Denver’s Most Inspiring Stories

The heart of our mission at VoyageDenver is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our city. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some of the Denver’s finest artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the city’s incredibly deep talent pool. Check out Denver’s rising stars below.

Lindsay Rairdon & Jason Novak

When Jason & I (Lindsay) got married in 2017, we had four school-aged children and two host-home clients between us and were blending two dynamic, unique families into one. Part of that involved me selling my house in Greeley to move in with him in Fort Collins, which gave us the opportunity to invest in the property that is now the Oasis on Eisenhower.  Read more>>

Jennifer Hoffman

Like many kids, I was super interested in space when I was young and dreamed of being an astronaut, particularly after the Challenger disaster in 1986 halted the spaceflight program for a couple of years. I thought that was a shame and wanted to volunteer to go to space immediately! Read more>>

Nathan Mendel

We started this company in 1997, originally as a side company while I was still working for my uncle’s company, Mendel-Allison Construction. In 2001, as my uncle, retired it became full-time and we hired our first two full-time employees. From there we grew steadily both in terms of headcount and volume and started finding niches. Read more>>

Christy DeArment

I had a sense from a young age that my light was meant to be here on Earth in a meaningful way. As a child, I would naturally place my hands on people or animals when they weren’t feeling well and do my own version of energy healing, long before I had ever heard of Reiki. Read more>>

Gregory Meadows

Origin stories are essentially neutral. What we do with them determines whether we become heroes, villains, or—more realistically—a bit of both at times. I grew up in the South during a time when the world felt a little safer. Kids played freely until the streetlights came on. We drank from garden hoses and didn’t need background checks before sleepovers. Childhood seemed safer back then. Read more>>

Kyla Holtan

My journey into life coaching began during a major life transition when I realized I needed clarity and direction for the next chapter of my life. Through mentorship, personal development, and goal-setting strategies, I discovered how powerful guidance can be when you’re trying to rebuild momentum and purpose. Read more>>

Alex Crawfurd

When I started back in 2012, I had zero construction experience, so much so that when I painted my first apartment, I didn’t even know to remove the light switches, outlets or covers which ultimately got painted over and stuck in their currently position. At that time, I was at the tail end of a different ‘failed’ business venture and needed funds, fast. Read more>>

Skkye Moreno (The Wedding Planner Events)

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCmGIVivU5i/?igsh=MWx3ZjdrNTlmZ3Iyag== I included a link to an instagram post with my “story” for more detail. In short, I first got into events during law school to help with extra money. My friends also joke that I am the real life 27 dresses (although that’s an exaggeration) I’ve only actually been in 10-12 weddings. Read more>>

Heather Obendorf

I’ve been a professional photographer since August of 2014. However, I’ve had a passion for photography since my first film class, when I was in middle school! Shortly after our our oldest son was born, I followed my dreams and went in head first. It has been amazing. Whether it’s weddings, newborns, travel landscape or seniors. I love it all. Read more>>

Christopher Seright

I provide relationship coaching within a niche alternative lifestyle community, working with individuals and couples who want to explore power dynamics in their relationships with clarity and responsibility. My introduction to this world began more than three decades ago while I was serving active duty in the U.S. Army. Read more>>

Christopher Chaney

Like a lot of people who end up working in IT, my story started with curiosity—and a few computers that probably didn’t survive my learning process. Growing up, I was always the person who wanted to know how things worked. Read more>>

Dominique Zumwalt

Design, in all forms, has long been a personal fascination of mine. Earlier in my career, I held creative leadership roles in the tech industry, where my work centered on brand strategy and storytelling. I also led creative direction on productions, overseeing all elements—including set design—to build visual environments that brought the stories of our characters to life. Read more>>

Julia Damore

The beginning of my love of music came from a community children’s theater in Franklin TN, Bravo Creative Arts Center. While in middle school, my time performing with them were some of my happiest experiences at that time. I knew then that I would pursue music as my career and try to make a living out of it. Read more>>

Metzli Ehecacoatl

Hello, my name is Metztli Ehecacoatl from Kalpulli Yohualli Ehecatl, I lead this group with my duality, Tlahuizpochtli. We are community made group that started back in 2024 after Hecho en Westwood Community Danza Free class for adults program was discontinued. I was the teacher at the time and continue to teach in the youth program in Westwood. Read more>>

Marco-Alexis Chaira

I started doing photography, graphic design, and videography at a very young age. I got my first camera and Photoshop when I was 12, and quickly started creating graphics for friends and family. What began as a hobby gradually turned into something more serious, and by high school I was already taking on bookings and learning what it meant to run my own small business. Read more>>

Danyel Wynn

I started my career working at an equine rehabilitation center. We would rehabilitate injured or abused horses and once healed train them to help special needs children through hippotherapy. This is where my passion for helping animals began and what motivated me to pursue my degree. I received my bachelors in physiology and veterinary science from the University of Arizona. Read more>>

Mariah Braly

Lazy Stud Ranch sits along the foothills just outside of Lyons and has been part of Kyle’s family for generations. Kyle is the third generation connected to the land, and his dad originally had the dream of turning the working ranch into a wedding venue. Over the years he began shaping parts of the property with that vision in mind. Read more>>

Erin Meyers

I didn’t set out to open an acupuncture clinic. I came to this work because I love being active, and for years I used acupuncture to manage my own pain and chronic headaches, especially when conventional treatment focused on medications rather than solutions. Read more>>

Katie Vinther

In 2013, I experienced a great loss in my personal life. That loss caused me to re-evaluate everything! I started exploring my own personal spiritual path & healing journey. This included a lot of yoga, which eventually led me to a place called The Healing Studio, where I explored many modalities of energy healing, acupuncture, mediums and more. Read more>>

Ambrosia Meikle

My path into birth work has been both personal and deeply meaningful. I’ve long felt drawn to midwifery and to a model of care that centers relationships, trust, and respect for the physiology of birth. Read more>>

Kiley Edwards

My Reiki journey began in 2022 during a time when I was searching for deeper healing and balance in my own life. I remember lying on the table during my first Reiki session, feeling a sense of calm and peace wash over me in a way I had never experienced before. Something within me shifted. Read more>>

Heather Henning

Denver Online Dating started during the pandemic when my wedding photography business slowed down and I had the time to focus on something I had been informally helping people with for years. I had been online dating since the good ol’ days of OkCupid in 2013 until eventually meeting my partner on Hinge, and over time I became surprisingly skilled at creating strong dating profiles. Read more>>

Isaiah Sweetwine

I grew up in Aurora, Colorado, just a bit outside of Denver. My life from a young age was shaped by sports, but also by a lot of adversity. Read more>>

Miranda Beaudin

I grew up in the beautiful Black Hills in SD. I wouldn’t say being a small business owner was always ‘my dream’ but I was bound to carve out a path that felt true to me. I’ve always believed that meaningful work happens when passion and purpose meet. Read more>>

Jem Zornow

Music was always the through line. Jem Zornow grew up training as a classical and jazz vocalist, but he absorbed everything from show tunes to classic rock along the way. Read more>>

Club Crawl Denver

Club Crawl Denver was created by entrepreneurs Ty Sondag and Logan Lakos, two longtime collaborators in Denver’s hospitality and nightlife scene who share a passion for bringing people together through memorable experiences. The two originally began working together in Denver’s event and hospitality industry, where they spent long days producing festivals, events, and nightlife activations across the city. Read more>>

Michael Wheaton

1. During the Dot.com bust, I was working as a CRM for a marketing firm in New York City. At the time, many of our clients were beginning to ask for website development and digital services, but the firm chose not to pursue that direction. Read more>>

Aj Russo

I’ve spent the last 15 years living all across different parts of Colorado and working in different restaurants. I’ve been fortunate enough to work at places like the Stanley Hotel for Michelin star chefs, as well as private owned steak houses and corporate chains. But I have always had a passion for food and it what motivates me everyday. Read more>>

Denise Almond

I have been into photography since I was 12. My first camera was an all manual Pentax K1000. My mother bought it for me and that is when a lifetime of photography adventures was born! In my twenties started a 20 year journey into the world of WWII Air to Air photography! Read more>>

Jay Ryser

I guess I have two stories – one professional, the other semi-professional, but mostly a hobby. On the professional side, I’m a therapist, with a primary population of adults with mood and anxiety disorders. I’ve worked in clinical settings most of my career, including hospital ERs & ICUs, psychiatric inpatient units, partial hospital and intensive outpatient programs, and lately, doing teletherapy with outpatients. Read more>>

Valerie Bartell

I’d like to start with a story that is not really about me, but will resonate with your readers, and it landed me where I am today. I want to talk about a family legend, my Aunt Lila. Read more>>

Patty Riandara

My name is Patty, and I’m the owner of Dara Thai Massage Therapy in Colorado.I grew up in Thailand where traditional Thai massage is part of our culture. After moving to the United States, I realized many people suffer from chronic muscle tension and ‘office syndrome’ from long hours of sitting and working at computers. Read more>>

Molly Markle

After more than ten years of planning parties for my own children, I realized that creating memorable celebrations is something that comes naturally to me—and something I truly love doing. Over the years, so many people encouraged me to turn my parties into a business, and this past year I finally decided to take the leap and give it a try. Read more>>

Cole Fandale

Wellllll it all started with me thinking that my mom’s hobby of photography was silly…. Oh boy was I wrong and quickly regretted those words. I LOVED GoPros in high school and any sort of action shots (we were surfing and skateboarding all the time). Read more>>

Charlie & Abhi

Mile High Tikka Express is Colorado’s first and only Indian Fusion Food Truck, redefining street food with a fresh, modern twist. Helmed by award-winning Chef Charles Mani, we blend the spices of India with the vibrant flavors of Mexican and Mediterranean cuisines to create light, healthy, and modern food. Read more>>

Michelle Reese

My journey began in Virginia, where I grew up enjoying the rolling hills and dogwood trees. I completed my education in Virginia, ultimately graduating with a Masters in Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University. For a decade, I dedicated my work to advocating for under-served communities in the D.C. area. I worked with individuals with intellectual disabilities and as an adult protective social worker. Read more>>