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.
Angela Sturm
As I struggled to make sense of it all, it occurred to me that in order to keep from shutting down, I had to learn how to be and live in this new life. But how? Using the metaphoric labyrinth, I made my way through its many twists and turns, forced myself to confront my fears, looked deeply at the unpredictability of life, and questioned my own existence. Eventually I reached the center, and I asked myself, “Who am I? How will I ever survive this? Who am I supposed to be now”? Read more>>
Matt Jensen
This is when I realized I could make my own path in music without following someone else’s rules. That Christmas my parents got me my first electric guitar and the rest is history. I formed my first band Afilio with a group of friends. We were together for 5 years or so. We had some awesome opportunities such as playing the Minneapolis date of the Vans Warped Tour in 07. After Afilio finished I was recruited for Minneapolis rock band My My Misfire. Being in My My was a blast. We were able to be the only unsigned band to be featured on the motion picture Saw VI soundtrack and played tons of shows including SXSW and SOUTHBYSOWHAT in Dallas TX. Read more>>
Tillana Chakraborti
South Asian Women’s Network is the premier organization for South Asian professional women in the Twin Cities. We welcome the unique voice and experience each one of us brings and celebrate our shared success. Like any great adventure, SAWN began with a simple question: “What if?” What if professional South Asian women in the Twin Cities had a dedicated, inclusive space to cultivate meaningful connections and support one another’s growth? While women in the diaspora often meet socially, I noticed a gap when it came to an organization focused on our professional development. Thankfully, the idea was embraced by family and friends, and here we are today—SAWN has recently (2024) achieved 501(c)(3) status, and our vibrant community of incredible women continues to thrive! Read more>>
Amelie Elmquist
Out of college, I started a position at COOL STORY, a content agency, where I am now a full-time Content Creator. Who would’ve thought I could turn this passion into a real job? I’ve been able to incorporate my love for screenwriting, directing, acting, animation, camera work, and editing all into one job role. Read more>>
Jaclyn Kasper
She came in one day so excited about a service she found out about called Microblading. Microblading is a semi-permanent cosmetic tattoo that creates eyebrows for anyone who didn’t want to worry about daily makeup application or for those who just didn’t have much or any hair because of any reason. I thought cool, this Microblading was right up her alley as she obviously loved the art of tattoos. She proceeded to show me pictures of the artwork from various artists she had found online. It was a relatively new service so there were not many artists in or near our area that even performed it, let alone many people who knew this service existed. Read more>>
Matthew Terrado
6 years and 2 more kids later, I decided that something needed to change. We packed up and moved to San Diego in 2019. I continued to work at Costco but only part time. We moved in with my parents to save money. During this time, I took an interest in videography. I had a cheap DSLR camera that I had no idea how to use so I watched youtube video after youtube video to learn the art of videography. I started filming family outings and making home videos with my newly found knowledge. I became obsessed with learning more about the art of story telling through filming and editing. I had a knack for it and caught on pretty fast. 6 months into learning and teaching myself, I decided that I wanted to pursue my own videography business. Read more>>
Patrick Leder
Around 2000 a friend of mine that was taking a gap year from college was experimenting with game design. During a staycation at my house that summer he showed me how to make a board game. I was hooked and started building a portfolio of little projects. I worked as a programmer at Macalester college at the time, but after hours I would pursue game design. Eventually a publisher published a game of mine in 2011. Read more>>
Brenna Salmi
My photography journey began with a deep love for capturing moments, which started when I was a kid. My grandpa and mom were always the ones with cameras, documenting memories, and I loved being able to look back on those photos and cherish the memories. At 13, I got my first camera and started taking photos with my friends. Back then, I had not the slightest clue that photography could be a career, but I loved the joy it brought me. Read more>>
Sam Larson
I’ve been creating content in one form or another for as long as I can remember—shooting GoPro edits, contributing photos to my student newspaper, and even helping produce the student news in high school. All that early creative experience took on new meaning when I began working in construction management. While developing new apartment buildings throughout the Twin Cities, I realized just how much goes into bringing a building to life. I fell in love with architecture, interior design, and the entire development and construction process. It’s an industry full of incredible people, and I wanted to highlight their efforts in a more creative and engaging way. Read more>>
Judd Brink
This past season I had tours who traveled all the way from Costa Rica and Puerto Rico as well as from across the country! My tours range from 2-4 days depending if you a birder or photographer. I am very proud and grateful to share my passion of birding and wildlife viewing with others. I think my tours are a bit unique as I share my birding experience of nearly 40 years and my education in Natural Resources and being a master naturalist sets me apart. My knowledge, education and experience gives me the opportunity to share with others. Read more>>
Rachel Phelps
My childhood was marked by a love of learning and libraries. In the hot Florida summers, I would walk to the corner store for ice cream and popsicles and then in proper Matilda-like style, I would spend hours reading in the lovely air conditioning and bring home wagon loads of books to pour over at home. If I wasn’t reading books, I was getting bronzed in the sun at the apartment complex’s swimming pool. Summers in Duluth were a refreshing escape from the heat and humidity of the south and allowed me to adventure around the woods and lakes savoring the cooler air and pine forest smell of the country. Most importantly though, I got to eat an absurd amount of s’mores during the evening bonfires while being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Read more>>
Lisa Poseley
Then 9/11 happened. At the time, I had just saved up enough to take a year off to work for a well-known Magnum photographer, but he couldn’t pay me in the end. After witnessing the attacks firsthand, I felt compelled to do something. I spent the entire recovery effort at Ground Zero, running a tent canteen we called the Hard Hat Café through the Salvation Army. It was considered an active crime scene, and very few people were allowed to photograph, but the workers trusted me. They loved that I was documenting everything—it meant something to them to have those moments captured. Read more>>
Christy Mulert
We purchased my husbands family acreage in 2007 and moved their in 2008. Our family has always loved animals so this was the perfect setting for our family. I was a stay at home mom for many years, but as my children needed me less and less, I realized I needed a job. This is when my husband and I started to do our research and business plan. It took 5 years of planning and saving to start building my dream. With my husband and a friend who are both in the construction business, the building/business opened in December of 2016. Since then we have expanded two times, once in 2019 right before COVID, and then again in 2024. Read more>>
David Razidlo
The hardest part of building Game Haven and Castle Con is building awareness. When we tell people about both the website and the convention, they are very excited! But it has been challenging getting the word out to people. For Game Haven, the networking effect is an important part of the software – finding other users and events near you is a valuable part of the website. To get the most out of MyGameHaven.com, we encourage people to help spread the word and help grow Game Haven in their communities. Read more>>
Ashley Letendre
My name is Ashley Letendre, the owner and sole baker behind Baked by Ashley. I was born and raised in the Grand Rapids MN area and now run my cottage bakery in Marble MN where me, my husband, two step kids, and our 5 pets reside. I also work full time as an administrative assistant for a local Redi mix and excavating company. I fill the rest of my free time with all things sourdough and baking! Read more>>
Kimberly Holifield
In 2007, I officially launched Glamlife Events & Parties, a full-service project and event management company specializing in event planning, logistics, design, and décor. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of planning and designing for major brands, corporations, and community organizations, including Essence Magazine, Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce, Build Wealth Minnesota, People of Color Career Fair, Celebrating the Sistas, and many more. I’ve also worked extensively with 899 KMOJ FM, where I’ve planned and executed events that uplift and celebrate the community. Read more>>
Judy And Gary Johnson
We have a neighbor who has bees and he brings them over to the orchard and supplies us with the bees we need for pollination. In turn we sell his honey products in the fall with our apples. We keep the coolers on until we donate apples to the Children’s Christmas Program at our little country church. We then shut down our large cooler and any apples we have left are all donated to area food shelves. We then give our trees a little bedtime snack and then put them to bed. We then are able to relax for the winter and before we know it it’s spring again and we start all over!! Read more>>
Shontel Booker
I like to believe yoga found me. I began to take my practice seriously in 2016 after burying a brother and losing him to suicide. That experience changed my life forever. Two weeks later, I was in a car accident that totaled my car and set me on a healing journey I didn’t know I needed. This was God’s way of telling me—well, making me—slow down. I’m a recovering workaholic; I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was selling chocolate candy bars for school fundraisers in elementary school. I needed to learn what it felt like to take a break. Read more>>
Kelly Krenzel
Years later, I spent nearly a decade working at a hospice, where I had the privilege of spending time with patients and their families, listening to their stories and witnessing the power of human connection in life’s most tender moments. I saw firsthand how little it takes to help someone feel whole, even if only for a moment. A small gesture, a bit of kindness—these are the things that truly matter. Read more>>
Cristina Archila
You know, as a proud multiethnic Latina, I have really come to appreciate how much strength comes from embracing culture, identity, and lived experience. Being a blend of cultures has shaped me in so many ways. I was born in LA, raised in Vegas, and moved to the Twin Cities almost 14 years ago, and honestly, every place has added to who I am and the energy I bring into different spaces. One of the most defining parts of my journey was growing up as a child witness to domestic violence. That experience has deeply influenced both my personal life and the work I do. It’s a huge reason why I am so passionate about making sure people have access to the resources and support they need. Read more>>
Jenni Haas
It all started when I was on maternity leave with my fourth baby. Between diaper changes and nap times, I found myself making these ridiculously long lists of home updates—things I wanted to fix, personalize, or just make more functional. But when I saw the price tags on materials and labor? Yikes. Hiring everything out wasn’t in the budget, so I had two choices: live with it or figure it out myself. Read more>>
Danielle Hertaus
I started my career in massage therapy after graduating from the Minnesota School of Business in Richfield, MN, in December 2001. During my internship, I was fortunate enough to land a full-time job with a chiropractor in Burnsville, where I worked for five years. After that, I gained more experience working with other chiropractors and at Massage Envy locations, but it wasn’t until I met Marybeth in 2009 that my career truly took a turn. Read more>>
Raymond Clayton
Over the years, I’ve written hundreds of songs, performed at countless shows, and immersed myself in the joy of living in the moment. But as my ambitions grew, so did the cost of pursuing them. Like many artists, I wasn’t making much money in the beginning, so I decided to take control of my craft. I learned to record my own music, produce my own instrumentals, and ultimately became self-sufficient. Read more>>
Kristen Wasyliszyn
Short story long, I graduated UMD with a fine arts degree and as most art kids, bumbled through any job that would have me: processed crab in Akutan Alaska, purchased subprime mortgages, managed Glamour Shots, schlepped tables, owned a clothing store on Lake Street, a deli in the Central Medical building and eventually started Atiki’s Flight Catering. Once that got cooking, I purchased and revitalized a condemned commercial building on Selby to house myself and Atiki’s catering kitchen. Read more>>
Allie Carlson
I started baking at a young age with my mom making cookies and quick breads. Through my teen and early adult years I took every food class I could. My favorite chef was Anthony Bourdain and my favorite baker was Alton Brown. After college, I worked as an EMT, a medical lab tech, and became a stay at home mom in 2021 when my son was born. Motherhood did not come easy to me. I was haunted by childhood memories that I didnt even know I had until my son was born. Read more>>
RJ Wieseler
The soccer team made it all the way to the national championship, and now, with basketball still going strong, I feel incredibly lucky to be part of it all. I can’t thank Ben, Karson, and Lizzy enough for bringing me in and welcoming me to the teams, and I’m truly grateful to all the players for treating me like family. Most importantly, I want to thank my own family for always supporting me and pushing me to be the best version of myself. Read more>>
Tracy Young “T Young” Rude
I’ve been creative for as long as I can remember. Around age eight, my mother paid for art lessons with a neighbor who was a professional artist. She had me draw countless Jell-O boxes, cylinders, and bowls of apples—an exercise that, while monotonous, became a formative ritual. It was then that I decided I wanted to be an artist, just like her. I grew up immersed in art, music, and sewing—anything that allowed me to be creative. Each of these shaped not only how I engage with the world but also how, in many ways, art has become my refuge. Read More>>
Sarah Fossen
Before MCA, I led transformative marketing and engagement initiatives as Director of Marketing and Experience at Rosedale Center/JLL, Marketing Director at the City of St. Paul and Capital City Partnership (now Greater MSP), and Assistant Vice President at Augsburg University. I also ran my own marketing communications firm, Agency NORD, where I combined my entrepreneurial drive with a deep passion for storytelling and strategy. Read more>>
Angie Cruzen
This August will be five years as Executive Director. We are helping double the families from when I started, we are serving a much larger foot print, orchestrate our own fundraisers, and are continuing to expand our services to help a person’s full well-being because we understand we are an entry point and people using our resource are in need of much more than quality groceries. Read more>>
Janna Dreher
We especially thank our Kenyan and Liberian friends who are very loyal to the event. Over the years, we have had tremendous performers who tour the world bringing the powerful messages of reggae music. The festival has grown as a “foodie” event as well where you can walk among the many food vendors who are busy cooking authentic jerk chicken, fish, curried chicken, curried goat, samosas, jollof rice, and many more fan favorites, including Asian and American fare. There are also many artisan vendors selling clothing, jewelry, and more. We are also thankful for the many sponsors who have supported us over the years so we can continue to offer this special event. Read more>>
Annie Coleman
No, it absolutely has not been a smooth road! But I see obstacles as opportunities to do something different or make something better. The mandatory shutdowns in 2020 allowed me time to rebrand my business and to spend time at home with my then 18-month-old son. Then when I became unhappy in the office I was in, the office that I had wanted (inside the same building) opened up and I jumped at the opportunity to make it my own! Since being in that space, my business has grown so much that I have been a member of the 6-figure earner’s club for the last 3 years with plans to expand into an even bigger space to allow room for other practitioners. I’m a firm believer in seeing the positive in every setback and thus far it has worked out well in my favor. Read more>>
Kashai Zupancich
After working in the design industry (commercial space planning and residential interior design) for approximately ten years, I made the decision to start my own interior design business. My inspiration for my business name, is my love for color and my desire to see more vibrant colors utilized in interior design spaces. My husband, Eric Zupancich, who owned a construction company for ten years, decided to merge business efforts together with me last year, and Color Pop Interiors became a general contractor in February of 2024. Read more>>
Julia Lemmens
Four years ago, my husband quit his full time job and I started working full time on my business. Getting new certifications, learning about running a business, building websites, developing programs, implementing new types of training, researching each clients individual needs, learning how to make the most of each minute to give my clients the absolute best outcome possible. Read more>>
Melanie Metz
Ever since I was about 5 years old, I would have recurring dreams about tornadoes. Dreams in which I was in a strange town, looking for shelter as a tornado was headed my way. I would start to enter the shelter when the tornado would hit. Luckily, I never died in my dreams. Somehow these dreams created a strong desire within to see a tornado in real life. Perhaps it was a way to conquer my fears. Read more>>
Brian Wagner
Grand Old Day is the largest one day festival in the Midwest starting back in 1973. The festival has always been a day of music and frivolity. Today it includes a 5k fun run, a parade, a street festival with more than six stages representing every genre of music, adult and non-alcoholic beverages, foods that will tease your taste buds, a car show, family and sports and wellness zones, an art and non profit corridor, and last but not least, Weiner dog races! Grand Old Day is a Saint Paul tradition that kicks off summer in Minnesota and provides the book end comparable to the MN State Fair providing the celebration of the season. Read More>>
Ryan Rud
Playing in bands, making records, playing shows, repeat…you know the deal. About 5 years ago, after 30 years of grinding it out in the music scene, I started being less involved and more importantly, less interested, in that dream. I still love playing music but I don’t enjoy the late nights in clubs anymore. I’m a home body. I have a small “studio” in my basement where I write and record music under the name “Frequency Collisions”. The creating process was always my favorite aspect of music anyway so I love that I can create and make my music available to folks without having to leave my home or be in clubs till 3am. Read more>>
Crystal Christenson
The turning point came in 2012 when I attended a workshop with a renowned photographer from Seattle. That experience validated my passion and fueled my ambition. By 2013, I took a leap of faith, leaving my stable hospital job to pursue photography full-time. For nearly 15 years, I nurtured my craft in a dedicated home studio, capturing countless precious moments for families. Now, in 2025, I’ve reached a long over due milestone: opening my first brick-and-mortar studio right here in downtown Lindstrom. It’s a dream realized, a testament to the power of passion and the joy of capturing life’s most beautiful moments. To have photographed hundreds of newborns and thousands of families, it’s a blessing I cherish every day. Read more>>
Sara Boyum
My mind does not sit idle for too long, as I then purchased another building on main street. It was probably the biggest project we had taken on to date. WE opened Neverbetter Market + Wellness in 2023. It offers grain bowls, salads, wraps, paninis, acai bowls, smoothies and more. It is more of a fast casual atmosphere. On the second level we offer fitness classes, an event space, massage therapist + esthitician. The business is ever evolving and changing as we are learning what works best for the area. In April, SaraSodas will join Neverbetter. It is our take on the dirty soda craze. Read more>>
