The heart of our mission at VoyageATL is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our city. In the recent weeks we’ve had the privilege to connect with some of the Atlanta’s finest artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with our city’s incredibly deep talent pool. Check out Southern Atlanta’s rising stars below.
Tonika Snow-Anderson
Such an interesting journey. I actually went to school to become a social worker and enjoyed that field. After several years, I decided that I wanted to get involved in the flipping homes business. The eventually led me to be interested in the entire process of remodeling and designing home interiors. That led me to starting my company. What I thought would be a hobby turned into much more. Read More>>
Cedric Moore
Eight 4 Productions initially started as a means to an end. I was an Independent R&B artist in need of a recording studio to complete some songs I had written and created to be released as an album. After a great deal of research and realizing how expensive studio time was, I vowed to learn recording/mixing & mastering to do the work myself. I began down the path of learning the art and science of each. Read More>>
Eric Giles
I’ve been playing saxophone since 12 years old. What drew me into music as a child was, at first, video games. I would play video games often as a child while wearing headphones connected to the TV, and it would just take me to a different place. After a while, I would just turn the games on and not play them but just listen to the music. Once my parents began to separate, music became my sanctuary where life still made sense. Read More>>
Fallon Roberts
I got to high school, and as I became busier with sports, school, and friends, I stopped writing for a bit. Eve try now, and then, I’d get inspiration. It was until I turned 19 when I really found my love for music again. I began going to open mics in Raleigh and found my people and my place. I met people who would later become my friends & family. I even met my current bandmate there. Read More>>
Nancey Harris
We were tired of suffering and being forced to wear glasses that were not made with diversity in mind. Last, after visiting an eyewear expo in Paris with over 37,000+ attendees (Silmo data) we witnessed first-hand the industry is 99% male dominated and Caucasian. It was an amazing experience, and by day 2, everyone began calling the founders by name as they were the only two Black women present amongst a sea of thousands of visitors. Read More>>
Danelle Michaud
From the age of 10, I started to become interested in graphic design and art. It was about some time in 5th grade or so when I got into this site called Neopets that allowed you to fully customize your profile page, and after seeing what other people were creating, I wanted to learn how to do it myself. I taught myself how to code basic HTML and started to learn how to edit and design using Corel Paintshop Pro. Read More>>
Jacob Rannik
I was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and moved to Vienna, Virginia, in the winter of my Second Grade. I grew up playing lots of sports, such as soccer, taekwondo, and diving. It was safe to say that I was a pretty active kid. I have a deep love and appreciation for taekwondo. It was a place for my brother and I to learn discipline and also be crazy kids who loved to pretend we were the superheroes we saw on TV. Read More>>
Essence Clark
I attribute everything I do to being the best mom I could be to my twins. Raising them as a single mom presented many challenges especially when it came to working and providing childcare. I always had a career as an executive assistant, and I’ve also achieved my Masters in Business Administration so I knew I had the fundamentals to be an entrepreneur. Read More>>
Steven Fowler
First let me say that the Trumpet chose me, and I’ll explain why. My journey in music officially began in Jamaica Queens when I was eleven years old. I was attending P.S. 48 at the time and the music program Midori & Friends came to our school to introduce a short-term music program at out school. We were asked to write down the instrument we were interested in playing on a piece of paper to get started. Read More>>
Don Dunlap
I grew up in Mars Hill North Carolina, about halfway between Asheville and Johnson City TN. It’s in the very backwoods Madison County (we “piped the sunshine in and the moonshine out” as it was a haven for moonshine in the day). Mars Hill is home to an excellent private music school, and tuition for local residents was discounted by 75% – since I wanted to be a Band Director, it was a no-brainer for me to attend there. Read More>>
Key Middlebrooks
Yeah, for sure! So, growing up, I used to watch my mom do her makeup while we blasted Monica’s ‘So Gone’ album. I was very fascinated by it. Skip ahead to middle school, where I got in trouble for sneaking mascara. By high school, I was all in—doing eyebrows and contacts, although my dad joked about my ‘big dark blocks’ for eyebrows! That’s when I started practicing on myself. Read More>>
Kasey L. Martin
I was born and, mostly raised in Hampton, VA. Growing up as an only child, I enjoyed watching films, writing, and drawing. My journey into photography began unexpectedly at the age of 14 when my Aunt Beverly noticed my knack for capturing photos with my first cell phone. For my 15th birthday, my mom gifted me a digital camera, which mostly collected dust but I did start taking it to school my senior year of high school. Read More>>
Saadia Dior
No, I wouldn’t describe it as a relatively smooth road as my childhood was filled with chaos and confusion. Saadia Dior grew up in a poor family and neighborhood filled with drugs and gangs, which attributed to obstacles and challenges in her childhood. Growing up with a mother on drugs, sent to jail, and absentee father; filled her with rage, anger, and resentment. She continued to engage in toxic relationships with men who were physically abusive and emotionally unstable, which led her to a life of domestic violence at such a young age. Read More>>
Annastasia Buckhalter
Annastasia Ransom’s journey from her upbringing in Houston, Texas, to her current pursuits as a twerk instructor, fitness trainer, and aspiring star showcases her multifaceted talents and determination. Raised in a dynamic environment where she honed her skills in various dance styles and sports, Ransom’s early exposure to dance and athleticism laid the foundation for her future endeavors. Read More>>
