Appalachian Startup

Anthony and Nathan Greene are two of the most talented storytellers I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know over this past year, and are the co-founders of a Southern West Virginian film production company, The Folkway. They recently released their first full-length documentary project called Into the Well, a film about the first official year of the Rim to River ultramarathon.

Bryant Baker is part river guide, part ultramarathon enthusiast, and a full-time lover of all things Appalachia. What started as an idea as simple as “Hey, why doesn’t West Virginia have a 100 mile race?” Eventually turned into the Rim to River, a 100 mile ultramarathon trail race through America's newest National Park, the New River Gorge. We spoke about the business fundame

Cassidy Bayes comes from a family of entrepreneurs and is now the owner of the Raw and Juicy Juice Bar and Southside Junction Taphouse in Fayetteville, West Virginia. While growing up, she learned the ins and outs of business by watching her Mom and Dad develop their own with the popular food and coffee stop; Cathedral Cafe. We spoke about where her inspiration came from to start h

Michelle Rotellini is part owner of The Dish Cafe, a hearty, healthy, and organic restaurant located in Daniels, West Virginia. Her love for natural ingredient cooking at an early age eventually led to the decision of diving in on building a successful food business for Appalachians and tourists alike to consume. Hear her words on the ins and outs of the organic cooking business in

Michael Williams is a climber at heart, custom camper van builder second. His company Bridge Bound Campers began as a side hustle; A way to pay the bills while having fun, allowing him the free time to be his own boss and hit the mountain sides on sunny days. It quickly grew to where his waiting list was a year long - and he could employ fellow Appalachians to dive in on his dream

Angie Corwin is a movement specialist in Oak Hill, West Virginia who decided to dive in building her dream with Activated Body. What started as a concept of simply "How to help people move" quickly became a full-service studio opening their doors for the first time, during the current pandemic in 2020. Hear her words about the benefits of movement in our lives, and why she took the

Water Stone Outdoors has been a staple for the climbing industry in West Virginia. Kenny Parker along with Maura and Gene Kistler combined their love for climbing with their outdoor industry knowledge to establish their storefront in Fayetteville, West Virginia during the 90's. Season after season, they have seen so much change during the last couple decades. This particular episod

Nancy Bruns is an innovative thinker and an implementer of an industry that was 200 years in the making for her family. She decided to shelf her chef knife and partner with her brother Lewis to start JQ Dickinson Salt-Works in the Kanawha Valley of West Virginia. She broke down the entire economic and passionate journey as well as the ins and outs of drilling into an ancient ocean

Curren Sheldon is a role model of mine. His filmmaking skills are never ending and I’m proud to say that he’s one of the variables in my career that caused me to quit my day job. His experience during this pandemic has sparked a creative journey, along with Tijah Bumgarner, in developing a short film series entitled Quarantine Life, which is currently being featured on Funny or

Weathered Ground Brewery is quickly becoming the go-to community spot to not only enjoy amazing locally crafted beer, but also the chance to hear West Virginia musicians and even have a hot pizza while you do it. Sam and Aryn Fonda setup shop in Cool Ridge, West Virginia with a love for brewing beer and a fondness for its culture. They speak about their early beginnings and how the