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 rising stars from in and around Sandy Springs below.
Ashley Turner
I have always been a creative person that loves fashion. When I was in college, beaded jewelry became extremely popular, but it was so expensive. My mom took a jewelry-making class around the same time and came home and taught me so that I could make my own beaded jewelry. We made jewelry together as a hobby, but my friends quickly started requesting my designs. I started by giving away necklaces as gifts, but the demand grew! Read More>>
Kristina Appen
I graduated from the University of Georgia with a dual degree in Finance and Spanish. From there, I started my career with RaceTrac Petroleum as an Operations Analyst, supporting regional field teams through data and analytics. I was promoted to a project manager role within the enterprise project management office and soon discovered my love for project management. I went on to lead the enterprise PMO from 2016-2021 and also had the opportunity to lead the IT program management office in the latter phase of my tenure there. Read More>>
Michelle Lubow
I am half Cuban and half Columbian, and I was born and raised in California. I moved to Georgia when I was 15 years old and am proud to call Alpharetta my home! My husband and I started our business in 2004. We started out as Chiropractic, moved into healthcare, and now run regenerative medicine as well as Aesthetics. We specialize in Joint injections, including the knees, Chiropractic, Bio-identical hormones, Pellets and peptides, Weight, and all aesthetics, including Botox, Dermal Fillers, PRP, PRGH, Exosomes & stem cells, thread lifts, and medical-grade facials. Read More>>
Andrew Wright
Growing up, my father taught me about the power of the body to heal itself. When I would get a cold, he would give me vitamins and herbs to boost my immune system to help me get healthy. I rarely took medicine when I was younger. Then, when I was in college, I discovered chiropractic. My first chiropractor was not only a good doctor but an excellent teacher as well. Read More>>
COUGA
Hello, I’m COUGA, aka Madison Shannon Kelly; I know you’re like, why the 2 different names? I’m a new recording artist/ record label owner who turned her entrepreneur lifestyle into a musical journey by creating songs to describe Life Lifin and my love life crumbling. I’m the mother of 2 children, a son, 20, and my daughter is 29, so I’m now an empty nester who cares for my 74-year-old mom, who is a stroke survivor. Read More>>
Fatima Wasim
I was born in Pakistan and raised there till mid adolescent years before moving with my family to the United States. Albeit an average life, our parents were driven to provide us with a better life in terms of education and lifestyle, so they chose to immigrate to the ‘land of opportunity’ to live the ‘American dream.’ Uprooting and moving to a new country is a challenge in itself and requires basic linguistic, problem-solving, and social skills to navigate the transition. Read More>>
Rutu Shah
Growing up in vibrant Gujarat, India, I was immersed in a rich culture that ignited a profound curiosity about the world. This curiosity eventually propelled me from my Indian roots to Malaysia and later to the awe-inspiring skyscrapers of Dubai, where my professional journey in Interior Design began. Read More>>
LaTisha Ebanks
Our agency stands as a pinnacle of creativity while converting ideas into impact. Since its inception, NPM has assisted over 10 small-to-medium-sized businesses with essential marketing services, including print and digital advertising, graphic design, email campaigns, social media content creation and management, website design and development, consulting services, and global branding strategies. Read More>>
Ashley Simone
My story is a surprising one actually. I’m originally from Buffalo, NY. If you would have told me 15 years ago that I would be a pro makeup artist today, I would’ve laughed. I pretty much did everything wrong per society’s standards. I was a teenage mom. I had my first son at 18. I dropped out of college at 21 and had my second child at 22. For the first half of my 20’s, I was in an extremely abusive and toxic relationship, and by the time I ended it, I had 3 children at the age of 25. Read More>>
Drew Nicole
My journey in style and fashion started when I was 8 years old. I started cutting up my church socks and making clothes for my Barbie dolls. Not something that my mother was so happy about of course. My late great-grandmother Macie was also a solid influence when it came to my interest in fashion. She owned so many great quality pieces and jewelry that I use to play with while visiting her some summers. Read More>>
Joscynthia Mason
Joscynthia’s journey began with a childhood passion for enhancing beauty and empowering others, nurtured through playful experimentation with dolls despite initial discouragement from pursuing a career in the beauty industry. Despite familial expectations to pursue traditional academic paths, she persevered, juggling college education and salon work to hone her skills and support herself as a single mother. Read More>>
Megan Simpson
I have always had Georgia on my mind! I am a California native who enjoys good food, good people, and the small things in life. I am now an Alpharetta resident, a dog mom, and engaged to an Atlanta chef. My love for Alpharetta began during visits to my best friend Nicole, who was fortunate enough to call Georgia home for many years. After taking countless trips to visit her, I knew I had found my happy place! Read More>>
Shanon Schneider
My professional journey has been defined largely by being dedicated to painting every day. Art is much like many other endeavors; you must practice and practice to advance your skill. You have to be willing to try different things and fail miserably at times. You have to be willing to learn from others and then incorporate those small changes or adjustments in your own process, each time though being true to your own unique style and approach. Read More>>
Afolabi Sogunro
As a teenager, I remember buying “one-time use” cameras from Eckerd (Now CVS). Once I’ve used up all the film, I would take it back there to get the film developed. I could not wait to see what I captured. Over the years, I continued to shoot events for friends and family. I was the guy who always had a camera on him, and everyone knew I would capture good photos. I honestly only saw photography as a hobby and nothing more. Read More>>
Marsha Bohannon and Kenya Collins
Established in 2018, A Twist of Creationz is a black women-owned event decor company that is run by two best friends. It was born out of the desire to bring a unique style of celebration that would bring joy to people in Atlanta. Our success happened over time. The journey was not easy, but necessary. We have a strong support system, which poured into our business with faith and encouragement. We believe in God and our vision. We are passionate and not afraid to try new things. Read More>>
Briyonah McClain
A few core memories from my childhood involve climbing trees, getting stitches, and playing the imaginary mom, all while wearing my big sister’s sunglasses or a sparkling belt fashionably tied around my nightgown. I’ve always been curious, creative, and a risk-taker, willing to do things differently. After college, I moved to China with my twin sister, Briyyah, to teach English for a year. Quite the plot twist for a young black woman who had just graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Read More>>
