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.

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>>

Vanessa Rogel

My love for dance started at a young age. It quickly became more than just an activity for me—it was a place where I felt confident, creative, and completely myself. As I grew, that passion stayed with me, and I knew I wanted to build something that would give other kids that same feeling. Read more>>

Jason Moore

I picked up the lens for the first time back in 2005. My dad had gotten a Canon Rebel (basic Canon digital camera) and I found myself getting behind the lens a lot. While I didn’t at the time see it as a career option, I did see it as a creative outlet. Read more>>

Johnathan Timpke

Wood Working and building is my passion. I come from a family full of construction workers who taught me carpentry skills all my life. I worked construction in California until moving to Cache Valley in August of 2019. Once here I worked two jobs to get settled. Read more>>

Trevor Lott

Little backstory to to starting my career in landscaping. I have been in the industry since I was 9 years old. My dad owned a landscape company and his goal was to teach me and my brothers how to work growing up we did a lot of irrigation, maintenance and design builds. Read more>>

Jesse Howell

The Origin: Seeing the World Differently My journey began with a simple need to connect. Under the name ‘Brofiki,’ I picked up a camera not just to take pictures, but to bridge the gap between people. I wasn’t interested in the perfect, polished pose; I wanted the split-second of truth—the laugh, the grit, the quiet moment between the noise. Read more>>

Jeri Abel

My creative journey began long before I called myself an artist. I was the person who filled boxes with photographs of flowers and landscapes — images I hoped one day to turn into paintings. Even when life was busy, my instinct was always to notice light on petals, the curve of a canyon wall, or the way water moved over stone. Read more>>

Emma Snell

My journey began with my own wedding. I became a photographer after being let down by my wedding photographer, and my goal is to help as many couples as possible have the photography experience I always dreamed of. One filled with care, intention, professionalism, peace of mind, and gorgeous photos. Read more>>

Randy Beasterfield

This is a long and drawn-out answer, but a lot has happened to get me to where I am today with music. I was born in Idaho Falls on February 26, 1986. My father, Ray Beasterfield, worked at Idaho Fresh Pack as a warehouse manager, and My mother, Julie Beasterfield, was an Alcoholic stay at home mom. Read more>>

Natalie Strathman

I grew up in Kansas and earned my BFA from the University of Kansas in 2013, where I developed a strong foundation in painting, drawing and contemporary art practices. Early in my career, I began working in paint-and-sip studios across Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois, which exposed me to a side of art that was rooted in connection and shared experience. Read more>>

Christie Majors

Just a few years after relocating to Utah, I purchased Red Star Transportation with a vision bigger than business — I wanted to build something meaningful in the community that my three sons could one day take over. I saw a gap in the system: when school districts were stretched thin, field trips were often difficult to schedule. We stepped in to help. Read more>>

Zuzana Brown

I’m originally from Slovakia, and for most of my childhood, I never saw myself as someone “good at sports.” Movement didn’t come naturally to me, at least not the way I thought it was supposed to. Everything changed when I moved to the United States and actually had more time for myself. I fell in love with mountains, and hiking became my everyday routine. Read more>>

Carson Pennington

From a young age, I was known as the neighborhood kid who could fix all of the older individuals computers. I repaired my first computer at just eight years old because I was determined to play Minecraft and our family computer had stopped working and I have never stopped. Read more>>

Brant Christoffersen

C&W Premier Insurance was established in 1998 in Park City. At that time, we were one of only a couple of insurance brokers in Park City that offered a full line of coverage through multiple insurance companies. This allowed us to search multiple options providing the best coverage and rates to our clients. We offer insurance options for auto, home, commercial, workers compensation and health. Read more>>

Bethany Tracy

I grew up a pet lover, with a variety of different animals throughout my young life. I always knew I wanted to do something with animals. It was when I got my first dog of my very own at the age of 14 that I realized I wanted to be a dog trainer. Read more>>

Jazmine Fox-Edwards

My journey founding Utah Girls Love You (U.G.L.Y.) began in the late 1990’s, when I was a struggling single mother trying to find my footing while carrying more than I ever imagined I could. The early and mid-2000’s brought seasons of heartbreak, multiple divorces, and the quiet weight of feeling judged instead of supported. Read more>>

Rachel Libby

I’ve always been drawn to the power of storytelling and people. I moved around a lot growing up and attended three different high schools, which exposed me early to a wide range of personalities, perspectives, and lived experiences. I became fascinated by how people tick — what motivates them, what makes them feel seen, and what inspires them to change. Read more>>

Kaylea Fiscus

Waypoint wasn’t born out of a marketing idea. It was born out of frustration, ambition and everything in between. For over 13 years, I worked in mortgage operations. I was the person behind the curtain. Reviewing files. Clearing conditions. Watching loans move through underwriting. Making sure guidelines were followed to the letter. I saw thousands of transactions from the inside. Read more>>

Oscar Rodriguez

My story in the hospitality world started in the humblest way possible: at a dish pit. I was 14 years old when I got my first job at a local diner. By 15, I had moved up to the line, learning the high-stakes rhythm of a professional kitchen. Those early years taught me that in this business, speed is nothing without quality and consistency. Read more>>

Jessica Ouzts

I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my life. Before anything else, I had the opportunity to raise four children who I absolutely love, and I’m deeply grateful for that season. Being present for them while they were growing up is something I’ll never take for granted. Read more>>

Dylan Gavin

I began violin lessons when I was three, following the example of my older sisters. By thirteen, I had discovered the piano, and by fifteen I was immersed in the emotional and technical world of Chopin’s Études—music that demanded discipline, nuance, and expressive maturity. While in high school, I taught piano lessons. As a college freshman, practical necessity led me to the guitar. Read more>>

Elsa Maxwell Bourdon

I founded Shift Intercultural Education in 2023 when I realized there was a need for intercultural training within the U.S. Before moving to Utah, I spent most of my adult life living abroad. Through my work with the nonprofit CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange, I became a skilled intercultural trainer and specialized in helping students and professionals adapt to new cultural contexts. Read more>>

Liz Sackewitz

I founded Kaleidoscope Dance Studio in the fall of 2001, beginning with 60 students in my small basement studio. After leaving my position as a high school dance teacher and drill coach at American Fork High School, I sought to create a studio that would allow me to continue my love for dance education while maintaining a flexible schedule for my growing family. Read more>>

Kristy Hawkes

I’ve loved art for as long as I can remember. I was the quiet kid in the corner, always drawing. Always. Growing up, I only ever wanted to be two things: a mother and an artist. I consider it one of the greatest blessings of my life that I’ve been able to do both. Read more>>

Josh Thorne

Quality Billiards & Game Rooms has been in business here in SLC since 1972 and we are celebrating our 56th year in business. I took over the business about 7 years ago just before covid happened. We are in a new state of the art showroom that is a great interactive showroom where customers can test demo and play all the games. Read more>>

Tiffany George

From the roaring rapids of the Colorado River to the serene strength of the reformer, my journey has always been defined by movement and adventure. For over 27 years, I navigated the Grand Canyon as a river guide, a chapter of my life that taught me the incredible resilience of the human body and the transformative power of the great outdoors. Read more>>

Andrew Lindsay

Becoming a therapist was, in many ways, born out of my own struggle to open up. I often felt like I had support around me—people who cared, who would have listened—but there were parts of my inner world that felt hard to put into words. Some experiences felt too complicated, too vulnerable, or too burdensome to bring into conversations. Read more>>

Tanner Godfrey

I grew up in a small town outside of Logan as the second oldest of 7 siblings. My dad owned his own company, and I spent many weekends helping him with tasks either at his warehouse or at our home. After high school, I attended Utah State University, majoring in biochemistry. Read more>>

Ty Brown

Ty Brown is an attorney-preneur driven by a simple belief: Lawyers can do better. As a personal injury lawyer and litigator, Ty saw firsthand how broken the system was. Read more>>

Ben Cahoon

Ben Cahoon is a serial entrepreneur, operator, and product strategist who has spent his career building, scaling, and exiting technology companies across healthcare, enterprise software, education, automotive performance, real estate, and financial services. Read more>>

Thomas & Amy Petty

One year ago, we welcomed our daughter, Millie, into our lives. At 14 weeks pregnant, we opened an email expecting to learn whether we were having a boy or a girl. Instead, we read that we were at very high risk for Trisomy 13, a diagnosis that typically means a baby’s life will be very short. Read more>>

Donald Beard

I have always been passionate about the Criminal Justice System in our State of Utah. In my early twenties, I have met my wife and we started a family together. At that point, as a newly wed couple, the goal was to just provide for the family. I completed a program in Ogden tech college and started working in the field . Read more>>

Jacob George

During that summer I began working on a brain-computer interface solution for individuals with limb loss. But before I dive into my work, take a minute to think about how your life would change after losing a limb. Imagine you’ve just woken up in the hospital to find out both of your hands have been amputated. How would you go about your daily life? How would hold a fork to feed yourself? How would you tie your shoes in the morning? Read more>>

lesley Smith

37 years ago, Lesley opened her studio at the age of 18 in a small pizza store. Elite continued to grow and now with 5 studios, offering all ages, levels and genres, ELITE DANCE STUDIO is one of Salt Lake Valley’s most well-respected institutions for the study of ballet, jazz, contemporary, acro, hip hop, tap, and aerial silks. Read more>>