The Most Inspiring Stories in St. Louis

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.

Priska Lay

I started combat sports at 35 years old with no experience. Took my first fight in 2019 & debuted with a split decision loss but got a Fight of the Night award. This set the pace for my own performance standards. I have won a kickboxing belt, been 3x State BJJ Medalist & traveled out of state to compete with the best. Read more>>

Charlene Waggoner

My work uses fiber art and storytelling to create an interactive world where curiosity, conversation, and imagination complete the artwork. I am a lifelong maker, storyteller, collector of overlooked things, recovering academic, and clean water fanatic. Read more>>

Emma Vonder Haar

I learned calligraphy during my senior year of college at Truman State University. I was in a graphic design program and had a class assignment to create a mock magazine about anything in the design or art world. I was really interested in calligraphy and hand drawn type and decided to teach myself calligraphy to create enough work for the mock magazine I was creating. Read more>>

Noah Universe

Some things I had to overcome was scaling my music while adapting to Ai and different ways to keep creative and still spread positive vibes to world ..struggle just makes me stronger evolution Read more>>

Raelynn Cantrall

Growing up, my life was anything but normal. I lost my mom when I was 11 years old, and that experience shaped the course of my life in ways I couldn’t have understood at the time. Looking back, much of my childhood is a blur. Unlike many of my peers, I wasn’t focused on planning a career or mapping out my future. Read more>>

Chad Spangler

It’s hard to pinpoint when I started as an artist. I never thought of myself as creative when I was younger. I took one graphic design class in high school, and made the occasional flyer for my college Nerf club. I did enough projects to build some skill, but not enough to make me see how much I enjoyed making art. Read more>>

Quinn Briceño

Young Animals started out in 2015. former band, The Neighborhood Watch, had broken up and I (Quinn, guitarist) was on my way to art school in San Francisco. Even though it hadn’t been very long since the band had broken up, I missed writing music, jamming with my friends, and performing live. Read more>>

Chastity Mays

The Little Resource Center Carbondale (TLRC) began as part of a network of free diaper cabinets, but quickly revealed a deeper need for comprehensive family support. Since late 2023, we’ve grown into a strong, autonomous program addressing disparities in Black and rural maternal health, perinatal mental health, food access, and reproductive choice. Read more>>

Ona Zene Yeshitela

Uhuru Bakery & Cafe is part of the Black Power Blueprint, a suite of institutions along West Florissant Avenue in North St. Louis that are collectively revitalizing and rebuilding a thriving, independent Black community economy. Read more>>

Michael Keane

Phoenix A+ Coaching has been a part of the St. Louis fitness community for over a decade, although we didn’t always have the name we do today. The journey began in 2013 when we opened our doors as Defining Natural Ability (DNA). The name was intentionally lighthearted, but the mission behind it was serious: helping people discover strengths they didn’t know they had. Read more>>

Rebecca van Bergen

My story really begins with my grandmother. She was my best friend growing up, and I spent a lot of time around the women in my family as they quilted, sewed, knitted, and made things by hand. I came to understand later that making represented something much bigger: creativity, connection, and economic independence for women. Read more>>

Julie Carr

It started in the 1860’s when my grandmother’s family the Eime’s moved out into this area and began farming. My grandfather’s family the Mckeever’s moved out here in the 1880’s and began farming a well known subdivision in our community Lake Serene. Once these two families joined (my grandparents got married) the farm became well over 1000 acres. Read more>>

Jennifer Scholl

Jennifer Scholl is the owner of Pink Lemon Studio, the best pole dance studio in the St. Louis area. She is a pole dancer, aerialist, go go dancer, fitness model and bikini bodybuilding competitor. Jennifer Scholl is a licensed BUTI Yoga fitness instructor and licensed RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) who has been featured on Fox 2 news for bringing BUTI yoga to St. Louis. Read more>>

Shannon K Dougherty

I started my artistic journey as a young child. I was always doing something creative such as painting, sewing, and using my hands to create anything that popped into my head. After I finished college with an art degree, I wasn’t quite sure what to do next so I set painting aside mostly and picked up a camera wanting to learn everything I could. Read more>>

Kaitlyn Ivancic

My career has really been a combination of marketing, creativity, and a desire to do work that has a meaningful impact. I’ve spent nearly 15 years building my career in marketing and strategic partnerships, working across different industries and learning how to tell stories, build brands, connect with audiences, and create partnerships that bring ideas to life. Read more>>

Quallin Lane

For most of my grade school years, I was a victim of bullying. I got called skinny, ugly, and teased for just being myself. It hurt, but I never showed or talked about it to anyone at that time, including my family. As a kid, going to school each day knowing you were going to be teased will affect you mentally. Read more>>

Shawniece Carter

My modeling journey began in St. Louis, where I started by walking for local fashion brands and quickly discovered a passion for the runway. What began as a creative outlet grew into a career that has taken me beyond my hometown and onto international stages, including New York, Miami, London, and Paris Fashion Week. Read more>>

Lorraine Stippec

Dance has been the thread connecting every chapter of my life. I started dancing when I was two and a half years old, and from a young age, I knew movement was where I belonged. I grew up training in tap dance, contemporary, and jazz, and throughout my childhood and college years, I performed, choreographed, and taught. Read more>>

Lisa stylez

My journey started around 16 or 17. While my friends were going off to college, I stayed in St. Louis working because my family couldn’t afford tuition at the time. I was trying to figure out my next step, and although I had been doing hair since I was nine, I didn’t initially see it as my primary career path. Read more>>

Tiffany Glasco

Design has always been about more than creating beautiful rooms for me. I’ve always been fascinated by the way a space can completely change how someone feels. What began as a passion for interiors eventually grew into Nahla Madison Home and a much larger vision for what I wanted to contribute to the design world. Read more>>

Lindsay Loring

I started my pediatric sleep consulting business in 2019 after the birth of my twins. I realized there was a gap in sleep support for new moms and moms of multiples. Tweet Dreamzz has been centered on a results driven coaching program, and one that focuses on toddlers, twins & even behavioral support. Read more>>

Emily Hendricks

I started my hair journey August of 2019 when I officially started at Paul Mitchell STL. After 10 months of schooling and a few months of job hunting, I landed at an independent salon in my hometown of Bethalto Illinois, The Islands Salon and Spa, and have been there since October 2020. Read more>>

Kelly Yates

42 years ago I came home from college ( graduated from southwest Missouri state University in 1980. We were the Division 2 national champions for field hockey. I was coming back to St. Louis and wanted to continue growing the sport. Things moved fast as I coached/ taught at Kirkwood and then one year later started coaching field hockey at St. Louis University. Read more>>

Jazmin Wright

The Jazmin Effect started on December 31, 2023, from my love for skincare, self care, and helping women feel good about themselves. I always knew I wanted to build something of my own and create an experience where people could come in, relax, feel comfortable, and leave feeling better than when they came in. Read more>>

Holly Kristina

My journey in the beauty industry began in 2010 when I discovered my passion for makeup artistry. What started as a love for makeup eventually grew into something much bigger—a desire to continuously learn, evolve, and create new opportunities for myself. Read more>>

North Enderle

My story has never been a straight line. I grew up moving around a lot, spending a large part of my childhood in foster care and experiencing things that shaped the way I see the world. Those experiences gave me a perspective that I carry into everything I create today. Read more>>

Tina N

My Story – Nail Stork I’ve always believed that beauty is about more than appearances—it’s about how you feel. That’s the heart behind Nail Stork. What started as a creative passion has grown into a business built on connection, confidence, and creating an experience that leaves people feeling their best. I’ve always loved working with my hands and bringing ideas to life. Read more>>

Deejay Belden

I never set out to own a pizza shop. Before O/B Slices, I worked as a commercial plumbing estimator. It was a stable career, pizza started as a hobby. Ironically, I used to hate baking. The more I learned, the more obsessed I became not just with making pizza, but with understanding every detail behind it. Read more>>

Ted Genenbacher

Frese Ornamental Nursery is 7th generation family owned business in Quincy Il.. I am blessed to be a 6th generation owner. along with my three sons Tad, Brad, and Andrew. I started at the nursery in 1989 working along side my father-in-law Mike Maas in the growing and wholesale division. I loved this part of the business working in the fields planting, growing, and digging. Read more>>

Zack Ewing

The idea for Capone’s started long before we ever opened the doors. It began with a vision for what I believed could exist in our community. I wanted to create something different—something people wouldn’t expect to find in a small Missouri town. Not simply another restaurant, but a place built around an experience. Read more>>

Megan Cobb

Growing up in my family’s restaurant gave me a front-row seat to what it truly means to run a business. Beyond seeing the hard work and independence that comes with being your own boss, I saw the power of hospitality. Time and time again, I watched guests turn into regulars, and regulars turn into friends. Read more>>

Melissa Thurlow

I’ve always believed that some of life’s biggest moments deserve to be experienced, not rushed through. When I started Little Peek Boutique in 2016, I wanted to create a place where expectant families could pause for a little while, forget the worries that often come with pregnancy, and simply fall in love with their baby. That idea has shaped every decision I’ve made. Read more>>

Julia Dinh

We opened in early January 2026 in a space that was previously home to another business. Instead of waiting until everything felt perfect, we opened our doors, welcomed our neighbors, listened closely, and have continued making thoughtful improvements every step of the way. One lesson I’ve learned over the past two decades is that customer experience is everything. Read more>>

John Leber

Like a lot of people in this profession, I didn’t take a straight path. I’ve always been fascinated by people—their stories, why they struggle, and more importantly, what helps them move forward. That curiosity eventually led me to become a Licensed Professional Counselor and later a Certified Health Coach. Read more>>

Joy Williams and Jane Molina

Ninni Co. began with a simple question my sister Jane asked while breastfeeding her third child: Why isn’t there a pacifier that actually mimics breastfeeding? Like so many moms, she wanted a way to soothe her baby without disrupting the natural oral movement and latch he had learned at the breast. Read more>>

Lara Brooks

Music has always been at the center of my life. Whether it was piano lessons, choir, theatre performances, or singing and dancing for my family after dinner, music has always been a part of who I am. Read more>>

Crystal Crews

My name is Crystal Crews. I’m a married mom of three kids (8, 14 and 16). I ran an in-home daycare for many years while my kids were little. Once all three of my kids were in school, I decided I was ready for a change. I knew I still wanted to work with kids in different capacity. My next business (Ms. Read more>>

Cornesha Dunlap

My journey began in 2015 with my passion for doing hair. Beauty and cosmetology had always come naturally to me, but I was initially afraid to step outside of what I already knew. I decided to take a leap of faith, and my best friend became my very first lash client. Read more>>

Janie Ray

My name is Janie Rachelle McCowan-Udumifu, professionally known as Janie Ray. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a singer. I grew up in St. Louis in a big family with nine siblings. My father was the pastor of a small church called Star Grace, and I always say that’s where my stardom was born. Read more>>

Joseph Luckett

My story starts long before Zero to 100 ever existed — it starts with being adopted as an infant by James and Harriet Luckett of St. Charles, Missouri. Read more>>

Paige Fehrenz

I think my story starts on my parents’ back porch. Some of my favorite memories growing up are my dad grilling pork steaks, my mom making baked potatoes inside, and all of us sitting around the patio table together. Looking back, I didn’t really fall in love with cooking first. I feel in love with the happiness and community it brought me. Read more>>

Jack Daniel

I began writing music when I was 16/17 years old. At the time I was performing in garage-style rock bands and just learning the in’s and out’s of it all. My dad was a singer/songwriter, so when I had finally decided to pursue solo performing and songwriting, he suggested that I listen to folk writers like John Prine. Read more>>

Jason Gray

My journey as a photographer began in middle school, where a friend’s dad was a nature photographer in his spare time. I became enamored with both the stories of adventure in the wilderness and the mysterious, mechanical devices he used to capture his images. Read more>>

Kathy Bradley

For more than a decade, Kathy Bradley has built a successful career as a top-producing REALTOR® at Keller Williams Realty West, consistently closing more than $10 million in annual sales while earning a reputation for exceptional customer service, education, and advocacy. Read more>>

Malik Rodgers

Back in 2014. I decide to become a influencer/ performer. From working, school, and traveling around as military family. I have finally found my best self once i come out the closet allegedly. I have been dancing, singing, acting, and performing as a teen to now. I work double hard and research on my craft because i got a faith in my craft. Read more>>

Kelly Slawson

I am born and raised in STL and very proud to have returned after being away for many years. I’m the daughter of an opera singer and vocal coach, so I can’t remember a time in my life that wasn’t centered around music. Read more>>

Morgan Cameron

About ten years ago, I retired from being a professional dancer with The Big Muddy Dance Company (now St. Louis Dance Theatre), due to a back condition. A friend of mine dragged me to a yoga class insisting that I would enjoy it. Read more>>

becky Ikeda

“There’s something magical about watching a three-year-old discover they can do something they never thought they could. Whether it’s writing their name for the first time, making a new friend, learning to share, or learning a simple prayer with confidence, those little moments become the building blocks for a lifetime of learning. Read more>>

Queen Savage

I was a shy girl growing up, very smart and loved school. My parents got a divorce when I was 7. Life got hard after that for my mom, we kinda struggled with stability and homelessness. My mother was a stylist and nail tech so I spent lots of time in a salon. Read more>>

Sharday Monroe

My wellness journey started with several moments that forced me to be honest with myself. I had grown tired of twisting and posing my body in certain ways to appear smaller in photos. I felt like the “frumpy friend” in the group, avoided trying on clothes, and often had to return items because I had underestimated how much my size had changed. Read more>>

Ashlee Erlinger

My story really started in the wedding and event industry. For about 12 years, I owned Signed Sealed Delivered Events, where I had the absolute joy of helping couples and families create meaningful celebrations. We built an amazing team, became a recognizable name in the St. Louis wedding community, and I learned so much about business, leadership, creativity, and—most importantly—people. Read more>>

Alison Erazmus

I guess I got started when I proved to be a less than exceptional musician, at least compared to my siblings growing up. But I had a knack for visual art. I remember in high school preparing for the college entrance exams. Read more>>

Emma Taylor

I grew up dancing and singing. My mom was a performer and worked at an equity theatre, so from the start I was immersed in the arts. I studied music business in undergrad, but quickly realized that I liked performing too much and couldn’t sit at a desk all day. Read more>>

Jerry Callahan

I started my career as a pharmacist in a local supermarket chain and eventually became the pharmacy director overseeing 34 pharmacies, I bought my first independent pharmacy in 2001, eventually acquiring 7 more before I started to wind down. I helped open 3 pharmacies from scratch and the other 5 were existing pharmacies. I have been involved legislatively, pursuing bills to benefit pharmacy and patients. Read more>>

Kirstin Protsman

My journey started when I was in community college and had a vision to work for myself. Back then I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do but I knew it would be in the graphic design field in some way. Read more>>

Mookie Tolliver

I was born and raised in Madison, Illinois, and I started singing at the age of four. Music became a major part of my life after I lost my mother when I was nine years old. With my father not being around until my later teen years, I carried a lot of emotions that I eventually turned into poetry and then music. Read more>>

Kate Turner

My love for celebration started really early. Read more>>