ATL’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.

Dr. Alysa Smith

My academic journey began at Virginia State University, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in pre-med. This foundation set the stage for my pursuit of a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life University in Marietta, GA. My time at Life University not only honed my skills but also deepened my passion for holistic wellness. Read More>>

Sonya Hernandez

Over the course of the past two decades as a Licensed Cosmetologist, my professional aspiration has consistently revolved around the creation of a natural hair growth product tailored to individuals seeking to cultivate fuller, thicker, and longer hair using purely natural ingredients. The prevalent use of chemical-laden and toxic substances in many contemporary hair products poses a significant obstacle to the pursuit of healthy hair growth. Prolonged exposure to such toxins has been associated with potential reproductive issues in women. My recent involvement with breast cancer patients has further amplified my commitment to addressing this unmet need. The “Recover Restore Gro” brand represents a line of non-toxic hair growth solutions designed to foster the rejuvenation of healthy hair through the utilization of ingredients such as aloe vera oil, black castor, rosemary, and lavender. The primary objective of my brand is to advocate a culture of embracing and nurturing hair, promoting positivity and love for one’s hair. Read more>>

Shaun Rose

Hi! I’m Shaun Rose a singer-songwriter and performing artist from New York City, currently based in Atlanta, GA. Read more>>

Krystal Henry

Krystal Henry’s journey into the world of beauty began over 16 years ago, but her dream of opening The Key Salon Studios in Summit Pointe, Chesapeake, Virginia, was rooted in her childhood memories of home. Raised in the 23320 zip code, which now proudly serves as the location of her salon/studios, Krystal has always felt a deep connection to her community. Read More>>

Kim Conrey

Before becoming Georgia Author of the Year and having four published novels and one memoir, it was an uphill climb and most of it was not what I would call enjoyable. But I maintain that it was a journey worth taking. I began writing seriously around seventeen years ago. I started out writing first person essays and moved on to the novel format. Most people see a finished novel on the shelf and likely have no idea that the “first” novel published might actually be the fifth or sixth novel written or that the author might have spent many years querying agents and editors at publishing houses. I feel that much of my success is owed to dogged determination, stubbornness, and the willingness to listen to criticism. I joined critiques groups and learned to set my ego aside no matter how much it wanted to whine and protest. I believe that writing, and the journey toward publication, doesn’t just make us better writers, it makes us better people, if we let it. Overnight success is not reality for most of us. For most of us, the reality is hard work, rejection letters, and getting back up, over and over again, and I for one, have found a depth of gratitude in the journey. It makes us who we are. Read more>>

Ashley Strahm

Meeting Rush has been such a delight. He’s the only person I truly trust with my assets, and I’m so grateful he’s stewarding my husband and I through our early thirties. He distills really complex information into digestible content for my husband and I to understand. There is such a failure in the US education system throughout early adulthood to quantify how previous investment information and decisions are, so it’s such an asset to have someone like Rush Imhotep as someone we trust to chart a healthy course and goals for us to build a financial roadmap around. Read more>>

Gabrielle Symone

I’ve always been a lover of the arts, particularly film since I was a little kid. I was bit by the acting bug at age 12 and my mother enrolled me in acting classes at the Alliance Theater. I started to develop my craft as an actor through high school and college. To get some experience, I started working as an extra on various sets throughout Atlanta. I’ve also done some stand-in work, commercial work, and numerous independent films. Read More>>

Nolen Tanner

I started developing my musical abilities at a young age. Every morning before school, I would watch “Little Einsteins” on Disney Junior and play my two favorite pages on the LeapFrog Learning System: “Sections of The Band” and “The Paper Piano.”

In 7th grade, I discovered an instrument that I was eager to play—the clarinet. However, I didn’t feel ready to join the band until 8th grade. When I finally became a musician at Zora Ellis Junior High, I got my first taste of playing in a band. My musical journey began on an interesting note, as I was initially placed on the tuba. Being a scrawny kid, the tuba was extremely heavy for me, but I managed to keep up with the section leader, impressing my peers with how quickly I caught on. Read more>>

Victoria Ruiz

I always knew I wanted to be involved in the fashion world ever since I was a little girl, and my mother had a very large influence when it came to my comfort with self-expression and showing the world who I am and can be. I have always been a risk taker which is why I believe I fit so well in the creative field, freelance styling, modeling, and content creation have put me in places I never thought I would be in, and at this young of an age, it is only clear how much farther I take myself. Read More>>

Cherie Long

For me starting a business stemmed from seeing a need to advocate for an often forgotten population. As a mother of a child with a developmental disability, I quickly learned that my economic status and ethnicity would play a significant role in the medical care my daughter would receive. As my daughter grew older, I also noticed a glaring gap in the services available to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities that have aged out of the school system. So, the inclusive services and programs my daughter needed as she grew older were simply non-existent. Read more>>

Denisha Odom

I have always had an unconventional approach to healing and life, I’ve been inquisitive and stubborn my entire life. I knew it had to be other options when it came to healing even if others didn’t agree. I preferred natural options, I always enjoyed making things myself. It wasn’t until 2019 where I had to heal my body that I took alternative medicine more serious. I never liked the way traditional medicine made my body feel. When it came to products I noticed everything had fragrance and my skin was sensitive. I always say Herbs found me! It never was a hobby, quick detox, or a one time option it was a way of life, how I wanted to live my and introduce others to adopt it as a part of theirs. Being a Herbalist that specializes in Pain Management of the Mind and Body . Disease prevention & elimination that’s my Niche. Read more>>

Clevon Tilghman

I became a DJ during the early stage of Hip Hop in 1982 in Trenton, NJ under the name MIX MASTER “C” . My uncle and father were both DJs but it was in Maryland at a block party when I was inspired to be a dj. I later put together a rap group called Superior Force. I wrote rhymes and produced the music so when the group broke up I became a rapper writing and producing my songs. I was signed to Casual Cat Records a small label in Maryland. I would only release a cassette single “Pump That House” and b-side “Rap Hardcore” until I split ways with Casual Cat Records over creative differences.  Read More>>

Kelsey Dorsey

My journey into birth work began after the birth of my first son, who sadly passed away from RSV at 17 months in 2015. This profound experience ignited a passion in me to support other mothers. In May 2020, I welcomed my rainbow baby through a successful home birth during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience further fueled my dedication to birth work, and I pursued certification as a doula during the downtime of quarantine. Read More>>

Theron Patterson

My journey into online business management is rooted in over 30 years of experience in front-facing customer service roles, where I also held positions as a workforce manager, office manager, and eventually as a salon owner and hairstylist. It was during my time running my own salon that I discovered my passion for being behind the scenes, and making things happen for others. The experience of juggling multiple responsibilities—ensuring that the salon ran smoothly, managing appointments, and delivering excellent service—sparked my interest in roles like virtual assistance and online business management. Read more>>

Leida Speller

Several years ago, I accepted the fact that my life was no longer working for me.

I was leading my own practice as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) professional. No matter how hard I worked or what I tried, I could not grow my business. I spent most of my time working and running from event-to-event prospecting potential clients. My life was stressful and deeply unfulfilling. I desired growth in my business and my own personal development; yet both were rapidly declining. Chronic stress, self-neglect, and the absence of joy were taking a toll on my mental, physical, emotional and financial wellbeing. I lived in survival mode and could not move myself forward, into the thriving life and business I desperately wanted. Read more>>

Leri Argueta

If you ask most people in the college admission profession, “How did you start in this profession?”- often, you will get responses like “I fell into it.” My career journey, or better yet, discovering my passion, started in an Introduction to Social Problems course at my alma mater, the University of West Georgia. Before taking this course, my goal was to land a job in government and work my way to becoming a U.S. ambassador in El Salvador. When I took this course, everything changed for me, and my Professor, Ms. Woods, opened my eyes to the education/ achievement gap within our country.  Read More>>

Yoko Twazy

So my big brother is an entertainer himself. And I was just watching him one day freestyle and I was curious. So from seeing him I just knew that’s what I wanted to do. But being so young at that time I didn’t really take it seriously. Also, after the murder of my Mother, is when I turned into the Monster that you all see today. She’s the inspiration behind my music. Read more>>

Lamont Patterson

Lamont started singing in the church choir at age five and moved on to tenor saxophone as his instrument of choice. With role models such as jazz greats John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Roland Kirk, Lamont excelled as a musician. After high school, Lamont’s cousin, Bobby Sanders, manager of Little Anthony and The Imperials and The Young Hearts, included him in their rehearsals, giving him the unique opportunity to sing, dance, and practice choreography, inspiring him onward in music. Lamont sang the second tenor in college and wrote lyrics for New Birth, an R&B group. The group toured with notables such as the O’Jays, Blue Magic, The Four Tops, and other great sounds from the Motown era. Read more>>

Cliqk Photography

My journey actually started with music. I was pursuing my passion as musical artist in my home country of Trinidad & Tobago. A photographer reached out to me to do some promotional images for my music. After seeing the results from the shoot, I immediately fell in love with modeling and decided to keep doing it for years to come. My experience in modeling over the years sparked my interest in photography and in 2016 I decided to get behind the lens to explore new level of creativity. Read More>>

Jameelah Abdulsalam

Shawarmites started from my love for cooking and my wish to offer something different and memorable at after-parties. While working full-time as a Salesforce Functional Consultant and Business Systems Analyst, I wanted to create something special that would stand out. The idea came to me when my sister friend asked me to come up with a unique dish for a small celebration for her 40th birthday in Ohio. Read More>>

Taliah Karim

Once I began using my real estate license I had begun to develop a passion for helping people build wealth through real estate and this brightened my view of the horizon and it became clear what impact I wanted to make. As a lover of details I had thought of every aspect – who our clientele would be, how would I incorporate my love for fine tuning anything I touched, the culture and environment etc, I thought abt it being a rarity to find luxury real estate agencies owned and operated by a woman of color and I wanted to redefine that narrative.  Read More>>

Erica Judah

My journey to becoming a personal coach started from a very personal place. I once felt lost, drained, and stuck in a cycle of self-sabotage, weighed down by emotional pain. But when I sought help and began working with personal coaches, I slowly reclaimed my life. This process showed me that my setbacks were just the beginning of a journey toward healing and resilience. Read More>>

Emmanuel Alabi

The next day I found out about this program called Apparel Textile Technology and from there I changed my major, minored in IT, and continued to pursued my passion. In that program I really started to blossom creatively and I learned to do and make things I never thought I could. For the first time in my life I could take the ideas in my head and bring them to reality. I am missing a bunch of stuff but that is the core of it lol. Read More>>

Demecos Chambers

Growing up in poverty without a father and watching my mother work herself to the bone, taught me what struggle looks like up close. But those same experiences gave me the fire to push forward, no matter the odds. For over 15 years, I dedicated myself to mentoring at-risk teenage boys in Atlanta, guiding them through their own challenges while navigating mine. That work wasn’t just about giving back – it sharpened my resilience and made me realize the power of lifting others up. Read More>>

Justin Hightower

We grew our business and gained recognition by being a preferred vendor of the New Black Wallstreet, and Pink Lion Jazz Club. Three years later,, we are still growing and advancing our footprint across Atlanta and surrounding areas by specializing in catering corporate and personal events. We’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to share our love of food during clients most special moments by providing them an experience that adds to that special moment. Read More>>

Eli Barker

I think the biggest struggle I had to face was overcoming myself. When I was younger I lived in a small town where my precocious energy and performative nature made me stand out. The attention I got was something I craved and I was so focused on receiving it that I didn’t pay any attention to what it really took to be good at making music. By the time my ego outpaced my skills, I was discouraged and barely even wanted to make music. Read More>>

Destiny Wagner

My journey began during Covid after hosting several game nights. I noticed a lack of cultural representation in many games within the industry. It dawned on me that there wasn’t even a game in my native language, Kriol. At the time, I was competing in my fourth pageant, and I was selected last minute with only two weeks to prepare. By God’s grace, I won, becoming the first Black woman from Belize to win Miss Earth in 2021, making history! Read More>>

Juan Acevedo Eduardo Castrejon

We invested on education going to mobile bar companys conventions in Texas and Tennesse. This was the inflexion point in our company we optimize our marketing, our logistics and operation and most important our aestithic and service with the costumers. After that it was only getting better and better with time, investing on equipment, eduaction for our bartenders. We are always on our journey to be better every time Read More>>

Mary Hollis Callaway-langel

I’ve faced challenges along the way, like managing production times and growing the business, but each hurdle has made me more resilient and helped shape The Callaway Collection into what it is today. I’m excited to expand into apparel and offer even more unique products that resonate with my customers. It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m grateful for the support that has allowed my small business to grow. Read More>>

Erica-Sinclair Mcbride

I enjoy executing my ideas & visions, as well as helping other individuals express their visions as well. I came up with the concept of sinnsfx, a brand for me & a way for me to exhibit the multiple skills I possess. Focused to share and collaborate with other creatives, and the journey has been exciting. Ive paved out multiple roles for myself in my industry with preparation and opportunities, and among my occurring and thankful position at the illustrious Tyler Perry Studios. I never want to stop elevating, it’s always room for evolving and I have so much more to learn. I’ve definitely been able to blossom into the creative i’m meant to be with every day growth that Im so proud of. Read More>>

Neil Garrard

Neil. has been writing music and performing all of his life, his first record deal at 23 with Big Boi of Outkast owned Purple Ribbon Records with his band Vonnegutt. After the band broke up in 2014 ,he auditioned for Zaytoven who was forming a band for the rapper Future. The first show being Madison Square Garden for the Mtv Video Music Awards and countless others after. (see above) Read More>>

Isabella Doherty

It’s kind of a funny story! Back in college, I was doing eyelash extensions out of my dorm, just figuring things out while working toward my business administration and management degree. My best friend had just landed both an internship and a job offer at two different marketing and PR agencies. She didn’t have time to manage two small business accounts anymore on the side – a hairstylist and a wine tour company – so she asked if I’d be interested in taking over. At first, I declined. Managing my personal account was fun, but I wasn’t sure if it would feel the same for others. Read More>>

Chasity Carswell

Mental health has always been my favorite population to work with. I met another great friend who talked me into attending Brandman University. Brandman offered an accelerated psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program in which you could also obtain a Doctor of Nursing Practice. Now I am Dr. Chasity J. Carswell, DNP, MSN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC. I have looked up to nurses who had a lot letters behind their name. Now I am one of them. Read More>>

Clifton Guterman

I’ve directed locally for Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Opera, Theatrical Outfit, and Jennie T. Anderson Theatre. As an actor, I’ve appeared Off-Broadway and at top regional theatres, including Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, Barrington Stage, San Jose Rep, The O’Neill Theatre Center, and more. Locally, I’ve performed with Alliance Theatre, Actor’s Express, Theatrical Outfit, Synchronicity Theatre, and Dad’s Garage Theatre. I can be seen in several Atlanta-filmed movies, television shows, and commercials. Read More>>

Alessia Cutting

From there I decided to expand and started documenting special occasions, milestones, engagements and weddings. I love, love. I always say, while our memories may get blurrier and weaker with time, we have photos and family albums to remind us of all the lovely days that brought us joy and peace. I want to help my clients save those moments. Read More>>

Fifi Pernett

Just two days after I moved to the US, my dear dad passed away, we were super close and that event hit my life as anything before, I got depressed, surrounded by boxes from a huge moving, without been able to stay with my mom and brother, and not knowing a single person in a totally different country. Read More>>

Erica Brown

In 1998 I relocated to Atlanta, GA, and started working in corporate America. While working I attended and graduated from cosmetology school. In addition to that, I was a freelance makeup artist, but hadn’t found my niche. I felt it was something else I was suppose to do in the beauty industry. I knew the foundation to flawless makeup application was the canvas underneath. “The best foundation you can wear is heathy glowing skin.” Therefore, I decided to attend esthetics school, and that is where I found my true passion…helping people heal and elevate their skin. Read More>>

Aaliyah Brunson

It was rough starting since I believed that everyone had found “their lash tech.” I would go from getting 2 clients in a week to almost 20 in a week three years later. I had to use my excellent customer service skills, which was a plus since there are so many horror stories about service providers. I believe being consistent and good customer service skills is the key to how I got to where I am today! Read More>>