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.

Anna Bugbee

I have always been interested in art, drawing all the time as a kid. I studied printmaking in college and loved it. I started at the University of Oregon and ended up transferring to NYU where I finished my undergrad degree. After college I got a job at a fine art screenprinting studio in Brooklyn, where I worked for three years. I learned so much about screenprinting there and gained a lot of valuable experience. Read more>>

Emerald Foster

What truly inspires my work as a day-of wedding coordinator is the opportunity to support brides and their families during one of the most important days of their lives. Weddings can be beautiful, but they can also be overwhelming. I understand how stressful and emotionally charged the day can become, and that’s why I’m so committed to being a calm, reassuring presence. I want every bride to feel relaxed, confident, and radiant on her wedding day—able to focus on the love and celebration, not the logistics. Read more>>

Misty Tucson

I was born in Durango, Colorado, and raised in the small but spirited town of Bayfield. After high school, I moved to Phoenix, Arizona, chasing big dreams and a fresh start. There, I attended beauty school and began carving out a future for myself. In 2007, I became a mother to my daughter, Grace a moment that grounded me and gave me even more reason to dream big. Read more>>

Reed Parkinson

I’ve always wanted to work in Medicine since my earliest memories. I did my residency for Internal Medicine in Denver Colorado and got some very good training from many wonderful doctors there. I was able to see a large volume of patients and diseases helping prepare me for my own clinic and hospital work in the future. Denver provided great exposure to a lot of different things in the world for me. Read more>>

Natalie Surut

The journey has been circuitous and personally challenging. Opening a clinic and betting on myself has forced me to face old belief systems that encouraged playing it safe and sticking with the more traditional career path of physical therapists. Believing in myself, my ability to create a model that meets the needs I was seeing in the community, and taking the risk to leave security for the unknown has required radical self-honesty. It has also been the most rewarding adventure yet! Read more>>

Eugene Kim

Fresh out of the U of U, I decided to try my hands in advertising, spending years servicing clients and developing a lovely addiction to coffee. After advertising, I went to work in social media, software utilization, and ultimately came back to the family business of Advanced Gloves. While working here, my father and I opened the Bean Yard in an effort to bring specialty coffee further south in the valley. Read more>>

Emery Lortsher

The Blended Table was founded in 1989 (Yes, 1989) by Gary Vlasic and was originally named Gary Vlasic Catering. In 2001 it was restructured and renamed to LVC. (Lortsher-Vlasic Catering) to include a new partner, (Emery Lortsher). In 2011 Gary retired and Colour Maisch joined as a partner. At this time we renamed the company The Blended Table (also known as BT) and realigned our focus. From 2011 to present day – The Blended Table (BT) has gone through a LOT of changes but our main focus has been to take care of people in the best way possible; our team, our community, our vendor partners and our clients by providing gracious service and beautiful delicious food. Read more>>

Elena Hodges

I was an extremely talented young realistic artist, then I discovered photography around 12 years old. The moment I could start in high school, I jumped to take a photography class, during which I was awarded multiple scholastic photography awards when I was just 16 years old and have spent over a decade honing in on my craft. Read more>>

Val Garcia

I went on to study at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, where I gained the tools to bring my vision to life. Mariposa is the result of that journey—a boutique born from family, tradition, and an enduring love for fashion. It’s more than just a brand; it’s a tribute to the people who shaped me and a way to share that legacy with the world. Read more>>

Travis Hendrickson

In 2016, my brother in law approached me knowing that I had a small design and metal fabrication shop because he was tired of crawling around on hands and knees to clean and inspect the underside of his light turboprop personal aircraft. He was looking for something to replace the customary hodge-podge collection of stacked pillows or a modified office chair – we’ve seen and heard it all from our current list of satisfied customers that have converted to using the AeroCreeper. Read more>>

Nisi La’a

Eventually, I realized I was made for more, and more is exactly what I pursued. After taking a break from school, I returned to earn my Master’s in Social Work. The mental health crisis within the Pacific Islander community was growing, and the need for culturally grounded, community-rooted therapists had never been more urgent. I knew I couldn’t wait for change, I had to be part of the change. Read more>>

Madison Barnes

My journey into graphic design actually started in an unexpected way. Back in 2018, I opened a women’s clothing boutique called Embers in Salt Lake City—right at the base of the Wells Fargo building downtown. I didn’t have a background in retail or fashion, so I jumped in headfirst, like many first-time entrepreneurs do. It was a huge learning curve. The margins were tight, and I quickly realized that the local market didn’t quite align with the style of clothing I was carrying. So I shifted focus to growing my online presence. Read more>>

Mike Blocher

Myself and my business partner / friend Nick Tramp moved to Utah in 2014 after feeling burnt out on certain parts of the industry. We came to Salt Lake to find a way to cook our own style of food and “play by our own rules” so to speak. We started as a pop up dining group and over a two year period found a space and opened Table X in 2016. Read more>>

Azelia Dickson

Growing up, I’ve always had an eye for detail. That grew into an interest in Interior Design during high school and college. I took any and all classes I could to learn as much as possible about Interior Design. I found myself very interested in the science behind interior design, the actual physics of how different materials, architectural lines, design placements, and floor plan functionalities contribute to the vibrations of a space. It’s not just a hoodoo voodoo concept, this is mappable science, and if you do it right, each project is a correct representation of it’s owner. Read more>>

Kylie Holt

It has NOT been a smooth road getting to where I am at! I have gone through many struggles and challenges. One main challenge is balancing home life with work life. With 3 young children at home, finding time to bake and decorate was sometimes impossible during the day, so most of my baking career has taken place late at night when my kids go to bed. Also, my first 2 cake shows I was on, we unfortunately lost, and that was a huge blow to my self esteem, but I stuck to it and tried again and ended up winning the next 2 shows! Read more>>

Amy Englebrecht

Spontaneity is a huge part of my artistic process. I like techniques that surprise me, anything that adds an element of uncertainty and unknown. My painting is highly gestural, so I’ll try anything that adds awkwardness to a gesture. I work pieces directly on the panel, in the moment. However it evolves, is how it evolves. That’s both part of the joy and part of the challenge. At some point in nearly every piece I’ll look at it and think, ‘Well, this has just gone over the edge into chaos.” But then I’ll add a couple more swipes and it all comes together. It’s sort of magical. I think my pieces are fun, and my litmus test for being finished is whether they make me giggle. And if other people see that and connect with that fun and joy, all the better. Read more>>

Langi Tuifua

The recovery from my injury was quite possibly one of the lowest points of my life. Going from playing on the field, and lifting the most weight I had ever lifted, to laying in bed and barely being able to move a muscle was a grueling and depressing process. However, the recovery process went really well and after just 3 months I was back in the weight room getting all my lifting numbers back where they needed to be. Read more>>

Michelle Brown

A career in the design industry is always an uphill climb—highly competitive and demanding. For me, that journey was made even more challenging by a lack of financial stability and a family background that didn’t support my career aspirations. My parents discouraged me from pursuing design altogether, which made the pursuit even more personal and meaningful. Read more>>

Abby Volta

Our current lineup is myself on bass and vocals, Dylan Krakowsky on the drums and Jack Downey on the guitar. It’s been a great experience to play my songs live for people and connect with them through music. I’ve also recently started an alternative metal band called Botfly with Dylan on the drums, Sirena Matriarch on the bass, Chloe Mirabito on guitar and Max Greenberg on guitar. Botfly has been super fun since it’s so different from my normal band and I get to scream! This summer I’m focusing on recording and releasing music for my personal project and for Botfly. Read more>>

Marta Mannuzza

It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. The hardest part? Restarting—over and over again. I’ve rebuilt my photography business four times: in China, then in Iceland, then Minnesota, and now here in Moab. Each time meant starting from scratch—finding clients, building trust, learning a new landscape, and showing up even when no one knew my name yet Read more>>

Aubrey Miller

I started photography my first year in college and quickly grew it into more than just a hobby. I love working with couples and telling all the unique stories. I focus primarily on weddings and couples with experience in many other things. I also shoot portraits Read more>>

Camden & Hailey

While working there, we photographed our first wedding for a friend and instantly fell in love with the energy, emotion, and artistry that comes with documenting such meaningful days. Not long after getting married ourselves, we decided to quit our jobs and take the leap into full-time photography. Then the world shut down. COVID hit just weeks later, and we found ourselves newly married, living off savings, and driving for DoorDash in between trying to build our business. Read more>>

Lauren (Lo) Cohen

To me, there’s a big difference between reacting to a moment and intentionally shaping a narrative. I strive to hold space for couples in a way that lets their story unfold with a beginning, middle, and end – just like a movie. That same intentional approach applies to the private events I cover, including wellness retreats, where care, energy, and atmosphere are just as important as the visuals. Read more>>

Maren Rasmussen

Over the next several years, I was introduced and worked with about 3 mentors. I learned during this time that I had a gift to see energy. In one of my sessions with one of my mentors I was seeing images in my mind and she started talking about the exact images I was already seeing. This opened me up to exploring my gift and diving more into the energetics of individuals, animals, and energy in general. Read more>>

Collin Brackin

I am extremely grateful to have such a well formed team. Its hard trying to grow a business, but the rewards of the community raving about your food, is like no other. There has been lots of sacrifice to make this happen, for example we lived in a motorhome for 9 months while we rented our house out to save money to help build our Smithfield store, I sold my Mustang, Hellcat & Boat to build the food trucks & Smithfield. All things I can get back after we get the important work done! but for now, MORE PIZZA!!! Read more>>

Megan Blakelock

Megan’s passion for family law comes from a genuine desire to support people during life’s most challenging moments. A respected Utah attorney, she is known for her calm confidence, legal smarts, and the kind of empathy that puts clients instantly at ease. Officially joining the Utah State Bar in 2019 after earning her law degree from Willamette University College of Law, Megan had already gained valuable experience since 2011 working alongside her powerhouse mother-in-law, Rose Blakelock, learning firsthand what it takes to guide families through some of their toughest moments. Read more>>