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.

Roger Motzkus

I have always loved drawing from when I was a child, mostly cartoons. I had a very good High School instructor that fueled my desire to learn and gave validation. There I was exposed to various mediums of acrylic, oil and using an airbrush. The artwork I did earned a full-ride scholarship and a Bachelors in Fine Art from the University of Utah. Read More>>

Shwa Laytart

I’ve been writing my whole life. Poetry was my first love. Along with my photojournalist wife, I spent over a decade as a counter-culture journalist covering everything from cannabis, entertainment, activism, and social issues. I self-published my first book in 2019, right before COVID. I found it would be much easier if my wife started our own publishing house. Read More>>

Paige Bingham

My story has never really been about business. Business has simply been the vehicle. For sixteen years, I cleaned houses while raising my children. I was grateful for the work, but I knew I wanted more freedom, more flexibility, and more control over my future. In 2013, I discovered the network marketing industry and began building alongside my cleaning business. Read More>>

SKY CHANEY

VillageLight.org is a nonprofit international aid organization that serves remote villages in the highest mountains in the world. Our effort started 10 years ago when our team was trekking in Nepal. We noticed so many mountain people struggling to survive and decided to do we can do the help. We starting by bringing warm clothing and reading glasses with us into the Himalayas. Read More>>

Michael Marinos

Dad Bod started in 2018 when my brothers and I began making music together in our parents’ garage. The first few years were a lot of trial and error, releasing EPs and playing shows while figuring out who we were as a band. I’d say Pastels was our real debut, the first record that felt like we truly found our sound. Read More>>

Erik Macedo

I started writing lyrics when I was around 12 years old because some of my friends were doing it. At the time, I listened to a lot of rap Tech N9ne, Hopsin, J. Cole, and Eminem but I also listened to other genres too, like System of a Down, Green Day, and Christina Perri. Read More>>

Jessi Bang

My journey has been anything but traditional. I grew up in central Utah and have moved more than 49 times since I was 18, living everywhere from California to Las Vegas before eventually settling in Southern Utah. I earned a degree in Criminal Justice and spent more than 12 years managing portrait studios, where I discovered my love for storytelling, photography and connecting with people. Read More>>

Jolynn Forman

I teach High School art at Timpanogos High in Orem. I teach the only full stained glass program in the state! I started the program in 2018 with three classes that lead to an internship at Holdman Studios at Thanksgviing Point. Read More>>

Alejandra Marqués Méndez

I grew up in Venezuela, attended a French school system that was academically brutal from day one, and became someone who didn’t know how to do anything halfway. By the time I hit university I was pursuing two bachelor’s degrees simultaneously, Business Management and Law, graduating at the top of both.  Read More>>

Natasha Telaroli

When they say ‘I’m just a girl’ I think they are talking about me- I am quite literally just a girl, with a corporate job, 2 kids, and a passion for sharing my experiences. I grew up in Potomac, MD about 20 min outside of Washington, DC. I loved growing up on the East Coast and being surrounded by so much diversity and opportunity. Read More>>

Liz Whittaker

The creation of Deep Love began in 2010 with authors Ryan Hayes and Garrett Sherwood, as they were college roommates in Rexburg Idaho. Read More>>

Austin Patkos

Honestly it all comes from the same place. I’ve always been someone who needs a hard thing to point at. It started with martial arts when I was younger. That’s where I learned the thing that stuck with me. You’re going to get hit, you’re going to end up on your back, and nobody’s coming to bail you out. Read More>>

Thomas McAlinden

Im a native New Yorker. My Dad worked at a bar when I was a kid and i started hanging out there from a young age.I was attracted to the whole atmosphere. Everyone in my immediate family has had addiction issues.In 1985 my older brother John died from an overdose in our home,I found my brother dead in bed.It was incredibly traumatic. Read More>>

jonathan pust

Realizing our homeworld faced imminent destruction, my parents sent me to Earth moments before our planet exploded. With a deep desire to help others, and a love for fun, a store was born. Jon opened Heebeegeebeez in Ogden, Utah in 1995. In 2005 Heebeegeebeez opened in Layton, Utah. In 2012 Heebeegeebeez opened in Logan, Utah. Read more>>

torie bartee

Our story really started with God stirring something in our hearts that we couldn’t ignore anymore. My husband, Seth, and I have always had a heart for discipleship, community, and helping people know Jesus in practical ways, but over the last several years God began opening doors and clearly leading us toward planting a church. Read more>>