The Most Inspiring Stories in Utah

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.

Cassidy DuHadway

My business has expanded and currently has 7 locations – Heber City, Murray, Bountiful, Farmington, S. Ogden, Lehi and St. George ________ MY Story I didn’t start out wanting to build a group practice or train therapists. My story really began working with teenagers as a teacher, teaching math and music. Read more>>

Kevin Wellard

Born in Tampa, Florida, my story unfolds through the lens of a military upbringing — a journey across diverse corners of the globe. I was blessed with a Department of Defense (DoD) education. Many of my high school teachers were highly educated, on sabbatical, and teaching at Hahn Air Base in West Germany to experience something new. Read more>>

Elham Glam

I built my career by taking risks and trusting my instincts. I started as a salon owner here in Salt Lake, transitioned into editorial and production hair and makeup, and over time realized I wasn’t just an artist, I was a builder, a creative strategist! What changed everything was understanding that creativity and business aren’t separate. Read more>>

Darcy Debernarde

I didn’t get into skincare. because it was trendy, I got into skincare because I lived it. Growing up, I was painfully aware of my skin. I still remember the moment a was called out by a boy in my 7th grade class. No one taught me how to care for it, I relied on ivory soap and vaseline and hoped it would get better. Read more>>

Jason Thomsen

I returned from my mission unsure of where or what I wanted to be. I had plans to be an architect but with everything recovering from the crash in 2009-2010, my major at BYU had all but disappeared. I switched majors and began down the healthcare road. Read more>>

Nichole Monette-Mallett

I spent most of my 20s focused on being a mom, which is something I’m incredibly proud of. When I turned 30, I felt a strong pull to do something for myself—not only to grow personally, but to be a role model for my three daughters and show them it’s never too late to start something new. Read more>>

Trent Whatcott

One cold, rainy morning, after my family and I had returned to live in Utah, as I was perusing social media, I came across an article about the new Provo airport. I only knew of Provo airport from my many viewings of the movie Fletch, starring Chevy Chase, and it looked nothing like the pictures I saw in the article. Read more>>

Lee Witten and Mike Murphy N/A

Mike Murphy and a few other men organized a model train club 35 years ago. They would meet in each other’s homes. Their membership grew and today there are about 161 members throughout northern Utah and a few other states. The club puts on a model train festival the first weekend of March in the Ogden Union Station. Thousands attend the festival each year. Read more>>

Jake Andersen

I’m a dentist. I graduated dental school in 2017 and have practiced in a variety of settings, searching for what brought me the most work satisfaction. After trying out several different clinics, including community health centers, corporate offices, and more, I realized that I enjoy emergency dentistry the most. Getting rid of toothaches is where I find my passion in the world of dentistry. Read more>>

Bryan Bitterman

Born October 20th 1982 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Moved to Michigan in 1984. Family moved around when my parents found new or better work opportunities, lived in Clio, Birch Run, Haslett and Holt Mi. We purchased our first home in 1992 in Holt Mi where I attended elementary through high school. My Senior year I decided to transfer to an adult education school in St. Read more>>

Ben Hodson

I am a long-term entrepreneur. I have started 10 companies in my career. I grew up in the Seattle Washington area and went to the University of Washington. I got a degree in business administration and a second bachelors degree in computer software systems so I’ve been able to be a highly technical CEO and CTO of my various companies. Read more>>

Wendy Edwards

I was born in Honduras, where I was first exposed to a different way of understanding health. As a child, I watched my grandmother use natural medicine to care for my brother, who had chronic asthma. He never owned a nebulizer, yet he went into remission through her care. That experience stayed with me, even if I didn’t fully understand it at the time. Read more>>

Christmas Lutu

Hello! My name is Christmas Lutu, and I’m a Senior Care Navigation Specialist. I help seniors and their families connect with trusted local resources—everything from Medicare and Medicaid to retirement planning, assisted living, skilled nursing, home health, and hospice care. Read more>>

Anastasiia Allsop

My name is Anastasiia, Nastya for short. I am originally from Russia, but I met my husband, Nathan, who is from here in 2021. After going through the immigration process we started working here in Utah creating our little art business, Higgledy Piggledy Arts. Read more>>

Dana Levy

Thanks for asking, and hello to the Voyage Utah readers! I began my career in dance in Nashville in the 1980s, choreographed and performed into the 1990s, then spent 15 years living in Japan studying and teaching yoga and martial arts and running a yoga studio in Tokyo. Read more>>

Dan Waldis

I was born at LDS Hospital on April 1st, and things went downhill from there…. (kidding). At about 10 years old I was given my first piano lessons by my great aunt, Mabel Frazer. She was a wonderful painter who was somewhat well-known in the world art communty.. She also had developed her own musical talent, and that’s where it began for me. Read more>>

Kelsey Phillips Harrison

I’ve been dancing and performing for as long as I can remember. My mom is a dance professor and choreographer, so I think I had no choice but to perform. Starting as a child dancing with the BYU Young Dancemakers and then continuing on to dance as Classical Ballet Academy and Center Stage. Read more>>

Kelly Shumway

Individual nightly cabin rentals tucked away in the La Sal Mountains just outside of Moab, Utah. Conveniently located, easily accessed year round, Accommodations for 65- private cabins surrounded by forest. Pavilion sufficient for events up to 200 persons, i.e., weddings, reunitions, retreats Read more>>

Eric Vittardi, Ron Craft, and Mike Ode n/a

Mike Ode: Sure, I’m currently the Chief Executive Officer at Foundation Software. We’ve been providing construction software and services to the commercial industry for over 40 years. I’ve been involved with Foundation for most of my life. And obviously I didn’t start off as the CEO. From the beginning, I made it a point to learn the business inside out. Read more>>

Lacey McIntyre

I was born and raised in Indiana and always had a love for turtles. I moved to Tennessee for college and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, but I’ve also always had a desire to teach. Admittedly, I tended to stay away from snakes and never owned my own reptiles until moving to Southern Utah over a decade ago. Read more>>

Alexx Goeller

I grew up in Cottonwood Heights, Utah and from about the age of 12, I knew that I wanted to join the United States Peace Corps. Many of my life decisions were made with that ultimate goal in mind. Throughout middle school, high school, and college – I continuously sought out leadership opportunities and ways to engage/help my community. I signed up to be a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters the day I turned 18. Read more>>

Amber Thompson

For Amber, jewelry has never been “just jewelry.” As the mother of four daughters and one son, she deeply understands how what we wear on the outside can reflect who we are on the inside. A bracelet can symbolize strength. A necklace can hold a memory. A simple chain can represent an unbreakable bond. Read more>>