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.

Dyana DelRio

Coming back into this position, I now have former members returning with their younger siblings recognizing me, and it’s incredibly special to witness and hear their stories of how Club made a big impact on their futures today. The Club’s mission means so much to me. My heart is forever in it. Read more>>

McRae Van Noy

Growing up, I always thought I was meant to be a nurse. I took all the medical classes, graduated from nursing school, and spent six years working in the medical field. It wasn’t until I had my fourth boy that something shifted. I realized how deeply I craved creating art — how alive I felt surrounded by flowers and beauty. Read more>>

McKenzie LaPan

I actually grew up in Salt Lake City and met my husband here in Utah while I was working as a dental assistant. Photography had always been quietly woven into my life, though. I was always the friend with a camera in my hand, the one everyone sent their photos to for editing. Read more>>

Nathaniel Parker

So I’ve always been side hustling since I was a kid. Cutting grass, cleaning yards, or just figuring out how to make a buck. Pair that with a curious mind and desire to learn, and you have built one pillar of who I am. The big journey began when I started making merch for content creators on Mixer and Twitch. Read more>>

Britney Beardmore

I grew up in Texas and eventually followed my career to the beautiful mountains of Utah. I pursued a path in medical imaging research at several academic institutions, most recently at Huntsman Cancer Institute. My entrepreneurial journey with Acrely Farms began in 2020, when I joined Sarah on the farm to help harvest hemp flowers. Read more>>

Teryn Smith

I started doing nails in 2010 after taking a year off from college to figure out what I truly wanted to do. I’ve always been creative, and during that time I realized the beauty industry felt like home. I went to school, got licensed, and began taking clients in December of that year. Read more>>

Mandylyn Jaye Strong

I have always loved drawing since I was a little kid and dreamed of making art a career. Just out of high school, my friend asked me to give him a hand poked tattoo for fun. It turned out pretty good and all my friends started asking me to give them some. Read more>>

Denise Cold

I was working part-time as a graphic artist for the UVU Alumni Association when my job ended because they merged with another department and wanted a full-time person with a graphic arts degree. Even though I had a ton of real-world experience, I had a very difficult time getting even a part-time job anywhere. It was like I’d hit a brick wall. Read more>>

LuméHaus Studios

LuméHaus Studios began because The Digital Club needed a place to bring its social media clients to create content. When we couldn’t find a space locally designed for modern content creation, we built one. The name and concept were developed by Alex Sollis and Madalyn Welling, inspired by the idea of a haus a home. Read more>>

Mary Sinner

I started painting in Highschool and realized that I loved doing it. I was lucky enough to get a couple of awesome scholarships to pay for my Undergrad and Graduate School. I have a BFA and MFA from the University of Utah. I’ve continued to paint at a home studio. I have four kids and work part time. Read more>>

Scott Moore

I grew up in Utah—Eagle Scout, saxophone player, twin brother, the whole bit. On paper it looked pretty conventional. But I always had this restless pull toward something deeper, something I couldn’t quite name yet. After high school I spent two years in Southern France on an LDS mission. That experience cracked something open. Read more>>

Anndrea Boyer PA-C

I didn’t originally set out to become an entrepreneur — I set out to take exceptional care of people. I’ve been a Physician Associate for more than 14 years, working in emergency medicine, urgent care, family medicine, behavioral health, and occupational medicine. I also serve as a Major in the Utah Army National Guard. Read more>>

April Benincosa

I have always been in a service based industry. Read more>>

Dance Showcase Company

Nearly 60 years ago in Pleasant Grove, Janet and Dave Holdaway opened their basement to a handful of young girls and a big dream… and Dance Showcase Company was born. What started as a few classes in their home quickly became something so much bigger, because Janet didn’t just teach dance; she poured her heart into every student who walked through her doors. Read more>>

Brendan Coyle

I started my career in the brewing industry in Salt Lake City and quickly fell in love with both the science and the art of fermentation. That passion took me to Edinburgh, Scotland, where I earned a master’s degree in Brewing and Distilling Sciences. After returning to Utah, I joined High West Distillery on day one as Master Distiller. Read more>>

Alexandrea Millions

I became a registered nurse in 2013 and started my career in the ICU with the original goal of becoming a CRNA. Early in my career, I was recruited into nursing management, which took me to Las Vegas for several years. During that time, I began working as a “hangover RN” on the Las Vegas Strip, providing concierge IV therapy. Read more>>

Kelby Bundy

For most of my life, I felt alone and depressed. I believed that ‘hopeless’ was not only something that I experienced, but that it was who I was and who I would always be. I struggled with suicidal ideation for years and a physical disability took away my life-long dream of dancing professionally. Read more>>

Babu Purevsuren

I came to the United States from Mongolia in 2004. When I arrived, I didn’t speak any English. Everything was new to me. The language, the culture, even the food. It was very hard in the beginning. I went to English school and studied as much as I could. Read more>>

Meredith Nilsen

I grew up in Texas in a small-town environment where hard work, integrity, and community mattered. My parents are two of the smartest, hardest-working people I know. My mom taught me to be a lifelong learner — always reading, researching, asking questions, expanding. Read more>>

Shannon Robinson

My #1 joy is my family: my husband John and our four kids, and the thing I treasure most is our time together. LIfe-long joy springs from the memories made spent traveling and experiencing the world together. Read more>>

MARK YAKOVICH

I have worked at this shop since 1997, both as Manager and Lead Technician. In 2018 I purchased it , changed the name , got away from corporate influences and started doing things my way, including paying employees differently , treating customers in a better way and also hiring different employees to help me achieve my goals . Read more>>

LINDA GREGERSEN

I was in my mid-30’s and looking for a career change. I had tried lots of different things, but what I really wanted to do was to work with dogs. I didn’t know how I could do that without being a vet or a groomer or a trainer, none of which I wanted to be. I wanted to do something fun with dogs. Read more>>

Becca Anderson

My journey began at 12 years old, volunteering at a local animal shelter. That early spark turned into a lifelong commitment to understanding canine behavior. In high school, I began raising service dog puppies for people with disabilities—a rewarding path I continued for 15 years. During my college years, I gained formal experience working as a trainer at PetSmart and doing private training. Read more>>

Casey Ainsworth

We are going to have to let you go…..the words that nobody wants to hear. Going from a top salesperson at a very large respectable company to wondering what your next step is. That’s when I made the decision that I wanted to work for myself. Read more>>

Dr Leslie Whited & MOSAIC Collective Mgt

MOSAIC has a history of serving anyone who comes to their door. Recent, spontaneous, budget cuts to diverse programs have been very challenging, though, to the steady work. Foundations, donors, and local offerings have become even more important, essential, to smooth non-profit operations! Read more>>

Drew Hubbard

Utah Concrete Lifting and Repair was born out of a simple observation: homeowners and businesses needed a better, more affordable way to fix uneven sidewalks and driveways. Five years ago, I realized that replacing concrete was often an unnecessary expense when professional lifting could restore it for a fraction of the cost. Read more>>