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.
Travis Stevens
In 2019 (Pre-Covid) Philip sold his portion of the business to me went on to be an accomplished designer at Oak Ridge National Labs. His departure made room for Korie to take on more and more responsibility and now I’m happy to say she bought into the business and is now our full time office manager and she ABSOLUTELY KILLS IT. I’d say she is single handedly responsible for the growth we experienced through covid. When most businesses were suffering and shutting their doors her customer service and tenacity helps Riot thrive and not only retain it’s customers but grow it’s customer base to what it is now. Read more>>
Erica McMannes
I quickly learned that my interests and background in how people traverse environments, how communities expand through shared interests, and how people find themselves in an array of situations have a strong setting in the start-up space. I latched on to corporate and community solution building and the innovation potential of startups. And I haven’t looked back. Read more>>
Spencer Blair
It’s been a bit of a mixed bag. My life hasnt been especially difficult. Im lucky to have a stable home and family and met great friends along the way. However, I struggle a lot with my mental health. My clinical depression and anxiety constantly try to put me in a headspace of not being “good enough.” Read more>>
Rick Molchan
The dark vigilante that sought out justice for the average person whether in the court room or on the streets at night. I was on my way to law school and immediately identified with the character. Once Frank Miller got a hold of Daredevil he was elevated in my world as the greatest superhero. He couldn’t fly. He didn’t come from another planet. There weren’t multiple versions or corps of him. He was just a kid that had to overcome adversity (albeit with a little radioactivity) and fought for what he felt was right with a brutal form of justice. Superman and Batman may be legendary and iconic, but Marvel was king of the comic world at that time and had the formula for success. Read more>>
Josh Cate
I started martial arts as a child when my father enrolled me into a program in Fort Walton Beach Florida. We moved to Tennessee and I continued my training. After starting in a traditional martial art I moved on in my training to kickboxing, wrestling, judo and jiu=jitsu. Ive been teaching in Knoxville in some capacity for 34 years. I was one of the first people in Knoxville to step into competitive Mixed Martial Arts. To my knowledge I was one of, if not the, first professional MMA athlete in the state. I continue to compete in no gi jiu=jitsu competition while running my gym, Cate Bjj and Kickboxing. We are the only totally no gi based gyms in the area and routinely put out top talent in mixed martial arts. Read more>>
Charlotte Rollman
I retired from 30 years of teaching painting at Northern Illinois University and moved to Tennessee because I wanted to paint outside in every season. It is so beautiful here and inspiration is everywhere. I joined a plein air painting group “Tuesday Painters” and in this group I met John Adkins, my business partner. After Covid we had so many paintings I wanted to open a gallery and that’s how the Adkins Rollman Gallery began in Nov 2022. Personally I choose a partner I felt was as passionate about painting as I was but also with a contrasting style. We are almost opposite in so many good ways! Read more>>
Tiffany Grandstaff
We are a zero waste store with a passion for food security and local creators. We’re known most for helping people reduce their plastic waste in the home and providing resources for people to take their carbon footprint down one more notch. Thus far, I’m most proud of the knowledge that I have gained from this experience and the fact that everyone I meet truly wants to know more and do better. What sets us apart is that we’re really trying to create a community of people and businesses that all have a common goal. Shop smarter, smaller, slower, more locally, and more consciously in all aspects of life, not just at the refillery. Read more>>
Anita Dunford
I’ve always been a woman of faith and I knew it was time for a change of place I was running my practice out of. I prayed to God one day because I felt this need to do more. That same day I had a client on my table who encouraged me to open my own studio and she had just got her commercial real estate license. I took this as a sign from God and opened Knox Massage and Wellness in October of 2022. God didn’t just encourage me to open a business though. Over the last couple years it has become a place of healing for clients and growth for some very talented massage therapists and wellness practitioners. Read more>>
Arch Girl
I saw a gap—there wasn’t a space that offered high-touch, high-quality brow care and made women feel seen, celebrated, and cared for. So I built it. Every detail, from the scent in the room to the custom art to the way I map each brow, was designed to make you feel like you’re the main character. Read more>>
Amy Sullins
We’ve had an amazing time learning this craft. We started a sister business called Amy Cole Creative in 2020. In 2023, we felt a stirring to change the name of the business to Upcrowd Social. Upcrowd is niched to churches and non-profits, but we also serve in the medical and therapy fields. Read more>>
