Inspiring Stories from the OC

The heart of our mission at VoyageLA 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 Orange County’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 the Orange County’s rising stars below.

Jessica Walker

I combined my past experiences in the health & wellness industry, my love for music art and fashion and the vision of curating a small wellness apothecary space of sorts for my community offering essential goods from sustainable ethical brands that cater to everyone’s individual needs with the most crucial element of offering a space for local artists and musicians to share their work! Read more>>

Myrna Elguezabal

Event planning has always been part of who I am. As a kid, I loved organizing my family’s celebrations, putting together a full program, assigning performances, coordinating routines, and keeping the chaos mostly under control. It was just kid stuff, but I genuinely loved bringing everything together. Let’s just say I have always been considered a little bossy, haha! Read more>>

Walid Nasserdeen

I’ve always loved building – businesses, teams, systems, and ideas. Early in my career, working in finance and economics, I became fascinated with one of its most fundamental concepts: supply and demand. That fascination took me from Wall Street into corporate supply chain and business planning, where I began applying those same principles to forecasting, operations, and inventory management. Read more>>

Jessie Lopez

I was born and raised in Santa Ana, and my story starts with my family and the values they instilled in me from a very young age. I grew up in a single parent household, and I watched my parents work incredibly hard, sometimes working two or three jobs just to make ends meet. Read more>>

Lisset Mendoza

I didn’t grow up watching a lot of films, funny enough. TV was my whole life, and I loved it. I loved the stories, I loved how they moved people, and I loved that even through laughter, you could learn something. I did, however grow up always having a camera in my hand and documenting everything, from skate adventures with my friends to family trips. Read more>>

Namsis Loch

Mod Tot started after I became a mom to my daughter, Charlotte and I contemplating leaving the corporate world to spend more time with my family. . With my background in fashion merchandising and sales, I’ve always loved clothing and the way special pieces can tell a story. Read more>>

Ayana Watson

Hello, a little about me and the origin of Tipsy Rae’s. I’m originally from Northern California, and when I first moved to Southern California, it honestly took me a while to find my place here. NorCal and SoCal are two completely different worlds, and it was hard adjusting to it at first. Read more>>

Bobby Toledo

Brief intro: I just turned 40 this year, and growing up in Southern California, I’ve always loved Los Angeles and everything SoCal has to offer. My early days were filled with playing the trumpet in marching band, studying PR at Cal Poly Pomona, and building a corporate career in training, event and content production, and leadership development. Read more>>

Chris Justice

Art was always something that I was compelled to make, whether it was a drawing of a hockey player in grade school class, or street art in high school art class, to playing guitar in punk rock bands as a teenager. One day I wanted to figure out how to make a living at visual art so I did. Read more>>

Yogi Gabriel

My journey began in construction and business, but after nearly 15 years of serious health challenges and a profound near-death experience, my life took an entirely different direction. I became a Kundalini Yoga teacher and immersed myself in Ayurveda, meditation, energy work, and healing. That path eventually brought me to India and Ayurvastra, the ancient Ayurvedic tradition of creating textiles with medicinal plants and herbs. Read more>>

Paola Leon

Hola! Me llamo Paola Leon and I am a first generation Latina who is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California. I was born and raised in Santa Ana, California and like many growing up, my first language was Spanish. Mis padres son de la Ciudad de Mexico, also known as el D.F. Read more>>

Lynne Sheridan

I grew up on an Ojibwe reservation in Northern Wisconsin, child of divorce and youngest of seven kids in a combined family. Read more>>

Leena Nawabi

I started Moments by Leena on August 23, 2020, during the height of COVID—a time when so many of us could not gather or celebrate life’s most meaningful milestones. During that period, I missed out on having an engagement party, bridal shower, wedding, and baby shower. Read more>>

Bill & Amber Perkins

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the absence of live sports left a void in the hearts of millions, and baseball fans were no exception. Spring Training came to a halt and disrupted annual rituals that fans look forward to every year— Opening Day, the sights and sounds of the ballpark and the thrill of the game. Read more>>

Joey Lane

I started real estate in 2o21 while I was in school to become a PTA (physical therapist assistant). I decided to get my license after watching the real estate market boom in 2020 and wanting to not mis this train of opportunity. Read more>>

Denise Brune

Meet Chef Nees My love for cooking started long before I ever became a professional chef. Growing up, I was always in the kitchen preparing home-cooked meals. As I got older, I found myself becoming more creative and passionate about food, and I knew the kitchen was where I belonged. Read more>>

Jennifer Carrillo

Road to Baby really began from a combination of my own life experiences, my love for helping people, and a desire to do things differently in an industry that is incredibly personal. I was raised by a single mother and grew up understanding very early the importance of family, resilience, and creating opportunities for yourself. Read more>>

Aselya Kopt

I’ve never known how to do just one thing. Growing up, I was the kid who got straight A’s and still found time to run for everything — student body president over 2,000 students, then president of my law school’s debate club. Ambition wasn’t a trait I had; it was the only mode I knew. Read more>>

Michael Devecchio

I definitely didn’t take a straight path to get where I am today. In 2015, at 26 years old, I moved to Mammoth Lakes, California to get sober. I didn’t have a dime to my name, and a Marshalls bag full of clothes was pretty much everything I owned. That move ended up changing the entire direction of my life. Read more>>

Adore Chae

My journey as a content creator started from simply sharing the things I genuinely love fashion, beauty, lifestyle, home decor and everyday moments from my life. I never initially set out thinking that I would build a platform or work with brands. I was just creating and sharing because it was something I enjoyed. Read more>>

Deana Helmy

I was born in Santa Monica, CA to Egyptian parents. My parents and brother came to the United States for a postdoc opportunity for my father. Somewhere along the way, I was born. Their path kept them in Southern California, as we moved to Orange County when I was three for my father’s research job. Read more>>

Julia Rose

I’m most known for acting, singing/ songwriting, dancing, and performing stand up comedy! Read more>>

Isabel Martinez

Hello, my name is Isabel and I grew up in Santa Ana, California pretty much my whole life. My life has not always been the prettiest but somehow I have managed to make it to 29. I am a child of immigrant parents who are from Morelos and Michoacán, Mexico. We have dealt with immigration issues, alcoholism and even witnesses and survivors of domestic violence. Read more>>

Dillon Fisher

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved creating. Whether it was drawing, painting, building, filming, or anything in between. I studied Product Design at Otis College of Art and Design, and after graduating in 2024, I started to prioritize sharing my creations on social media. Read more>>

Nick Leggio

My path to becoming a clinical psychologist wasn’t necessarily a straight line. However, when looking back, I think each stage helped shape the kind of psychologist I am today. I’m originally from Tucson, Arizona and I’ve always been curious about people—why we think the way we do, how our experiences shape us and why certain patterns seem to follow us. Read more>>

Elisha Rhodes

My journey to where I am today began when I left a very difficult situation in North Carolina and came to California with only $5,000 to my name. I had three children depending on me, no car, and no place to live. I was starting over completely, but I knew I had to find a way forward. Read more>>

Carly Zamani

I grew up in Carlsbad and spent many summers in Laguna Beach at my grandparents’ house, so Orange County has always been home base for me. Before real estate, I spent 21 years in restaurants — the last stretch running Las Brisas in Laguna Beach. People assume that’s an unrelated career, but it’s actually the best training I could have had. Read more>>

John Nicolazzo

My career has been a little unconventional, but looking back, there has always been a common thread: I’ve been drawn to emerging industries, technology, and opportunities where I felt something could be built better than what existed at the time. My professional journey really began at Foxwoods in Connecticut, where I was exposed very early to technology, security, infrastructure, and large-scale operations. Read more>>

genesis Lugo

I really wanted to be a storyboard artist and work in the animation industry. Maybe, make my own thing being a show, movie, book, or comic. I had a really hopeful start. I started my official freelance art journey right after I graduated from California State University of Long Beach. I got hired to publish a comic book for Youth Leadership for Long Beach. Read more>>

Charmaine Holland

Hi, my name is Charmaine Holland and how I got started is having a “purpose” as an child being a teen mom at the age of 13 given birth to a baby boy at the age of 14 was definitely a game changer, change my whole perception of life, mindset and purpose driven by understanding the world that we live in. Read more>>

Sterling and Abbey Leverett

It all started sitting in the dining room of in n out last october. Abbey said to me hey lets throw a halloween party. It was met with some fear and a little confusion, but soon after we started talking about options: how do we execute, where do we do it, how do we get people there etc. Read more>>

Eric Kirkegaard-Jensen

After retiring from public service, I started as a one SUV operator in 2013. I had always done some executive driving in the past and this was an easy transition. I started a national network of Black Car and SUV operators that aligned with the brand I was trying to build. My company now has a national presence and is in three countries. Read more>>

Cindy Tran

I grew up in Virginia and went to Virginia Tech where I got my Business Management degree. Right after I graduated I bought a one way ticket to California. I have family who lives here so I visited a lot as a kid and knew I needed to escape east coast weather at some point. It’s been 12 years and I’ve never looked back. Read more>>

Tim Storey

I grew up in Compton, California, one of the toughest neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Losing my father at a young age could have defined my story, but instead it ignited something in me. I watched friends go down paths with no good ending and made a decision early on that my life was going to mean something. Read more>>

Tanisha De La Torre

Absolutely! Surprisingly, if you can believe it, it all started with a YouTube video. I found a video of a Lebanese belly dancer in 2006, before I had ever even taken a class. Read more>>

nicole Sandoval

I began my career in medicine because I truly felt called to live a life of service. I was naturally strong in science, but more than anything, I wanted a career where I could use that strength to help people. Read more>>

Patricia Franklin

My journey began with Franklin Freelance Writing, which was built from my passion for writing, communication, and helping others bring their ideas to life. What started as a freelance writing and consulting business grew as I began working with individuals, entrepreneurs, educators, and organizations that needed support developing their written work and communicating their stories effectively. Read more>>

Hee Jin Yoon

My journey with the harp began in Seoul, South Korea, where I grew up and received my early musical training. I studied harp at Seoul National University and moved to the United States in 2004 to continue my studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and Indiana University. Read more>>

Aalure Mitchell

I’ve always loved music and tried my best to emulate my favorite singers and learn verses at a young age. I sang in my church choir for a short period before pivoting to gymnastics for the bulk of my formative years. After an injury I stepped away from the sport and began to focus on music. Read more>>

Robin Meyer

Dolls, never been a fan. Their porcelain ‘skin’ and lifeless glass eyes always staring, never blinking. Of course growing up I had my Barbies and my beloved Mrs. Beasley, but never had the honor of having a tiny Victorian woman silently judging me from a shelf. Read more>>

Taryn Hansen

I started as a bright eyed 26 year old who was working for a private training studio while going to college and decided helping people was what I was doing daily and I could be more active. I risked my entire savings to open a small 1k sq. ft studio which grew within a year to 3x the studio. Read more>>

Jason Murchison

A life long surfer and OC native who saw a gap with the majority of surf schools hiring part time untrained high school aged surf instructors. So Jason Murchison brought his skills developed while going to the University of Hawaii and being a part of Naval Special Warfare to surf instruction. Read more>>

Misty Weltzien

My name is Misty Weltzien, and I often say that I didn’t choose financial services – but that financial services chose me. My journey has taken me from growing up in a trailer park to becoming an internationally recognized keynote speaker, Chief Executive Officer, and transformational leader in the financial services industry. Read more>>

BritYah Cadot

My story begins with abandonment. When I was born, the man who was told to be my father was not there. Instead, a man my mother had recently met was there. My birth certificate, in the place of father, says ‘unknown’. Growing up, I was confused, and I didn’t understand my purpose or identity. Read more>>

Karen Agurto

I actually didn’t start out photographing weddings. I started with creative concept portraiture, coming up with unique shoot ideas and working with other creatives to bring them to life. I’ve also always been an outdoorsy person, so when I stumbled onto a styled elopement content day in Joshua Tree National Park, something immediately clicked. Read more>>