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.
The Miles Family Dragon Forge Games
The love of all things ‘gaming’ has been in our family since childhood. Missy with a love of board games and Tim with a level of ‘nerd gamer’ that back in the 80’s was… just as cool as Stranger Things makes it look. Or, so we like to believe. Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons was life. Read more>>
Makayla Anderson
My journey really started back in high school as an athlete. I was introduced to Herbalife just as a way to feel better and perform better on game days, but at the time I didn’t fully see the bigger picture. After graduating, I worked in a nutrition club part-time, but it took a few years—and going through my own personal struggles—for everything to really click. Read more>>
Levi Siljander
My background in construction began with hands on projects at home, which evolved into three years of residential framing after high school. I eventually transitioned into law enforcement, serving my community as a police officer for nine years, but my passion for construction never left me. Read more>>
Kim Christensesn
My business partner Amy Kuretsky and I met in Chinese medicine school when I was in my first year of the program and she was in her final year. After she graduated in 2013, Amy started her solo practice, gradually growing her business and establishing herself in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis. Read more>>
Laurie Baer
Twenty years ago, a neighbor and I were carpooling our kiddos to school week after week. We began meeting up to ride horse together around our rural neighborhood every now and again. Our conversations went deep fast and soon we realized that we had similar childhoods that were riddled with trauma and horses were a huge part of our path towards healing! Read more>>
Matthew Munsen
I started mowing lawns when I was 12 years old for a neighbor every summer then when I got to high school I started working for the city doing landscaping, later into high school I started mowing lawns again for my friends dad’s company in the summers, after high school I worked for a lawn care company as a pesticide applicator for a couple summers. Read more>>
Bob & Billie Edwards
Cache Lake Camping Foods was born on a rock in the BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness) in 1998. We (Bob and Billie) were celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary with a canoe trip in the BWCAW. We were experimenting with wild rice based, long-cooking dehydrated soup mixes from The Secret Garden™. Read more>>
Tracy Glenz
I’ve been playing music my whole life — my parents tell me that at 2 years old I would sit at our piano and figure out the melodies of songs I heard on the radio by ear. I started Suzuki violin lessons when I was 4, and piano lessons when I was 7. Read more>>
John McDonough
I invented and built the first Rocket Ball game in my basement in late 2021 out of a kid’s pool table. I filed a patent application shortly after. In 2022 I built a tabletop version out of wood, that would set on any table. It was 30 pounds. In August of 2023, I brought that prototype to Gen Con in Indianapolis. Read more>>
Carlynne Folkestad Blake
Bare Sunless Studio was created from a passion for helping people feel confident in their skin while offering a safer alternative to traditional tanning. I started in the beauty industry several years ago, specializing in spray tanning, and quickly saw an opportunity to elevate the experience into something more customized and comfortable. Read more>>
Libby Rothschild
Early in my career, I noticed that most people didn’t struggle because they didn’t know what to do. They struggled because the advice they were given didn’t fit their actual lives. Before becoming a dietitian, I spent years in the fitness and training space, so I was able to see both sides. People weren’t just dealing with information gaps. Read more>>
Molly Darsow
I began my career by studying conflict resolution, which gave me a strong foundation in how people navigate disagreement and move toward resolution. From there, I moved into human services, working in addictions counseling, education, and group facilitation with people in very challenging circumstances. Through this work, I developed a passion for supporting individuals and groups in improving communication and achieving their goals. Read more>>
Ashley Manthei
I started my floral design journey in 2022 with designing a few local weddings, getting my feet wet with establishing a small scale flower farm and freelancing with other local event designers. Read more>>
Pat ‘Doc’ Dougherty
I’m currently playing in a group called Sawtooth Witch with Haley Fleming on fiddle. Haley and I have been playing together for years. We toured in a band called Fairfax, AK together. After a while I started to search for a new sound. I wanted a mix of everything I loved as a kid with all the stuff I was getting into at the time. Read more>>
Grace Holthaus
I was born in Buffalo, MN and have spent many of my professional years working in health care (from insurance to pharmacy benefits to scheduling) and moved into direct patient care with The Bodyworks Collective. I got into neuromuscular therapy initially as a client. Outside of being a neuromuscular practitioner I am a flamenco dancer. Read more>>
JENNIFER HOLM
I have worked in healthcare for over 30 years, primarily in urgent care and emergency room settings, where I developed a strong foundation in patient care and clinical excellence. In 2016 I I became a nurse practitioner. In 2021, I decided to expand my passion for helping others by opening my own aesthetic practice, The Aesthetic Loft. Read more>>
Jes Peterson
I’ve always been a retail gal with an entrepreneurial spirit. One of my first jobs was at Vanity back in the 90’s, I learned a lot about fashion and visual merchandising. Then followed a series of other retail gigs, Wilson’s Leather, a gift shop, an adult bookstore, JCP, TJMaxx, and Pier One where i found my passion for furniture. Read more>>
Laura Wilkerson
I started LUNA Masssge and Wellness 9 years ago in uptown Minneapolis with just myself. Today, it has grown into a wonderful team of skilled therapists who work alongside me. We are honored to be a staple in this community, which is filled with vitality, strength, and a palpable richness to it. Read more>>
Neha Markanda
I grew up across three continents and have visited over 40 countries, which gave me an early appreciation for diversity, adaptability, and the value of a global perspective. At the same time, a strong sense of service was instilled in me from a young age. Read more>>
Linnea Swenson Tellekson
My father invented the Sven-Saw, the first folding bow saw, in 1961 as the result of a trip into what is now the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. A party was rushing out because a man had cut his foot with an ax. My dad thought, “there’s got to be a better way.” Within a year he had invented it! Read more>>
E.J. Lee
My husband, Matthew, and I have loved and played sports our entire lives. We love playing, watching, coaching and officiating all kinds of sports. So when our first son turned 4, our families started to ask us when we were going to start him in sports. Read more>>
Srisawang Lee
As a first generation immigrant, getting a fresh start in the US was not easy. My parents struggled and worked hard every single day just to get our new lives rolling. However, through these struggles I will always remember all the fun times and delicious meals my mother had always prepared. Read more>>
Colleen Hoeft
My name is Colleen and I’ve struggled in the past with alcohol and childhood trauma. God continues to help me to find healing for my hurts, hangups and habits through Celebrate Recovery. Celebrate Recovery at South Troy began in October of 2022. Read more>>
Bill Eddins
Founded in 2020 by Matt Engstrom and Bill Eddins in response to the civic unrest that engulfed Minneapolis/St.Paul because of the murder of George Floyd, MetroNOME Brewery LLC is a socially missioned, majority minority brewery based in the Twin Cities with the mission of Nurturing Outstanding Music Education. Read more>>
Timothy Gassmann
Budget Tax Solutions began in 2005 as a simple side hustle with just three tax clients. The following year grew to about twenty, and from there it steadily expanded—largely through word of mouth and long-term relationships. Read more>>
Amanda Stock
My love for photography started when I entered my photos into 4-H & had the opportunity to go to the state fair with my photographs. What began as a fun hobby quickly turned into my passion. Serving couples & families in the most special seasons of their lives will always be an incredible honor! Read more>>
Juli + Matt Kuntz
Custom by Kuntz started long before our first official project. We met back in 2010 at Simley High School, eventually pursuing careers in engineering and education. While working corporate 9-to-5s, we began flipping duplexes as a ‘hobby’—a way for Matt to channel his passion for building and for us to tackle big projects together. Read more>>
Shyhiem Blatcher
I began my journey in shelter and human services work a little over a year ago at Listening House of St. Paul, but my path into this work started earlier. Before joining Listening House, I worked at a federal halfway house supporting individuals in residential reentry. Read more>>
Staci Caillé
Reckless Swagger is a woman‑owned, punk‑inspired clothing and accessories shop in downtown St. Paul in the historic Produce Exchange Building, built on a lifelong love of music, fashion, and unapologetic self‑expression. I grew up in a fashion‑forward home and started dreaming about retail early on—but I was always drawn to the edgy stuff, the pieces that push boundaries and tell a story. Read more>>
Amanda Frei
I’ve always loved art (Body Art specifically). The idea of wearable art that you carry with you always has forever been my passion. I decided I wanted to be a tattoo artist at 9yrs old, when I saw my first tattoo. Sadly the industry hasn’t always been super inviting to new artists (especially female artists). Read more>>
Michelle Wall
I personally started out in the Twin Cities area and had my own practice for several years, in 2010 I moved to Duluth and worked at a few businesses in the area. This was a great asset to learn about the Duluth Community and meet so many wonderful people. In 2011, I opened my own space in Hermantown in Gordy’s Plaza. Read more>>
Travis Studer
In 2010, I was a mess. I was 21 years old, unemployed, and a full-blown alcoholic, running around with my then-girlfriend causing chaos and going nowhere fast. Everything changed the day I found out she was pregnant. Something in me shifted. Read more>>
Karyn Brisk
My story starts with me being born in Mississippi on a naval base and moving everywhere- even overseas- throughout my childhood. I joined the Air Force and became a Staff Sgt. I learned so much in the Air Force and was trained as a surgical technician. My husband and I moved to Minnesota when I got out of the AF after 7 1/2 years. Read more>>
Aaron Kreutter
Honestly, some of my favorite memories are pretty simple. As a teenager, it was cruising the main—seeing the cool cars, just driving around, hanging out, and being with friends. And even earlier than that, it was riding bikes everywhere, just exploring with no real plan and no need for one. Read more>>
Quella Jackson
My journey into this work is deeply personal. It comes from lived experience walking through seasons of my life where I felt misunderstood, unsupported, and surrounded by people who didn’t fully grasp what I was going through. At the time, I didn’t have a community that truly saw me or could help me navigate the complexities I was facing. Read more>>
Denise Roberts
After years of running restaurants for others, I knew I wanted to have my own. It took 7years to get my husband on board; through beer. Interestingly enough, that came with a game of bingo. We had been talking about opening a place of our own. We were at a brewery, playing bingo. Read more>>
Tri Tang
President – Vietnamese Community of Minnesota (2023–2026) A Unifying Leader for a New Generation Tri Tang’s presidency marks a transformative chapter in the history of the Vietnamese Community of Minnesota (VCM). Elected in August 2023, he assumed leadership at a pivotal moment, bringing a vision centered on unity, inclusion, cultural preservation, and cross-community partnership. Read more>>
Ann Carter
I discovered the joy of community square dancing in college. I was a regular dancer for many years before becoming a caller. One night at the Monday Night Square Dance in Minneapolis a seasoned caller witnessed me helping out some beginners in a square at the back of the room that was struggling. Read more>>
Terri Penshorn
When I graduated from college with a Chemistry degree, I went to work in a Biochemistry lab at the Univ. of IA. It was NOT for me. On a weekend shopping trip with my sister, I happened upon a college fair at a local shopping mall. Right outside the store we were going to was a booth for an Accelerated Pharmacy program at Drake University. Read more>>
