’t just making something look good. Read more>>

Crystal Antoinette

Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to be a hero. From being bullied in the 3rd through 5th grades, I knew what it was like to feel alone, unseen, and without support and I never wanted others to feel that way. Read more>>

Patricia Marsh

My journey has been shaped by faith, perseverance, education, and a genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of others. I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and from an early age, I learned the importance of faith, family, hard work, and serving others. Read more>>

Karen Y. Buster

I originally started my teeshirt business in New Orleans, Louisiana while at Dillard University. in 1978. I printed greek teeshirts in the dorm attic. I would drive back and forth yearly to sell at the ‘Freeknic’ in Philadelphia. My company was named ‘Bustertizin’. Read more>>

Rik Squillari

Born into the restaurant business back in the late 60’s, Riks’s family has owned and operated 7 restaurants throughout Maryland. Rik & his current restaurant. Harvest Thyme Tavern, represent 5 generations of family-owned restaurants, starting with his great uncle Anton, his mother and father Roase Ann and Eugenio and currently with his son Anthony and granddaughter Dakota. Read more>>

Gordon Little

We started Little Peacock Imports — the name’s a mashup of our two surnames — back in late 2011. The idea came out of a road trip across America, actually. We kept noticing how thin the selection of quality Australian wine was wherever we went. Read more>>

Omari Jesse

I’ve been drawn to art and self-expression from a young age, initially through performance before gradually shifting my focus toward visual art. I became interested in creating images that could capture my experiences, objects and stories that could exist beyond me and hopefully outlive me. I earned my fine art degree from Virginia State University and later studied abroad at the University of Johannesburg. Read more>>

Roberto Lara

I picked up painting in 1993 in LA and was working there on random jobs until 1999. I later moved to Maryland in 2003 to start raising my family and what started as a side job eventually turned into my full time job. I kept getting recommended to different clients from previous jobs and it kept going from there. Read more>>

Marcus Gross

SADBrunch started in Baltimore in 2019 with a simple goal: to create exciting, high-quality LGBTQ+ experiences that brought people together while creating more opportunities for entertainers. What began as local drag brunches quickly grew into something much bigger. Read more>>

Ash Evans

I am an East Coast-based (USA) artist and designer. In addition to creating both traditional and digital paintings, I also design unique toys, apparel accessories, statuary, and licensed products. I love the creative process behind both of these different but complementary skill sets. My favorite things are black cats and Halloween. I also have a passion for character-driven design and storytelling. Read more>>

Jigyasa Tuli

I was a studious kid set to study economics and finance. I was also a creative kid who liked art and writing, but had never really considered that a career path. Through a last minute, whimsical turn of events, I found myself in design school abroad. I was a blank slate. I knew nothing about design. It couldn’t have been any better though. Read more>>

Brittney Brown

Believe it or not, my interest in hair started with a side ponytail. When I was around 6, my older sister Kim used to put my hair in a side ponytail, and I loved it. Read more>>

Yomayra Perez

My journey began in 2016 with a simple love for fashion — selling clothing and couture looks in local fashion shows. From being behind the scenes to being inspired by every model, designer, and glam team, I knew this was what I was meant to do. In 2018, I became licensed and turned that passion into a profession. Read more>>

Jamal lee

I was born and raised in Northeast Baltimore, where times were tough, but my family always made a way. I grew up inspired by Baltimore’s very own Carmelo Anthony, which fueled my drive for the game every day. Read more>>

Andy Hall

I’ve been in the Annapolis (MD) music scene for 27 years, starting in a hip-hop/funk/jam band Written Prisms followed by current local mainstays The Grilled Lincolns. I’ve been a front man/MC the whole time and started playing percussion (congas, bongos, tambourines, shakers & noise makers) for the past 19 years. My given name is Andy, but I go by Slop. Read more>>

Shamaeia Royster

In 2016, after battling mental illness and almost losing the battle; I decided that I was going to live life by my terms! I let my personality shine through, shared my thoughts, side quests, music and sense of humor on social media. Read more>>

Akilah Moore

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had an interest in fitness. Yoga was something I always wanted to try, but I didn’t think it was something for me. When I finally took my first class, I enjoyed it, but I couldn’t help but notice that no one in the room looked like me. Read more>>

Gary Honig

I was born in Washington D.C. in 1954, the year Elvis Presley recorded his first record. I consider myself a child of the birth of rock and roll era. Being part of the original baby boomers, I enjoyed my formative years watching the transformation of this country through the sixties. Read more>>

jett Houtz

I was always serious about creating art even when I was little. Though took it more seriously within the 8th grade which led me to apply to an art magnet high school (Carver Center for Arts and technology). Read more>>

Julian Haffner

I am the son of Sierra Leonean and Nigerian parents, and was raised in San Antonio, Texas. I left Texas to attend school at Swarthmore College. During college, I spent two summers interning in Washington, D.C., and enjoyed the experience so much that I decided to return after graduation. Read more>>

Heather Reynolds

I’ve always enjoyed sketching on whatever was around me. I was the kid in high school with their jeans completely covered in drawings, the edges of notebooks, etc. But I never thought it would lead anywhere. I picked up a pencil again after many years as a way to keep my hands busy and found some henna designs online while looking for doodling inspiration. Read more>>

Marcus Dagan

I guess my musical journey began when I was just 4 years old. My Father was a very talented musician and sat me at the piano and gave me some basic lessons for about a year. He then hired a professional piano teacher who I stayed with till I was 17. Read more>>

Lauren Bosk

My journey into social media actually started somewhat unexpectedly in 2018. At the time, I was the Event Manager at The Charles, now The Perch in Federal Hill, and social media became another role I stepped into as part of my position. Read more>>

Chamira Dumas

My name is Chamira, and I am a 28-year-old professional hairstylist with more than 10 years of experience in the beauty and hair industry. Entrepreneurship has always been a major part of my journey. Rather than following a traditional career path, I built my experience through doing hair, nails, and makeup before eventually discovering that hair was where my true passion and talent were. Read more>>

Marriya Mobley

Hello my name is Marriya Mobley. People call me Mars. When I was younger I experienced high amounts of trauma. I had my parents pass away when I was two, due to contracting HIV/Aides from not living in their truth. I also experienced physical , emotional, and verbal abuse from my aunt that raised me when I was little. Read more>>

Leah Byck

Leah Byck was born in Manhattan, NY, grew up in Chappaqua, NY and is currently a PhD student residing in Bolzano, Italy. Leah is a performance artist that goes by the name Prin Charming, a visual artist that goes by the name Leah Byck, as well as a percussionist and multi-instrumentalist musician that goes by the musician name Waring. Read more>>

Brandon Goolsby

I’ve spent over 20 years in IT, working my way through systems administration, NOC/helpdesk operations, and infrastructure work — the kind of behind-the-scenes technical grind most people never see, but that keeps businesses running. Read more>>

Blessing Floyd

My journey in the beauty industry started long before BelMar Blu Skincare. I’ve been in the beauty industry for over 15 years, beginning with natural hair and makeup. I’ve always loved helping people feel beautiful, but over time, my passion evolved into something deeper. Read more>>

vejeees

i was born and raised in west baltimore. If i had to put a title to it, u can call me a digital artist. I always had an interest/love for graphics,design,art for as long as i can remember. But it was highschool when i knew i wanted to really enter that world of digital design. Read more>>

Antonio Eyez

At the age of 7 I started playing the drums at church, by the age of 14 i was producing my own music independently. Read more>>

DeWayne Alston

Soul City Radio began from a simple love of music and a desire to create a space where independent artists could get their music heard, discovered, and appreciated beyond traditional radio. What started as a series of shows on BlogTalkRadio grew into something much bigger. Read more>>

Ajia (Chresylius) Williams

I am a self-taught Graphic Design Illustration Artist, growing up in Baltimore City with a family of 7 raised by my mother we’re all creatives so it’s only natural I’d pick up a thing or too. I learned character design and illustration through my sister’s. Read more>>

Elliott Poulson

My story started in West Philadelphia, and eventually we relocated to Delco right outside of the city limits. My parents were proud Philadelphians growing up so they naturally passed that pride along to me. That being said, Baltimore is where I consider my chosen family to be. Read more>>

A.J. Ali

My story has taken a lot of twists and turns, but when I look back on it now, I can see a common thread running through almost all of it: storytelling, service, resilience, healing, and love. All of those twists and turns led to being honored with a Joseph R. Read more>>

Amanda Harman

For most of my adult life, my career looked completely different: I’ve spent the last 17 years working in the defense contracting and technology world as a systems engineer. Creativity was always part of who I was, but for a long time it lived in the margins of everything else. Crafting wasn’t something I thought I could do because I’m not particularly good at it. Read more>>

Devon Douglas

My journey really started with soccer. I played competitively for 19 years, from youth leagues through college and eventually at the semi-professional level. Being around sports for so long gave me a genuine understanding of what it means to be an athlete, but it also sparked my interest in how those stories are captured and shared. Read more>>

Ellie Skinner

I knew as early as sixth grade that I wanted to be an activist. Even at that age, I felt deeply that my life’s work needed to be about more than a job — it had to be a vehicle for meaningful change at the micro, macro, and mezzo levels of society. Read more>>

Desmond Dunham

If you had told me years ago that I would one day become a nationally recognized coach, build one of the region’s largest youth sports organizations, become an Under Armour coach, and publish a book, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. My story didn’t begin with privilege, a blueprint, or a perfect roadmap. Read more>>

Brittain Duckworth

Whiskey Feathers began almost 14 years ago as a duo with myself, Brittain Duckworth, on vocals, rhythm guitar, and songwriting, and Jenny Fitchett on keys and vocals. We were playing covers and a limited number of original songs around Baltimore County and quickly grew into a trio with Johnny Grape joining us on harmonica. Read more>>

Stephanie Riley

Fern & Folk has never been something I set out to turn into a large business. It started simply because I loved making things with my hands. Back in 2020, I was looking for a creative outlet outside of my full-time career in technology, and I discovered cement casting almost by accident. Read more>>