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.

Julia Dryas

I got started in Magic when I was 6 years old. Ever since then I have loved watching Magic. It wasn’t until I started taking Magic Classes at the Magic Castle and performing magic as a Magician’s Assistant that I really started to perform my own magic and find my own style. Read more>>

Wesley Lin

Like a lot of artists, I’ve been drawing since I was a kid. I grew up binging a lot of ’90s cartoons—shows on Toonami, Dragon Ball Z, and I was absolutely obsessed with Batman: The Animated Series. I was always into action and fantasy, dragons and dinosaurs, superheroes and old kung fu flicks. Read more>>

Tim Hower

Timothy Hower was born in 1967 in Omaha, Nebraska, where his father, Walter, was a business manager and his mother, Rita, a homemaker to seven children. He took his first oil painting lesson from his grandmother while in high school. Hower continued his painting efforts at the University of Nebraska, Omaha and majored in painting. Read more>>

Ezekiel Washington

I’ve been dancing for over 25 years, starting at a very young age. I trained in a variety of styles including jazz, ballet, hip hop, contemporary, and more, and spent much of my early years training throughout Northern California. Read more>>

Gena Bradshaw Vitale

My journey into holistic health, energy medicine and spirituality wasn’t something I chose from a place of curiosity, it chose me from a place of survival. I am a two-time cancer survivor. Read more>>

Brandon Stacy

It started with a Black Sunday CD by Cypress Hill on my 8th birthday. It was a present from my brother who strolled in my room in the middle of the night whispering… “don’t tell anybody I gave you this.” I was hooked from the mystery alone. Read more>>

Destiny Preston

I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I’m a fourth-generation Angeleno and was born in Hollywood, at the same hospital where my mom was born. My family has roots in Echo Park dating back to the 1940s, and growing up adjacent to Elysian Park gave me a deep appreciation for Los Angeles and its rich beauty, wellness, and creative culture. Read more>>

Andrea James-Rocha

Our Story Twin Essential Shop began with a passion for creativity, connection, and the timeless art of sewing and quilting. What started as a love for fabric and handmade design grew into a vision of creating a space where others could find inspiration, quality materials, and a sense of community. Read more>>

Giovanna

I’ve always been writing since middle school. It ranged from little songs about friends to big ones about the trauma I was going through in my home life. I kept my songs, stories, and my voice close to my chest, so much so that I was scared to sing in front of anyone. Read more>>

Marissa Vigil

I actually found Urban Workshop completely on a whim. My boyfriend works in the trades and came across the job posting and thought I would be a good fit. Before this, I spent eight years managing Aroma Di Roma alongside some of my best friends, so my background was really in hospitality, customer service, and managing people. Read more>>

Colin Harabedian

I originally grew up playing music and doing sports. I grew up playing trumpet from elementary through high school and played baseball, basketball, and soccer seasonally, while doing a few other sports off and on. For the last few years before I started dancing I had switched to swim team which I did year round and did not like. Read more>>

Marie Lee Guilbert

Before becoming a business owner, I am first and foremost a circus artist. From a very young age, I was captivated by the world of circus. A conventional career path never resonated with me—it was always clear that I wanted to pursue something extraordinary, to perform on the most prestigious stages around the world. Read more>>

Em Davila

I started singing at four years old and performing at five, beginning with the Glory of Christmas at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. From there, I loved performing in musical theater, talent shows, and singing local National Anthems throughout the Inland Empire. Read more>>

Lexi Lucks

I’m originally from Alaska and grew up as a military baby, so adaptability was part of my life from the very beginning. I eventually moved to Las Vegas, where I graduated from UNLV with a degree in multidisciplinary studies, combining liberal arts, business, dance, and marketing. That mix really became the foundation for everything I do now — entertainment, branding, performance, community work, and entrepreneurship. Read more>>

Stefano Casati

I grew up in Florence, Italy, surrounded by art, history and craftsmanship, almost without realizing how much that environment would shape the way I see people, atmosphere and visual storytelling today. Before becoming a wedding photographer, I spent years studying visual communication, composition and design. Read more>>

Pardise Moeini

For over a decade, I took the traditional “safe” route. I climbed the corporate ladder from an entry-level hourly role to a VP-level consultant position making more money than I ever thought possible. On paper, I had everything figured out. But internally, I was miserable. The daily anxiety, living for weekends, counting down to PTO, and the Sunday Scaries became my normal. Read more>>

Ayo Oshodi

When I moved to San Diego in 2021, I immediately noticed a vacuum. For the African and Afro-Caribbean community, the nightlife scene felt incomplete. It was incredibly difficult to find events that authentically served our minority community; the representation was either hard to find or non-existent. Read more>>

Tommy Del Favero

I moved out here to Orange County in 2012 pursuing opportunities centered around my masters degree in human movement and corrective exercise. I worked at a sports medicine clinic owned by the late Chuck Pechin and Dr. Mike Flores. I took my experience from the clinic and tailored it to youth athletic development at Athletes Choice, which was owned by Nick Tunnel. Read more>>

Dakota Fox

Dakota Fox is an Orange County, California–based musician, community organizer, and creative visionary whose work blends the spirit of surf culture, reggae, rock, blues, West Coast hip-hop, and bass music into a movement centered around human connection. Raised through hardship and independence from a young age, Dakota’s story is one of resilience, creativity, and rebuilding community through art. Read more>>

Parish Walker

I started as a child who loved art and was heavily connect to frequencies. My first love was music but the first art form I chose was actually poetry. To be honest I didn’t even like my voice when I was first starting off and I wasn’t the best at writing songs just yet. Read more>>

King Ocie Turner

I go by the stage name King Ocie aka K.O. coming out of Greensboro, NC . What is life like growing up in Nc well im a 90s baby 1991 to be exact. Life was vibrant! growing up didn’t have alot but had what I needed. My mom worked her butt of to make sure me and my brother was straight. Read more>>

CHRISTY LEE

I started my content creator journey on YouTube back in 2010, posting simple recipe videos after graduating from culinary school. At the time, it was purely a hobby, a way for me to share what I was cooking at home. I didn’t have fancy cameras, lighting, or even editing skills. Read more>>

Gretchen Davey

Groovy Ghost Vintage was founded by my husband, Steve Molina, and myself, but the beginnings of our vintage business dates back to 2013. Steve enjoyed vintage reselling online and finally found a spot within Orange Circle Antique Mall to expand to. He did this as a side hustle in addition to his corporate job. Read more>>

Lishma Patel

Born and raised in London, my love for makeup and henna started at a very young age. I was always involved in dance performances and stage shows, and naturally became the person everyone turned to for hair and makeup. What began as a creative hobby quickly turned into a true passion. Read more>>

Matthew Elton Smith

Born in San Diego California, to a musician father and artist mother, I was surrounded by music and creativity. After expressing interest in drums I started lessons at age 9, only to be playing in my dad’s band by age 10. Read more>>

Mallorie & Allea Hopkins & Francis

Dr. Allea Francis and Dr. Mallorie Hopkins are Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists and co-founders of Tonic & Phasic Holistic Pelvic Health. Our story started through shared interests in movement, fitness, pelvic health, and wellness. As our friendship grew, so did our conversations around the gaps we consistently saw in pelvic healthcare and the type of care we believed patients deserved. Read more>>

Johnny Felix

Johnny Felix, known artistically as Talento Creations, is a Puerto Rican visual artist based in Aurora, Illinois. He began using the name ‘Talento’ in November 2021, drawing inspiration from the Spanish word for talent as a way to express his creative vision and inspire both youth and adults. Read more>>

Lindsey Zilliox

I’ve been wearing and collecting vintage since I was in junior high in the nineties, starting with my dad’s old tees and jeans and I’ve just never stopped. The love of vintage never faded, and I continued to wear and collect throughout my life. Read more>>

Gabriella Martinez

I was born in Los Angeles and started doing art since I was super little. I was going to art classes in first grade and would continue to go off and on until high school where I started taking AP art classes. I then started teaching at my local art gallery as an instructor to kids in my junior year of highschool. Read more>>

Ashley Clement

When I was 16 years old after deep prayer as a woman of faith, I felt convicted that God called me to the entertainment industry. Read more>>

Katin Cox

I got started in the floral industry when I was 16 years old delivering flowers for a small mom-and-pop flower shop. Although I originally started with deliveries, I quickly became interested in the design side of floristry and began learning floral design about a year later. From there, I progressed pretty quickly, started freelancing, and continued developing my own style and approach to design. Read more>>

fiveALIVE

We went through auditions and every girl has their own story. Three members auditioned in-person at an academy, one member auditioned online in high school, and another member joined in after about a year. All of us met, trained hard, and we continue to reach milestones throughout our journey! Read more>>

Unspokenviews

My earliest memory of music is being around 5 years old and singing the ‘Boy is mine’ by Brandy and Monica with my Auntie, whose voice is such a powerhouse ! I didn’t know then that I would fall in love with music the way that I have over the years but my draw to music has always been present. Read more>>

Caitlyn Dasilva

My journey into branding and web design has been built over years of exploring entrepreneurship, trying different business paths, pivoting, learning, and ultimately discovering where my true gifts and passion aligned. Read more>>

GINA MCMILLEN

I’ve always been a creative person, I am an oil painter and all around crafter. Read more>>

Catherine Hernandez

My Business Story Never in a million years did I think I would become a florist before 2021. My plan was simple: graduate college and grow within my career field. I attended Montclair State University and graduated in 2020 with a degree in Business Administration. My focus was management, logistics, and HR. Read more>>

MIA LICANO

My story begins with life — with my biological mother choosing life, even if that meant I would not be raised by her. I was placed into the foster care system at birth, and because of that, family has always carried a deep meaning for me. I was blessed to be raised in a home filled with love, support, laughter, creativity, and encouragement. Read more>>

Mina Chun

Hi, I’m Mina, the owner and creator behind Kraze Board. Before starting this business, I spent over 10 years working in finance, which is completely different from what I do now. Even while working in corporate, I always knew I had a creative side and was constantly looking for an outlet where I could express it. Read more>>

Jackie Reece

I discovered yoga in my mid-thirties, and it quickly became more than a practice to me. It became a calling. In 2010, I completed my yoga teacher training and spent that summer teaching friends, simply sharing something that I loved. That passion led me to open my first studio, Balance Yoga: Mind Body Spirit in 2011. Read more>>

Ashlin Fletcher

Not to sound dramatic but I feel like I came out of my mother with this loud and stubborn need to be making something, constantly. It was one of the only things I’ve consistently been strong-willed about. Read more>>

Lauren Elder

We moved around a lot when I was growing up, but most of that time was spent in California so I consider myself a California girl.I always knew I wanted to be a performer. I started the theater department at my high school, where they hadn’t put on a play in 30 years! Read more>>

Rob Anvareyan

Started with Martial arts at 7 yrs old in USSR. Arminia today. Boxing at 10 yrs old . 4 yrs of high school wrestling .Muay Thai , Jiu Jitsu and judo, came in my 20,s. Now I run San Clemente MMA. Read more>>

Keith De La Torre

I actually had left LA to study Marine Biology in Miami, FL. Soon realising that wasn’t for me I fell into a display gig w Ralph Lauren. I hadn’t a clue as to what I was doing but my boss saw something in me I wasn’t aware of at that time. Read more>>

Kate Morris

I was born and raised in the mountains of New Hampshire in a very musical family, so I was exposed to music and instruments from a young age. I remember singing and writing songs as a little girl, and throughout school I was heavily involved in music programs and show choir. Read more>>

Stephanie Blood

I grew up in Portland, Oregon and basically on a golf course. My dad, Chuck Solomon, was a head pro at Glendoveer, so golf has been part of my story since day one. I played in high school and a bit in college, but life took me on a different path. Read more>>

Marisa Herr

I actually started content creation very casually as a foodie, just posting photos of meals, drinks, and places I loved for fun without really thinking much of it. Over time, my content naturally evolved to beauty and lifestyle, and eventually into motherhood, which has become my favorite chapter to share. As my audience grew, so did my passion for creating. Read more>>

Tim Keenan

I work as the studio technician for the ceramics program at Santa Ana College. At the same time, I maintain my own studio practice, making both functional work and sculpture. I was born in 1968 in Long Beach and grew up in Orange County during the 70s and 80s, which probably explains a lot about how I see things. Read more>>

Stacie Sansone

I got into pediatric sleep consulting after my own experience navigating infant sleep, which quickly showed me how much conflicting and overwhelming information exists for parents. That experience led me to want a much deeper understanding of what was actually driving infant and toddler sleep patterns from a developmental and biological standpoint, not just surface level advice. Read more>>

Fritzie Lopez

My story is one of resilience in motion a journey defined by grit, purpose, and an unwavering belief in the power of education to transform lives. A first-generation college graduate, I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, attending ten different schools before graduating from high school. Read more>>

Enzo Selvaggi

Inspired by the excellence and exuberance of Sacred Art in the past, I wanted to bring the same masterful storytelling, the devotion to craft, and obsession with detail to our day — and especially our sacred spaces. In 2015, I designed my studio’s first mural in a church, in Inglewood. Read more>>

Mia Nguyen

Long Beach Mushrooms started with a simple curiosity and quickly turned into an obsession. What began as experimenting with growing mushrooms at home slowly grew into a vision for creating something bigger — a local urban farm that could provide fresh, specialty mushrooms directly to our community. Read more>>

James Marin

My story begins as a sick and very unhealthy teenager, I was on a trajectory for lifelong chronic disease. After bouts of childhood of asthma, obesity, joint pain, and chronic allergic reactions I was now on a workout and low-carb diet, eating tons of animal products in an effort to be “healthy”. Read more>>

Jessica Gomez

I’ve always loved photography growing up… I used to play around with my parents’ film cameras all the time. Even back then, I was drawn to the feeling of freezing moments that would otherwise pass by too quickly. But photography became something much deeper for me after I had my children. Read more>>

Morgan Stiles

I come from humble beginnings in a small town in Ohio, where I was raised on a small farm with my parents and two sisters. My childhood was peaceful — filled with playing outside, catching fireflies, and watching summer sunsets. Winters were cold, which meant lots of time indoors getting creative and using our imaginations. Read more>>

Rennet Igunbor

I started Valoria Consulting after working for several years in HR, recruiting, payroll, and finance operations. Through that experience, I saw that many business owners were struggling with more than just taxes — they needed help building organized systems and staying compliant as they grew. I began by doing independent consulting and project-based work, helping businesses with payroll, compliance, and operational support. Read more>>

Maxwell Jen

I started my career at a university hospital as an emergency medicine physician where I was quite happy practicing and teaching medical students & resident physicians. Then in 2020, COVID hit which meant that all of our missions (teaching, research, outreach, etc.) other than delivering healthcare services completely disappeared. Read more>>

Srishti Arora

I like to think of my career as a journey of narrowing my focus while broadening my perspective. It started at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in India as a designer. Graduating as a gold medalist gave me a deep appreciation for what I do, but it was my first role at a fashion eCommerce startup that changed everything. Read more>>

Jasmine Amoh

I believe passion and purpose have a way of ringing throughout our lives. Ultimately it’s up to us to decide if we’ll ever answer the call. Read more>>

Denaya Morris

I first fell in love with dancing. I would participate in dance classes Monday-Friday and dance summer camps at my local dance studio in the Valley. That is where my love for performing grew. Then I transitioned to musical theater, where I have performed in over 9 musicals between 5th and 12th grade. Read more>>

Jillian Bennett

I grew up in Orange County. Growing up my family spent a lot of time outside, visiting the mountains, the beach, lakes. I believe this gave me a great sense of appreciation for nature. Meanwhile, I was surrounded by creative siblings and a creative mom, so drawing, painting, crafts just seemed like a norm. Read more>>

Reed Greenfield

I’m from Inkster Michigan I came west to Pursue Entertainment Through Acting, Dancing, Rapping, and Fitness through the Trials of my Journey I’ve been more Rooted and connected to exercise because it’s the Universal language that everyone understands Read more>>

Nazia Malik

I’m a dentist and the founder of SMYL OC Dental. My journey into dentistry started with a passion for healthcare, but I quickly realized I was drawn to the hands-on, artistic side of dentistry and the ability to build long-term and meaningful relationships with patients. Read more>>

Nick Cholula Cruz

This leather craft journey began in my childhood, starting in the early 2000s, I was part of an after school program called The Ranch which was located at the OC Fairgrounds. The program taught us about gardening, raising livestock and how to work the land, and equestrianism, but my favorite class out of all of them was leatherworking. Read more>>